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Early Years Education (with Early Years Teacher Status) MA

UK

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What will I learn?

Do you want to work with children from birth to five years old (including Reception) in the public and private sectors? Achieve Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) in just one year with this Masters-level course.

Early Years learning primarily focuses on the following ideas:

  • what constitutes quality in Early Years education?
  • equity, inclusion and justice for the pre-school child and the wider family
  • ideas of communication, imagination, language and literacy, and provision for the bi/trilingual child
  • understandings of early mathematical and scientific development
  • discourses of nurture, care, and attachment.

On this MA, there are two routes available:

  • an employment-based route for people already working in an Early Years setting
  • a placement route for those not currently working in the sector.

As a student on the employment-based route, you’d normally work in an Early Years setting within about 90 minutes’ travelling distance from our campus. This is so you can attend teaching on campus as well as work within your placement setting. University staff also need to be able to support you on your placement.

As a student on the graduate route, we’d seek to place you within similar travelling distance of our campus. We welcome applicants currently not living within 90 minutes of campus. Please note that, if your application is successful, we would expect you to relocate so we can give you the appropriate level of support in your work and studies.

Careers

This MA with Early Years Teachers Status (EYTS) offers the opportunity to combine Masters-level study with practical experience of teaching and researching in the Early Years Foundation Stage. You deepen your knowledge and understanding of educational theory and practice, and develop your skills in:

  • research and analysis
  • presentation and communication
  • critical reflection.

With these skills you’ll have a wide range of educational careers open to you - nationally and internationally.

If you are a professional in employment, this course gives you excellent opportunities for career development and progression into Early Years leadership in a range of private and state-maintained settings.

If you are a new graduate, it provides a springboard into Early Years teaching in both the public and private sector.

As a qualified Early Years Teacher with EYTS, you can teach within private nursery and day-care settings. Free Schools and Academies can employ you to teach Reception children as a full class teacher, while in state-maintained nurseries or Reception classes, you will be qualified to teach with the support of a member of staff with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The terrain of Early Years educational provision is fast changing. This Masters course has been designed to equip you with all the necessary skills and dispositions to lead in this sector.

Which department am I in?

Education

Study options

Full Time (1 year)

Tuition fees
£7,000.00 (7,62,693) per year
This is a fixed fee

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please

Application deadline

Expected August 2025

Start date

Expected September 2025

Venue

University of Sussex

Sussex House,

Brighton,

Brighton & Hove,

BN1 9RH, SOUTHERN ENGLAND, England

Entry requirements

For international students

Degree requirements: You should normally have a lower second-class (2.2) undergraduate honours degree or above. Subject-specific requirements: If you are a graduate your qualification can be in any subject. If you are currently working in the Early Years sector: your qualification can be in any subject; you must be currently working in a UK school or nursery in an Early Years or Foundation class setting. You must have achieved a GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in English, maths, and a science subject. English Language Requirements: IELTS (Academic) advanced level (7.0 overall, including at least 6.5 in each component); TOEFL (iBT) - 95 overall, including at least 22 in Listening, 23 in Reading, 23 in Speaking, 24 in Writing.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

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About University of Sussex

In the vibrant coastal city of Brighton, Sussex offers a world-class education, real-world employability and an unforgettable student experience.

  • Ranked 26th in the UK (Times Higher Education 2024)
  • Outstanding research reputation & excellent job prospects
  • Continual investment in facilities & the student experience
  • Beautiful campus with a welcoming global community