Childhood Studies

Childhood studies is the social scientific discipline that takes children and young people as its central object of inquiry, examining their lives, development, and experiences through lenses drawn from sociology, psychology, education, law, public health, and anthropology. It is a relatively young academic field that has emerged from a recognition that children have historically been studied primarily as objects of adult concern rather than as subjects with their own perspectives and agency. Modern childhood studies takes a more rights-based and child-centred approach, asking not just what happens to children but how they experience and navigate the worlds they inhabit.

At the University of Bristol, this four-year full-time BSc, which includes a foundation year, focuses on children from birth to nineteen years. You will explore perspectives on, and children's experiences of, education, care, work, justice, development, health, and rights and responsibilities in both national and international contexts. The interdisciplinary approach means you will engage with questions about childhood through multiple frameworks, developing a rounded and critical understanding of how the lives of children are shaped by social, economic, cultural, and institutional forces.

The foundation year provides a structured entry into degree-level study. With a typical entry tariff of 136 UCAS points, the programme reflects Bristol's research strength in this area.

Graduates from childhood studies programmes are well placed for careers in education, social work, child health, early years practice, youth work, family support, policy, research, and the voluntary and charity sectors working with children, young people, and families. Many graduates pursue professional training in social work, teaching, educational psychology, or health visiting. The rigorous interdisciplinary training provided at Bristol is particularly strong preparation for postgraduate research and for policy-facing roles in government and non-governmental organisations.