Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures

Youth studies is an emerging and important field that takes young people, typically those aged between fifteen and twenty-four, seriously as subjects of academic inquiry rather than simply a demographic category or a problem to be solved. It examines the conditions in which young people live, the challenges they face, and the social, economic, and environmental forces that shape their opportunities and constrain their futures. Drawing on education studies, sociology, psychology, and sustainability science, it engages with some of the most significant questions facing contemporary society.

At University College London this three-year full-time programme, delivered through the IOE, which is one of the world's leading faculties of education and social research, is described as a trailblazer in educational innovation. You will examine young people's relations with the self, others, society, nature, and technology, developing a critical and interdisciplinary understanding of what it means to be young in the early twenty-first century. The programme critically examines the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and other key frameworks in sustainability debates, both theoretical and practical, grounding your understanding of youth in the context of global challenges from climate change to social inequality.

An optional placement in a youth setting provides direct professional experience of working with young people.

You will develop research skills, critical thinking, and the ability to engage with complex social and educational questions from multiple disciplinary perspectives.

Graduates move into careers in youth work, community development, education, policy, social research, non-governmental organisations, and a range of roles working to improve the lives of young people. Many continue to postgraduate study in education, social policy, youth studies, or related fields.