Skip to main content

Children, Youth and International Development MA

Course code

LL47PCHYIND

Start date

September

Subject area

Anthropology

Mode of study

1 year full-time

2 or 2.5 years part-time

Fees

2024/25

UK £11,550

International £21,260

Back to top

Overview

Working with and for young people in the developing world offers an exciting career full of challenges and rewards. Our Children, Youth and International Development MA is a varied course with a global perspective which will help equip you for roles in international development organisations, government ministries and global agencies.

You will acquire a breadth of knowledge that will enable you to critically evaluate research, policy and practice in the area of children, youth and development. You will also discover the differing disciplinary perspectives on childhood and youth by studying modules from related disciplines.

As you journey through the course, you also will acquire the skills necessary to design and undertake your own research.

Opt for the 'Applied Learning' module and you will have the opportunity of a short placement (one or two days a week for ten weeks) with an organisation that works in the field of children, youth and international development.

Examples of the ‘Applied Learning’ placements previously undertaken include:

  • Action Aid – on a campaign targeting exploitation in the garment industry
  • Anti-Slavery International – on a project to eradicate caste-based bonded labour
  • Basti RAM – planned lessons for a Global Citizenship project
  • BookAid International – helped build up an evidence base for Book Aid’s international programmes
  • Commonwealth Secretariat – on the CS’s Youth Programme in Uganda
  • International Refugee Trust – development of the online classroom about refugees
  • National Deaf Children's Society – developed international exchanges for deaf young people
  • Oxfam – mobilised UK school children to get involved in Oxfam campaigns
  • Project Hope – several placements including designing a survey on youth experiences, and developing leaflets to help South African adults to identify signs of mental illness
  • The Mouth That Roars – helped children in London and Saudi Arabia to create videos through which they communicated their everyday lives to each other

Additionally, an Erasmus agreement exists between the Brunel MA and the MPhil in Childhood Studies at the Norwegian Centre for Child Research (NOSEB) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.

The agreement allows two students from the MA to spend their second term (January to May) at the Trondheim centre. Erasmus students do not pay tuition fees at NOSEB and are entitled to a grant (€375/month) to cover any additional costs.

A 30 month part-time option of the course is also available. If you wish to be considered for the part-time 30 month version, please make your application for the 24 month part-time route and then contact the Admissions team to request the change to the 30 month duration.

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

Back to top

Course content

You will study three core modules relating to children, youth and international development, including the rights and participation of young people, and how to conduct research with children and youth.

Later in the course, optional modules offer the opportunity to appreciate how children and youth-related issues are addressed from alternative disciplinary perspectives including anthropology and sociology.

Through the placement module you have the opportunity to conduct a sustained project with an external organisation which often provides ideas and knowledge towards your dissertation project.

Optional modules are indicative and available subject to numbers.

This course can be studied 1 year full-time or 2 or 2.5 years part-time, starting in September.

Year 1

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Back to top

Careers and your future

Students from the programme have progressed to a variety of careers in different types of organisations, primarily in international development NGOs such as AbleChildAfrica, ADRA, and Anti-Slavery International, and in government ministries and agencies like the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the British Council.

Back to top

UK entry requirements

A UK 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent internationally recognised qualification in a Social Science, Education Studies, Childhood Studies, Youth Work, International Relations, development studies or related discipline. 

Other disciplines and qualifications with relevant experience in international development work or work with children or young people will be considered on an individual basis and an interview may be required.

Back to top

EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all) 

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Back to top

Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

ÂŁ11,550 full-time

ÂŁ5,775 part-time

International

ÂŁ21,260 full-time

ÂŁ10,630 part-time

N.B. UK and EU applicants: the 30 month part-time course will not be eligible for a Postgraduate Loan. If you wish to be considered for the part-time 30 month version, please make your application for the 24 month part-time route and then contact the Admissions team to request the change to the 30 month duration.

More information on any additional course-related costs.

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase. 

See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Scholarships and bursaries

Back to top

Teaching and Learning

How the course will be delivered

Required equipment

How you'll learn on your course

Back to top

Assessment and feedback

A variety of forms of assessment are employed on the course which are intended to be formative as well as summative. These include essays, reports, student-led seminars, research proposals and presentations.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.

;