Early Years Education (with Early Years Teacher Status) MA

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.

This course is currently funded by the UK Government. There is currently no fee to pay for UK students. There are also training bursaries if you’re on the employment based route. Find out more on the UK Government web pages.

Degree requirementsBachelors degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.0/5.0 or 2.8/4.0.Subject-specific requirementsIf 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. Note: If you have achieved Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) or Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) you are eligible to apply for the course. You can’t receive funding from the government, but you may be eligible for exemption from the practice-based course modules, and still be awarded an Early Years Education MA on a self-funding basis. Email MAEYTSadmin@sussex.ac.uk for more information. Please noteOur entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis.

IELTS (Academic)

Advanced level (7.0 overall, including at least 6.5 in each component).

IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course. Find out more about IELTS

We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.

We do not accept IELTS Online.

Check full details of our English Language requirements and find out more about some of the alternative English language qualifications listed below

Alternative English language qualifications

7000