Youth Work with Community Arts and Sports Studies

Course details

The Masters in Youth Work, Community Arts and Sports Studies is a dynamic and innovative programme, which offers a broad and inclusive approach to working with young people that embraces traditional youth work and the role of cultural and sporting practices. The School of Applied Social Studies has joined with the School of Education and the School of Music and Theatre to develop and deliver this unique interdisciplinary programme. The programme is taught by a cross-disciplinary team of academics and practitioners, all of whom are active in working with young people in community settings and/or research in this area.

CKD04: This route incorporates the professionally accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work (Year 1). Youth work practice skills development is combined with a critical theoretical study of youth policy and youth cultures. The programme provides practice-based training to aspiring youth workers and continuing professional development for existing youth workers (who do not already hold a JNC-recognised qualification).

CKD20: This route offers continuing professional development for those who hold a JNC-recognised qualification in youth work.

CKD04 (Year 2) and CKD20 is a flexible programme that focuses on developing youth workers’ theoretical knowledge, practice and research skills. In addition to core modules in community arts and sports studies, students can design their own special programme from a range of exciting elective modules to suit their own professional specialisation, personal interests and research areas.

However, students should note that a minimum quota of students will be applied to each module.

The programme may be undertaken on a full-time basis only.

Course Details

The programme offers a variety of taught modules that focus on youth work professional training and continuing professional development in youth work.

Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work (PGDip)(CKD04 only)

Successful completion of Year 1 of the programme (CKD04 entry route) awards a Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work, which is professionally accredited (JNC-recognised) and endorsed by the North-South Education and Training Standards Committee for Youth Work (NSETS). All Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work modules are offered by the School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork. Year 1 of the programme comprises five taught modules, two placement modules and inpidual and group tutorials (60 credits in total).

Year 1:

Students take 60 credits as follows

Semester 1 Credits

• SS6020 Principles and Practice of Youth Work 10
• SS6036 Youth Work: Skills for Working with Inpiduals and Groups 10
• SS6022 Youth, Ethics and Welfare 5
• SS6037 Youth Work, Informal and Non-Formal Learning 5
• SS6030 Practice Placement I 5

Semester 2 Credits

• SS6031 Practice Placement II 20
• SS6023 Project Planning, Management and Leadership in Youth Work 5

Masters in Youth Work with Community Arts and Sport Studies

This programme is offered to students who already hold a JNC-recognised qualification in youth work, including those who have successfully completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work (CKD04, Year 1).

Successful completion of Year 2 of the programme awards an M.Soc.Sc in Youth Work with Community Arts and Sports Studies. Modules are delivered by the three participating Schools, namely, the School of Applied Social Studies, the School of Education and the School of Music and Theatre. The course incorporates core modules in community arts and sports studies and a range of elective modules designed to develop students’ skills in developing, delivering and implementing arts- and sports-oriented programmes for working with young people in a variety of settings and/or specialised theoretical study in social policy. Students also develop their capacity as researchers and are required to complete a Research Dissertation relevant to their studies.

Core modules

• SS6021 Principles and Practice of Community Arts 10
• ED6603 Principles and Practice of Sports Studies 10
• SS6023 Project Planning, Management and Leadership in Youth Work 5 (CKDXX only)

Elective modules – Students select any combination to the value of 20 credits

Sports Studies Credits

• ED6601 Youth Health and Physical Activity 5
• ED6602 Delivery of Physical Education 5
• ED6604 Outdoor Education and Sport Development 5

Community Arts Credits

• MU6060 Community Music (5)
• SS6029 Development Education and Community Arts (5)
• SS6024 Arts and Social Action (5)
• DR6040 Special Studies in Theatre II - Social Sciences (10)
• DR6041 Directed Studies Theatre Social Sciences (5)
• DR6042 Applied Theatre Social Studies (10)

Applied Social Studies Credits

• SS6319 Children and Young People 15
• SS6318 Mental Health and Disability 15
• SS6321 Conflict Transformation and Peace Building 15

Dissertation

All students are required to complete a dissertation module (30 credits). Students are advised that the dissertation module is normally taken only on completion of the required number of other taught modules. Dissertation students are required to attend and participate in a series of compulsory research seminars and independently prepare a research proposal on their chosen research area.