Bachelor of Arts (Youth and Family Studies)

This programme is designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the key trends and changes in family life and youth development, with a specific focus on Irish society. There are two underpinning beliefs built into the programme, one being that young people need to be valued, listened to and enabled to reach their full potential and the other that at some stage, all families, no matter who they are, need help and support to function.

Given this, the programme places specific emphasis on developing the knowledge and skills required from personnel intending on working in youth work, family support and community development areas in the future. A core strength of this programme is that all teaching is research-led, which exposes students to world-leading research studies being engaged in by the staff team. The programme is, therefore, always focused on key issues in practice, policy and research.

In first year, students take a number of modules across the disciplines of economics, sociology and politics, and information technology, as well as an introduction to youth and family studies. The first two years of the programme are run at, and in association with, St. Angela’s College, Sligo, which is a College of NUI Galway since 2006. Students move to the main campus at NUI Galway for
the final year.

Year 1

• Understanding Politics and Society
• Trajectories of Social and Political Change
• Sociology and Politics Coursework
• Introduction to Youth and Family Studies
• Introductory Microeconomics
• Introductory Macroeconomics
• Applied Economics
• Applied Economics Coursework and Applications
• Applied Public Policy
• Applications Programming
• Computer Systems
• Internet and Web Development

 

Year 2

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Professional Skills
• Communities in Focus
• Understanding Family and Society
• Applied Microeconomics
• Health Promotion
• Conflict Transformation
• Youth Development
• Family Law
• Quantitative Research Methods
• Economics of Public and Social Policy
• Therapeutic Communication
• Economics of Family Policy

Year 3

• Development and Change
• Child Protection and Welfare
• Youth Work Principles and Practice
• Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Families
• Geographies of Children, Youth & Families
• Comparative Public Policy
• Project Planning and Evaluation
• Family Law
• Issues in Contemporary Families
• Current Debates in Youth and Family Work
• Plus two optional modules from third year of Political Science & Sociology and/or Women's Studies

Equivalent modules may be substituted from time to time for any of the above under exceptional circumstances and when approved by the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies