MA in Early Childhood Education and Care (Distance Learning)

Norland

Our MA in Early Childhood Education and Care with specialisms is a flexible, part-time, online master’s programme designed for educators, early childhood practitioners, leaders and policy makers.

Rooted in Norland’s internationally recognised expertise in early childhood, this postgraduate programme allows you to benefit from leading research, specialist teaching and over 130 years of pioneering early childhood insight to deepen your expertise and elevate your impact.

Whether you work directly with young children or in related fields such as childcare policy, the programme enables you to build specialist knowledge in four key and fast-developing areas of early childhood:

supporting behaviour

food and nutrition

sleep hygiene

home-based pedagogy and care

Although these topics receive significant attention, they remain contested, particularly within the home-learning environment for babies, toddlers and younger children. Therefore, throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to explore the latest policy and research and develop depth in your understanding of these specialist strands so that you are well positioned to shape practice with evidence‑informed insight.

With a dedicated focus on the earliest years of childhood (0–3 years), our MA in Early Childhood Education and Care also supports you to extend the breadth of your own professional philosophy and practice, using the latest policy and research and drawing on areas such as sustainability, inclusion and advocacy.

While this postgraduate programme does not lead to Norland Nanny status, it equips you with the advanced skills, specialist knowledge and leadership capability to excel in a wide range of entrepreneurial and leadership roles within the early childhood education and care sector. Its flexible nature allows you to undertake your study in bite‑sized chunks, which allows you to work alongside your studies, as you will be expected to be working with or in a role that relates to young children for the duration of your studies.. You can choose to begin with a postgraduate certificate (Phase 1) and then develop through the postgraduate diploma (Phase 2) to a full master’s degree (Phase 3), with the option to stop and restart at each phase.

Please note: The MA in Early Childhood Education and Care does not lead to Norland Nanny status.