Program Overview

Apply theory to practice in this flexible degree course, and develop skills required to support young people in a range of graduate employment settings.

Youth work has been described as ‘the science of enabling young people to believe in themselves and build positive futures’ (National Youth Agency).

Working with people primarily aged between 11 and 25 is both a challenging and rewarding career choice and the professionals specializing in this field aim to support a young person to develop both personally and socially.

On this course, you’ll cover the history and development of youth and community work, explore the self, groups and learning, society and social policy, and develop your understanding of social science.

You’ll also be looking at oppression, globalization, how agencies work together, and community development and management, as well as enhancing your research, practical and managerial skills.

Compulsory work placements in youth and community centers, and schools and voluntary organizations, provide ample opportunity to achieve hands-on experience working alongside professional youth and community workers. And you’ll see, first-hand, some of the issues that can affect young people and their communities.

Key features

• Professionally recognized by the Joint Negotiating Committee and validated by the National Youth Agency.
• Throughout the course you will undertake up to 800 hours of practical work placements as well as volunteering opportunities, in a range of relevant organizations and projects, to enhance your learning experience in areas such as mentoring, advice and guidance, youth justice, drug and alcohol misuse work and sports-based work.
• You will study a range of topics including learning, education and youth work, youth and community work in context, developing the professional practitioner and globalization and global youth work.
• Gain an international perspective on your studies through our DMU Global program. Recent trips have seen Youth Work and Community Development students focus on the role of young people as change-makers to create positive social change in India and The Gambia, and consider poverty, health and social problems in Florida.
• Graduate employment opportunities include detached youth work, community development, Schools and colleges, work with refugee and asylum seekers and mentoring.
• We have one of the UK’s largest youth work teaching and research teams, with an established reputation of more than 55 years’ experience.