Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work is available on a full-time basis only. The programme is delivered over 9 months from the date of first registration for the programme. Students take modules to the value of 60 credits.

Students are required to complete two practice placements in separate locations including:

1. A short practice placement of 100 hours (Placement I).
2. An intensive, block practice placement, which is a minimum of 10 weeks in duration, comprising 30 hours per week (Placement II).

Placements are selected by the student in consultation with the Fieldwork Placement Coordinator to assure the suitability of the agency. It is the responsibility of the student to source a suitable placement and to negotiate the placement terms with the placement agency. Where a student is unable to secure his/her own placement, the Placement Coordinator will assist in sourcing a suitable placement; however, the final responsibility for securing a placement rests with the student. All placements are subject to approval of the Fieldwork Placement Coordinator. Placements outside of Cork City are acceptable.

Successful completion of the programme awards a Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work, which is recognised by the North/South Education and Training Standards Committee for Youth Work (NSETS).

Candidates must pass/progress within 2 academic years of the date of first registration for the programme.

Exit Award: Postgraduate Certificate in Youth Work (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award)

Upon satisfactory completion of 30 credits, to include modules, SS6020, SS6022, SS6036, and SS6037, students may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Youth Work. The Postgraduate Certificate in Youth Work is not professionally accredited. A student who subsequently applies to continue to Postgraduate Diploma must do so within 5 years of successful completion of the Certificate Examination.

Programme Requirements

For information about modules, module choice, options and credit weightings, please go to Programme Requirements. 

Programme Requirements

Module List

Code	Title	Credits
Students take 60 credits as follows:
Core Modules
SS6020	Principles and Practice of Youth Work	10
SS6022	Youth, Ethics and Welfare	5
SS6023	Project Planning, Management and Leadership Skills	5
SS6030	Practice Placement I	5
SS6031	Practice Placement II	20
SS6036	Youth Work: Working with Individuals and Groups	10
SS6037	Youth Work: Informal and Non-Formal Learning	5
Total Credits		60

Examinations

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards Book and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Programme Learning Outcomes

Programme Learning Outcomes for Postgraduate Diploma in Youth Work (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Apply an advanced and systematic knowledge of the principles of working in youth work, which is at the forefront of professional practice.
  
• Facilitate young people’s personal, social and educational development through individual and group work and through engagement with local and regional communities.
  
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of the historical development of youth work in community settings and current theory and scholarship in the field of youth policy and practice.
  
• Engage effectively in professional practice in the youth work sector, in an ethical and inclusive manner, which safeguards the health and welfare of young people, promotes equity and values diversity.
  
• Exercise practical leadership and strategic planning skills in devising creative responses to meeting the needs of young people and communities.
  
• Utilise the skills necessary for employment and demonstrate an ability to self-reflect on one’s professional development, including the exercise of initiative and self-direction and the design, planning and management of short- and long-term projects.
  
• Contribute to professional development and training within organisations and communities.