Short Courses
The BSc in Youth Development Work is a four year degree programme in the School of Social Sciences, department of Community Development, Psycho-social Support and Behavioural Sciences. This is the first degree programme of its kind in the Commonwealth. This programme was designed by the University of West Indies (UWI) Open Campus in collaboration with the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), Caribbean Centre. The progamme was initially intended to fill an identified need in Commonwealth Caribbean countries for standardised professional training for youth workers in government service, non-governmental organisations and community groups. Such a need has since been identified for the rest of the Commonwealth counties and is now offered through a Consortium of Commonwealth Universities which BOU is a member of. The programme aims to introduce and develop the discipline of Youth Development Work; equip students with the knowledge, attitudes, skills and experiences required for effective youth development work at senior management levels, and to develop effective and reflective youth development practitioners who are capable of applying theory to practice when working with youth. The programme develops in the students, specific competencies required for effective youth development work that will enable beginners as well as experienced practitioners to develop and/or refine their skills in Youth Development Work. The courses in this programme are designed to support student acquisition of a set of regionally agreed Level IV competencies for Youth Work.
Programme Structure
Bachelor of Science Degree in Youth Development Work (BSc YDW)
|
Year |
Semester |
Programme Codes |
Title of Course |
Credits (BQA) |
|
Year 1
|
Semester 1 |
SYFL711 |
Foundations for Learning Success |
15 |
|
SYTP711
|
Youth Development Work: Introduction to theory and practice |
20 |
||
|
SYPD711
|
Youth Development Work: personal and professional Development |
20 |
||
|
SYPA711 |
Introduction to Political Institutions and Analysis |
15 |
||
|
Total Semester 1 credits |
70 |
|||
|
Semester 2
|
SYIS712 |
Introduction to Sociology |
20 |
|
|
SYSY712 |
Sociology of Youth |
20 |
||
|
SYCI712 |
Contemporary Issues in Youth Development Work |
20 |
||
|
SYAI712 |
Youth advocacy: ICTs in Youth Development |
20 |
||
|
|
|
Total Semester 2 credits |
80 |
|
|
|
|
YEAR 1 TOTAL CREDITS |
150 |
|
|
Year 2
|
Semester 1 |
SYEA721 |
English for Academic Purposes |
15 |
|
SYAT721 |
Youth Advocacy principles & tools |
20 |
||
|
SYIE721 |
Introduction to Economics |
20 |
||
|
SYPS721 |
Introduction to Psychology: Social, Development and Abnormal |
15 |
||
|
|
Total Semester 1 credits |
70 |
||
|
Semester 2
|
SYDP722 |
Developmental Psychology |
20 |
|
|
SYML722 |
Management and leadership skills for youth development work |
20 |
||
|
SYGP722
|
Youth Governance and Participation |
20 |
||
|
|
SYGT722
|
Supporting youth in grief and trauma |
15 |
|
|
|
|
Total Semester 2 credits |
75 |
|
|
|
|
YEAR 2 TOTAL CREDITS |
145 |
|
|
Year 3
|
Semester 1 |
SYNP731 |
Youth development work: networks, partnerships and resources |
15 |
|
SYSM731 |
Science, Medicine and Technology in Society |
15 |
||
|
SYPC731 |
Peace conflict resolution and mediation |
15 |
||
|
SISR731 |
Introduction to social Research |
20 |
||
|
Semester 2 |
|
Total semester 1 credits |
65 |
|
|
SYCO732 |
Working with youth in community and organisational settings (mini field projects) |
25 |
||
|
SYHS732 |
Health, Safety and well-being being in youth development work |
20 |
||
|
|
Total Semester 2 credits |
45 |
||
|
|
|
YEAR 3 TOTAL CREDITS |
110 |
|
|
Year 4
|
Semester 1
|
SASR741 |
Applied Social Research (research project) |
15 (30) |
|
SYSP741 |
Strategic planning and programme management for youth development |
20 |
||
|
|
Total Semester 1 credits |
35 |
||
|
Semester 2 Electives
|
SYSD742 |
Youth and sustainable development (elective) |
10 |
|
|
SYES742 |
Youth Entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods (elective) |
10 |
||
|
SYGC742 |
Guidance and Counselling |
10 |
||
|
SYPM742 |
Project Management |
10 |
||
|
SASR74 |
Applied Social Research (research project submission) |
25 |
||
|
|
|
Total Semester 2 credits |
45 |
|
|
|
|
YEAR 4 TOTAL CREDITS |
75 |
|
|
|
|
PROGRAMME TOTAL CREDITS |
480 |
|
This programme is suitable for professional youth workers, including graduates of Diploma or Associate Degree programmes in Youth Work, as well as students with no prior experience who wish to pursue a career in Youth Development Work. This degree is expected to become the standard qualification for youth workers within the public and private sector.
