PG Certificate Children & Young People in Conflict with the Law
ApplyKey facts
- Start date: January
- Application deadline: 31 October
- Study mode and duration: 12 months part-time distance learning
Part-time study: available
Study with us
- this exciting postgraduate course has been developed by the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ) for individuals who wish to improve outcomes for children and young people who are on the cusp of, or in conflict with the law
- a great opportunity to gain a postgraduate qualification to contribute towards continued professional development and registration
- gain a critical understanding of the issues surrounding the rights of children and young people in conflict with the law and a theoretically informed understanding of their developmental pathways, assessment, formulation, and intervention approaches
- be taken on a virtual journey to inform your knowledge and understanding of children and young people in conflict with the law with a plethora of online resources including recorded presentations and interviews, videos, podcasts, and directed reading as well as online group discussion forums
- live online seminars held weekly to consolidate learning and support assignment preparation
- dedicated tutors available via My Place forum and email
Why this course
This course is delivered by the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice, and their multi-talented team of social work, psychology, and research professionals.
The course will provide a comprehensive and consolidated learning experience on children in conflict with the law through a developmental lens whilst also considering the implications for young people in conflict with the law as they transition to adulthood.
Drawing from a variety of approaches and disciplines including social work and social policy, psychology, health, and law you'll develop a critical understanding of the rights of children and young people in conflict with the law, how well these are being upheld and existing challenges to being fully rights respecting. You'll also develop a theoretically informed understanding of the developmental pathways of children and young people finding themselves in conflict with the law alongside practice models of assessment, formulation, and intervention.
As a fully online, part-time course, it offers you the flexibility to grow your knowledge, skills and continued professional development whilst maintaining existing professional and personal commitments
Creative Conversations with CYCJ
- what it's like to study alongside other children's rights defenders
- balancing the demands of the course with other personal/professional commitments
- how the course can inform and strengthen your professional practice
Policy & legislative context
You'll be provided with a critical understanding of the policy and legislative context surrounding children and young people in conflict with the law, as well as international models of practice that respect and uphold rights. It's designed to equip you with the ability to critically analyse models of practice in your own country and elsewhere and to engage in debate as to how well the rights of children and young people are upheld within these models.
Developmental pathways, assessment, & formulation
You'll be provided with a critical understanding of the principal pathways to children and young people finding themselves in conflict with the law and the relevant theories as well as approaches to the assessment and formulation of need. It's designed to equip you with the ability to apply your knowledge, skills and understanding to practice examples and to critique contemporary approaches, models, and theories.
Intervention approaches
You'll be provided with a critical understanding of best practice intervention approaches for children and young people in conflict with the law as well as the theories, concepts and principles underpinning these. It's designed to equip you with the ability to critically analyse intervention approaches in your own country and elsewhere and to apply your knowledge and understanding to developing intervention plans in line with best practice.
Learning & teaching
As the PGCert is a fully online course, the cohort has been kept small so that you are able to get to know your fellow students, engage in meaningful discussions and learn from each other. As such, students are expected to attend the online seminars which take place on Thursdays from 9.30am to 11am during teaching weeks. These are designed to consolidate and extend the week’s learning.
You'll require regular access to a reliable computer with sufficient processing capability and an excellent broadband connection. Your computer must have a recent version of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office or Open Office. It should also be enabled for pop-ups.
We’ll communicate with you by e-mail and via the University's Virtual Learning Environment. Please make sure you can use the following programs:
- Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint or a compatible program, for example OpenOffice
- An e-mail program compatible with Microsoft software; we recommend Outlook
- Microsoft Teams
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Windows Media Player
Assessment
Each module will be assessed using a range of written assignments.
Hear from our experts
Fiona Dyer
Director at CYCJ
Through providing further education for professionals working with children and young people in conflict with the law we believe a positive difference can be made for upholding children’s rights and improving their future outcomes.
Pamela Morrison
Practice Development Advisor with CYCJ
The PG cert is a fantastic opportunity for practitioners to expand their understanding of theory and relevant research for children in conflict with the law, including developmental pathways and intervention approaches and implications for children’s rights.
Carole Murphy
Practice Development Advisor with CYCJ
This exciting course is delivered by a team of social work, psychology and research professionals. The flexibility of the online delivery will enable working professionals to gain a postgraduate qualification whilst maintaining work commitments.
Entry requirements
| Requirements | You'll require to have a relevant undergraduate degree or professional qualification and demonstrate capacity for postgraduate study. As this is a fully online course you'll also require access to a device/computer with sufficient processing capability and an excellent broadband connection. |
|---|---|
| English language requirements | Please check our English language requirements before making your application. |
Chat to a student ambassador
If you want to know more about what it’s like to be a Humanities & Social Sciences student at the University of Strathclyde, a selection of our current students are here to help!
Our Unibuddy ambassadors can answer all the questions you might have about courses and studying at Strathclyde, along with offering insight into their experiences of life in Glasgow and Scotland.
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are full-time per academic year unless stated otherwise.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually. The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year.
| Scotland | £2,900 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £2,900 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £2,900 |
| Available scholarships | Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities. |
Please note: The fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are full-time per academic year unless stated otherwise.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually. The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year.
| Scotland | £3,183 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £3,183 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £3,183 |
| Available scholarships | Take a look at our scholarships search for funding opportunities. |
Please note: The fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year. Find out more about fees.
How can I fund my course?
Scottish postgraduate students
Scottish postgraduate students may be able to apply for support from the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). The support is in the form of a tuition fee loan and for eligible students, a living cost loan. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students coming from England
Students ordinarily resident in England may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance England. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students coming from Wales
Students ordinarily resident in Wales may be to apply for postgraduate support from Student Finance Wales. The support is a loan of up to £10,280 which can be used for both tuition fees and living costs. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Students coming from Northern Ireland
Postgraduate students who are ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland may be able to apply for support from Student Finance Northern Ireland. The support is a tuition fee loan of up to £5,500. Find out more about the support and how to apply.
Don’t forget to check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
International students
We've a large range of scholarships available to help you fund your studies. Check our scholarship search for more help with fees and funding.
Careers
This course is designed to appeal to:
- individuals who are already working in the field and wish to enhance their professional development and reflect on the issues pertinent to children and young people in the conflict with the law
- individuals seeking a career in supporting children on the cusp of, or in conflict with the law
This course is extremely relevant to social work practice and will without a doubt have a positive impact on my practice. You can tell the course has been designed and led by people who are passionate about wanting to facilitate change for children and young people in conflict will the law.
Kathy, student
This course has not only given me the confidence to make more informed decisions in practice, it has also afforded me the opportunity to meet people who have a wealth of experience in various disciplines, which has been integral to my learning.
Vickie, student
Apply
Start date: Jan 2026
Children and Young People in Conflict with the Law
Contact us
Prospective student enquiries
Contact a member of our team on LiveChat between 10am and 4pm (GMT)
Telephone: +44 (0) 141 444 8600