MA in Literature for Children and Young Adults

Do you have a passion for children’s literature? Do you want to share literature with children and develop their ability to read for pleasure? Do you want to deepen your own knowledge of the literature, studying and discussing alongside like mind peers? Then this is the course for you!

The study at Masters Level will enable you to immerse yourself in the world of literature for children and young adults gaining experiences and accreditation within a friendly, flexible setting.

Through a blend of learning you will be explore how children’s literature has developed over the last century to offer a diverse range of genres and experiences for children. You will develop your own skills of enquiry and critical appraisal. You will examine relationships between readers, writers, illustrators, text and content. There are opportunities to develop your own pathways of study and to work on the creative writing of children’s literature.

Modules are taught by a team of enthusiastic and experienced experts within the field of children’s literature. We have established links with local and national bodies and can present and offer a variety of experiences and opportunities.

This course provides the opportunity to study full (one year) on campus, or part (three years) via distance learning and blended learning, allowing those within the professional field to continue with their employment whilst also developing their academic selves.

This is a research-driven and practice informed course, designed to help enhance students' professional practice in a variety of scenarios to support children in reading for pleasure. You will develop skills of critical reflection and deepen your knowledge and understanding of the wonderful texts available for today’s young readers. You will be introduced to many new texts and will also rediscover some old favourites. Studies of genres will offer choices to specialise in chosen areas as well as exploring new and possibly unfamiliar fields.

Teaching will be through a variety of formats from seminars, lectures, workshops, tutorials to online discussions and independent tasks. Planned research talks from visiting academics and authors will form highlights of the course and lively conference opportunities will enable you to engage with many people in the same areas of study.