MA in Children's Literature
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 8,990 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for home full-time. Home part-time: £4495. International full-time: £15360
Introduction
The academic study of children’s literature has developed over the past 30 years and is now a recognised multidisciplinary field of enquiry. This programme will enable you to explore the relationship between reader, writer, text and context, and consider the critical perspectives that underpin those interactions.
Why study MA Children's Literature at Goldsmiths?
- This course will deepen your familiarity with a range of children's literature, from 'classic' works to contemporary texts. Through this, you'll develop a detailed knowledge of the issues and debates in the field, analysing children's literature using theories from education, cultural studies, literary theory, psychology, sociology, history and philosophy.
- We foster a critical stance towards children's literature, academic reading, and ideological underpinning. All of our staff are actively involved in research in the fields of education and children's literature. Award-winning author Michael Rosen is part of the leading team on this programme.
- The programme aims to incorporate and respond to your unique background as an individual. we encourage you to use this to address the challenging issues of representation and diversity in children's literature. You may come from a publishing background or work in education or children's media. If you have a passion for children's literature then this is the course for you.
- Students on this programme's creative writing pathway will be able to work with published creative writing lecturers, including the novelists Ardashir Vakil and Sara Grant, to create short stories, novels, and poems for children and young adults. Creative writing alumni have had their work published, including a recent book by Dashe Roberts 'The Bigwoof Conspiracy (2020); a creative writing handbook co-authored by Harry Oulton 'The Writing Deck: 53 Prompts for Putting Pen to Paper (2019); and Anna Dempsey won the Costa Short Story Award (2019).
We also offer an MA Children's Literature: Children's Book Illustration for those who want to illustrate children's books.
Admissions
Curriculum
What you'll study
Common Compulsory Modules
Whether you choose the Issues and Debates, or the Creative Writing pathway, you will take the following two compulsory modules.
| Module title | Credits |
| Children's Literature: Theory and Criticism | 30 credits |
| Children’s Literature, Culture and Diversity | 30 credits |
Issues and Debates pathway
Students on this pathway will study the following compulsory modules.
| Module title | Credits |
| Researching Children's Literature | 30 credits |
| Dissertation | 60 credits |
Rankings
Goldsmiths is ranked in the world's top 100 for English Language and Literature (QS World University Subject Rankings 2021).
Career Opportunities
Careers
Graduates will be well placed to specialise in children’s literature in a range of careers:
- Teaching
- Publishing
- Children’s media
- Writing texts for children
- Librarianship
- Academic study
- Youth and community work
Skills
You will acquire a wide-ranging understanding of the field of children’s literature and the social, political cultural processes that surround it. You will also develop your critical thinking, communication and research skills.