Immerse yourself in exploring professional and practical approaches to children’s illustration as well as engaging in the academic study of children's literature, to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationships between image, text, readers and context in the world of children’s literature.
Developed and taught by leading teaching staff including children’s authors, this degree draws on both professional and critical perspectives from art and education, cultural studies, design and sociology to deliver a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the subject.
Guidance from tutors and a choice of modules and assignments will enable you to develop personal projects, culminating in a practice-based dissertation. At the end of the programme you will have the opportunity to exhibit your work.
Illustration skills
Throughout the programme you will develop and refine your practical illustration skills and ideas, working within short and longer project formats. These projects focus on materials and their combination, colour, tone, creating atmosphere, addressing the reader and the relation of illustration to text. You will have the opportunity to work in collaboration with students on the MA in Children’s Literature. This is an opportunity to develop and refine your work and ideas within the project format.
The sociopolitical context of children’s illustration
This degree not only develops your practical skills, but also challenges you to question the context in which children’s books are produced and interpreted, and how they can challenge or reinforce dominant ideologies. You will interrogate the power relations that determine what is published, distributed and selected to be read by children in schools.
Understanding the publishing landscape
You will gain knowledge and insight into the professional world of children’s publishing through exposure to professional networks such as the Association of Illustrators, guest lectures from established illustrators, studio visits, and a bespoke module in Children’s Publishing. This module develops an in-depth understanding of the children’s publishing landscape and your skills in self-publishing and establishing dialogue with designers, editors and agents.
The core modules of this degree cover both the theoretical and the practical aspects of illustrating for children’s literature, with a module dedicated to learning the skills needed to successfully navigate the world of children’s publishing as a freelance illustrator.
Core modules
The core modules you will study are:
Option modules
In addition to the core modules, you will also have the opportunity to tailor your studies to your personal interests by choosing a 30 credit option module from the Department of Educational Studies, such as:
As a graduate of the MA in Children’s Literature: Children’s Illustration you will have the skills and knowledge to succeed as a freelance children’s illustrator. In addition to honing your understanding and practice of children’s illustration, this degree will provide you with the professional skills to enter the industry with confidence.
Throughout the course you will benefit from the expertise and networks of renowned practitioners. The Children’s Publishing module will develop your knowledge of the sector and your professional skills, while the degree show and visits to London book fairs to meet publishers and agents will provide you with a platform to build professional relationships in the industry. You will also benefit from Goldsmiths’ networks with other institutions such as the Association of Illustrators.
Immerse yourself in exploring professional and practical approaches to children’s illustration as well as engaging in the academic study of children's literature, to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationships between image, text, readers and context in the world of children’s literature.
Developed and taught by leading teaching staff including children’s authors, this degree draws on both professional and critical perspectives from art and education, cultural studies, design and sociology to deliver a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the subject.
Guidance from tutors and a choice of modules and assignments will enable you to develop personal projects, culminating in a practice-based dissertation. At the end of the programme you will have the opportunity to exhibit your work.
Illustration skills
Throughout the programme you will develop and refine your practical illustration skills and ideas, working within short and longer project formats. These projects focus on materials and their combination, colour, tone, creating atmosphere, addressing the reader and the relation of illustration to text. You will have the opportunity to work in collaboration with students on the MA in Children’s Literature. This is an opportunity to develop and refine your work and ideas within the project format.
The sociopolitical context of children’s illustration
This degree not only develops your practical skills, but also challenges you to question the context in which children’s books are produced and interpreted, and how they can challenge or reinforce dominant ideologies. You will interrogate the power relations that determine what is published, distributed and selected to be read by children in schools.
Understanding the publishing landscape
You will gain knowledge and insight into the professional world of children’s publishing through exposure to professional networks such as the Association of Illustrators, guest lectures from established illustrators, studio visits, and a bespoke module in Children’s Publishing. This module develops an in-depth understanding of the children’s publishing landscape and your skills in self-publishing and establishing dialogue with designers, editors and agents.
The core modules of this degree cover both the theoretical and the practical aspects of illustrating for children’s literature, with a module dedicated to learning the skills needed to successfully navigate the world of children’s publishing as a freelance illustrator.
Core modules
The core modules you will study are:
Option modules
In addition to the core modules, you will also have the opportunity to tailor your studies to your personal interests by choosing a 30 credit option module from the Department of Educational Studies, such as:
As a graduate of the MA in Children’s Literature: Children’s Illustration you will have the skills and knowledge to succeed as a freelance children’s illustrator. In addition to honing your understanding and practice of children’s illustration, this degree will provide you with the professional skills to enter the industry with confidence.
Throughout the course you will benefit from the expertise and networks of renowned practitioners. The Children’s Publishing module will develop your knowledge of the sector and your professional skills, while the degree show and visits to London book fairs to meet publishers and agents will provide you with a platform to build professional relationships in the industry. You will also benefit from Goldsmiths’ networks with other institutions such as the Association of Illustrators.
The graduate concentration in Women's and Gender Studies provides graduate students the opportunity to study gender and sexuality from a variety of disciplinary perspectives in conjunction with their study toward a master's or doctoral degree. Interdisciplinary by nature, Women’s and Gender Studies courses primarily address the diversity of gendered experiences based on race, ethnicity, class, religion, nationality, and sexual orientation. The graduate concentration is an appropriate option for graduate students who wish to focus on gender and/or sexuality in their particular disciplinary field.
The graduate concentration in Women's and Gender Studies is offered to students in the following programs: Master of Arts (M.A.) in American Studies, English, History, Liberal Studies, and Political Science; Master of Science (M.S.) in the Division of Global Affairs, Public Administration and Social Work; and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in American studies and the Division of Global Affairs.
The graduate concentration consists of a total of 12 credits. Students will take two courses cross-listed with Women's and Gender Studies from their own department and two core courses offered by the Women's and Gender Studies Program, taught by faculty members affiliated with the Graduate School.
The two core courses are:
Because the way that the graduate concentration in Women's and Gender Studies fits with each program is slightly different, students should seek advisement from the director of the graduate program in their own department as well as from the director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program at the beginning of their graduate studies. Full-time students should be able to complete the course of study for the graduate concentration in Women's and Gender Studies and for their master's or doctoral degree within their program's normal time frame.
Students interested in pursuing the graduate concentration in Women's and Gender Studies should contact the director of the Women's and Gender Studies Program after they have been accepted into the graduate program in their discipline.
The Women’s and Gender Studies Program offers its own activities to help students achieve learning goals, including brown-bag lunch discussions of student and faculty research and the annual WGS conference. The goals and assessments below for the English courses required for the Concentration are in addition to those above for all English MA students.
Learning Goal 1: Familiarity with the ways feminist epistemologies have reshaped the agendas of intellectual inquiry in numerous fields; command of the foundational methodologies of doing interdisciplinary work in WGS as well as those most appropriate to the student’s area of disciplinary study, including the lexicons required to do this work; understanding of the research and the research methodologies employed by scholars across the disciplines to study women’s and gender issues, and ability to use these tools competently in the student’s own academic work.
Learning Goal 2: Understanding in historical perspective of the issues in American and other cultures that are based on assumptions about male/female sexual differences, differences in gender and sexual orientation, and their ideologies; command of the intellectual history within which feminism and gender studies have come to be defined and reframed and the complex dynamic of women’s histories in various times and places as they intersect with gendered social and cultural formations; understanding of the development of feminist and gender theories in the contexts of differing cultures, subcultures, and global histories; and ability to apply contemporary varieties of these theories to literary and cultural texts with rigor, creativity, appropriateness, and critical thought.
Learning Goal 3: The ability to connect broader issues in women’s history, feminist and gender theory, and related theories and methodologies to literary works under study.
This degree provides a rigorous course that interrogates the literary, creative, social, cultural, political and historical contexts in the field of children's literature. You will explore landmark books such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or The Railway Children, alongside the contemporary innovations of Patrick Ness or Emily Gravett.
You will work with staff who have international reputations in areas such as philosophy in children's literature, popular fiction, adolescence and Young Adult, early children's books, and writing for young people. You will also benefit from a series of guest speakers, extra-curricular activities and field trips that will enhance your student experience and ensure you get the most out of your studies, and you will have the chance of working with Roehampton's Chancellor and renowned author Professor Dame Jacqueline Wilson.
As a Children's Literature student you will become a member of the National Centre for Research in Children's Literature (NCRCL), regarded as the premier institution for children's literature research in Britain. The NCRCL has close links with organisations that work to further the study and teaching of children's literature, including The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Seven Stories (The National Centre for Children's Books) and Booktrust. The centre also hosts and co-organises an annual one-day British IBBY/NCRCL MA Conference and runs a regular NCRCL Conference, showcasing themes from members' research interests. Keynote speakers have included Michael Rosen, Matthew Grenby, Emer O'Sullivan, Neil Gaiman, and Julia Eccleshare.
Due to the reputation of our long-standing programme, our graduates are very attractive to employers, particularly publishers who have previously offered internships to our students and graduates. The University is the exclusive Creative Partner of Barnes Children's Literature Festival, London's largest event dedicated to children's writing. The partnership provides paid and voluntary work experience opportunities for students at the festival, as well as opportunities to attend events for free. We also have an on-going relationship with Hodder Children's Books and connections with other literary employers in the local community, including Wimbledon Bookfest, and Battersea Arts Centre.
Roehampton hosts a number of Children's' Literature collections in our library containing 6,000 critical, theoretical, bibliographical and reference works and approximately 40 specialist children's literature journals. We are also home to the Richmal Crompton Collection. This includes her personal library, editions and translations of her famous Just William stories and scripts including short stories and radio plays.
This stimulating programme allows for the exploration of a range of literary texts from medieval learning materials, through landmark books such as Treasure Island, The Tale of Peter Rabbit or The Eagle of the Ninth, to the contemporary innovations of Mark Haddon, Shaun Tan or Jackie Kay. You will examine the dynamic relationship between children's books, other media, and social constructions of childhood.
You will study a range of critical and theoretical approaches and learn about key ideas that have shaped literary criticism, particularly those that resonate with children's literature studies. You will pay special attention to archives, and what impact they have on textual culture, and will be trained in using them as a resource.
If you have the ambition to write for children, you will have the opportunity to take creative writing modules as part of your degree. MA students will complete the course by undertaking either a dissertation or creative dissertation. The dissertation is a supervised research project involving an in-depth study of an aspect of children's literature that interests you. For the creative dissertation, you will produce a creative portfolio that could include short stories, picturebook scripts, poems, or a novella, alongside a critical reflections of your work.
Children's literature can also be studied by distance learning.
Here are some of the modules we offer:
Compulsory
Optional
Compulsory (MA students only)
Compulsory and Required modules
Compulsory and/or required modules may change when we review and update programmes. Above is a list of modules offered this academic year.
Optional modules
Optional modules, when offered as part of a programme, may vary from year to year and are subject to viability.
Teaching, children’s publishing and arts management.
This unique course allows you to study children’s literature in a flexible, part-time format from wherever you are in the world.
You will explore the exciting and varied world of children’s literature, and to examine how texts aimed at young people convey and challenge ideas about childhood. You will work with staff who have international reputations in areas such as philosophy in children's literature, popular fiction, adolescence and young adult fiction, early children's books, and writing for young people.
As a distance learner you will have support from the Department, regular contact with your tutors, access to specialist services, and a wide range of e-books and digitised items from the Children’s Literature Collection at the University Library which contains 3,000 critical, theoretical, bibliographical and reference works and approximately 40 specialist children's literature journals.
Through this programme you will become a member of the National Centre for Research in Children’s Literature (NCRCL), regarded as the premier institution for children’s literature research in Britain. The NCRCL has close links with organisations that work to further the study and teaching of children's literature, including The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Seven Stories (The National Centre for Children’s Books), and Booktrust. The University is also the exclusive Creative Partner of Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, London’s largest event dedicated to children’s writing. You can stay up-to-date with the NCRCL by following their blog.
The Distance Learning MA is taught through a mixture of independent study, tutor feedback, and peer support. You will have access to an online learning environment, allowing you to work with digital materials, watch video lectures, and engage in learning activities. You will have the chance to discuss ideas with other students through discussion boards and interact with your tutor in online seminars. At the end of each module, you will complete a piece of coursework, usually an essay, to demonstrate your understanding of the subject.
This programme asks you to think about children’s literature in new ways. In your first year you will be introduced to essential critical approaches, from postcolonial theory, psychoanalysis, and reader-response criticism, to new ideas about the child, power and ethics. Using these tools, you’ll study a selection of fairy tales, picture books and short stories, including classics and contemporary and innovative texts.
In optional modules you can study the history of British children’s literature from its origins to the present day, as well as texts in translation, and elements of form and genre. Throughout the course you will gain knowledge of literary works produced for children, and the social, cultural and historical contexts of their production. The eclectic and rigorous nature of the programme allows you to contribute original work from a variety of perspectives, particularly in the extended critical Dissertation. The creative writing modules, ‘Writing for a Child Audience’ and ‘Creative Dissertation’ represent exciting additions to the programme, recognising the fact that many of our students have ambitions to write for children.
This MA can also be studied on-site.
Here are some of the modules we offer:
Compulsory
Optional
Compulsory (MA students only)
Compulsory and Required modules
Compulsory and/or required modules may change when we review and update programmes. Above is a list of modules offered this academic year.
Optional modules
Optional modules, when offered as part of a programme, may vary from year to year and are subject to viability.
Possible careers include teaching and librarianship, children’s publishing and arts management.
This programme meets the increasing demand for a postgraduate qualification in Children's Rights, explicitly focused on interdisciplinary research and child rights-based research methods.
The programme aims to provide high-level knowledge and skills in children's rights law and practice of value to those working with and for children, including public officials and NGOs as well as educators, social workers and health care providers.
The programme will develop your expertise in two distinct but interconnected areas:
Children's Rights - using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international standards to evaluate the laws, policies and practices which affect children
Research with Children - evaluating the best methods of conducting research into children's lives with a particular focus on approaches which involve children actively in the research process.
The course will provide you with a thorough grounding in these two areas and the opportunity to explore a range of contexts in which these perspectives can be used to better understand children’s lives and secure improved outcomes for children.
◦As a prestigious Russell Group University, Queen’s is ranked 8th within the UK in relation to research intensity;
◦Education at Queen’s has been ranked 4th within the UK in relation to research intensity with 87% of the research undertaken within the School assessed as ‘internationally excellent or world leading’ (REF, 2014);
◦There will be some opportunities available to develop advanced workplace skills by collaborating with community organisations to undertake research to help them improve their services for children and young people;
◦The programme incorporates the Centre for Children's Rights expertise in interdisciplinary work and rights-based approaches to research methods. This will empower students to undertake research with children and young people in a range of contexts;
◦The interdisciplinary nature of the programme reflects the real-life practices of many child-related services;
◦If you don’t want, or need, to study for the research dissertation, flexible exit awards are available (PG Diploma/ PG Certificate);
◦You may also undertake individual course modules without completing a full degree.
Core Modules
A range of optional modules enables you to choose further research methods modules and a range of substantive children’s rights modules including issues such as social work, disability, education and philosophical perspectives.
In addition, you may choose modules from the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, and Psychology.
There are no written examinations. A variety of assessment methods will be used including assignments, online tests and participation in workshops. Students will have the option of undertaking research work for external organisations to submit as part of their dissertation.
There is increasing demand for postgraduates with high-level skills in interdisciplinary research, participatory research methods and knowledge of children's rights.
Professionals within children/human rights-focused NGOs, public officials, educators, social workers and health professionals who work with children should find this degree beneficial.
The Master of Science in Mathematics and Science Education (M.S.M.S.E.) is a collaboration between the Department of Education and The College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. This program provides a solid background in mathematics and science principles for application within formal and/or informal classroom settings. The M.S.M.S.E. program is designed for certified and practicing teachers and others with degrees or work experience in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) who wish to enhance their subject matter knowledge and skills in science and math disciplines. It includes a core of research courses, professional education courses and electives in math and science. M.S.M.S.E. students are required to complete a final research or capstone project on a STEM topic. Students may also complete the program with a thesis.
The purposes of the M.S.M.S.E. program are to:
Upon completion of the M.S.M.S.E. program, a student will be able to:
Research Core Courses (9 hours)
Professional Education Core Courses (6 hours)
Two courses selected from the following:
Math and Science Courses (15 hours)
Selected from mathematics/science education (MSE) courses offered by the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.
Total: 30 hours
The University of British Columbia offers a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature (MACL) Program, jointly offered by the Departments of English and Language and Literacy Education, the Creative Writing Program, and the School of Library, Archival & Information Studies. The program provides specialized education for graduate students in the study of children’s and young adult literature and media using a multi-disciplinary approach. It provides each student with the opportunity to study the creative writing and publishing of this literature, to examine models of sharing its rich heritage with the young, and also to facilitate the literary, social, historic, and psychological analyses of children’s literature as literature. This multi-disciplinary approach exposes students to many schools of literary criticism, educational theory, and professional and creative practice. It acquaints students with the broad literary canon of children’s literature across a spectrum of languages and cultures, and with a variety of critical perspectives and professional application. Across various disciplines, departments, and faculties, a broad range of courses provide disciplined, academic study of children’s and young adult literature and media.
The MACL Program is the only one of its kind in the world offered from such a broad, multidisciplinary perspective and the only Master's program in children's literature in Canada. The program is unique in that the two faculties and the four academic units jointly provide faculty, courses, thesis supervision and committee support to give the graduate academic study of children’s literature a perspective on the full life cycle of the literature – the creation of the literature (through Creative Writing), its critical analysis (through English) and pedagogical approaches to the literature in interaction with children in schools, homes and libraries (Language and Literacy Education; School of Library, Archival & Information Studies).
Faculty in these departments are authors of both acclaimed children's books and scholarly guides to the literature. They serve on national and international children’s book juries, lead national research studies, and have received awards for scholarship, service, and teaching.
The University Library collections in historical and contemporary children’s books and the critical study of children's literature are considered among the strongest such collections in an academic library in Canada, including some 4,000 early and rare children's books and some 50,000 modern children’s books. As well, the Library maintains a large collection of research materials on children's literature, including histories, criticisms, bibliographies, catalogues, and biographies.
The world loves American culture, but is deeply distrustful of American power and politics. At Radboud University, we offer critical insights into what America means. Our Master's program gives students the opportunity to become experts in the concept of ‘America' in a variety of fields: US history, literature, culture (including popular culture, film, theatre, political history, foreign policy, constitutional law, religion and social science. Radboud University's programme distinguishes itself from other's by emphasizing the cultural and political relations between the United States, its neighbours and Europe.
The open classroom experience is what teachers and researches of the Master`s program “North American Studies” want to create for their students. For an example of the experience, in the project “Politics & Culture of Liberation” students and teachers worked closely with the National Liberation Museum in Groesbeek, the Regional Archive in Nijmegen and the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The project resulted in an exhibition on the impact of American culture on Europe and the Transatlantic World. This is only one example of the many creative seminar projects that students realize in the Master`s program.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/americanstudies
Specialisations in the Master's in North American Studies. The Master's programme in North American Studies offers two specialisations:
1. Literatures and Cultures of North America in International Perspective
2. Transnational America: Politics, Culture and Society
America's cultural icons are the world's cultural icons. From Walt Disney to the Statue of Liberty, from Hollywood to Time magazine, and from Jack Kerouac to Philip Roth, the influence of American culture and literature around the world is huge. Our program allows students to critically explore the significance of American culture in countries around the globe. Aside from studying the variety of meanings assigned to American cultural products abroad, students will explore the diversity of the American cultural expressions themselves.
With the so-called ‘transnational turn', American Studies increasingly looks beyond national borders. In this program you will explore the politics, culture and society of the United States within, outside and at its borders. Central themes are the exchange of cultural and political ideas between North America and Europe, and related issues in the field of Americanisation, globalisation, cultural mobility and political and cultural imperialism.
True to the tradition of American Studies, our program teaches students to approach issues from different angles and to think in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary ways. We also offer excellent internships, thanks to our global network. Furthermore, we are the only university in the Netherlands to teach oral communication skills in the American language throughout our Bachelor's program, so that students who go on to study for a Master's degree have near-native language abilities.
In Nijmegen, you will find yourself in a dynamic learning environment where the level of scholarship and communication in (American) English is extremely high. This is one of the reasons why our program is so popular. Another reason is the choice the University offers between two fascinating fields within which you can create your own custom-made program: ‘Literatures and Cultures of North America in International Perspective' and ‘Transnational America: Politics, Culture and Society.'
Within the program in North America Studies, you can choose from the following two specialisations. Each specialisation comprises of a one-year, 60 EC program including a 20 EC Master's thesis project. For more information about program outline, structure, and courses, please click on the links below.
Literature and Cultures of North America in International Perspective
All students enrolled in this Master's specialisation take compulsory foundational courses. In addition, students take a compulsory Master's Thesis Colloquium and participate in Master's Thesis Workshops to help them structure their Master's Thesis research and support their writing process. There is an elective space in the specialisation to allow students to engage in an internship or engage in further courses. Options for elective courses include courses on Native Americans, African-American literature and the American borderlands.
Transnational America: Politics, Culture and Society
If you follow this specialisation, you will take several obligatory foundation courses. In addition, students take a compulsory Master's Thesis Colloquium and participate in Master's Thesis Workshops to help them structure their Master's Thesis research and support their writing process. There is a small elective space in the specialisation to allow students to engage in an internship or engage in further courses. Options for elective courses include a special course on the Beat Generation, one of America's most influential avant-garde movements; Native Americans; African-American Literature and Culture; American Borders: Contact Conflict and Exchange; or American Constitutional Law (taught in Dutch).
There is a wide range of opportunities for graduates from the Master's program in North American Studies. Your broad interdisciplinary education and excellent command of English will help you find a job in an international setting. You could work in school or university education, in research, in journalism or other media, in publishing, museums, international finance, government, business, international affairs or as a diplomat.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/americanstudies
This exciting new programme is ideal if you have an interest in the academic study of children’s literature, or work in education (e.g. as a teacher or librarian), publishing or children's media. It's also aimed at authors who want to create texts for children.
Award-winning author Michael Rosen is just one of the leading teaching staff on this programme, which is taught mainly in the Department of Educational Studies at Goldsmiths, although those pursuing the Creative Writing pathway will also study modules in the Department of English and Comparative Literature.
You will deepen your familiarity with the range and diversity of genres for children from ‘classic’ works to contemporary texts and develop detailed knowledge and critical understanding of issues and debates in the field. Studying children’s literature at Goldsmiths will also involve examining how texts for children reflect contested constructions of childhood.
If you are already a committed writer, although you may not have experience of writing for children/young adults, the MA in Children's Literature offers a Creative Writing pathway which is taught in partnership with the Department of English and Comparative Literature. You can select modules that will support creative writing practices and enable you to work with practising and published creative writing lecturers and education lecturers to study and explore the nature of writing for children/young adults, creating original texts in the genres of short story, novel and poetry (but not script/screen writing or picture books/graphic novels).
Goldsmiths' MA in Children’s Literature is unique in its focus on inclusive practices and social justice. We will question the sociopolitical contexts in which texts are produced and interpreted and you will be encouraged to explore how texts for children can challenge or reinforce dominant ideological constructions. We interrogate the power relations that determine what is published, distributed and selected to be read by children in schools.
You will explore the relationship between reader, writer, text and context, and consider the processes that underpin those interactions. We will also examine the inherent paradox that studying children’s literature will involve adults' writing, selecting and responding to texts that are normally intended for children.
Core modules
Dissertation
Optional modules
Creative writing pathway
Assessment
Coursework, essays, project, dissertation, creative writing (optional).
Graduates will be well placed to specialise in children’s literature in a range of careers:
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.
Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.
On the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law), you will be exposed to the law and theory on child and family law in Ireland and internationally. At the same time you will get a rare insight into various aspects of the law in action by engaging with social workers, legal professionals and others.
You will work with scholars who have a track record of outstanding scholarship on legal issues relating to children and the family.
You will have the opportunity to become involved in UCC’s innovative Child Law Clinic where you can provide research assistance to lawyers on real cases, helping to make a contribution to the quality of advocacy on children’s issues, and lobbying for the reform of child law and children’s rights.
Applicants for the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) Degree also have the option of registering for a Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Children's Rights and Family Law). Students take 60 credits of taught masters’ modules from those on offer for the LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law). The Postgraduate Diploma can be completed over 9 months full-time or 18 months part-time. Those who wish to apply for the Diploma should contact [email protected] for application details.
This shorter programme may be attractive to legal professionals and others who may prefer not to make an initial commitment to a full master’s programme. Graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma may further progress their studies by completing a 15,000 word research dissertation and graduating with a Masters in Law (LLM).
Please visit the School of Law website here for up to date information on the programme.
Programme regulations are available in the College Calendar
Please see the Book of Modules for a more detailed description of programme modules.
Additional Teaching Mode Information
The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.
Course Practicalities
LLM classes are in seminar format. This participative and interactive format of teaching is suitable for postgraduate level. You will receive advance reading lists and/or materials for each seminar. Seminars take place in two-hour blocks between 9am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. 10 credit modules run for 12 weeks and 5 credit modules run for 6 weeks. Arrangements are made for courtroom observation in the family courts.
Assessment
You will be examined by continuous assessment throughout the year and your dissertation must be submitted in September. To view individual module assessments in the Book of Modules
Who teaches this course
The School of Law has many committed lecturers with expertise across a wide range of areas, and has particular strengths in the area of child and family law. For a full list of School members, including details of research interests, publications and postgraduate supervision, see link http://www.ucc.ie/en/lawsite/about/people/
The LLM (Children's Rights and Family Law) is the first course of its kind in Ireland and it builds on the School’s wide range of expertise and knowledge in the area of child and family law. From this course, you will gain a unique specialisation in legal issues relating to children and the family, including family property, children’s rights and juvenile justice. You will also have the opportunity to work on real cases and to lobby for reform through the Child Law Clinic, which allows you to make contacts and gain practical experience. You can follow the work of the Child Law Clinic on Facebook and @childlawucc.
Skills and Careers Information
As the only qualification of its kind in Ireland, graduates are uniquely qualified in the areas of child law and family law. As well as allowing legal professionals to specialise in these areas of legal practice, graduates of this degree are well equipped to work anywhere in the children’s sector – with government departments and agencies (in education, child protection, youth justice etc.), with non-governmental organisations (both nationally and internationally), or other bodies who work with children. Few statutory or children’s organisations have staff with legal expertise in the child and family law area and this is a significant gap in the sector.
The Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights MA will introduce students to a range of contemporary social theories about childhood and children's rights, critically explore social constructions of childhood, and consider the implications these have for professional practice and research with children and young people.
This programme provides students with the opportunity to gain an understanding of sociological theories and concepts of childhood and children’s rights, including a recognition of the varied childhoods experienced by children in richer and poorer contexts and how these are shifting in a globalising world. It also helps students develop their critical analytical skills and improve their theoretical understanding and professional practice when working with, and for, children.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (90 credits), one optional module (30 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Researching Childhood is the recommended optional module to help prepare for the MA SCCR dissertation.
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 20,000 words.
Teaching and learning
Theories of Childhood & Society and Researching Childhood run in the evenings. Children's rights in Practice runs over a one-week intensive block. Social Theory and the Study of Contemporary Social Problems runs in the afternoon or online.
Face-to-face teaching includes lectures, discussions and debates, as well as providing students the opportunity to discuss readings, case studies, images, and films. An online environment is provided for readings and activities between teaching sessions. Students are encouraged to reflect upon their own personal, academic and/or professional experiences during sessions.
Each core module is assessed by a 5,000-word written assignment. In addition there are tutorials for essay preparation and seminars to support dissertation research.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Sociology of Childhood and Children's Rights MA
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are working as international NGO staff, children's charity workers, child advocacy workers and policy advisors. Graduates are also working as teachers and early years practitioners, while others have jobs as university and college lecturers and researchers.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
This MA explores cutting-edge research and theorising about young people's experiences and their social status in varied global contexts. It is unique in its sociological attention to childhood, children's rights, and children and young people's participation in society.
Students are introduced to internationally-renowned academic experts and international children's organisations and have the opportunity to explore their own areas of interest or professional practice.
The MA is based in UCL Social Science which houses three prestigious, research intensive units. Together they provide a foundation for world-leading work in childhood studies, social work, social pedagogy, families and health-related studies with a strong professional dimension.
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