The Master of Arts in Children’s Literature (MACL) provides specialized education in the study of children’s and young adult literature and media.
Our multidisciplinary approach exposes you to multiple schools of literary theory, educational theory, and professional and creative practice. You will be acquainted with a broad range of children’s literature in English and a variety of critical perspectives and professional applications. Supported by faculty in the School of Information, the Department of English Language and Literatures, the School of Creative Writing, and the Department of Language and Literacy Education, MACL provides a disciplined academic study of children’s and young adult literature and media as well as opportunities for those engaged in creative writing for youth.
Our Master of Arts in Children’s Literature at the University of British Columbia is the only master’s program in children’s and young adult literature in Canada and the only program in the world that approaches writing for youth from such a broad, multidisciplinary perspective. Our program is unique in that two faculties, and four academic units jointly provide program support to give you a unique perspective on the life-cycle of children’s literature. MACL faculty are authors of acclaimed children’s books and award-winning research. They have served on national and international children’s book juries, led national research studies, and received awards for scholarship, service, and teaching.
The UBC Library includes a renowned collection of contemporary children’s books, including some 4,000 early and rare children’s books and some 50,000 modern children’s books. The library also maintains an extensive collection of research materials on children’s literature.
Our program has produced multiple award-winning authors, scholars and publishing industry professionals.
Degree requirements
Thesis
You will develop a six-credit thesis according to the disciplinary perspective of the department or school of your supervisor. For example, your thesis may be an academic literary study, a creative writing thesis, a hybrid thesis containing a creative and an academic component, or a research project involving children and books in the classroom or library. The thesis committee is comprised of faculty from at least two of the four academic units that support the program and includes the supervisor and two thesis committee members.
Part-time studies
You may take the MACL degree on a full-time or part-time basis.
