Entry requirements

Applicants should normally hold a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) in a relevant subject such as English Literature, Creative Writing, Education, Humanities, or a related discipline.

Applicants with degrees in other subjects may be considered if they can demonstrate relevant academic experience, professional engagement with literature, or a strong interest in children’s literature.

International applicants must meet the University’s English language requirements. Typically, this is an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (with no component below 5.5) or equivalent.

All applications are considered individually.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MA Children’s Literature (Distance Learning) is a pioneering and internationally respected programme designed for flexible, part-time study. Established in 1999 as the first course of its kind in the UK, it enables you to explore the rich and diverse field of literature written for young readers while studying from anywhere in the world.

You will examine a wide range of texts, including fairy tales, picture books, short stories, and novels, engaging with innovative critical approaches such as postcolonial theory, psychoanalysis, ecocriticism, and reader response criticism. The programme encourages fresh perspectives on how children’s literature shapes ideas about childhood, culture, and identity.

Teaching is delivered through a blend of asynchronous learning, optional live online seminars, personalised tutorials, and independent study. You will join an international academic community and benefit from access to extensive digital resources, including the University Library’s specialist Children’s Literature Collection.

Assessment includes critical essays, creative and research portfolios, archive projects, and a dissertation, with opportunities to pursue either critical or creative pathways.