online phd children's literature

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Graduate Student Research

The Department of English at the University of Pittsburgh allows students to focus on Children's Literature and Childhood Studies (CLCS) as part of our PhD Program in English. Drawing on Pitt’s nationally-renowned faculty in Children’s Literature and Culture, the CLCS focal area pursues the interdisciplinary study of children’s literature and media from the U.S., Britain, and beyond. Pitt was a pioneering department in the field of children’s literature  and continues to forge new directions in the field. Students in this focal area benefit from

• Rigorous training in historical and archival literary studies as well as exceptional support for interdisciplinary projects on children's literature, media, and culture
• An active undergraduate Children’s Literature program that offers excellent teaching opportunities for PhD students
• Faculty strengths in American studies, global childhood studies (especially China and the early Caribbean), girlhood studies, ethnography, music, readership/literacy studies, violence/trauma studies, and new media
• The Elizabeth Nesbitt and Nietz Old Textbook Collections (containing children’s literature, materials related to the history of children’s literature, and nineteenth-century schoolbooks)
• The papers of children's and YA authors, including E.L. Konigsburg and Daniel Kraus
• A Childhood Studies lecture series that has brought scholars such as Robin Bernstein, Kathryn Bond Stockton, Anna Mae Duane, Rebekah Fitzsimmons, and Derritt Mason
• A Global Speakers' series put on with our global partner institutions, Newcastle University, Ocean University of China, Catholic University of Chile, and the University of Antwerp, featuring scholars and authors such as Ritwika Roy, Sue Chen, Weng Cahiles, and Cathy Yue Wang
• Visits by authors of children’s and YA books including Jonathan Auxier, Daniel Kraus, and Sonia Nimr
• An active Children's Literature and Childhood Studies reading group
• Genealogies of Modernity: Medieval and Early Modern
• Media and Material Practices
• Race, Poetics, Empire

Individuals wishing to study Children's Literature at the MA level are encouraged to apply to our MA Program in English. For information on applying to either program please visit the English Department Graduate web site.

Graduate students fulfill the general requirements for the MA and PhD degrees in addition to taking courses in children's literature and culture; writing theses and dissertations on the subject; and optionally designing directed studies with Pitt faculty. Please consult the Requirements page to familiarize yourself with the general requirements for these degrees.

Pitt PhDs with dissertations on children's literature have been appointed to tenure-track positions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and American University of Beirut. Others are working in publishing or public humanities initiatives, including Art Institute of Chicago and Yale's Black Bibliography Project.

Literacies and Children's Literature

Ranked among the top 10 programs in the country, our degrees focus on innovative research and teaching practices. Faculty members engage students in critical inquiry and an analysis of literacy issues based on each student’s experience and goals. Areas of exploration include:

• Digital Literacies
• Family and Community Literacies
• Culturally and linguistically diverse children’s and young adult literature
• Early, elementary, and adolescent literacy
• Inquiry-based learning

Degree Programs

Master of education (med).

Become a vital part of the literacy learning process with an MEd in Reading Education. The program focuses on issues students face from preschool to high school.

• MEd in Reading Education (New and Digital Literacies, Online)

Master of Arts (MA)

This program is designed for those who want to become an educator but have sights set beyond the K-12 classroom, or for experienced educators who wish to conduct intense literacy research.

Educational Specialist (EdS)

Further your language and literacy expertise in this flexible program that allows you to pursue your topics of interest in the format that works best for you.

Further your language and literacy expertise in this flexible program that allows you to develop your skills as an instructional leader and coach.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Pursue a career as an educator with our Ph.D. in Language and Literacy Education and experience opportunities to conduct research, publish, and engage in other activities integral to higher education.

Non-Degree Programs

Endorsement/certificate programs.

If you are certified to teach in Georgia, our reading endorsement may be added on to your teaching certificate, giving you expertise in P-5 or 6-12 classrooms.

Faculty and Staff

Contact info.

• Phone: 706-542-4505 (general inquiries) 706-583-8130 (student inquiries)
• Email: [email protected]