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Critical Approaches to Children's Literature

Two Kids Reading a Cutouts Fairy Tale Book | Photo by cottonbro from Pexels with logo from Centre for Research in Children's Literature at Cambridge

the staff have knowledge in depth of a remarkable range of theoretical and critical positions, as well as an encyclopaedic knowledge of texts

(Professor Peter Hunt, Emeritus Professor, University of Cardiff, External Examiner)


Important information

This course is only available as a one-year part-time course to students who have already completed their PGCE at the Faculty of Education. Otherwise, please apply for the full-time course.


Key Facts
Route Co-ordinator: Dr Blanka Grzegorczyk Full-time enrolled 2023-24: 16
Open to: MPhil, PGCE-MEd Part-time enrolled 2023-24: 4
Full-time deadline: 25/02/2025
Part-time deadline: 13/05/2025 [pdf] Written task required for application

Overview of the course

In this route, students will meet old favourites in fiction, film, poetry and picturebooks and make exciting new acquaintances. They will be introduced to topical debates on the nature and social function of this controversial and multifaceted body of literature.

They will also be provided with the tools for a critical assessment of texts written and marketed for a young audience. All students on the Critical Approaches to Children’s Literature course are automati...

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teachingResearch Methods Strand

Alongside these modules, you will benefit from 32 hours of Research Methods teaching.

This is taught across all thematic Masters within the Faculty of Education, allowing you to interact with others on different routes.

It covers a broad range of social science research methods and is essential for Masters level understanding and critical engagement with the research literature in many specialist areas and in education more generally.

Through this strand you w...

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road signWhere do our students go?

Our graduates are the emerging stars in their field of research and Cambridge ambassadors throughout the world.

They have a wide choice of career options, including:

  • further doctoral study
  • advanced teaching opportunities and English
  • media and communication,
  • childhood studies
  • cultural studies and education
  • leading positions in publishing
  • reading promotion
  • archives
  • museums
  • video game development companies

student smilingWhat our students say

‘The MPhil course in children’s literature is unique for its interdisciplinary breadth.

As someone coming from a strictly literary background, I found myself continually surprised and challenged by the dual focus of literary study and educational research.

Being exposed to research methodologies in education, such as reader response criticism, was eye-opening in a genre like children’s literature, which, after all, includes the intended audience in its title.

On...

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