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2023/24
2024/25

MRes Children's Literature

  • Year of entry
    2024/25 See 2023/24 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months Part Time: 24 months
  • Year of entry
    2024/25 See 2023/24 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months Part Time: 24 months

Gain an in-depth knowledge of approaches to – and the history of – children's literature with our fully-taught MRes in Children's Literature, Britain's oldest accredited master's degree on children's literature from literary perspectives.

The University of Reading is 6th in the UK for research outputs in English Language and Literature (Times Higher Education analysis of the latest Research Excellence Framework 2021 – English Language and Literature, when scoring by GPA Output). 

Our MRes in Children's Literature is an interdisciplinary degree, engaging with childhood studies and children's media. You will learn through small seminar group teaching and one-to-one dissertation supervision by renowned specialists.

You will also receive outstanding preparation for various careers in cultural, educational and media industries, or for further study through a PhD. For example, some of our students have spent part of their time with us on placements with employers such as publishers.

The University of Reading is ranked in the top 150 universities in the world for English Language and Literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023. You will have full access to the University's many facilities, including the Library, Sports Centre, and Reading Students' Union, and all students benefit from departmental facilities and events such as research talks and guest lectures, especially the research seminars run by the Centre for International Research in Childhood: Literature, Culture, Media (CIRCL).

The MRes in Children’s Literature is run under the aegis of the CIRCL. Our teaching staff are all CIRCL researchers and world-leading specialists in aspects of childhood and children’s literature, publishing in leading international journals and producing edited volumes together, as well as each publishing monographs in the field. Their research includes work on theoretical approaches to childhood, gender and sexual identities, childhood and neuroscience, childhood and animals, childhood and film, childhood in nineteenth-century English fiction, and theories of pedagogy.

For more information, please visit the Department of English Literature website.

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £10,800

New international students: £22,350

Tuition fee information

The fees listed are for full-time study, unless otherwise stated. Fee information will be confirmed in offer letters sent out to successful applicants. You can find further information, including information for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Graduates of our MRes in Children's Literature continue on to, or return to, careers in teaching, publishing, the media, the civil service, the charity sector and advertising, as well as going on to do PhD research. Students report that their careers are supported by the skills they have acquired, not only in terms of subject expertise, but also critical thinking, advanced understanding and writing.