The Graduate Certificate in Children's Literature

There are two ways to do advanced or graduate-level work in Children's and Adolescent Literature at San Diego State University (SDSU). The first is to enroll in the graduate program in English and specialize in Children's Literature; in this way, students earn the M.A. by completing 9 classes over a wide range of literary subjects (including 3 or more classes in the field of Children's Literature) and then writing a thesis or taking a comprehensive examination: see The Master of Arts Specialization in Children's Literature. The other option is to take 4 graduate classes exclusively in the field of Children's Literature to earn the Graduate Certificate in Children's Literature.

Graduate courses in Children's Literature are offered once a week and in the evenings to accommodate working students. Typically, two courses are offered a semester; for example, in Fall 2006, classes will be offered on Children's Films and on Fairy Tales. In other words, a student should be able to earn the Graduate Certificate in Children's Literature in a year's time. Applicable courses include:

• Engl 604D (A Literary Period or Movement: Children's Literature)
• Engl 606D (A Literary Type: Children's Literature)
• Engl 627 (History of Children's Literature)
• Engl 727 (Seminar: Issues in Children's Literature)
• Other courses approved by the student's advisor)

Please click here to view courses in Children's Literature.

Two kinds of students will be especially interested in the Graduate Certificate in Children's Literature: Adults who want to explore Children's Literature in a single-minded way but do not wish to do more work and earn the M.A. in English. K-12 Educators who have a literary interest in the field and may earn the Certificate as a way of meeting their professional-development requirements or acquiring graduate credits as a means to career advancement.

It should be understood that graduate courses in Children's Literature in SDSU's Department of English and Comparative Literature are not classes in writing for children (creative writing), nor are they classes in educational methodology (how to use books with children in school classrooms). Instead, they are advanced courses in literary study where Children's Literature is examined.

With more than 1,100 enrollments a year, employing leading scholars in the field, home to the National Center for the Study of Children's Literature, and with a dozen faculty teaching in this literary specialization, SDSU has the largest program in Children's Literature in North America. With annual events like the Edward Gorey and Pippi Longstocking Festivals, with guest lectures by the likes of Gary Soto and Russell Hoban, and as a place where scholars from abroad come to study, SDSU is an exciting center for work in Children's and Adolescent Literature.

Individuals interested in enrolling and applying for the Graduate Certificate in Children's Literature should first contact the Director of the Children's Literature Program: childlit@mail.sdsu.edu. Inquiries can also be made by mail:

Children's Literature Program
Dept. of English & Comp. Lit.
San Diego State University
San Diego, California 92182-6020 U.S.
Tel +619-594-5443; Fax: +619-594-4998

Please click here to view the Open University information and registration form for the Certificate Program in Children's Literature as a PDF file.
Click here to view the form as a Microsoft Word document.