Childrens literature dissertation topics

Process and Committee Requirements

Before registering for the thesis, MACL students must complete 24 credits of course work, including required courses on the history of childrens literature, contemporary childrens literature, and research methods. Please see Degree Requirements for details.

Students entering MACL are matched with a thesis supervisor based on their research interests as expressed in the application, but they are free to arrange for a different supervisor if their research interests change or they encounter faculty who are especially well suited to supervise their work. Towards the end of their course work, students should begin refining their thesis topic in consultation with their supervisor and other faculty whose research is relevant to the students area of interest.

After settling on a topic, the student will choose a thesis committee in consultation with the supervisor. Normally thesis committees are comprised of the supervisor and two other faculty members. The committee must have representation from at least two of the four academic units that support MACL, and at least half the committee must be members of the Faculty of Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies. Hybrid creative theses have both a creative and an academic supervisor. In certain circumstances, it may be advisable to include a committee member from outside the four MACL units, either as a third or [in rare cases] a fourth committee member. The thesis committee will discuss any course work or ethics approval which may be needed in conjunction with the students independent investigations. In the case of academic theses, the candidate and committee will meet to discuss a proposal comprising the introduction, literature review, and methodology, upon which the thesis committee will formally approve the thesis project. Completed academic theses are typically about 100 pages, while the academic component of a hybrid thesis is usually about 30 pages.

All students who complete a thesis at UBC are required to deposit a copyor, in the case of hybrid creative theses, a copy of the the academic componentin the UBC Institutional repository, cIRcle [//circle.ubc.ca/]. You may search for MACL theses in cIRcle by specifying the Childrens Literature degree program. A list of thesis titles and types is available below.

A table comparing thesis options is available for downloadhere.

For details on thesis formatting, contact the UBC Library Research Commons at Koerner Library, or this guide summarizing their thesis formatting workshop.

Creative Thesis Options

A Creative Writing thesis in the MACL Program may take two forms: either a stand-alone creative work or a creative work combined with a theoretical or critical academic component [a hybrid thesis]. Students who elect to do a solely creative thesis with no academic component will have their full theses deposited in cIRcle. Students who elect to develop a hybrid thesis are only required to deposit the academic portion. This choice may affect students options for professional publication of works based on the thesis after graduation. Students who wish to develop a creative or hybrid thesis should consult with their thesis supervisors. For details on applying for a hybrid thesis, or for more information on taking creative writing courses during your time as a MACL student, please consult this page.
A table comparing thesis options is available for downloadhere.

List of Completed Theses from the Master of Arts in Childrens Literature Program, 1999 2020