Counselor education students in classroom

Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning, Literature for Children and Young Adults

The Literature for Children and Young Adults specialization is the ideal way to increase your knowledge of theory and practice with courses that help you improve literacy education by developing instruction that instills motivation and creates meaningful reading experiences.

Students who began the T&L PhD program in AU25 or beyond will follow the curriculum of one of the five new specializations associated with the PhD redesign. This area of study only pertains to students who began in AU24 or before. If you are a student who started in AU24 or before and want to switch into one of the new specializations, please work with your faculty advisor to determine if this is appropriate for you.

T&L PhD Revision Specializations

Program Features

Pathways to additional areas of study including Reading and Literacy in Early and Middle Childhood or Adolescent, Post-Secondary and Community Literacies.

Courses allow for the flexibility to explore a range of genres and issues, including literacy education and instilling motivation through quality literature and reading experiences.

Students in Literature for Children and Young Adults are especially interested in theoretical lenses that inform the relationships between texts and readers in and outside the school setting.

Combine your academic interests across disciplines including disability studies, gender and sexuality, history, narrative theory and more.

Study literature as an art form that borrows from and refracts historic and contemporary discourses, analyzes social life, the natural world, relationships and narratives.