We are committed to providing our students with a high-quality education through mentorship, the development of research skills and an interactive learning experience. We are committed to ensuring our students reach their fullest potential.
Our multidisciplinary/transdisciplinary programs bring together talented students and faculty dedicated to advancing research and practice about children and young people.
A Multidisciplinary MA degree in Child and Youth Studies prepares students for:
- Ph.D. Programs in Child and Youth Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Education, and related disciplines
- Careers in social service agencies supporting children and youth
- Positions in government agencies
- Careers in education-related fields
- Professional positions in related fields concerned with children and youth
- Child and youth advocacy, including children’s rights
Our Transdisciplinary PhD degree in Child and Youth Studies prepares students for:
- Disciplinary academic positions in fields such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology, as well as multidisciplinary academic positions at Colleges and Universities in diverse fields, including education, child and youth studies, youth care, humanities, theories of culture, histories of thought, and women’s and gender studies.
- Research positions requiring expertise in aspects of young people’s lives and experiences
- Careers in social service agencies supporting children and youth
- Education-related fields
- Child and youth care work
- Positions in government agencies
- Child and youth advocacy, including children’s rights
MA and PhD in Child and Youth Studies
Graduate Program Director
Dr. Heather Ramey
Office: CRN 348
905-688-5550 x
hramey@brocku.ca
We are a multidisciplinary department and welcome applicants who are interested in studying children and youth from a variety of perspectives. In your statement of research interests, you should articulate how studying in our department will be a benefit to you in your career trajectory.
Applicants to the CHYS MA program are required to hold a minimum of 75% in their undergraduate program, however, successful applicants often have averages in the 80% range.
The CHYS PhD program generally requires applicants to hold a MA degree in Social Sciences. Applicants are required to hold a minimum of 80% (A-) in their graduate program.
CHYS graduate program application deadline is December 1st. Please make sure to submit your application by that date to qualify for our program.
We encourage all interested students to review our admission requirements to determine eligibility for Graduate Studies at Brock University.
For the MA program, you are not required to have a specific research question in order to apply, but you do need to have a well-defined area of interest that aligns with one of our faculty members. Please outline your research interest in your personal statement as part of your application. Your area of interest can be subject to change once admitted, but will help us match you with an initial supervisor. Please note that establishing contact with a professor does not guarantee admission into the MA program.
For the PhD program, you are not required to have a specific research question to apply, but you will need to discuss your overlapping research interest with a potential faculty supervisor in advance of the application deadline. Please note that establishing contact with a professor does not guarantee admission into the PhD program.
GRE scores are not required for admission consideration.
Students will consult with the Graduate Program Director and their thesis supervisor when planning a program of study.
Brock offers full-time research-based graduate students a funding package for the defined length of the graduate program (master’s program 6 terms, doctoral programs 12 terms).
For more information, please visit the Admissions website.
Eligible students are also encouraged to apply to external funding agencies such as SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR.
Students accepted into the full-time MA or PhD program in Child and Youth Studies are eligible to receive Graduate Student Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships in the CHYS department.
Bursary funding may also be available. See the graduate handbook for details.
Graduate students are critical to Brock University’s mission of teaching, service and research and they hold a unique position within the University community as junior colleagues.
View graduate students’ rights and responsibilities.
Please also take a look at the Best Practices for Supervision website. This has helpful information for both students and supervisors.
