Graduate Certificate in

Youth Literature & Services

Online

Program Overview

Develop specialized knowledge and skills to support the informational and literacy needs of children, tweens, teens and young adults in library and literacy environments. By earning a graduate certificate in Youth Literature & Services, you can learn how to expand your understanding of youth literacy needs, how to select the best books and digital youth materials to meet those needs, and how to create dynamic literacy-based programs. Individuals most suited to the certificate are those who enjoy working with a wide range of youth and their caregivers in their communities.

Online Program Format

15 Credit Hours

$480 Tuition Per Hour

Be a Champion of Youth Literacy

Add a competitive edge to your skill set through courses that focus on connecting youth’s educational and personal interests and a wide range of creative activities such as puppetry, traditional and digital storytelling, dramatic play, poetry slams and spoken word performances. Explore the best ways to enhance literacy skills and learning explorations to celebrate book joy and forge pathways to school, college, career and civic readiness.

Live, interactive classes are offered 100% online and taught by the same renowned faculty who teach in UA’s top-ranked MLIS program. This certificate may be combined with an MLIS or taken as a stand-alone certificate to complement other graduate degrees related to education, child/adolescent development and literature.

Application Deadline	May 15 for the fall cohort; Nov. 16 for the spring cohort
Application Priority Deadline	Feb. 1 for the fall cohort; Oct. 1 for the spring cohort

Curriculum

Students complete a total of 15 hours for the graduate certificate in Youth Literature & Services. Nine credit hours are selected from required youth services courses and 6 credit hours are from an approved list of youth services electives. No prerequisites are required for the courses in the certificate. Double counting of courses in the required and elective areas is not permitted. If a course is selected as a required course, it cannot be used as an approved elective.

Please note that courses are subject to change.

Required Courses and Electives

Required Courses

LS 520 Early Childhood Literacy Materials and Story Programs or LS 521 Materials and Services for Children
LS 522 Materials and Services for Young Adults or LS 621 Intercultural Perspectives in Youth Literature
LS 541 Youth Programming

Approved youth services electives (Choose 2)

LS 521 Materials and Services for Children or LS 520 Early Childhood Literacy Materials and Story Programs
LS 522 Materials and Services for Young Adults or LS 621 Intercultural Perspectives in Youth Literature
LS 543 Traditional and Digital Storytelling
LS 544 Cultural Diversity Programming for Children, Teens and Families
LS 620 Graphic Novels in Libraries Serving Youth

Admission

Completed bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 minimum GPA.

Applications are accepted from students currently holding a bachelor’s degree, those pursuing graduate work in library and information studies and allied disciplines, or those already possessing graduate degrees in related disciplines.

Contact Joi Mahand at 205-348-1524 or wwmahand@ua.edu for additional questions about the application process.

Find more information and learn about restrictions related to these degree programs that may exist regarding licensure in the state in which you reside.

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