MA Program in Child, Youth, Family & Community Studies
The renewal of our Master's Program was approved at all levels of governance at UVic and the MA Program was relaunched as the Master's Program in Child, Youth, Family & Community Studies in the fall of 2022.
Here is an overview of the MA Program, including program outcomes, requirements, courses, and course schedule:
Program Name
In alignment with the renewal of program and the community-engaged scholarship of many of our faculty, the name of our MA program is now Child, Youth, Family and Community Studies. This new name more accurately reflects the scope of our program, the expertise of our faculty, and the type of research and practice undertaken by our students. It recognizes that our program situates children and youth as inextricable from their families and communities. The name of our undergraduate program and academic unit will remain unchanged.
Program Outcomes
By the end of the MA program, graduates will be able to demonstrate:
- Knowledge of decolonial, critical and justice-oriented approaches to research, practice and leadership in diverse local, national and global contexts for the purposes of promoting child, youth, family and community well-being.
- Respect for and commitment to the wellbeing, resurgence and self-determination of Indigenous nations globally, with responsibilities to local First Peoples.
- Ethical, strengths-based, relational approaches to working with diverse children, youth, families and communities, and ability to respond to intersecting forms of historical and ongoing structural and systemic exclusion based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, and citizenship, among others.
- Capacity for responsive and collaborative leadership, advocacy, activism and systems-level change in preparation for leadership roles in diverse human service sectors that serve children, youth and families (including organizations, government, private, not-for-profit, community, other).
- Knowledge and application of diverse research methods, methodologies and knowledge mobilization approaches that reflect multiple contexts, knowledges and research paradigms.
Program Requirements
- Courses - Seven required core courses (see list below)
- Practicum - 1.5 unit/200 hour required practicum course
- Thesis or Applied Research Project
- No required electives
Courses
Course Title | Term Offered | Format |
CYC 541: Decolonial, Critical and Justice-Oriented Theories in CYFCS | Fall (September-December) | Online with weekly live class meetings |
CYC 544: Research Design and Knowledge Mobilization | Fall (September-December) | Online with bi-weekly live class meetings |
CYC 550: Program Planning, Policy, Advocacy and Leadership | Spring (January-April) | Online with bi-weekly live class meetings |
CYC 558: Applied Research Seminar | Spring (January-April) | Online with weekly live class meetings |
CYC 546: Global Practices for Human and Social Change | Summer (May-July) | On-campus in May/June (3-week institute) |
CYC 586: Advanced Land-based Approaches in CYFCS | Summer (May-July) | On-campus in May/June (3-week institute) |
CYC 588: Seminar on Project or Thesis Completion | Fall-Spring (September-April) | Online with monthly live class meetings |
CYC 553: Practicum in CYFCS | All terms - after all core courses completed | Online and on-site at field placement |