Admission & Program Requirements

2026-2027 Academic Year

Chair – Donna Varga, BASc (Guelph), MA (Toronto), PhD (Toronto), Professor

General Information
The Master of Child and Youth Study (MCYS) non-thesis and the Master of Arts in Child and Youth Study (MACYS) thesis program are professional degrees aimed for individuals who require broad-based interdisciplinary knowledge associated with the field of child and youth study. The MACYS thesis program is intended for students pursuing scholarly research. The MCYS non-thesis program is intended for students pursuing applied theory and practice in the field.

Admission Requirements

Students will normally have completed a four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum of a B average (GPA of 3.0), preferably in a social science area (e.g., early childhood; child and youth study; psychology; education; social work; family studies; sociology).

Credit for the following undergraduate courses is required of applicants:

statistics
research methods
human developmental psychology in areas of childhood and/or adolescence.

Where there are deficiencies students may be required to complete additional coursework with a minimum B grade for admission into the program.

Applicants are required to have experience in an area related to the child and youth field, such as: child and youth care worker, early interventionist, early childhood educator/administrator, educational assistant, child and youth coordinator, pre-primary educator or pre-primary lead, child advocacy worker, child protection worker, youth outreach, child and youth counsellor, international child development.

Applicants must submit a “Statement of Intent” essay of approximately 1500 words. This statement should outline the applicant’s knowledge about the Child and Youth Study graduate degree program and how it will help them achieve their academic and/or professional goals; their experience in child and youth study fields and how it will be of use in their study. Applicants to the MACYS thesis program must also submit a description of their thesis research focus of interest.

Applicants must complete the Graduate Studies Application Package available online at msvu.ca/applyonline by February 15 for fall admission in order to be considered for University scholarships, however admissions received after this date may be considered by the Department’s Graduate Committee for fall admission.

Each student will be assigned an academic advisor by the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Department of Child and Youth Study. This advisor will be a faculty member of the Department of Child and Youth Study with whom the student is encouraged to discuss program requirements, research interests, and academic goals. Any changes to a student’s program requirements must be approved by the Department of Child and Youth Study.

Master of Arts in Child and Youth Study (MACYS)

Program Requirements

The thesis program requires 5.0 units of coursework.

Required Courses:

❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6010
❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6012
❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6035
❏ 1.0 unit GCYS 6130

❏ 1.0 unit of GCYS electives

❏ 0.5 unit of research methods from the following list or as approved by the Child and Youth Study Graduate Committee:

GEDU 6100                0.5 unit
GEDU 6107                0.5 unit
GAFS 6606                0.5 unit

❏ 1.0 unit of graduate level electives

Note: Note: Electives may be selected from GCYS and courses from other departments at the Mount or other universities. Students are encouraged to make their elective selection in consultation with their academic advisor. Students wishing to take coursework at another university must comply with Mount Saint Vincent University regulations regarding transfer of credit and obtain the necessary Letter of Permissions (LOP).

Master of Child and Youth Study (MCYS)

Program Requirements

The non-thesis program requires a minimum of 5.0 units.

Required Courses:

❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6010
❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6012
❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6035
❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6120
❏ 0.5 unit GCYS 6121

❏ 1.0 unit of GCYS electives

❏ 0.5 unit of research methods from the following list or as approved by the Child and Youth Study Graduate Committee:

GEDU 6100                0.5 unit
GEDU 6107                0.5 unit
GAFS 6606                0.5 unit

❏ 1.0 unit of graduate level electives

Note: Electives may be selected from GCYS courses and courses from other departments at the Mount or other universities. Students are encouraged to make their elective selection in consultation with their academic advisor. Students wishing to take coursework at another university must comply with Mount Saint Vincent University regulations regarding transfer of credit and obtain the necessary Letter of Permissions (LOP).

Academic Note: This web-based calendar information is applicable for the 2026-2027 academic year which runs from September 01, 2026 to August 31, 2027.

For information on previous years, please consult the University Academic Calendars web page.