Program Overview

Overview

The Master of Arts in Curriculum Studies (MA) program encompasses investigations into teacher education, the social construction of knowledge, curriculum and instructional discourses, and the role of curriculum and curricular reform in K-12 and other learning environments. Students learn about issues of planning and development, program implementation and evaluation, and pre-service teacher education. Inquiry in the field is multidisciplinary and includes numerous perspectives and orientations such as cultural studies, historical consciousness, post-structuralism, feminism, multicultural education, semiotics, and critical theory.

Quick Facts

• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Academic Unit: Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy
• Specialization: Curriculum Studies
• Mode of delivery: In person at UBC Vancouver
• Program Components: Coursework + Thesis required
• Tuition (First Year):
  • Domestic: $8,043.27
  • International: $17,034.40
• Median Funding: 50% of students receive $0 or more funding per year in the first 2 years, before tuition and fees

Admission Information & Requirements

Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum Requirements for English Language Proficiency Tests

• TOEFL:
  • Overall score requirement: 92
  • Reading: 22
  • Writing: 22
  • Speaking: 22
  • Listening: 22
• IELTS:
  • Overall score requirement: 6.5
  • Reading: 6.0
  • Writing: 6.0
  • Speaking: 6.0
  • Listening: 6.0

Prior Degree, Course, and Other Requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

One to two years of teacher education; or a four-year Bachelor’s degree in Education. In special circumstances, teacher education may be waived for those applicants who have a university degree with sufficient standing and experience related to their proposed field of study.

Course Requirements

Normally 18 credits of senior course work or a professional concentration in the area of interest.

Document Requirements

A resume or CV and a statement of intent clearly outlining the area of interest and focus for study. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their plans with a Department member before applying.

Other Requirements

Normally two years of teaching experience or other relevant professional experience.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

• Application Fee:
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $118.50
  • International: $168.25
• Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%):
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $8,043.27
  • International: $17,034.36
• International Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible): $1,500.00
• Other Fees and Costs:
  • Student Fees (yearly): $1,144.10 (approx.)
  • Costs of living: Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based and need-based opportunities.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

Enrolment Data

• Applications:
  • 2023: 12
  • 2022: 9
  • 2021: 16
  • 2020: 9
  • 2019: 9
• Offers:
  • 2023: 4
  • 2022: 7
  • 2021: 8
  • 2020: 4
  • 2019: 1
• New Enrolment:
  • 2023: 1
  • 2022: 5
  • 2021: 4
  • 2020: 2
  • 2019: 1
• Total Enrolment:
  • 2023: 12
  • 2022: 12
  • 2021: 9
  • 2020: 6
  • 2019: 6

Completion Rates & Times

• Graduation rate: 87% based on 18 students admitted between 2015-2018.
• Minimum time to completion: 1.58 years
• Maximum time to completion: 4.44 years
• Average time to completion: 2.68 years

Research Supervisors

Instructions Regarding Thesis Supervisor Contact for This Program

Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.

List of Faculty Members with Full Supervisory Privileges

• Anderson, David
• Clark, Penney
• Code, Jillianne
• Cole, Peter
• Forde, Shawn
• Garnet, Dustin
• Gerofsky, Susan
• Gibson, Lindsay
• Goble, J. Scott
• Gouzouasis, Peter
• Keenan, Harper
• Khan, Samia
• Kindler, Anna
• Leddy, Shannon
• Loutzenheiser, Lisa
• Milner-Bolotin, Marina
• Montgomerie, Johnna
• Munoz, Joaquin
• Nashon, Samson
• Nicol, Cynthia
• Noori, Sofia
• O'Donoghue, Donal
• Petherick, Leanne
• Phelan, Anne
• Pinar, William

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Teaching from east to west: Chinese immigrant teachers negotiating professional teacher identity
• Indigenous allyship in the classroom: a self-study of Indigenous education within the BC curriculum
• ChildCareBC initiatives: a Foucauldian-inspired policy analysis
• Hands-on pedagogies in science classrooms: exploring Nepali teachers’ perspectives on learning kits and inquiry-based science learning
• Exploring how discourses of curriculum reform shape teachers' subjectivities

Related Programs

Same Specialization

• Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
• Master of Education in Curriculum Studies (MEd)

Same Academic Unit

• Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum Studies (PhD)
• Master of Arts in Art Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Health, Outdoor and Physical Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Home Economics Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Mathematics Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Media and Technology Studies Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Music Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Science Education (MA)
• Master of Arts in Social Studies Education (MA)
• Master of Education in Art Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Curriculum Studies (MEd)
• Master of Education in Health, Outdoor and Physical Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Home Economics Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Mathematics Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Media and Technology Studies Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Music Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Science Education (MEd)
• Master of Education in Social Studies Education (MEd)
• Master of Museum Education (MMEd)

Further Information

Specialization

Curriculum Studies encompasses investigations into teacher education, the social construction of knowledge, the curriculum as culturally and politically situated, contemporary curriculum and instructional discourses, and the role of curriculum and curricular reform in K-12 and other learning environments.

Faculty

Faculty of Education

Academic Unit

Department of Curriculum & Pedagogy

Program Identifier

VGMMAA-F5

Classification

Social sciences » Education » Curriculum, pedagogy and didactics