Program Overview

MA in Educational Studies

The MA in Educational Studies is a thesis-based program designed for students who wish to undertake significant original research in the form of a 6-credit thesis. This degree prepares educational researchers for various contexts and is also suitable preparation for students wishing to apply to doctoral work in education (PhD and EdD).

About the Program

The MA degree is completed in 2-3 years, or over a longer period if studying part-time. Faculty who teach and supervise students in the MA in Educational Studies work in many different traditions, represented in four concentrations:

• Adult Learning and Education (ALE)
• Educational Leadership and Administration (EDAL)
• Higher Education (HIED)
• Society, Culture and Politics in Education (SCPE)
• General concentration

Admissions

All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission only in exceptional circumstances.

General Admissions Requirements for Graduate Study

To be eligible for admission to a master’s degree program at UBC, applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree with a minimum overall average in the B+ range (at UBC 76%) in third- and fourth-year courses prescribed by the Department concerned as prerequisite to the master’s program.

General English Language Requirements for Graduate Study

Applicants whose degrees are from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Minimum score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), 92 with a minimum of 22 in each component (iTB)
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component score less than 6.0
• MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum overall score of 81

Requirements

The EDST MA is a 30 credit program that culminates in the completion of a research thesis. The degree provides beginning researchers with strong preparation for their own research projects and a rich learning environment for studying educational theories, methodologies, and problems.

Program Requirements

Students enrolled in the MA program must complete the following:

• 6 credits of required MA courses, EDST 571 and EDST 572
• 3 credits of advanced research methods coursework
• 15 credits of coursework in an MA concentration or 15 credits of coursework in an independent or general concentration
• 6-credit MA thesis

Required Educational Studies MA Courses

• EDST 571 Educational Research: Relating Questions, Theory and Methodology
• EDST 572 Research, Writing, and Representation

Required Courses in Each MA Concentration

Adult Learning and Education (ALE)

• EDST 503 Foundations of Adult Learning and Education
• EDST 514 Adult Education Program Planning Theory
• EDST 518 Theory and Research on Adult Learning

Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL)

• EDST 532 Leadership in Educational Organizations
• EDST 581 Leadership, Administration, and the Aims of Education
• EDST 582 The Study of Educational Organizations

Higher Education (HIED)

• EDST 521 Foundations of Higher Education
• EDST 511 Organization and Administration of Higher Education
• EDST 536 Higher Education Systems in Canada

Society, Culture and Politics in Education (SCPE)

• EDST 577 The Social Context of Educational Policy
• EDST 509 Constructing Citizens: Canada and the Educational Past
• EDST 597 Educational Theories

Independent or General Option

This option is planned in conjunction with one’s research supervisor. In total, 12 credits of coursework are required.

Research Committee and Thesis

The MA thesis is an original document that the student has intensively studied a problem, a set of circumstances, or analyzed a particular concept or set of ideas. Students develop research proposals that must be approved by a research supervisory committee.

Funding

EDST provides scholarship funding to outstanding full-time MA applicants. Students who apply to the EDST MA are automatically considered for scholarship funding. Funding is limited and distributed on a competitive basis.

Application Process

Applications should be submitted online. All components of an application must be received by the department’s Graduate Program Assistant before the file can be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee.

Components of an Application

1. Online UBC application form
2. Upload digital copies of official transcripts
3. Three references
4. Statement of intent
5. Writing Sample

International Applicants

Applicants from outside Canada should be aware of additional requirements that may apply.

International Credentials Equivalency

Please see the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website for details.

International Transcripts and Translation Requirements

Applicants with transcripts from non-Canadian post-secondary institutions must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended. If transcripts are issued in a language other than English, a certified literal English translation must also be provided.

Tuition and Deadlines