Program Overview

HIED Graduate Certificate Program

About the Higher Education Graduate Certificate Program

The Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (GCHIED) is designed to meet the continuing professional development needs of those involved in the field of higher education. This certificate is intended for individuals in teaching, supporting, or monitoring roles in public and private institutions of higher education in British Columbia and beyond. Students will complete coursework on the following topics: an introduction to the field of higher education; the historical, philosophical, economic, and sociological foundations of higher education; organization and administration of higher education; and the Canadian systems of higher education.

Program Requirements

• Students must complete the four courses listed below:
  • EDST 493 (3) Introduction to the Study of Higher Education
  • EDST 511 (3) Organization and Administration of Higher Education
  • EDST 521 (3) Foundations of Higher Education
  • EDST 536 (3) Higher Education Systems in Canada
• Satisfactory progress as defined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for master’s programs must be maintained.
• Students must complete their requirements within 5 years of admission.
• Students studying in, or who have completed, the GCHIED may apply for admission to the MEd in Higher Education or the MA in Educational Studies, Higher Education concentration, and request transfer of up to four certificate courses (12 credits) toward the requirements of those programs.

Admissions Requirements

• For admission to the GCHIED, applicants must provide evidence of experience, paid or voluntary, in the field of higher education and meet all general admission requirements for graduate study at UBC.
• All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate + Postdoctoral Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC.
• To be eligible for admission to a graduate program at UBC, applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree (apart from applicants from Quebec) 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.

English Proficiency Test Score

• 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) is required for admission to all programs in Educational Studies.
  • 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.