The graduate studies program in Education is responsible for the preparation of professional educators who may pursue advanced study at the doctoral level and/or advanced professional employment. Master's level programs advance students' knowledge to the point of mastery and also prepare students to demonstrate that they are capable of advancing the knowledge of their disciplines.
The UNBC School of Education has two MEd programs and graduate certificate programs in Multidisciplinary Leadership (MDL) and Special Education. Completion or exit route from either of the MEd specializations can be done through: (1) comprehensive exam; (2) project; or (3) thesis. The Special Education specialization, however, also uses portfolios as an exit route option. Learners of the current MEd programs have academic advisors upon entry to the specialization. The advisor role is to support the students and ensure all necessary forms and courses are taken toward degree completion. Within the first two years and after completing 12-credits of their program a student can choose to stay with their original academic advisor who will now become their exit route supervisor or select another faculty member to become their supervisor to guide learners' degree completion depending on the chosen exit route. The degree can be taken through a part-time status, which often leads to four years to complete or a full-time status, which often takes students a minimum of two years to complete.
The UNBC School of Education is in the midst of the M.Ed. Program Renewal that is cohort-based and designed for community service professionals. The two programs proposed are Transformative Leadership: People, Place, and Land and Exceptionalities Education. Implementation of these new programs awaits final degree approval. Until they are approved, the existing M.Ed. programs in MDL and Special Education continued to be offered, and will run concurrent to the new programs until all students complete their degrees.
The purpose of the proposed 30-credit M.Ed. degree is to prepare learners as public intellectuals to lead and inform practice within the context of People, Place and Land – particularly in rural and remote contexts – locally and beyond. It is with great honour and respect that we acknowledge our teaching and learning on the traditional land of the Lhedli T’enneh people. As allies, we acknowledge them as traditional owners of their territory, language, knowledge, protocols and practices of Duneneh (people), Hoonzoo (a nice place) and Keyoh (land). We respect all forms of life, 'En Cha Huna. Our students will start and end their program on the land, in ceremony, sharing experiences and learnings as they become public intellectuals. We respectfully receive Edie Fredrickson’s gift of the word Ts’uwhut’I – place where we live – to describe the learning themes woven throughout the program.
The foci of Ts’uwhut’I and becoming a Public Intellectual is woven throughout the learning experiences in this cohort-based program. The Chronicle of Higher Education suggests being a “public intellectual means teaching others about things [one] cares about deeply — across borders and to numbers of people it would otherwise be impossible to reach.” https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Making-of-a-Public/241332
Multidisciplinary Leadership Specialization
The Multidisciplinary Leadership specialization has been developed in the Master of Education Program to prepare graduates to take on roles of responsibility and leadership in a variety of educational and community environments. Our graduates will develop skills in collaboration and communication, as well as specific leadership practices that enable the creation of positive and innovative organizational environments. The focus on leadership will provide the pedagogical knowledge necessary to ground effective practice in the diverse and rich scholarship of leadership.
Special Education Specialization
The Special Education specialization prepares students to provide professional services and leadership in Special Education and educational programs offered in schools and other educational institutions. The part-time program includes an integrated core of required courses, elective courses, and thesis, project portfolio, or comprehensive examination routes.
This Special Education specialization is delivered online in its entirety. It requires a minimum of 31 graduate credit hours for completion, with an option to take up to 10 additional elective credit hours within the degree route. The Special Education specialization requires students to complete five (5) required courses, and a sufficient number of elective courses to meet the minimum 31 credit hour graduation requirement including the comprehensive examination (3 credit hours), portfolio (3 credit hours), project (6 credit hours), or thesis (9 credit hours) routes. The degree can be taken through a part-time status, which often leads to four years to complete or a full-time status, which often takes students a minimum of two years to complete.
Leading for Learning Certificate
Required Courses:
- EDUC 609-3 Aboriginal Learners: History, Culture and Ways of Knowing
- EDUC 606-3 Leading for Change
Plus 3 of:
- EDUC 615-3 The School Principalship
- EDUC 616-3 Policy and Politics in Public Education
- EDUC 617-3 Leading for Learning: Teacher Leadership and Principal Preparation
- EDUC 626-3 Inclusive Education: Learning for All
- EDUC 656-3 Instructional Leadership
Plus a Leadership Development Portfolio and an Inquiry Project which are embedded in the courses.
Note: New Criminal Record Review Regulations
Upon application, international applicants must submit a Criminal Record Check Search Result done by their local police authority. If subsequently offered admission, the Office of the Registrar will provide details about having a British Columbia Criminal Record Check (BC CRC) completed prior to the first day of classes of their entry semester.
Domestic applicants do not need to supply a Criminal Record Check (CRC) Search Result upon application. If subsequently offered admission, the Office of the Registrar will provide details about having a British Columbia Criminal Record Check (BC CRC) completed prior to the first day of classes of their entry semester. Please note that this information should be seen as up to date and reliable even though it contradicts the UNBC Graduate calendar information.