Graduate Programs in Education

Master’s Programs

Educational Policy Studies:
For the MEd degree, the program’s minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

The Studies in Educational Leadership specialization requires applicants to have a minimum of two years of teaching experience or equivalent.

The Social Justice and International Studies specialization requires applicants to have advanced skills in independent research, essay writing, logical argumentation, and narrative analysis. Applicants must have a strong background in the social foundations of education and/or one or more of the following humanities and social sciences: philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, and cultural and communication studies. Applicants must also have substantial work experience in the educational sector (e.g., public or private schooling, adult education, NGOs, social movements, corporate or government communications).

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• a minimum TOEFL score of 93 (Internet-based) with a minimum of 24 on the speaking and writing bands of the test, or equivalent. (GPS’s minimum for the reading and listening bands of the TOEFL test is 21.),
• a minimum score of 70 on the CAEL exam,
• a minimum of 7.0 on each band on the IELTS with an overall minimum score of 7.0, or
• a minimum score of 63 on the Pearson Test of English (PTE).

For applicants with international qualifications, where either their country or their international university are recognized as using English as the official language of instruction, proof of English Language Proficiency is still required. No exemptions to this requirement will be granted by the Faculty.

Applicants must submit three letters of reference, a CV/resume, a statement of intent, and (if applicable) a distinguished life experience essay.

Applicants to Adult, Community and Higher Education specializations, Indigenous Peoples Education specializations and Social Justice and International Studies specializations are required to submit a writing sample.

The completion of the Master of Education does not make the degree-holder eligible for teacher certification.

Educational Psychology:
The Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are a four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate work (or graduate work) at the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution. For those students whose previous academic work was completed in a language other than English, the Faculty requires proof of proficiency in the English language. Any one of the following is acceptable:

• TOEFL score of 93 Internet-based, with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing, and 21 on reading and listening, or equivalent; or
• An Academic IELTS score of 7.0 with no band less than 6.5; or
• An official CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language assessment system) score of at least 70 in all bands.

Particular program specializations may have higher TOEFL standards. See the program pages for the TESL M.Ed. for details.

Additional information regarding English Language proficiency may be found on the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies website.

Additional details concerning admission requirements, including prerequisite courses, within each area may be found on the pages describing the specialization areas in Counseling Psychology, School Counseling, School and Clinical Child Psychology, Psychological Studies in Education, Measurement, Evaluation and Data Science, Special Education, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

Educational Studies:
The Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.  Applicants are required to have at least two years of teaching experience or equivalent.

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• A TOEFL score of at least 92 (Internet-based) with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing and 21 on reading and listening, or equivalent;
• An Academic IELTS overall score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.5 on each band; or
• A PTE Academic score of 63.

Applicants are also required to submit a letter of intent, a current resume, and two professional letters of recommendation.

Elementary Education:
For master’s programs, the minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree equivalent to a BEd degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

Applicants to the MEd programs must also have a valid teaching certificate, and at least one year of successful teaching experience at the early childhood, elementary or middle classroom level (student teaching and substitute teaching do not qualify).

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement). Any one of the following is acceptable:

• a minimum TOEFL score of 93 (Internet-based) with a minimum of 24 on the speaking and writing and 21 on reading and listening bands of the test, or equivalent;
• IELTS with a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 6.5 on each band; or
• CAEL with an overall minimum score of 70, with at least 60 on each subtest.

All applicants are also required to submit the following:

• Current curriculum vitae (resumé) portraying scholarly studies and professional educational activities, such as teaching, curriculum development, consulting, etc.;
• Statement of intent describing reasons for wanting to pursue advanced study in Elementary Education (500 words approximately);
• Three letters of reference from persons qualified to comment on the applicant’s academic work and potential for graduate study. It is highly recommended that one or more letters be from persons at the institution last attended;

Applicants to the MEd with a specialization in Curriculum and Pedagogy should indicate on their application if they wish to be part of a cohort. See the Faculty website for further information.

Health Sciences Education:
The Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

Applicants should also have instructional experience in a health related discipline.

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• TOEFL score of 93 (internet-based) with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing, and 21 on reading and listening or equivalent; or
• An IELTS score of 7.0 with no band less than 6.5; or
• An official CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language assessment system) score of at least 70 in all bands.

Applicants are also required to submit:

• a Statement of Intent,
• two letters of reference from persons knowledgeable about the applicant’s abilities and potential to pursue academic work, and
• a Curriculum Vitae.

All admission will be to the course-based program. Students may request a change of program category to a thesis-based route after completion of 24 units of required coursework, in consultation with their advisor(s). Change of program category must be made no later than the end of the second year of the program.

Library and Information Studies:
The School’s minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

Applicants who lack these qualifications are advised to make up any deficiency in consultation with the School of Library and Information Studies in order to be considered for admission as a candidate for the MLIS.

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• 100 (Internet-based) for the TOEFL, or equivalent;
• 70 for the CAEL with a minimum of 70 on each subtest; or
• 7.5 on the overall band for the IELTS (Academic) with a minimum of 7 on each test band.

Applicants are also required to submit the following:

• Statement of Purpose
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Three Letters of Reference. Academic referees are preferred; where fewer than three academic referees are available, one professional/supervisor referee is acceptable.

Please consult Admissions on the School of Library and Information Studies website for application details.

Secondary Education:
For master’s programs, the Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

It is recommended that applicants identify an academic advisor at the time of application. Two years teaching experience or equivalent are also required.

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• A minimum TOEFL score of 93 with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing and 21 on reading and listening (internet-based), or equivalent;
• IELTS with a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 6.5 on each band;
• CAEL with an overall minimum score of 70, with at least 60 on each subtest;
• PTE (Academic) with an overall minimum score of 64.

A current curriculum vitae, a statement of intent, and three letters of reference are also required. Further details about applying for programs can be found on the Faculty of Education website.

Doctoral Programs

Educational Policy Studies:

Effective July 1, 2024, admission to the Doctor of Education (Educational Policy Studies) program will be suspended. Continuing students admitted to the program prior to July 1, 2024 must complete all program requirements by April 30, 2029. The last degree in this program will be granted at Spring Convocation 2029. Continuing students must refer to the Calendar under which they were admitted for program, promotion and graduation requirements.

For the EdD and PhD degrees, the program’s minimum admission requirements are a master’s degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.5 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework. In special circumstances a student with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5 may be considered for admission.

The Studies in Educational Leadership specialization requires applicants to have a minimum of two years of teaching experience or equivalent.

As part of the admissions process, students considered for admission to the Indigenous Peoples Education Doctoral specialization are required to participate in an interview. The interview community will consist of the following: at least two Indigenous Peoples Education specialization faculty members; a graduate student currently studying in the Indigenous Peoples Education specialization; and an Elder.

The Social Justice and International Studies specialization requires applicants to have advanced skills in independent research, essay writing, logical argumentation, and narrative analysis. Applicants must have a strong background in the social foundations of education and/or one or more of the following humanities and social sciences: philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology, political science, and cultural and communication studies. Applicants must also have substantial work experience in the educational sector (e.g., public or private schooling, adult education, NGOs, social movements, corporate or government communications).

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• a minimum TOEFL score of 93 (Internet-based) with a minimum of 24 on the speaking and writing bands of the test, or equivalent. (GPS’s minimum for the reading and listening bands of the TOEFL test is 21.);
• a minimum score of 70 on the CAEL exam;
• a minimum of 7.0 on each band on the IELTS with an overall minimum score of 7.0; or
• a minimum score of 63 on the Pearson Test of English (PTE).

For applicants with international qualifications, where either their country or their international university are recognized as using English as the official language of instruction, proof of English Language Proficiency is still required. No exemptions to this requirement will be granted by the Faculty.

Applicants must submit three letters of reference, a CV/resume, a statement of intent, and (if applicable) a distinguished life experience essay. For doctoral programs, confirmation of a potential research supervisor is required.

Applicants to Adult, Community and Higher Education specializations, Indigenous Peoples Education specializations and Social Justice and International Studies specializations are required to submit a writing sample.

Educational Psychology:
The Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are a four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate work (or graduate work) at the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution. For those students whose previous academic work was completed in a language other than English, the Faculty requires proof of proficiency in the English language. Any one of the following is acceptable:

• TOEFL score of 93 Internet-based, with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing, and 21 on reading and listening, or equivalent; or
• An Academic IELTS score of 7.0 with no band less than 6.5; or
• An official CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language assessment system) score of at least 70 in all bands.

Particular program specializations may have higher TOEFL standards. See the program pages for the TESL Ph.D. for details.

Additional information regarding English Language proficiency may be found on the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies website.

Additional details concerning admission requirements, including prerequisite courses, within each area may be found on the pages describing the specialization areas in Counseling Psychology, School Counseling, School and Clinical Child Psychology, Psychological Studies in Education, Measurement, Evaluation and Data Science, Special Education, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL).

Elementary Education:

Effective July 1, 2024, admission to the Doctor of Education (Elementary Education) program will be suspended. Continuing students admitted to the program prior to July 1, 2024 must complete all program requirements by April 30, 2029. The last degree in this program will be granted at Spring Convocation 2029. Continuing students must refer to the Calendar under which they were admitted for program, promotion and graduation requirements.

For doctoral programs, the minimum admission requirements are an MEd degree from the University of Alberta with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4-point scale, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework. Under certain circumstances it is possible to enter with the equivalent of the BEd degree, but in such instances potential candidates may be required to complete additional course requirements.

Applicants to the doctoral programs also require at least one year of successful teaching experience at the early childhood, elementary or middle classroom level (student teaching and substitute teaching do not qualify.)

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• a minimum TOEFL score of 93 (Internet-based) with a minimum of 24 on the speaking and writing and 21 on reading and listening bands of the test, or equivalent;
• IELTS with a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 6.5 on each band;
• CAEL with an overall minimum score of 70, with at least 60 on each subtest.

All applicants are also required to submit the following:

• Current curriculum vitae (resumé) portraying scholarly studies and professional educational activities, such as teaching, curriculum development, consulting, etc.;
• Statement of intent describing reasons for wanting to pursue advanced study in Elementary Education. Applicants to the EdD and PhD should also describe the area of scholarship that they intend to pursue. (500 words approximately);
• Three letters of reference from persons qualified to comment on the applicant’s academic work and potential for graduate study. It is highly recommended that one or more letters be from persons at the institution last attended;
• Applicants to the EdD and PhD programs must submit a sample of written work.

Secondary Education:
For doctoral programs, the Faculty’s minimum admission requirements are a master’s degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.5 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

Applicants are required to identify a potential supervisor at the time of application. It is highly recommended that applicants have two years teaching experience or equivalent experience in a formal or informal educational context.

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• A minimum TOEFL score of 93 with a score of at least 24 on speaking and writing and 21 on reading and listening (internet-based), or equivalent;
• IELTS with a minimum overall band score of 7.0, with at least 6.5 on each band;
• CAEL with an overall minimum score of 70, with at least 60 on each subtest; or
• PTE (Academic) with an overall minimum score of 64.

A current curriculum vitae, a statement of intent, and three letters of reference are also required. Further details about applying for programs can be found on the Faculty of Education website.

Combined Degree Programs

Master of Arts / Master of Library and Information Studies Combined Program (Library and Information Studies)
Students wishing to apply for the combined degree need only complete one online application form by selecting “MA/MLIS” as the program. The application will be received by both programs. Students must satisfy the entrance requirements for both programs. Administrators of the two programs will consult regarding admission to the combined degree.

Master of Business Administration / Master of Library and Information Studies Combined Program (Library and Information Studies)
Students wishing to apply for the MBA/MLIS combined program need only complete one online application form by selecting “MBA/MLIS” as the program. The application will be received by both programs.

Students must satisfy the entrance requirements for both programs. A statement of the applicant’s background and interests should be included with the application.

Administrators of the two programs will consult regarding admission to the combined degree. There is limited enrolment and the entrance process is competitive.

During, and up to the completion of the first year in the MLIS program, students will have the option to request a change of program category to the combined MBA/MLIS program.

Certificates

Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Education)
Graduate Certificate in School Leadership (Education)
The Faculty’s admission requirements are a Bachelor of Education degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of fulltime graded coursework.

Teacher certification or two years of teaching experience are also required.

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency . Any one of the following is acceptable:

• IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.5 on each band; or
• TOEFL minimum score of 93 (internet-based) with a minimum of 24 on the Speaking and Writing Bands, and a minimum of 21 on the Reading and Listening bands, or equivalent

Applicants who do not meet the minimum AGPA requirement but have considerable relevant professional experience may also be admissible. Individuals who feel that this situation applies to them are encouraged to contact the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Education to discuss their status.