Degrees Offered
Graduate Programs in Education offers Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Education (EdD), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), and Master of Education (MEd) degrees in six areas of Specialization, as noted below. The Doctor of Philosophy degree program is normally intended to prepare scholars for careers in research and teaching. The Doctor of Education degree program is normally intended for practicing professionals in education-related situations. The Master of Arts and Master of Science are equivalent thesis-based research degrees that prepare students for further research. The Master of Education is a course-based professional degree.
Specializations Offered
Adult Learning
This Specialization is informed by a rich heritage rooted in a commitment to human, community and social development. As a hub of interdisciplinarity, the focus of graduate studies within this Specialization is on adult learning and adult education. Our graduate students draw from multiple and diverse contexts and interest areas, which include: traditional post-secondary and continuing education; business and industry; NGOs; community development and international organizations. (PhD, EdD, MA, MEd)
Curriculum and Learning
Graduate students will have opportunities to understand how interpretive disciplines in curriculum and emergent theories of learning offer meaningful and potentially transforming ways of thinking about schooling, knowledge, research, teaching/learning, and the nature of pedagogical relationships. Curriculum and Learning encompass issues of content, context, and teaching in both formal and non-formal educational settings. Students can explore contemporary themes of curriculum and learning, including issues of globalization, gender, culture, power, traditions of wisdom, ecology in education, and the ideas and practices of social justice, examined from social, cultural, historical, political, discursive, ecological and other interpretive perspectives. (PhD, EdD, MA, MSc, MEd)
Interdisciplinary Studies
This Specialization is informed by an academic shift from a generalist notion of interdisciplinarity, in which a single individual is expected to have a mastery of a range of domains, towards one understood in terms of teams of specialists with varied, but compatible and complementary expertise. Upon becoming familiar in two Specialization topic areas, this Specialization area provides graduate students with competencies to connect and integrate these topic areas. (MEd)
Languages and Diversity
Contemporary society is marked by linguistic and cultural diversity. Educational Studies in Languages and Diversity at the graduate level prepares students to understand and conduct research on various dimensions of linguistic and cultural diversity, especially as they relate to the acquisition, use (sociolinguistics), teaching, and learning of languages. Other topics of interests are: language policies, bilingualism, language assessment, multiliteracy, identities and so on. This Specialization is opened to applicants from a broad array of regions/countries. This program will be of interest to prospective educators and researchers in the areas of English as an Additional Language (EAL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Éducation francophone, French as a second language, Bilingual and Multilingual Education, and all other topics related to languages. (PhD, EdD, MA, MEd)
Leadership
This Specialization prepares researchers and practitioners for the analysis and resolution of issues and problems related to educational policy and leadership specifically related to: the direction and management of schools; school systems; post-secondary institutions; and both governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations concerned with public and private education. Graduates in this Specialization will be well placed to pursue administrative and research-related careers with an understanding of organizational change in the field of educational leadership and policy. (PhD, EdD, MA, MEd)
Technology
As our theories about knowledge change in concert with rapid advancements in educational technology, graduate students in educational technology need to consider the cultural, social, political and economic implications for learners and for learning in diverse contexts. Educational technology seeks to balance the practice of education and research in education; as a hands-on, minds-on discipline that emphasizes knowing and doing, our graduate programs provide active learning and mentoring opportunities that engage students with both the cognitive and technological tools of their discipline. Graduate students will develop in-depth competency in educational research methods, comprehensive understanding of the educational technology field and its research methods, and be able to propose, design and carry out supervised research and inquiry in the field of educational technology. (PhD, EdD, MA, MEd)
Graduate Programs Online
Graduate Programs in Education offers online graduate programs via the web and other multi-media components to local, regional, national, and international communities. Programs include thesis-based Doctor of Education (EdD), and course-based Master of Education (MEd), Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate. Topics within each of these are offered in direct response to the needs of working professionals in a variety of settings, including administrators, program directors, and deans in colleges and institutes of technology.
Contact: gpe@ucalgary.ca or 403.220.5675 or toll free in Canada (877) 623-0292.
Program Descriptions