The Master of Education (Course-Based) requires a minimum of ★36 in graduate-level coursework, including the capping exercise.  

Educational Policy Studies Required Courses (★6)

• EDPS 580: Contemporary Issues in Education: Perspective & Practice
• EDPS 581: Introduction to Evaluating Educational Research

ACHE Required Courses (★6)

• EDPS 521: Adult Learning and Development 
• EDPS 577: Foundations of Adult and Higher Education

General Electives (★21)

• In consultation with their advisor or supervisor, students select 500-level and 600-level electives from course offerings within or outside the Faculty of Education.

Capping Exercise (★3)

• EDPS 900: Directed Research Project

View Course-Based MEd Program Planning Sheet

All Master's applicants are admitted to the course-based route. MEd students may apply for a  transfer from the course-based program to a thesis-based program after completing a minimum of three courses in the course-based program.

The Master of Education (Thesis-Based) requires a minimum of ★24 in graduate-level coursework and ongoing thesis registration. 

Educational Policy Studies Required Courses (★6)

• EDPS 580: Contemporary Issues in Education: Perspective & Practice
• EDPS 581: Introduction to Evaluating Educational Research

ACHE Required Courses (★6)

• EDPS 521: Adult Learning and Development 
• EDPS 577: Foundations of Adult and Higher Education

General Electives (★12)

• In consultation with their advisor or supervisor, students select 500-level and 600-level electives from course offerings within or outside the Faculty of Education.

Thesis Registration (THES 903, 906, or 909)

Full-time students in thesis-based programs must register in each term (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer).

Fall/Winter Terms

To be considered full-time, students must be registered in a minimum of 9 credits. This will be comprised of coursework and/or thesis registration: 

• 9 credits of coursework + no thesis registration
• 6 credits of coursework + THES 903 (★3)
• 3 credits of coursework + THES 906 (★6)
• 0 credits of coursework + THES 909 (★9)

Spring/Summer Terms

To be considered full-time, students must be registered in a minimum of 6 credits. FGPS will automatically add registration in THES 906 (★6) to each thesis-based student’s BearTracks account. Courses taken in Spring/Summer, are assessed at an additional cost.

Examinations

Final Examination: Masters students complete a thesis, which must be successfully defended in an oral examination. See the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies' website for information on required components and thesis formatting.

View Thesis-Based MEd Program Planning Sheet

In addition to the above required courses, students may select from a wide range of electives to fulfill their individual learning goals. Some suggested alignment with Educational Policy Studies elective courses are listed below for key interest areas in adult, community, and higher education.

1. Higher Education: 511, 512, 526, 547, 548, 560, 561, 563, 564, 571, 572, 635, 671, 672
2. Workplace Learning: 511, 512, 526, 541, 545, 547, 560, 561, 564, 585, 635
3. Community Education & Social Change: 520, 522, 528, 547, 563, 564, 567, 575, 578, 579, 585
4. Global/International Education: 520, 522, 523, 525, 528, 548, 564, 575, 585

The ACHE Doctor of Philosophy program requires a minimum of ★24 in graduate-level coursework and ongoing thesis registration. 

FGPS Requirements

Self-paced, zero credit courses available through BearTracks

• INT D 710: Ethics and Academic Citizenship
• INT D 720: Advanced Ethics and Academic Citizenship

Required Courses (★6)

• EDPS 680: Policy Research and Education
• EDPS 681: Frameworks for Research in Educational Policy Studies

General Electives (★18)

In consultation with their advisor, students select 500-level and 600-level electives from course offerings within or outside the Faculty of Education.

Thesis Registration (THES 903, 906, or 909)

Full-time students in thesis-based programs must register in each term (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer).

Fall/Winter Terms

To be considered full-time, students must be registered in a minimum of 9 credits. This will be comprised of coursework and/or thesis registration: 

• 9 credits of coursework + no thesis registration
• 6 credits of coursework + THES 903 (★3)
• 3 credits of coursework + THES 906 (★6)
• 0 credits of coursework + THES 909 (★9)

Spring/Summer Terms

• To be considered full-time, students must be registered in a minimum of 6 credits. FGPS will automatically add registration in THES 906 (★6) to each thesis-based student’s BearTracks account. Courses taken in Spring/Summer are assessed at an additional cost.

Examinations

• Doctoral Candidacy Examination: Students must prepare and orally defend a written candidacy paper outlining the proposed study and reviewing the relevant research and theory. This examination will assess the student's knowledge of the discipline and subject matter relevant to the dissertation and their ability to pursue and complete original research at an advanced level.
• Final Doctoral Examination: Doctoral students complete a thesis (dissertation), which must be successfully defended. See the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies' website for information on required components and thesis formatting.

View PhD Program Planning Sheet

MEd students are initially admitted into the course-based route. Applicants to the master's degree must have a four-year bachelor's degree (or equivalent) that has been granted by a recognized academic institution and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4-point grading scale. 

MEd students may apply for a transfer from the course-based program to a thesis-based program after completing a minimum of three courses in the course-based program. 

Please note that for the 2025-2026 academic year, the Faculty of Education will only consider applicants to the PhD program with full-time status if they meet one of the following conditions:

• Remains professionally employed at or above .5 FTE (this includes four over five arrangements) during their studies.
• Has a supervisor who has expressed in writing the ability and intention of funding the student to $25,000 for each of the first two years (this includes financial co-sponsorship with another faculty member).
• Is applying as an Indigenous student (1 studentship) or a member of an equity-denied group (1 studentship).
• Is sponsored by an external agency at or above $25,000 per year or has an external scholarship at or above $25,000.

The minimum admission requirements for the PhD program include a master's and bachelor's degree from a recognized academic institution and a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4-point grading scale. In special circumstances, a student with a GPA lower than 3.5 may be considered for admission (Pending approval). 

Spaces in the Doctoral program are limited and on a competitive basis. Applicants who meet only the minimum admission criteria are therefore not guaranteed entry to the program.

Please review the admissions requirements to confirm your eligibility. An applicant's undergraduate academic performance, letters of reference, work experience, letter of intent, and areas of academic interest are all taken into account during the selection process for all graduate programs. Due to the necessity for quotas in many program routes and the limited resources of the Faculty, many highly qualified applicants cannot be admitted. While the Faculty encourages as many applicants as possible, it also recommends applicants apply to other universities in the event they cannot be admitted to the University of Alberta.

Masters Programs

All graduate students applying to the MEd Thesis program are encouraged to reach out to faculty members prior to applying in order to secure a supervisor. This is not required but strongly recommended. Course-based students do not need to reach out.

Doctoral Programs

Graduate students applying to the PhD program are strongly encouraged to reach out to a potential supervisor from our list of Faculty Staff to discuss your application in advance of applying to the Doctoral program.

Once you have verified your eligibility, please apply for admission through the Graduate Studies Management System (GSMS). The  Graduate Studies Management System is managed by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) which plays a key role in providing final admissions approval for all graduate students across the University of Alberta. 

All items must be received by the application deadline, including reference letters. Therefore, please ensure that your application for admission is submitted at least two weeks before the deadline.

Please note that the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies requires all transcripts and mark sheets to meet specific guidelines.

Review the Application Document Checklist, document requirements, and all application steps below BEFORE applying.

In order to successfully submit your application for admission, you will be required to upload the following supporting documents to the online application system:

Transcripts

You are required to upload the most recent copies to your online application; refer to Application Requirements for Academic Documents above. If you have difficulty acquiring electronic transcripts please contact us via essgrad2@ualberta.ca. Do not send official hard-copy documents until after an admission offer has been extended.

Failure to list and provide complete transcript from all institutions you attended on the application may be considered an intentional omission and will lead to the cancellation of your application for admission or withdrawal of your offer of admission.

Please note: If you have completed a degree and/or certificate that does not provide transcripts, placing the 'certificate' as a transcript on the online application is not acceptable. In place of the transcript requirement for these programs, you will need to have the institution provide a letter confirming that you completed the degree/certificate and that there are no transcripts provided for the program. The letter will need to be attached to the online application in place of the 'transcript' for that program and then submitted (original document) to the University. Hard-copy transcripts can be submitted to the Faculty Office after an admission offer has been extended.

Referees

You must provide email addresses of your three referees (references) and the system will automatically send your referees an electronic form to complete after your application fee has been paid (this may take up to 24 hours after payment). Once they complete and submit their form you will be notified by email. The system will keep sending reminder emails to your referees until we receive their form.

Please remind your referees that they must submit the form and upload a reference letter that is on letterhead and signed by them by the stated application deadline. The online application will provide directions to the referee on how to complete the reference form.

Referee Selection Consideration: As your referees will be asked about your academic abilities it is important to select individuals who can accurately assess this aspect of our work. Ideally, your referees should be academic staff (e.g., instructors in prior degree programs) who know the requirements necessary for successful completion of a graduate program. Please see the Application Document Checklist (above) for further information.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)/ Resume

Attach a copy of your CV/Resume to the online application form or complete the CV form available on the online application form. Please see the Application Document Checklist (link above) for further information.

Distinguished Life Essay

If applicable, please refer to the Application Document Checklist (link above) to learn more.

Statement of Intent

Consideration of the Statement of Intent

Review the Consideration of the Statement of Intent information below and the Application Document Checklist (link above) for more information on what is required in the Statement of Intent.

Avoid providing a narrative on your CV and/or non-academic background information unless it links directly to your research topic. To make an assessment, the admissions committee requires information on your research interests and will be looking for alignment with program specialization areas and Faculty research areas.

Doctoral Program Application

If you are applying to the doctoral program, state whether you completed your master's degree in the thesis or course-based route. If you completed a thesis-based masters briefly describe:

• Your master's program research (problem, methodology, topic, results)
• Whether the results were published
• How your master's research relates to your proposed doctoral study
• How your thesis has prepared you for your doctoral research
• How you will be making adequate space in your lives to fully engage in your studies 
• Proposed timelines for your program of study

Master's Program Application

If you are applying to the master's program, please state whether your undergraduate program integrated research-based activities. If you were engaged in undergraduate research activities, provide:

• A description of your role and activities in the undergraduate research project
• How the undergraduate research experience has prepared you for your master's program
• How you will be making adequate space in your lives to fully engage in your studies 
• Proposed timelines for your program of study

English Language Proficiency

Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency. This applies to two different applicant groups:

• Applicants who completed a degree or an academic equivalent from an institution and/or country that does not teach in English.
• Applicants who might have completed a degree or an academic equivalent in English but neither the institution and/or the country are listed as exempted from this requirement by our Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Alberta.

Please refer to the English Language Requirement webpage for more information. Please note that this program has a higher ELP requirement than the minimum requirement set by FGPS.

Any one of the following is acceptable:

• TOEFL minimum score of score of 93 (Internet-based) with a minimum of 24 on the speaking and writing bands of the test, or equivalent (FGPS's minimum for the reading and listening bands of the TOEFL test is 21);
• IELTS Academic minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 7.0 on each test band;
• Duolingo Minimum score of 115. Please Note: If you are in a region impacted by Pearson, IELTS or TOEFL test centre closures due to COVID-19, the university will temporarily accept the Duolingo English Test as one of the ways to meet our English Language Proficiency requirements. See FGPS for more information.
• CAEL minimum score of 70;
• PTE Academic minimum overall score of 63, with minimum band scores of 63. Applicants who take the Pearson Test of English (PTE) must request that this University be given access to their score.

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. Please see the Application Document Checklist (above) for further information. No exemptions to this requirement will be granted by the program.

Confirmation of Potential Research Supervisor (Doctoral)

Applicants for the doctoral program must confirm a potential research supervisor before applying through multiple conversations. Before you list a potential faculty member as your supervisor on your online application, secure that faculty member's written agreement. NOTE: if you are successful in confirming a potential supervisor, the confirmation does NOT guarantee graduate admission.

Writing Sample (Doctoral Only)

Doctoral Applicants applying to Adult Community and Higher Education, Indigenous Peoples Education, or Social Justice and International Studies in Education need to submit on the online application form their Master's thesis (or a project/capping exercise document) for review.

Once we have received all of the required documents, your application is considered complete and the application will move forward to the review process. Applicants will be notified in the GSMS Application Portal once an official decision has been made.

Successful applicants will receive the official letter of acceptance issued by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) in the GSMS portal. A department letter will follow that will outline further details of the admission including potential information such as funding offers or program information. Successful international applicants will require the letter of acceptance from FGPS in order to proceed with the application for travel documents such as a study permit and VISA.

IMPORTANT: Official documents (transcripts, degree certificates, etc.) may be required upon receiving the conditional offer of admission letter. Documents must be sent directly from the post-secondary institution to the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies office. Detailed instructions will be outlined in your offer letter.