Guided by the program learning outcomes, the MA in Education aims to prepare students for further graduate study as well as to
improve their professional practice. The program addresses the needs and interests of
beginning and experienced teachers and other interested persons whose objective is
to advance their knowledge of educational practice in schools. The MA program also
prepares students for admission to doctoral study in a variety of related fields, such as
educational psychology, research methodology, administrative and policy studies, and
instruction and learning of subject matter in a variety of content areas.
Revised Comprehensive Examination Policies and Processes
PREAMBLE
The Department of Education used to conduct its M.A. Comprehensive Examination along
conventional lines, viz. an actual examination for some time. Until 2007, the comprehensive exam
was a traditional type of assessment with candidates writing an examination under supervision.
However, in January of 2008, the Department moved to a take-home format with candidates being
given 10 days to submit their responses to a series of questions. Upon submission, candidates would
then sit for an oral exam in which they defended their written exam submission.
In light of the numbers of graduate students who move through the Department (by far the highest in
FAS), that Comprehensive Exam format became burdensome for both the students and their
academic mentors. Students, who were already expected to prepare exhaustive research proposals and
defend those orally (our Department being the only one in FAS to insist on a full proposal
development and defence), were lumbered with this additional zero-credit task, the value of which in
terms of academic benefit was highly questionable. It was reported by several graduate students over
the years that that format of the comprehensive exam was neither purposeful nor meaningful to their
experience as graduate scholars. Moreover, the timing of the examination is awkward as it coincides
with other end-of semester examinations and requirements.
The Department decided to revise the comprehensive policy recognising our continuing commitment
to an examination stop for the students and ensuring the continuing need for our procedures to align
with the established FAS sequence of events pertaining to MA candidates (finishing the course work,
passing the comprehensive, and then submitting a proposal to the graduate committee). So in Spring
2018 students could defend their thesis/project proposal in lieu of the comprehensive exam. At that
time, as a transitional measure, defence of a “min-proposal” understood as an extended abstract was
deemed sufficient. The revised format described here and takes effect in Fall 2021 for old and new
students, equates the successful completion and defence of the full thesis/project proposal with the
completion of the comprehensive exam (EDUC 395).
Specialties
-MA in Elementary Education
-MA in Educational Psychology (two tracks)
-MA in Educational Administration and Policy Studies
-MA in Math Education
-MA in Science Education
-MA in TEFL