Location | Email Address | Program Website |
---|---|---|
113 Winters College | GradProgram@edu.yorku.ca | yorku.ca/edu/ |
The Graduate Program in Education at York University focuses on the study of language, culture and teaching broadly defined. The program is committed to interdisciplinary, rigorous intellectual inquiry based in critical engagement with diverse perspectives of education and educational research. Our scholarship is informed by social, historical and cultural contexts of education and contemporary practices of pedagogy, learning and curriculum. Our program’s philosophy and curriculum are grounded in critical thought with an underlying commitment to social justice. We emphasize issues in and practices of equity, access and educational design. A range of opportunities to question meanings and practices of social difference including those based on race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, class and ability are offered through our courses of study.
The MEd and PhD are research degrees. Admission to graduate study is based upon appropriate educational background and evidence of the candidate’s preparedness and interest in deepening their understanding of education through disciplined inquiry. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty to define their program of study selecting from and synthesizing areas of faculty research and teaching including: anti-racist, feminist and multicultural pedagogies; literacy, sociolinguistics and second language learning; mathematics, science education and new information technologies; early childhood, higher and community-based education; urban, ecological, arts-based and /or disability education.
Flexibility is key. Within the program, students can focus on areas of educational practices and/or theoretical orientations to particular issues and problems, and on research concerns encompassing classrooms, other educational contexts, or study of young children, youth and adults.
Decisions regarding a plan of study are made in consultation with faculty in regular advising sessions. The program is distinguished by small classes, individual attention, and opportunities to meet and collaborate with peers. Courses are designed to engage with current research in educational theories and practices from psychoanalysis to institutional ethnography; in conceptual, qualitative, historical and/or quantitative research; and in the dynamics of social and educational change.
All candidates engage in both course work and independent research. Master’s candidates write a thesis, complete a major research project or do only coursework. Doctoral candidates’ work culminates in the writing of a dissertation. There are also opportunities to engage in independent study and to work with faculty on their research projects. Our program offers the opportunity for full and part-time study. Teaching assistantships and/or research assistantships are available for full-time graduate students.
The specific objectives of the graduate program exist within the mission of York University. Excerpts from the Mission Statement with particular relevance to this program include but are not limited to the following: we focus on “the pursuit, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge… We test the boundaries and structures of knowledge. We cultivate the critical intellect… York University is part of Toronto: we are dynamic, metropolitan and multicultural….We value diversity… A community of faculty, students and staff committed to academic freedom, social justice, accessible education, and collegial self-governance, York University makes innovation its tradition.” (Academic Planning Documents, September 2001).
This program does not lead to teaching certification.
Master of Leadership & Community Engagement
The Master of Leadership & Community Engagement (MLCE) provides diverse opportunities for students to: deepen understandings of leadership, community, policy processes, and community engagement; develop professional leadership and communication skills; and become astute users of university and community-based research. It is a professional degree that prepares graduates to take on leadership roles with a focus on community engagement and innovation. The program is designed for candidates who are typically working in educational contexts, community organizations, and other public sector areas, including nurse educators, child and youth workers, librarians, arts, culture and recreation administrators among others.
Candidates participate in blended and online coursework and two community-based placements. The program focuses on leadership, policy, program design and evaluation, community engagement, and social justice, and it draws on the multidisciplinary experiences of those in the class in order to develop a professional network of practitioners.