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The University of British Columbia
- a place of mind
- Faculty of Education
- Department of Educational Studies
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All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) must meet the mimimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC. Applicants who don’t meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission only in exceptional circumstances.
While applicants must have a four-year degree from a recognized post-secondary institution to be admitted to UBC and have a B+ (76%) average during the last two years of full-time study, an undergraduate degree in Education is not a requirement for admission to EDST.
English Proficiency Test Score: Applicants whose degrees are from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): Minimum score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), 100 (iTB) is required for admission to all programs in Educational Studies. Visit TOEFL’s website
IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 with no other component score less than 6.0.
MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum overall score of 81.
The applicants must have an official report of their score on one of these tests sent directly from the testing service to the Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Educational Studies at the address below by the application deadline. Score reports more than two years old will not be accepted.
What is required is evidence of experience in the field of education, which is quite broadly conceived.
To be eligible for admission to a master’s degree program at UBC, applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree (apart from applicants from Quebec) with:
The number of graduate students who can be accommodated is limited and only the best qualified applicants can hope to secure places. To ensure that all applicants are treated equitably, your application will go through several stages before a decision is made on acceptance or rejection. Once your transcripts have been reviewed to determine if you are eligible for admission to graduate study at UBC, several faculty members in scholarly areas related to your area of interest will read your application and individually assess your suitability for admission.
As well as evaluating all components of your application, we must be convinced by the statement of intent that your academic interests are congruent with those of the department, that your background is adequate for graduate work in your area of interest, and that the department and university possess the necessary resources for you to complete the degree. An Educational Studies faculty member in your area of interest must be willing to become your adviser.
You will be informed of the department’s decision as soon as possible. The department can admit Canadian and US applicants directly, but must recommend other applicants to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for admission. If you are admitted conditionally, subject to completing a degree in progress or courses, these conditions will be included in the offer of admission. Successful applicants are asked to inform the department as soon as possible whether or not they are accepting a place in the Department of Educational Studies. If you decide to accept our offer, you should contact your adviser and together plan out a program of study.
Applications should be submitted online at www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online. All of the following components of an application must be received by the department’s Graduate Program Assistant before the file can be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee.
Non-refundable processing fee payable to UBC. See the cover of the official UBC application form for the exact amount. If applying online, you can pay this fee by credit card.
All transcripts from non-English-speaking countries must be accompanied by official certified English translations. Applicants sending transcripts from an institution in the People’s Republic of China must also send an official degree certificate in both Chinese and English. For information on submitting international transcripts please go to www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/international-students-transcripts. Without complete documentation, the application review process cannot begin.
The reference letters must be in English. If the original letter is in another language, the letter must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
There are three possible formats for references:
Electronic references: Many graduate programs utilize an electronic reference (“e-ref”) system. In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. (Please note, that we are unable to accept emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, GMail, MSN or other free email accounts for referees.) Once the online application has been submitted, a unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing them to log in to a secure site and submit an online reference or upload a reference document as an attachment.
Paper letters of reference: Your referee may wish to send a paper letter. Paper letters of reference should be on referee's official letterhead and must be mailed directly to the relevant program (see address below) in a sealed and endorsed envelope by the referee.
Paper reference forms: UBC provides a general reference form. Your referee may fill out this form and mail it directly to the relevant program in a sealed and endorsed envelope.
Applicants to doctoral programs must also include an example, or examples, of scholarly writing, preferably a chapter from a master’s thesis, the thesis itself, a scholarly or professional publication, or substantial paper(s) written for a university course. In the latter case, it is useful to include the instructor's comments or other assessment. The sample of writing should demonstrate your ability to think clearly about complex issues and to communicate in an organized and readable manner.
Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you wish to have submissions returned. Where your previous degree is from a university in a non-English-speaking country, you must arrange to have an official, original copy of your TOEFL/IELTS/MELAB score sent by the testing service directly to the Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Educational Studies at the address below. Photocopies are not acceptable.
To applicants to all MEd and MA programs except Educational Administration and Leadership: In addition to the above you should also submit a sample of written work (published or unpublished). The writing sample you submit should demonstrate your ability to think critically and write clearly. Writing samples typically take the form of academic or scholarly papers from previous studies. They can, however, take various forms, such as professional documents, reports, workshop materials, or journalistic pieces. If you have questions about your writing sample, please contact the Coordinator of the Program to which you are applying.
To applicants to the MEd and MA programs in Educational Administration and Leadership: In addition to the above, you should also submit an up-to-date professional resumé. The three letters of reference should be from administrators. In assessing applications, the Department considers a variety of factors in addition to the minimum UBC requirements. Academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, statements of intent, and writing ability are assessed carefully in admissions decisions, so you want to take special care that your application is complete.
To find out whether all materials have arrived safely, you may want to contact the department’s Graduate Program Assistant at 604.822.6647 or email grad.edst@ubc.ca. Applicants to master’s programs in adult education are normally expected to have at least two years of paid or volunteer work experience (teaching, training, coordinating, planning, counseling, etc.) in adult education, broadly defined.
Applicants from outside Canada should be aware of additional requirements that may apply. Please read the following to determine which of these requirements may apply to you.
English Proficiency Test Score: Applicants whose degrees are from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are:
If any transcripts or diplomas/certificates or letters of reference submitted with an application are not in English, then official documents (not photocopies) must be submitted along with certified translations in English.
All documents are to be sent directly to the department you are applying to from the issuing institution.
To enter Canada, a “Student Authorization” (Student Visa) is required. Apply as soon as possible to the nearest Canadian Consular or Immigration Office since it may take 8–10 weeks for processing. For applicants applying from the People’s Republic of China it may take 3–6 months. Applying for a Student Authorization requires a UBC letter of admission/acceptance; a valid passport; and evidence of adequate funds for tuition, maintenance of the student and, if married, the student’s spouse and children, plus travel funds to and from Canada.
If the application for a visa is approved, the UBC letter of admission/acceptance will be returned to the student and must be retained for presentation to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian point of entry.
All components of the application should be submitted to the department’s Graduate Program Assistant at the following address:
Graduate Program Assistant
Department of Educational Studies
2125 Main Mall
Faculty of Education
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4
Tel: 604.822.6647
Fax: 604.822.4244
Email: grad.edst@ubc.ca
