Program Description and Degree Requirements

Please note new MA course requirements do not apply to current EDST MA students. These requirements take effect for new MA students who will begin their studies in September 2012. Course requirements for current master’s students are listed in the program worksheets.

The Adult Learning and Education program has its roots in traditions of social welfare, community development and extension education. Degrees in adult education were first awarded at the University of British Columbia in 1957, making this program the first in Canada and one of the oldest in North America. The department’s Coolie Verner Memorial Reading Room is an important collection of print materials related to the development of adult education as a field of study and area of professional practice. At present there are approximately 100 students in the combined on-campus MEd and MA programs in Adult Learning and Education (ALE). Faculty and students bring to the program considerable international experience and have diverse academic and professional backgrounds, varied research interests, and represent a wide range of adult education contexts including:

• literacy/adult basic education
• distance education
• health education/health promotion
• environmental education
• international development
• education for older adults
• continuing professional education
• new social movements
• international and comparative education
• human resource development
• citizenship education
• university extension
• community development

Requirements

Required MEd Adult Learning and Education (ALE) courses

EDST 503 Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Adult Learning and Education

Plus two more ALE courses selected of the following:

Plus one additional 3-credit ALE course

One approved research methods course (3 credits)
Electives: 12 or 15 credits

EDST 590: Graduate Paper (3 credits) or one more approved 3 credit elective course

(NB: For MEd students starting their programs in 2012, there will be some changes to program requirements. Those students who began their MEd studies prior to 2012 will follow the requirements outlined above; they will have the option of completing their program of studies following the new MEd requirements. These changes will be posted on the web once they are approved by UBC Senate. They include a reduction in the required adult education courses from four to three, and a new option of completing the program through a capstone course.)

Required Educational Studies MA courses

Please note new MA course requirements do not apply to current EDST MA students. These requirements take effect for new MA students who will begin their studies in September 2012.

EDST 571 Educational Research: Relating Questions, Theory and Methodology (6 credits)
    Winter 1 and Winter 2 terms (3-credits each term).

EDST 572 Research, Writing, and Representation (3-credits).
    Taken in the summer term after EDST 571. Meets on five consecutive Fridays.

Required Courses in the Adult Learning and Education (ALE) MA Concentration

EDST 503  Foundations of Adult Learning and Education
EDST 514  Adult Education Program Planning Theory
EDST 518  Theory and Research on Adult Learning

Possible Adult Learning and Education (ALE) Electives

EDST 516 (3) Adult Education and Community
EDST 535 (3) Comparative and International Adult Education
EDST 575 (3) Work and Learning

Apply

The MEd program is a professional degree for aspiring practitioners in any adult education setting as instructors, program planners, consultants, community activists or administrators. An emphasis on coursework and the development of a graduating project rather than a thesis distinguish the MEd from the MA.

MEd students can also choose to complete their programs in Adult Learning and Education by taking coursework only (30 credits is required). The MA is a more research-oriented program for students who wish to develop skills as researchers and policy-makers, or who may plan to go on to doctoral-level study.

All on-campus MEd students take a core of 12 credits of adult education courses. This is supplemented with 12–15 credits of elective courses that allow students to further study adult education, and to explore topics and issues addressed elsewhere in the department and the university that have implications for adult education.

Students in both programs are encouraged to pursue topics related to their own professional goals and interests. Recently completed theses and papers/projects address diverse topics including

• the role of values in patient education
• teaching and learning in career exploration programs for women
• understanding self-direction in learning
• nursing students’ perceptions of caring—the “all but dissertation” phenomenon
• adult education and women’s social activism
• collaboration in ethnographic research
• parent involvement in schools
• developing learning objectives for medical school curricula
• aging and transformative learning
• the “radical aesthetic” in feminist documentary film

All applicants must have completed a four-year degree from a recognized post-secondary institution to be admitted to UBC and have a B+ average during the last two years of full time undergraduate study. An undergraduate degree in education is not a requirement for admission to ALE, however, some experience, be it paid or voluntary, whith designing programs and/or teaching adults is required.

Student Life

Students enter our programs with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. They come from post-secondary institutions and myriad professions. For some, education is their primary concern and they want to seek further education in relation to expanding responsibilities. For others, education is an ancillary responsibility within a broader professional role and they seek further education to improve their professional practice. Through formal classes, informal discussion groups, field experiences, and supervised research, students explore different aspects of adult education—pedagogically, economically and ideologically—inquiring into factors that influence the practice and provision of adult education in every context.

Students organize regular brown bag seminars and other social events. A lounge and nearby eating areas offer opportunities for graduate students to get together. Students have access to a modern computer lab, shared office space and the Coolie Verner Memorial Reading Room.

Questions and Answers

What’s the difference between an MA and an MEd program?

The MA is designed for students interested in learning more about conducting research and going on to a PhD. The core courses for MA students wanting to specialize in adult education are the same as the core courses for MEd ALE students. MA students must take other required MA courses, find a committee, prepare a research proposal and conduct their research and write up the results and defend their thesis, so the program tends to take longer than the MEd.

The MEd program is for those students whose primary interest is in developing or further developing their professional practice. MEd students complete their programs either by writing a gradating paper (EDST 590) which could be an extended essay on a particular topic that includes a review of relevant literature or perhaps the creation of a curriculum or policy that is directly relevant to their workplace. The other option is for students to take EDST 501 and 553 where they work with a group on a small scale study that leads to improved practice.

Can I transfer credits?

UBC policy allows a transfer of up to 12 credits to a graduate program under certain conditions.

• these credits have not been applied to a diploma or certificate or other degree
• the courses are at a senior undergraduate or graduate level (grad programs allow 6 credits of senior undergraduate courses)
• the courses have been completed within five years of the student’s graduate program start
• the courses have been completed at a recognized institution
• the courses haven’t been used to improve the GPA of the applicant

Please check the Faculty of Graduate Studies policy on this www.grad.ubc.ca/faculty-staff/policies-procedures/transfer-credit

Are the courses available online?

Currently the graduate courses in EDST, including those in the Adult Ed program, are all delivered face to face on campus. For your electives you can take online courses. Some of the Masters in Technology courses could be taken but permission is needed from the administration of that program so contact Jeannie Young for help with that. The required courses in our Diploma in Education (ADHE 327, 329, 330 & 412) are all online; you could take two of those courses as you can have a maximum of 6 credits of senior undergraduate courses as part of your master’s program. For more information go to eplt.educ.ubc.ca/courses/online-courses

Please note that we have a master’s program in adult education called Adult Learning and Global Change (ALGC) that is entirely online. For more information about that program go to edst.educ.ubc.ca/future/algc

Can I take courses from another university?

Yes, you can take courses without having to register at the university, if the other university is part of UBC’s Western Dean’s agreement. You’ll need permission from the other institution and the course instructor plus from UBC and the grad adviser in EDST. There is a form to be completed

http://www.grad.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/forms/registration_western_deans.pdf

http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/student-status-classification/vi...

What jobs will I get with this degree?

Graduates with an MEd or MA in Adult Education are highly regarded in the field. There is no one institution, similar to teachers in the K–12 school system, where adult educators practice their craft. And there is no overarching regulatory body that requires adult educators to have certain credentials. The exception is if you are going to teach adult education courses, such as Adult Basic Education, in BC schools. For these jobs you must have teacher certification. Thus adult education positions can be found in a wide variety of contexts and institutions including: college teaching and program planning, continuing education, human resource development, government, health care, international development agencies, and community-based organizations. Most of our students are studying part time and continue to work in their respective institutions where the designing of programs and teaching of adults is often part of their duties. Once they complete their program, many part-time students, with an advanced degree, get a promotion. Some of our graduates change their areas of practice quite significantly and move into new environments. If you see a position that appeals to you as an adult educator, take note of the required qualifications. You can also engage in information interviews, meeting with staff of organizations where you would like to work, exploring with them what kinds of experience, skills, knowledge and credentials they are looking for in their hiring processes.

What if I move away from Vancouver, can I complete the program?

It is possible to complete your UBC degree after you move away from Vancouver. It’s important to discuss this with your pro tem adviser and/or the program coordinator. If you have not completed your course work, in particular your electives, you can take a directed reading (EDST 580), and take courses from other universities through the Western Dean’s Agreement (see above). http://www.grad.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/forms/registration_western_de...

There is a form you must complete with various signatures at UBC and at the host institution. Chris Adams, the Graduate Program Assistant (grad.edst@ubc.ca) can help you with that paperwork.

There is also the option of taking online courses—quite a few are offered at the grad level at Athabasca U. We also offer the required courses of our Adult Education Diploma Program online (ADHE 330, 327, 329 and 412). See above for the regulations for undergraduate credits in a masters program.

Can I take undergraduate courses as part of my master’s degree?

Yes, you can take up to 6 credits at a senior undergraduate level (e.g., third or fourth year) for your master’s degree. As with other issues noted above, please check with your pro tem adviser before registering for these courses.

Can I take a leave from my studies?

Yes, you can request a leave for four, eight or twelve months from your MEd program (the maximum leave is twelve months; exceptions are if your leave relates to matters of health or maternity). If you become ill or a member of your family is sick, or if you have a change in jobs, or you have a child, or another situation that prevents you from devoting your attention to your studies, please get in touch with your pro tem adviser or the graduate adviser of EDST. Paperwork can be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FoGS) requesting a leave from your program. During this time you will pay a smaller continuing fee. NB: You are not to use the resources of the university while on leave so your library card will be inactive during your leave. If you are receiving a student loan, these funds will not be distributed during your leave. You also cannot receive a scholarship during your leave.

Who are the faculty?

Dan Pratt, Jennifer Chan, Tom Sork, Kjell Rubenson, Garnet Grosjean, Shauna Butterwick, André Mazawi, Rob VanWynsberghe, and Pierre Walter.

Who are the admin team?

Dr. Shauna Butterwick (shauna.butterwick@ubc.ca) is Adult Education Program Coordinator.

Contact Us

For more information about this program, the department and admission procedures can be found at www.edst.educ.ubc.ca or by contacting

Christine Adams, Graduate Program Assistant

Department of Educational Studies
Faculty of Education
The University of British Columbia
2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC  V6T 1Z4
Tel: 604.822.6647
Fax: 604.822.4244
Email: grad.edst@ubc.ca

or

Dr. Shauna Butterwick, Program Coordinator
Email: shauna.butterwick@ubc.ca
Tel: 604.822.3897