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The University of British Columbia
- a place of mind
- Faculty of Education
- Department of Educational Studies
The MA and MEd graduate programs in Society, Culture and Politics in Education (SCPE) seek to address the historical, social, political, philosophical, and cultural aspects of education. Education here is defined very broadly to include formal school context, as well as non-formal education and informal learning at all levels and life stages. SCPE programs focus on the meaning and outcomes of critical theories of education, policies, and practices for public life in Canada and across the world. As scholars working within and across many disciplines, we view education as a central field within the arts, social sciences, and humanities.
From the vantage point of EDST, students and faculty will likely share some interests in the part played by education in developing socially, ecologically, politically and culturally just societies. These interests range from, for example: critical understandings of citizenship, democracy and international human rights education; the improvement of Aboriginal students’ educational experiences and most particularly in relation to social inclusion and exclusion; the study of children, youth, and women (e.g., youth cultures), including their political interests and activities in the context of everyday life; the formulation of post-colonial, anti-racist and critical disability studies approaches to the study of education; and finally, but no less importantly, to the politics and practices of ecologically sound and sustainable education approaches in both public and private spaces.
More recent departmental interests include wider questions about NGO work and education for social justice, teacher education in global contexts, and comparative histories of youth and childhood, particularly in relation to health, gender and the nation. Faculty are also researching questions concerned with migration, transnationalism and global cultures in comparative, international educational contexts, as well as the impact of geographical change on young people and adults living in urban and rural concentrations of poverty.
Students in the SCPE programs can pursue historical, philosophical, sociological or anthropological interests in education and can also approach educational questions from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives (e.g., African cultural studies, postcolonial approaches, critical disability studies), as well as within the disciplines (e.g., historical, philosophical, sociological, anthropological).
Consistent with the multidisciplinary nature of Educational Studies, SCPE faculty draw from the disciplines and most particularly the fields of sociology, history, anthropology, and philosophy of education; political science; cultural and social geography; and the interdisciplinary fields of women’s and gender studies and cultural studies. They investigate education conceptually and empirically, analyzing its contexts as well as the justifications for, and challenges to, its purposes.
The SCPE programs were created in 2004 when previous programs in History of Education, Philosophy of Education, and Sociology/Anthropology of Education merged with the specialization in Feminism and Social Justice in Education. Beginning in 2012, we will introduce a new department-wide MA program with concentrations. SCPE represents one area of concentration that students may choose for their MA focus. The SCPE MEd program remains unchanged.
Overall MA Requirements
The EDST MA is a 30-credit program that culminates in the completion of a research thesis. Students enrolled in SCPE are required to complete 9 credits of required MA courses, 3 credits of research methods coursework, and a 6-credit MA thesis. The required SCPE courses are listed below in Table 1.
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.
SCPE Concentration Requirements
The MA program requires an additional research methods course and the completion of an MA thesis. The MEd program requires more elective courses and the completion of a graduating paper or capstone course. For example, while EDST 509 and 597 will be required courses in the SCPE MA concentration, SCPE MEd students can continue to choose two courses from the cluster or EDST 509/570/597.
Table 1 |
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Required courses (MA) |
EDST 577: Social Contexts of Educational Policy, Politics and Practice (3 credits) EDST 597: Educational Theories: Equality, Democracy and Justice (3 credits) EDST 571: Educational Research: Relating Questions, Theory and Methodology (3 credits each term, 6 credits total). EDST 572: Research, Writing, and Representation (3 credits): To accommodate both full- and part-time students, required MA courses are offered in evening time slots or on weekends.
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Two Electives |
e.g., EDST 509: Constructing ‘Citizens’: Canada and the Educational Past (3 credits) |
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Additional Required Courses |
MA |
MEd |
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Thesis/Capstone/Graduating paper |
EDST 599: Master’s thesis |
EDST 590: Graduating paper |
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Minimum credits |
30 (of which min. 24 at 500 level) |
30 (of which min. 24 at 500 level) |
We seek graduate students with a genuine interest in educational politics and theories and practices associated with the arts, social science and humanities. A primary focus for our program is to assist students in learning to critically assess the relationship between such politics and theories and the potential for the development of more socially just societies. Students should therefore be able to demonstrate academic strength, preferably in one or more of the disciplinary or interdisciplinary areas in the humanities and social sciences that inform the SCPE programs (history, sociology, philosophy, cultural studies, women’s and gender studies, environmental studies, human geography, political science, etc.).
Candidates who wish to apply for entry into the SCPE program should visit our deadlines page.
All applicants to graduate programs in EDST must meet basic requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC, as well as departmental standards.
While 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 SCPE. What is required is evidence of experience in the field of education broadly conceived as well as appropriate undergraduate training in at least one of the social sciences and humanities areas listed above.
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, IELTS and MELAB. For minimum scores and documentation requirements, please see How to Apply.
Your application can be submitted online at www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online. Alternatively, an application form is available from Roweena Bacchus, 604.822.5374 or edst.educ@ubc.ca.
For further information about the SCPE program please contact Dr. Jo-Anne Dillabough for MA and MEd student inquiries, jo-anne.dillabough@ubc.ca.
A: The graduate programs in Society, Culture and Politics in Education are of interest to
Students in SCPE graduate programs become critical readers and users of educational/interdisciplinary forms of social science and humanities research that investigates the causes of, and possible solutions for, educational inequalities at the local, provincial, national and transnational levels.
A: The MA program in Educational Studies with a concentration in SCPE involves the completion of an independent research project culminating in a master’s thesis. This is the most common path for those wishing to pursue doctoral studies and to become educational researchers, and prepares graduates in the basics of conducting educational research.
The emphasis in the MEd program is on the critical use of, rather than, the production of educational scholarship and research. Educational practitioners and those who are or wish to become policy-makers or analysts may choose to pursue either an MA or an MEd degree, depending on how much independent research they wish to carry out.
A: Yes, but you have to decide at the beginning of the program that you will be a part-time student throughout. It is not possible to switch from full-time to part-time status or vice versa during your program. For more information, please go to: www.grad.ubc.ca/policy/index.asp?menu=002,003,000,000
A: Yes, it is generally permissible to switch from the MA to the MEd program, but the reasons for the switch must be laid out in a memorandum to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Generally the decision to switch, which must be made for academic reasons, should be discussed with the student’s supervisor and the program coordinator. The program coordinator then makes the formal request to transfer programs to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Please note that the MEd program requires six credits more in elective courses than the MA program.
A: If you have been accepted as an MEd student and, after you have taken a few courses in the program, you decide that you would like to undertake an independent research project of the scope of a thesis, it may be possible to switch to the MA program. Acceptance into the MA is dependent upon your grades in the graduate courses you have taken, the motivation of your request, and the willingness of your pro tem supervisor or another faculty member to supervise your thesis work.
A: Yes, you can, as long as you take a minimum of 24 credits in your program at the 500 level and discuss your rationale for choosing such courses with your adviser.
A: Yes, you can, in your electives and/or as a second research methodology course.
A: The maximum time to complete a Master's program is five years.
A: No, it does not. For information on becoming certified as a classroom teacher, please go to teach.educ.ubc.ca.
A: Some of our graduate students are K–12 classroom teachers and use their degree to enhance their practice, others take up positions in aid organizations, government departments, and community-based settings. Our graduates also go on to do PhD work in universities across the country and around the world where they continue to generate important research into challenges facing education in local and global settings.
For more information about this program, the department and admission procedures can be found at www.edst.educ.ubc.ca or by contacting
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. Jo-Anne Dillabough (SCPE Coordinator, 2011/12) for MA or MEd inquiries (program-related questions)
Email: jo-anne.dillabough@ubc.ca
