Program Overview

Watch our cohort advisor provide an overview of the MEd in Literacy Education program. Hear about the program’s structure, the personalized learning experience it offers, and how it can support your professional development.

Schedule

This is the proposed schedule and is subject to change.

2025-2028 Cohort Schedule

Review course descriptions & program handbook

Course Details

6 Core Courses + EDUC 500 (21 Credits)

• EDUC 500
• LLED 551 Introduction to Literacies across the Lifespan: Theories and Practices
• LLED 565 Arts Based Research
• LLED 540
• LLED 559
• LLED 534
• LLED 446

LLED 590 (Graduating Project) or Alternative Graduate Course (3 Credits)

Potential Elective Courses (6 Credits)

• LLED 556 Early Literacy
• LLED 454 Adolescent Literacies: Processes and Practices
• LLED 565 Energy Literacy
• LLED 535 Theory and Research in Drama Education
• LLED 445 Teaching Poetry
• LLED 513 Indigenous Storytelling in Education
• LLED 553 Theoretical Foundations for of ESL/EL Reading Pedagogy
• LLED 441 Introduction to Teaching Children’s Literature in the Classroom, K-12

There are additional options not listed. Students can also choose to take face-to-face courses on UBC Vancouver campus. There are also Western Dean’s Agreement Options.

Application Requirements

All students must meet the requirements for this program, which include:

• A completed three- or four-year undergraduate degree
• Minimum GPA of 76% average on all senior-level credits
• Two years full-time teaching experience or an equivalent combination of engagements within schools, community centres, non-governmental organizations and other education-oriented environments
• A CV (resumé)
• Three letters of recommendation from professors, educators or administrators that speak to your engagement with education and leadership
• A 500-word statement of intent that outlines the applicant’s academic strengths and the specific interests he or she would like to pursue in the online MEd in Literacy

Note: In cases where applicants have also completed graduate level coursework toward a master’s or doctoral level program, or as an unclassified student, this coursework is assessed separately. A considerably higher standing may be required because of competitive demand.

Fees

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors and may be adjusted without prior notice. For the most accurate and up-to-date information on tuition and fees, visit the official UBC Calendar. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Graduate tuition is assessed as an annual program fee, which is divided into three equal installments due at the beginning of academic terms starting in September, January and May. Students in this program will pay a minimum of 8 installments.

Student Fees

Student fees include fees established and authorized by the UBC Board of Governors and fees established and authorized by students societies. These fees are in addition to tuition fees. Please see the UBC Calendar for details on student fees.

Funding Eligibility

As this program is part-time, it is not eligible for student loans or other types of funding.

How to Apply

Application Status: Opens October 15, 2024

Application Deadline: March 15, 2025

Document Deadline: March 15, 2025

Apply Now

ONLINE APPLICATION

• Navigate to grad.ubc.ca/apply/online.
• When you are ready to apply, click “Apply Online”.
• Read the instructions, and either log in with your CWL or create a CWL if you have never attended UBC.
• Once logged in, on the “Degree Program Selection”, type “Professional Cohort” into the “Program Keyword” field.
• IMPORTANT: The program name should be Literacy Education – Professional Cohort M.Ed. Please ensure you are applying to the correct program – this part-time Professional Cohort is different than the regular on-campus program.
• Select the program.
• Click the “Apply” button.
• Fill out the application as indicated.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Please have these ready to upload when you apply:

Transcripts, degree certificates (if applicable), English language assessment report (if applicable), statement of intent, and an up-to-date resume must be uploaded to your application.

In cases where referees are unable to submit an electronic reference, sealed and endorsed reference letters may be sent by mail. Your reference will receive a link to a reference form that they should complete and send back to us.

You can also find the Grad Reference Form here.

 Important: Please ask your references to include the 4-character cohort designation LIT3 when they submit their reference. All references must arrive in sealed envelopes with the reference’s signature on the seal.

Please send mailed documents to:

Nhu Dinh
LIT3 Graduate Cohort
Faculty of Education, PDCE Office
University of British Columbia
1304-2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4

APPLICATION TIMELINE

After your application is submitted, all documents are uploaded, and references have been received, your application file is considered complete.

Once the application deadline for the program has passed, all completed application files are submitted to the Department for review.  Applications recommended by the Department for admission are then confirmed against Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies requirements, and accepted applicants are notified. Any special case admissions require an additional review by Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies.

The entire process generally takes 8 to 12 weeks.

ASSISTANCE

If you require any assistance with the application process, please contact:

Nhu Dinh
Senior Program Assistant
604-822-2013
pdce.educ@ubc.ca

Info Sessions

Have questions? We’ve got answers!

Meet the Program Advisor and Senior Program Assistant, and learn more about this program and about applying to become a UBC graduate student.

February 5, 2025 | 4:00pm PT

Did you miss one of our info sessions?

View the 2022 slide deck, including Admissions & Tuition information.

Watch the program overview video with Dr. Melanie Wong:

Alumni Insights

	“I entered into this program after 15 years of teaching at the elementary level. This experience has pushed me to consider myself a practitioner-researcher and has introduced me to new theoretical frameworks that have allowed me to analyze my practice and make research-supported pedagogical decisions. I leave with new teaching tools and a renewed purpose. With a completed MEd, I plan to pursue my next teaching adventure, supporting teacher candidates in the teacher education program!”
	“I applied for this program to go beyond standardized literacy teaching but it improves every aspect of my teaching practice. I’m learning that literacy is so much more than reading and writing. I love being able to work full-time in Calgary while attending the best MEd program in the country. Not only are we taught by leading literacy researchers, but our cohort is full of remarkable teachers and administrators. We provide feedback to each other regularly while getting to do most of our coursework on our own.”
	“Living in a remote community and having a young family made my dream of one day pursuing my Masters almost impossible. Then I started looking for a program or course to help support my students’ literacy skills. A quick search presented a new Master of Education in Literacy Education program through UBC that was 100% online. I applied, not expecting to get in, but I did, and I have not looked back since. I was nervous about going back to school after twenty years and having to learn online, but the program has been more than I could have ever expected. While all online, it is interactive, I feel that I know my classmates and instructors well, I feel supported and challenged, and the learning I have done has made me a better educator. Some other aspects of the program that I have enjoyed included an optional summer class in person at UBC, meeting and collaborating with educators across the country, and the ability of the instructors to ensure that the materials presented are for multiple grade levels.  While extremely challenging at times, I have never regretted my decision to pursue my Masters in this model.”

Contacts

For program content questions:

Dr. Melanie Wong
Program Coordinator
melanie.wong@ubc.ca

For application questions or assistance:

Nhu Dinh
Senior Program Assistant
604-822-2013
pdce.educ@ubc.ca