Master of Education in Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)
World-class teaching for working professionals
Research highlights the importance of responsive, critical, and anti-oppressive socioemotional approaches in supporting the holistic development of learners, their families, and communities.
Tailored for working educators and professionals, this program equips you with the tools and knowledge to apply SEL practices directly in educational settings.
Program Highlights
- Cohort-Based Model of Learning: Most of the coursework is delivered online, with a short portion of the first course taking place in July on the beautiful UBC Vancouver campus, where accommodation will be subsidized. This unique structure helps you balance your professional commitments while building connections and engaging in collaborative learning as part of a professional community.
- Active and Experiential Learning: Engage in hands-on activities that emphasize the importance of learner-teacher relationships and holistic well-being.
- Culturally Responsive Practices: Learn to implement equitable and inclusive SEL practices that benefit all learners and teachers.
This program is offered by the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education
Start Date: July 2025
Length: 2 Years | Part-Time
Format: Online + In-Person Sessions in the First Summer at UBC Vancouver (Subsidized Accommodation)
Domestic Tuition: $16,716.70
International Tuition: $19,145.28
Program Details
About
This program allows students to:
- Learn the skills and strategies to understand and recognize one’s emotions, develop care and understanding for others, and foster healthy relationships both for yourself and the students you work with.
- Understand how SEL impacts students’ academic success and how to create classroom communities where all learners can grow and thrive.
- Focus on creating equitable and inclusive SEL practices that are culturally responsive and sustaining.
- Highlight the role of culturally responsive approaches to SEL as central to learning-teaching relationships, school climate, and relationships with communities beyond the school.
- Create and implement a project in your workplace to enact your learning during the program and share your experience with your students and colleagues.
Schedule
2025-2027 Cohort Schedule
Students will complete a total of 30 credits of coursework, typically within 2 years and 1 month.
| Date | Course Title | Course Code |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 S2 | Seminar in Human Development, Learning, and Culture (online plus 3-4 day IN-PERSON intensive) | EPSE 501 |
| 2025/26 W1 | Research Methodology in Education | ETEC 500 |
| 2025/26 W2 | Foundations in Human Development: Infancy to Adulthood | EPSE 505 |
| 2026 S1 | Social and Emotional Development in Education | EPSE 585 |
| 2026 S2 | Indigenous Pathways Through Social and Emotional Learning
OR Special Topics: Critical Perspectives on Learning Technologies and Digital Contexts |
EPSE 588
OR EPSE 511 |
| 2026/27 W1 | Cultural Perspectives on Learning, Development, and Media | EPSE 503 |
| 2026/27 W2 | Indigenous Pathways Through Social and Emotional Learning
OR Special Topics: Critical Perspectives on Learning Technologies and Digital Contexts Action Research |
EPSE 588
OR EPSE 511 EDCP 512 |
| 2027 S1 | Social and Emotional Learning Through the Lens of Mental Health
OR Motivation in Education |
EPSE 582
OR EPSE 584 |
| 2027 S2 | Graduating Seminar | EPSE 590 |
This is the proposed schedule and is subject to change.
Application Requirements
All students must meet the admission and application requirements of both the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the program, which include:
- A four-year Bachelor’s degree in Education with at least a 76% average on a senior-level credits.
- In special circumstances teacher education may be waived for those applicants who have a university degree with sufficient standing and experience related to their proposed field of study.
- Normally 18 credits of senior course work or a professional concentration in SEL.
- Normally two years’ teaching experience or other relevant professional experience within schools, communities, business, government, non-governmental organizations, or other education-oriented environments.
- Three letters of recommendation from educators, supervisors, colleagues, or clients that speak to your abilities to complete a graduate degree and interest in SEL.
- Resume/CV
- A 600-word statement of intent of your SEL experience, professional goals, and the anticipated benefit of involvement in the program.
Fees
Tuition Fees
| Type | Per Installment | Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | $2,388.10 | $16,716.70 |
| International | $2,735.04 | $19,145.28 |
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 7 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: January 15, 2025
Document Deadline: January 22, 2025
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 the 4-character cohort designation SEL1 into the “Program Keyword” field.
- IMPORTANT: The program name should be Master of Education in Social and Emotional Learning – Professional Cohort and the cohort code should be SEL1. 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 SEL1 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:
David Roy
SEL1 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:
David Roy
Senior Program Assistant
604-822-3622
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.
October 23, 2024 | 4:30 - 5:30pm
November 20, 2024 | 4:30 - 5:30pm
Contacts
For program content questions:
Shawna Faber
Cohort Advisor
Associate Professor of Teaching
shawna.faber@ubc.ca
For application questions or assistance:
David Roy
Senior Program Assistant
604-822-3622
pdce.educ@ubc.ca