MEd in Early Childhood Education

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

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

• An approved Bachelor of Education degree, OR
• An approved four-year undergraduate degree in a related field*,
• An overall average of 76% (B+) or better in all third- and fourth-year courses,
• Minimum of two years professional experience working with young children in an appropriate setting.

*Related Fields include, but are not limited to: Child and Youth Care, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Family Studies and Sciences.

Applicants whose degree is in an unrelated field (e.g., Arts, Commerce, General Studies) may be accepted if they have completed a college or university certificate program in early childhood education from a UBC-approved institution.

Reference Letters

Reference letters are very important in the application process; applicants are required to submit three reference letters (one academic and two professional) that speak to their academic potential and their professional qualities. At the same time, some applicants may encounter serious difficulties in retrieving these letters. The following options are presented for these applicants:

1. Academic reference: In the event of an applicant not being able to obtain two academic references, one of them could be substituted for a second professional reference that also speaks to the applicant’s capacity to articulate ideas and to support them with the appropriate references when writing reports, summaries, lesson plans, and/or any work related resources. For teachers, academic advisors (teachers who supervised them during their practicum) may be asked to write this letter, should the applicant have no access to another faculty member.)
2. Professional reference(s): In the event of an applicant not being able to obtain a professional letter of reference (for example, for those applicants who have been employed for a number of years) a letter from a board or committee overseeing their current place of employment, or a letter from a professional in an agency that has collaborated with their program (for example, from a consultant and coordinator from programs like the Supported Child Development Program, if working with a child or children with special needs) will be acceptable.

Statement of Intent

Applicants must submit a 500-word statement of intent with their application, which should outline their professional goals.

Topic Description

Applicants must submit A 500-word description of a topic in the area of early childhood education that they wish to study in-depth in the program.

Writing Sample

For those students who have no access to a previous paper completed in the last 15 years, or to a publication, or report, please select one of the two articles uploaded here; provide a scholarly summary of the article with your own reflections and connections to practice. This summary has a word count of 500 words, in addition to the reference list that matches references provided in text (preferably using APA format; at the same time, MLA and other formats are acceptable).

1. Educators’ Social and Emotional Skills Vital to Learning, by Stephanie M. Jones, Suzanne M. Bouffard, and Richard Weissbourd (May 2013). Kappan Magazine, available at https://casel.org/educators-social-and-emotional-skills-vital-to-learning/
   • Reference:  Jones, S.M., Bouffard, S.M., & Weissbourd, R. (2013). Educators’ social and emotional skills vital to learning. Kappan Magazine, May 2013, 62-65.
2. “Today I Had Fun!” Playing Outside A Box Inside A Role Drama (2010) by Scott Hughes. Retrieved from http://einsights.ogpr.educ.ubc.ca/v14n01/articles/hughes/index.html
   • Reference: Hughes, S. (2010). “Today I had fun!” Playing outside a box inside a role drama Educational Insights, 13(4).

Resume

Applicants must include a full professional resume with their application. Items covered should include: education, coursework, employment history, volunteer work or other related experience (i.e. publications, interests).

ALL APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE:
The minimum degree requirement for admission is a 4-year bachelor degree. This is a Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requirement that cannot be waived, regardless of professional experience.

Eligibility for candidates with a 3-year baccalaureate will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the academic department and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

International Applicants

• Please refer to the UBC Minimum Academic Requirements for international students.
• We also recommend that you review the English Language Proficiency Requirements to ensure you meet the English language requirements.

If you require assistance with your application as an international student, please contact the Senior Program Assistant.

Application Status: Open
Application Deadline: January 31, 2020

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 EC20 or MEd in Early Childhood Education - Professional Cohort into the “Program Keyword” field.
• Click the program name.  Ensure you select the version that ends with "Professional Cohort".
• 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 EC20 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:

Vicki Domansky
EC20 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:

Refer to the UBC Calendar "Master of Education (program off-campus)" for confirmed and up-to-date fees.

Tuition fees are in Canadian dollars, are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors, and are subject to change (typically 2% in May of each year).