Master of Education (MEd)

A limited number of School of Education research assistantships are available for application. This competitive process requires that a School of Education faculty member and full time graduate student of education, submit a joint application that clearly demonstrates the way in which the work supports faculty research development while serving as a substantive research experience for the student. Application forms will be distributed by Melanie MacEachern to all M.Ed. students by email well in advance of the deadline.

Research Assistantship Applications are to be co-signed and sent electronically to Melanie MacEachern, Administrative Assistant, School of Education, by September 15 (first deadline) and November 16 (second deadline). Email: melanie.maceachern@acadiau.ca  

A committee consisting of the Director, Graduate Coordinator and third faculty representative will review the completed applications and award assistantships in the range of $1500 to $4500 as the funding pool provides.

The letter of intent should include the nature and focus of study you wish to pursue in a graduate program. It should also include a discussion of relevant academic study and professional experience related to your program interests. Those applying to the counselling program should outline their motivations and expectations in reference to the counselling program.

There is no particular format or length required in your letter of intent; the point of the application is to make a compelling argument that you are prepared for graduate studies.

The Office of Research and Graduate Studies requires the following documents from applicants who are reapplying:

Applicants are required to complete the entire application process.  Please visit: https://www2.acadiau.ca/admissions/graduate-application.html for further details. The only supporting documentation that remains on file for at least two (2) years following a previous Acadia admission application are official transcripts

1) Application information and forms and link to the graduate calendar can be found here: 

http://gradstudies.acadiau.ca/Graduate_Admissions.html

2) You will find program planning outlines here: 

https://med.acadiau.ca/current-students.html

Please refer to website information before forwarding inquiries to the School of Education.

An academic reference is provided by a person who can comment, firsthand, on your post-secondary academic achievement and skills as well as your potential to undertake graduate study. This information is usually submitted by a current course instructor (course in progress), a professor from a completed course or a thesis/research supervisor.

Professors from online courses, while not having met you in person, can certainly supply an academic reference with regard to (for example) your grade standing in the course-relative to other students, the quality of your work, your attendance to timely submission of assignments and your active participation/responses in online discussions.

Your second reference must be a professional reference from someone other than an instructor/teacher/professor who would be familiar with your work, yet not a family member, colleague, or friend. The individual providing the reference should have held, or currently holds, a senior or administrative position (a higher rank/position than you hold or previously held) over your work and is able to evaluate your performance based on the job description or position you held (e.g. someone who oversaw your role or someone that you reported to). You would not have an ongoing, non-professional, relationship with this individual - it would be a strictly professional relationship.

Reference form (for M.Ed. applicants ONLY) - Two references are required:

• one academic reference from a current or recent instructor/teacher/professor.
• one professional reference from someone other than an instructor/teacher/professor who would be familiar with your work yet not a family member.

NOTE REGARDING ACADEMIC REFERENCE: References from instructors in courses you are currently taking are admissible.
If you have not taken any course in the last five years, you may substitute the required academic reference with a professional reference. This is the only circumstance in which two professional references are acceptable.

When you assemble your application keep a few things in mind:

1. Transcripts take time to be transferred between universities; start the process early!
2. Reference letters take time to write and you should request these of your past professors very early. Be diligent in seeking our academic references. Sometimes you may even have to meet with potential referees at work sites if email requests don't seem to be answered.
3. IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL THAT YOU INDICATE IN YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE WHICH REFERENCES FALL INTO EACH CATEGORY (CHECK MARK THE BOXES). YOUR APPLICATION CAN BE DENIED BASED ON THIS INCOMPLETE COMPONENT.

Review your progress by referring to your program planning form and the requirements stated in the Acadia University Academic Calendar for your year of entry.

Visit http://registrar.acadiau.ca/GraduationandConvocation.html for details about dates and processes.

If you require a letter confirming completion of degree requirements, it may be requested from the Graduate Education Course Manager, Division of Research and Graduate Studies. Letters and verifications of enrolment require a written request. Please allow a few days for their completion. E-mail your request to:  brenda.harris@acadiau.ca.

Write a letter (or e-mail) to the Graduate Coordinator, graded@acadiau.ca, requesting the program change and outlining the reasons for requesting the change.

Full time students should be aware that they have access to Medical and Dental coverage while at Acadia.

With respect to course materials:

a) If you are trying to determine whether a book is required for a course, contact the University Bookstore (902-585-1201); they have a complete list of required texts supplied well in advance by the course instructors.

b) If ACORN is to be used for course management, it is not often turned on until shortly before the course begins given that instructors are making final adjustments. Please be patient and wait for the first scheduled meeting to get the details of how ACORN will be used to support the course experience.

Students should expect a variety of course delivery formats and be prepared to adjust their schedules to accommodate different models.  Modes of course delivery in graduate programs include on-line, face-to-face formats and models that blend the two. Between September and June, face-to-face classes may be held in evenings, on Friday nights, or using an all-day Saturday model.  For full-time students, courses are also given during the day through the week. On-line courses are also a possibility. In July and August, various formats of shorter-term, intensive instruction are used. Students should be prepared to experience all forms of course delivery in the course of their studies. It is not possible to arrange the format of classes to fit the needs of individual students.

School-based Counselling students who will be requesting a leave from their School Board in order to undertake EDUC 5066 - Seminar and Practicum may request a Leave Support Letter from the School of Education. The letter will confirm that arrangements are in place for the student to take EDUC 5066 and that the School of Education supports a leave during a specified time period. Specify the Regional Centre for Education where you are employed. Include your 9-digit student ID when requesting a letter. Requests may be directed to graded@acadiau.ca .

Students registered in a graduate program are permitted to do 120 hours of professional development activities to be counted towards course credit in "Educational Explorations-EDUC 5143". The criteria for those 120 hours are specific to guidelines outlined below. (If you have questions about crediting your professional development work please forward them to the Graduate Coordinator.) As students accumulate the requisite 120 hours, they should fill out the Education Explorations Form available under "Specialized Courses". Instructions for completion of the application package are also included at the same site.

Where possible, as students accumulate/compile their professional development hours, they should establish a "dropbox" (see https://www.dropbox.com/) where they place all of the required forms (available above) and scans of the supporting certificates of completion/documentation and supporting letters. When students are satisfied they have the required hours and justification, they should send a "dropbox" link to the Graduate Coordinator such that the application can be evaluated. It is important in the documentation to state your 1) nine-digit Acadia ID number, 2) your program of study, and 3) your cohort (if applicable). **Please assign file names that distinguish application forms and certificates/letters, etc. In the event that all documentation and justification is deemed adequate, students will receive a follow up e-mail instructing them to register in EDUC 5143 - Educational Explorations.

The following principles guide credit in Educational Explorations (EDUC 5143):

• The PD must be voluntary. Students cannot use PD hours that are required of them as part of their job or that are done on mandatory PD days (such as provincial in-service day in October).
• The PD must total 120 hours. This is a combination of in-class and out-of-class time, such as would be required for assignments and outside reading.
• In most cases, the 120 hours of PD must be completed while students are registered in a graduate program at Acadia, i.e., they cannot use workshops or other activities they have done prior to entering one of our graduate programs (see exceptions below).
• The PD must be documented and verified. Documentation can include certificates provided for workshops, etc, or descriptions of programs that have been verified (signed) by a supervisor.
• Students must register in, and pay for, EDUC 5143 once it has been approved by the Coordinator.

Exceptions (i.e., accepted even if done prior to graduate program entry):

• Module One plus any other two modules offered by the Nova Scotia Educational Leadership Consortium (NSELC).
• Module One (NSELC) plus the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board Leadership Development Program (signed certificate required).
• Module One (NSELC) plus the Halifax Regional School Board Leadership Development Program (signed certificate required).
• The Program for Aspiring and New Program Support (PAN PST) offered by the South Shore Regional School Board plus any two modules offered by NSELC.
• A registered Reading Recovery program completed within the last seven years.
• AVRSB Resource Teacher training programs.
• Participation in a school accreditation as a co-chair.

IMPORTANT CAVEAT: For credit, the above must have been completed within 8 years as per academic regulations in the Acadia University calendar.

In the case where a required course is essentially the same as a course a student has taken in another graduate program, students may request a waiver of that course, to then be replaced by an elective course in the student's program at Acadia. Application for a waiver must be made in writing to the Graduate Coordinator using the WaiverForm at: http://education.acadiau.ca/forms-resources/articles/med-students.html .

>>If the course(s) has already been completed, a form for “Transfer of previously completed courses” can be found at: http://education.acadiau.ca/forms-resources/articles/med-students.html . Complete this form and send an electronic copy (preferably pdf) to the Graduate Coordinator (gregory.mackinnon@acadiau.ca) along with the following information/documents in the attachment: 1) the program you are enrolled in at Acadia and your student number, 2) a copy of the transcript showing that the course is at the graduate level, and 3) a course description from the graduate calendar along with a syllabus from the host institution. The Graduate Coordinator will consider your request and if approved, will place the approval in your file at the School of Education with a copy to the Acadia Registrar.

>>If the course has not yet been completed, email the Graduate Coordinator concerning the suitability of the course(s) you wish to take. In the event that your request is supported, you will need to fill out and submit the form found at: http://education.acadiau.ca/forms-resources/articles/med-students.html .

The process: the School of Education's Graduate Coordinator reviews your transfer credit application and then forwards our assessment to the Acadia University Registrar's Office for final processing. The Registrar's Office contacts the institution from which courses are to be transferred and then forwards a letter to the student outlining the approved number of credit hours to be counted towards their Acadia program.

Principles informing transfer credits:

• Transfer credits are only accepted from universities that have a faculty of Research and Graduate Studies.
• Credits can be transferred only if students are registered in a graduate program at Acadia.
• Courses can be transferred only if they have not been used to satisfy the requirements for another degree or diploma either at Acadia University or elsewhere.
• Courses transferred need to make sense in terms of the student's program at Acadia. Transfer is not automatic, i.e., it requires approval.
• In the case where a student is applying to transfer a credit to replace a mandatory course, the course syllabus is sent by the Coordinator to an appropriate faculty member for assessment. The general principle guiding transfers in this case is that the course elsewhere must be "essentially the same" as the mandatory course it replaces.

Important note #1: If the course is from another University the transfer will not appear on your Acadia transcript until an official transcript from the corresponding institution is received by the Acadia Registrar’s Office.

Important note #2: It is then incumbent on the student to monitor their transcript to see that the appropriate credit has been assigned by the Registrar. In an ongoing iterative process, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to ensure that they meet degree requirements. If you have questions after checking your Acadia transcript, contact the Acadia University Registrar's Office.

The School of Education does not routinely provide advice concerning the choice of electives. Any program-specific requirements or restrictions are noted in the calendar; in the absence of any such limitations you may assume that an elective which complements your area of study is suitable.

Non-program students may take up to 12 credit hours (4 courses) as independent students (see: https://med.acadiau.ca/programs.html) to be counted toward a graduate program upon admission to the program. For MEd courses, independent students do not need to meet the two years' employment experience (which is a requirement for MEd program application). There are some restrictions on independent students taking core courses, especially in Counselling (check with Joy Cunningham, MEd Programs Course Manager, for more details).

Please note, admission as an independent student does not guarantee admission to the program due to the competitive nature of the admissions process. Nonetheless, if you meet the academic admission requirements for an MEd program, you may consider taking up to four courses as an independent student. Independent students are admitted to courses on a space availability basis.

Courses that are good choices for the independent student are: 

• EDUC 50G3 Research Literacy (if you are certain that you will not be completing a thesis),
• EDUC 5113 Qualitative Research
• EDUC 5303 (Principles of Assessment) *for those hoping to enter other MEd programs
• EDUC 5203 Introduction to Educational Technology
• EDUC 5843 Instructional Design: Multiage Pedagogy

These are best because they are either required courses or appropriate electives for all MEd programs.

Additional options for those hoping to enter the Counselling program include:

• EDUC 5553 Topics in Counselling - Counselling and Spirituality
• EDUC 5563 Career Counselling

The School of Education offers a limited number of research assistantships valued between $1,500 and $4,500. The competitive process requires that a School of Education faculty member and full time M.Ed. student, submit a joint application that clearly demonstrates the way in which the work supports faculty research development while serving as a substantive research experience for the student. First preference will be given to full-time thesis students after which full-time non-thesis student applications will be considered. The application form is available here. APPLICATION DEADLINES: SEPT. 15 (First deadline) and NOVEMBER 16 (second deadline)

Potential external / internal funding:  http://gradstudies.acadiau.ca/fees_funding.html 

1) Application information and forms and link to the graduate calendar can be found here: 

http://gradstudies.acadiau.ca/Graduate_Admissions.html

2) You will find program planning outlines here: 

https://med.acadiau.ca/current-students.html

Please refer to website information before forwarding inquiries to the School of Education.

Acadia offers a number of graduate education courses and programs for students through a variety of on-line and distance delivery modes. These modes include on-site cohorts (generally arranged through school boards and located in a variety of sites within the Province) as well as on-line access. As yet, we do not guarantee that any graduate program in education is entirely available on-line; part-time students at a distance and not in a cohort generally need to be available to take some summer and/or evening courses on-site in order to complete the program. Nonetheless, Acadia continuously offers a number of graduate courses on-line. Information about available courses, applications for Independent student status (to take a course without or before admission to a graduate program), and about current cohorts is available from Open Acadia at http://www.openacadiau.ca .

The list of upcoming courses can be searched here: https://med.acadiau.ca/course-list.html by entering EDUCATION and the TERM you wish to search.

NOTE: while some courses are offered open-entry, the listing of many of the upcoming courses is updated the semester previous to offering.

All graduate education students should be aware that their degree will normally include a combination of face-to-face, on-line and hybrid courses. Students wishing to do complete programs online will not be able to do so at Acadia as, especially for part time cohorts, summer schools offer face-to-face core courses. Full-time students will take a majority of courses face-to-face, but they will normally be expected to take at least one course on-line so that they have direct distributed learning experiences. Face-to-face courses may be offered through a variety of models including but not limited to: three hours once a week over 12 weeks; 4 weekends (Friday night and Saturday); 6 Saturdays; or two and three week intensive courses in the summer intersession.

The M.Ed. (Counselling) program (both full-time and part-time) is not offered exclusively on-line due to the nature of the core courses in Counselling and the associated Regional/National Certification Requirements.

Each year, based on the regional requests and the available human resources, a decision is made whether to offer a part-time cohort in Counselling. The nature and location of the cohort is part of this decision-making process as the needs of the Counselling community vary widely and the faculty cannot possibly respond to all requests. It is best to check with Counselling faculty or the graduate coordinator in early fall before applying to a part-time cohort.