Admissions Information

PLEASE NOTE: Applications for the M.Ed. Counselling Program are currently closed. The School is not accepting any further applications for 2025/26. Please check back in mid-September for the 2026/27 application information.

IMPORTANT CHANGE TO ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENT AS OF NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Applicants to the M.Ed. Counselling must have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree and accumulated the equivalent of two years of full-time, paid, relevant work experience. The two full-time equivalent (FTE) years may be accumulated over a period longer than two years and accrued before or after the completion of the undergraduate degree. Your application will not be considered if you do not have this experience. If you have any questions about this change, please contact Graduate Studies at gradadmissions@acadiau.ca.

We encourage you to read the information and requirements for the graduate-level admissions process. For frequently asked questions, check out our FAQs.

Applicants should be advised that the application process is competitive. Students in the pool of applications often meet the minimum requirement yet distinguish themselves through other aspects of the application documentation and/or process. Given the number of applications received, the faculty is not resourced sufficiently to respond to queries about unsuccessful applications. Also, graduate administrators and individual faculty cannot offer pre-assessment of any application documents before submission of the application.

Note for All New Applicants:

The previously required Letter of Intent has been changed to the Personal Reflection Statement. The Personal Reflection Statement allows applicants to position themselves as strong candidates for the M.Ed. Counselling Program. This statement should include a reflection on the following questions:

Why have you decided to pursue a graduate counselling degree at this time?
What strengths do you bring to the counselling program/counselling profession, both your innate/personal strengths and through your work/life experiences?
How do you anticipate Acadia’s M.Ed. Counselling Program will assist you in achieving future professional goals/plans?

The Personal Reflection Statement does not require a specific format. It can be submitted as a video or audio file, a written reflection, or a visual creation. If writing the statement, it must be limited to 500 words and double-spaced. All video and audio files should not exceed 10 minutes in length. Visual work must be accompanied by an audio or video file that explains to the reviewers how the visual creation is representative of the three questions above, ensuring that all questions are clearly spoken to.

Once you submit your application form, you will upload your Personal Reflection Statement through the Applicant Status Portal. If you choose the video or audio option, please refer to the "Edit Portfolio" button on the Applicant Status Portal for detailed information on file sizes and types supported by Acadia.

Please note that all content exceeding the limits outlined above will not be reviewed as part of the application.

Note for 2024 Cohort Applicants:

In response to feedback from our accreditation body, Advisory Council, faculty, and students, the M.Ed. Counselling Program will undergo changes beginning with the 2024 cohorts. The full-time program will be 18 months for students choosing a full-time 4-month Practicum II experience and 22 months for those selecting a part-time 8-month Practicum II experience. The part-time program will be 3 years in length, with options for a full-time 4-month Practicum II experience or a part-time 6-month Practicum II experience.

Another change in the program will relate to the practicum experience. The practicum experience will be offered through EDUC 50P3—Counselling Practicum I and Group Supervision (100 hours) and EDUC 50N3—Counselling Practicum II and Group Supervision (400 hours). Students can choose to complete Practicum II either full-time over 4 months or part-time over 8 months for full-time cohorts or 6 months for part-time cohorts. This will be indicated in the course rollouts for each cohort.

Note for International Applicants:

Because the M.Ed. Counselling Program requires a practicum experience; all international students must have a study and co-op work permit from the Canadian government. You can explore the requirements at the following webpage:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/work/intern.html

Please give yourself enough time to receive the study and work permits. Our International Centre has Student Immigration Advisors who can assist with your application for a study permit, co-op work permit, PGWP (post-graduate work permit), and spousal open work permit.

An Immigration Officer can be reached at immigrationadvising@acadiau.ca.

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M.Ed. Counselling application files are assessed by the School of Education faculty during January and February. Short-listed applicants are usually interviewed in March and April. Generally, applicants can expect to receive a decision through the Status Portal by the end of April.

The M.Ed. Counselling Program begins on the Acadia University campus the first week in July for both full-time and part-time cohorts.

All courses for the full-time cohort are offered on campus at Acadia University. Members of the part-time M.Ed. Counselling cohorts will complete courses on the Acadia University campus in July over three consecutive summers. The remaining courses will be delivered in Halifax and are generally offered on Saturdays throughout the fall, winter, and spring semesters.

Once again, starting with the 2024 Cohorts, the practicum experience will be separated into Practicum I (100 hours) and Practicum II (400 hours). For part-time cohorts, Practicum I is scheduled in the fall semester and Practicum II in the winter semester. Practicum I will occur 6 hours a week over the semester while concurrently registered for EDUC 50P3 – Counselling Practicum I and Group Supervision. This course will usually be held on six Saturdays during the semester. Practicum II will occur starting in the winter semester with either a full-time 4-month practicum (Monday-Friday) or a 6-month part-time practicum (3 days per week) for a minimum of 400 hours while concurrently registered for EDUC 50N3 – Counselling Practicum II and Group Supervision. This course will usually be held on six Saturdays during the semester. For full-time cohorts, Practicum I is scheduled during the spring semester and will occur 6 hours a week while concurrently registered for EDUC 50P3 – Counselling Practicum I and Group Supervision. This course will be a weekly class throughout the semester. Practicum II will occur in the fall semester for full-time practicums and in the fall and winter semesters for part-time practicums. Practicum II will occur along with registration in EDUC 50N3 – Counselling Practicum II and Group Supervision, which will usually occur on six Saturdays during the practicum experience.

Before Practicum II, each student must submit original records of the results of a Criminal Record Check, Vulnerable Sector Search, and Child Abuse Register Search. If search results raise concerns about a potential risk to clients, the student will not be permitted to register for the practicum. Because the practicum is required for successful completion of the M.Ed. Counselling Program, non-eligibility to undertake a practicum means that the student would not be able to complete the program or graduate. Prospective applicants are advised to consider this caveat seriously before applying to Acadia's Master of Education Counselling Program.

Practicum I and Practicum II are unpaid practicums. Since Nova Scotia is a small, predominantly rural province, students may require a vehicle and should be prepared to commute to a practicum site. Given the limited availability of sites and appropriate supervisors, practicum placement will likely not be in Wolfville, so students must be prepared for placement outside the Annapolis Valley and Kings County reach.