Students wishing to transfer from the MEd to the MA degree may apply after four core courses are completed (students must complete five core courses in total for the MA plus a Master’s Thesis). In order to be accepted into the MA program students must demonstrate a strong writing ability, a clear research plan, and committed advisement from a senior supervisor.

Students should follow the procedure outlined below: 

1) Students will have completed four core courses before applying to transfer from the MEd to the MA. At this point they must consult a prospective advisor for the thesis. If this faculty member is other than the pro-tem advisor, the pro-tem advisor is to be informed.

2) In consultation with the prospective thesis advisor, the student will then prepare a written thesis proposal. This will be a minimum of ten pages in length, and will include a) research question(s), b) context for the research, c) objectives, d) methodology, e) contribution to the advancement of knowledge and/or educational practice, f) student's special interest in the proposed area of research.

These questions can help to guide your research proposal preparation:

• What is your question/inquiry? (i.e., paragraph overview of your question or inquiry focus)
• What brings you to it? (a brief statement regarding what brings you to the question, i.e., what is the spark for this interest/why is this topic of importance/significance to you)
• How are proposing to approach this inquiry (i.e., what are your methods, and what methodology might be the overarching thread for these methods; what ethical or other requirements or implications do you need to bear in mind in conducting this research?)
• Who are the key thinkers you are drawing on, what are the key concepts, theories, ideas embedded in this area of inquiry?
• What educational significance do you feel this inquiry has or might have (and by 'educational', that might be everything from specific pedagogical or curricular or policy implications, or a broader philosophical and/or sociological significance).

3) The thesis proposal must be approved by your prospective supervisor before it is submitted to Graduate Programs office together with 1) Faculty of Education Change Degree, Program or Specialization Application form, 2) approval of supervisory committee form, and 3) required documentation as follows:

• A letter/email from the faculty member who agrees to serve as the Senior Supervisor indicating that he or she has approved the thesis proposal
• A thesis proposal (minimum ten pages as outlined above)
• An annotated bibliography for the proposed thesis (minimum of 20 references to include current journal articles, books/chapters, and relevant online resources, etc.)
• A copy of a written assignment undertaken for the MEd

If any of the above conditions are not met, the change of degree route will not be approved.

EDUC 843-5 EMBODIMENT AND CURRICULUM INQUIRY

The scholarship on embodiment and its implications for the body as a site for knowledge and its relationship to contemporary curriculum inquiry will be studied with specific emphasis on the area of performative and narrative inquiry and arts education. Central to this course will be the investigation of embodiment from both a philosophical perspective and a literary/poetic perspective. Equivalent Courses: EDUC712

EDUC 848-5 IDEAS AND ISSUES IN AESTHETIC EDUCATION

This course relates critical ideas in aesthetics to questions concerning the nature, purpose, and provision of the arts (visual art, music, drama, dance, literature) in education.

EDUC 849-5 ARTISTS, SOCIETY AND ARTS EDUCATION

A major survey of the educational theories and practices of musicians and artists generally from medieval times to the present. The special focus will be on modern responses of musicians and artists to modern demands for mass arts education. Material will be drawn from Europe, North America, Asia, and other parts of the world where mass arts education provision occurs.

EDUC 852-5 INQUIRY, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY: DRAMA IN EDUCATION

This course involves an exploration of basic issues and questions which underlie the nature and provision of drama education in the schools. It includes a critical examination of the claims made in the theoretical literature regarding the nature and aims of drama education and an exploration of the implications for drama education curriculum and pedagogy. Equivalent Courses: EDUC721

EDUC 868-5 CURRICULUM THEORY AND ART EDUCATION

The course examines and relates conceptions of creativity and response in the visual arts to the fundamental questions of curriculum theory.

EDUC 869-5 MUSIC EDUCATION AS THINKING IN SOUND

This course presents the theory and practice of music education based on theories of auditory perception, musical theory, and various cross-cultural perspectives on musical behavior.

EDUC 883-5 MED COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

The examination is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

EDUC 898-10 MA MASTERS THESIS

The thesis is a research investigation designed to generate and/or examine critically new knowledge in the theory and/or practice of education. The thesis should normally be completed and approved in three terms.