• Cohort model: Students move through the program together as a cohort. This provides students with a supportive peer learning environment and enhanced networking opportunities.

• Blended delivery mode: With the combination in-class, online and flexible courses (combination of online and in-person), working professionals will be able to work and study at the same time.

• Nursery to grade 6 laboratory school: The program’s location at OISE's Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study and its onsite laboratory school, will allow students to engage in learning and research about child development with members of the school community.

• Thesis (Dissertation in Practice): This culminating component of the program differs from a traditional doctoral thesis in that it focuses on identifying solutions to problems of practice drawing on theory, research and practitioner knowledge. Students will be required to frame the problem of practice, investigate it using multiple data sources including existing research and policy and create a proposed plan for action to address the problem of practice.

• Areas of emphases: In the second year of the program, students will complete two half-courses in one of three emphasis: 1) ​Early Years and Early Learning, 2) Special Education; and 3) Mental Health and Wellbeing.

1. Coursework: Students must complete 8-half courses (4.0 full-course equivalents-FCEs):

• Issues in Child Study and Education: Research, Policy, and Problems of Practice (APD3301H, 0.5 FCE)

• Advanced Study of Critical Issues in Special Education, Mental Health and Security (APD3302H, 0.5 FCE)

• Advanced Study of Tools and Research Methods for Investigating Problems of Practice: Data-driven Research for Decision-Making (APD3303H, 0.5 FCE)

• Research Proposal Development (0.5 FCE)

• Two half-courses (1.0 FCE) from one of the three areas of Emphases*

• Research Methods course (select from the list of available research methods courses) (0.5 FCE)

• Decision-Making and Systems Change Theory (APD3304H, 0.5 FCE)

*After students complete: APD3302H Advanced Study of Critical Issues in Special Education, Mental Health and Security, students will then be able to select an area of Emphasis that complements their identified problem of practice: 

• Early Learning and Early Years: (eg. social emotional wellbeing in the early years)

• Special Education: (eg. supporting advocacy and self-determination in adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders)

• Mental Health and Wellbeing: (eg. tracking the connection between physical activity and wellbeing in adolescents)​

2. Thesis (Dissertation in Practice)

The thesis (Dissertation in Practice) shall include an identification and investigation of a problem of practice, the application of theory and research to problems of practice and/or policy and a design for implementation of ideas arising. Specifically, the thesis (Dissertation in Practice) consists of original research in the form of a written proposal or plan for innovative and impactful educational policy, guideline, advocacy, development project, or activism within an education related field, aimed at improving practice at local, regional, national, or international levels.

Students are required to maintain continuous full-time registration and pay full-time fees until all degree requirements, including the thesis (Dissertation in Practice), are completed.

Students are required to complete 2 half-courses (1.0 FCE) in one of three area of emphases: 1) Early Years and Early Learning, 2) Special Education; and 3) Mental Health and Wellbeing.

These areas of emphases are designed to help students gain a deeper understanding and expertise in special education, and security, child and youth wellbeing.

EMPHASIS IN EARLY YEARS AND EARLY LEARNING

EMPHASIS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION 

EMPHASIS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

*Students must take two courses in ONE area of emphasis.

Applicants must satisfy the admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies as well as the following admission requirements of the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development.

• Master's Degree

​​Applicants must hold a master’s degree in child study and education, a master of education degree or a master of arts degree in education or psychology from a recognized university, with high academic standing equivalent to a B+ or better. Applicants with master’s degrees in other disciplines may be eligible to apply for admission, but may have to complete additional courses in Developmental Psychology and/or Child Study.

• Work Experience

Applicants must have at least three years of professional experience in an education-related field within a school or community setting.

Required supporting documents:

• Letter of Intent 

​Applicants must submit a letter of intent that highlights their research interests, provides some insight into the problem of practice they wish to address, and describes their professional experiences and how these relate to their research interests and proposed problem of practice.
 

• Letter of reference from employer 

​Applicants must submit a letter from their employer supporting the applicant’s goals and ability to conduct their applied research within a school or community setting.​
 

• Qualifying Research Paper (QRP) or Major Research Paper (MRP)

​Applicants who hold a non-thesis master's degree, such as a Master of Education, must submit evidence of their ability to identify a research question or problem, to design and conduct a research study or project, and to report the findings or results in a rigorous manner. Applicants may submit a qualifying research paper (QRP) or major research paper (MRP). Applicants who do not have a QRP or MRP must provide a writing sample that highlights their ability to write clearly and analytically about issues in education and/or child study. Examples include a single authored master’s-level course paper, a policy document or a professional publication. 

Applications for the 2020-2021 school year are not open yet.

The start date for this program is September 2020.

Applications for Fall 2020 are expected to open soon, however no offers of admission will be made to the program pending final approval by the Ministry of Training, College and Universities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Applicants