Master of Education in Developmental Psychology & Education

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Master of Education in Developmental Psychology & Education

Master of Education in Developmental Psychology & Education Overview

In the Masters of Education Developmental Psychology and Education program, Students have an opportunity to construct an overall perspective on developmental psychology and human development and their implications for practice with children in educational and other applied settings.

The Master of Education (MEd) program is designed for the reflective practitioner in developmental psychology education or other fields. This is a degree primarily designed for those working in applied settings and it does not require a research thesis.

Students take foundation courses in human development and research methodology. Elective courses cover a range of areas including cognitive, social, and emotional development; cognition and instruction (language, literacy, and mathematics); special education and adaptive instruction; program evaluation and mental health; advanced research methodology and evaluation; and early childhood policy and programs, including child care.

For detailed information about the program, please consult the School of Graduate Studies Calendar.

At a Glance

Study Options
Full-time (4 sessions)
Part-time (10 sessions)
Coursework

Funding and Tuition
For current information about tuition fees, funding, and financial support, visit Tuition & Financial Support.  

Deadlines
Applications are now open for a Fall 2024 start.

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Why I Chose Applied Psychology & Human Development

Chelsi Major
Chelsi Major (Master of Education 2018)

MEd, Developmental Psychology and Education

"My biggest-take away was the importance of building professional connections and establishing mentor relationships. During my time at OISE, I was able to explore different avenues of research with experts in the field."

Master of Education in Developmental Psychology & Education Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements

Please visit the OISE Admissions website for detailed information about the application process, including general minimum admission requirements and supporting documents. 

Program-Specific Information (Minimum Admission Requirements)

Minimum admission requirements for this program are:

  • An appropriate honours bachelor’s degree (4-year) in psychology or equivalent with standing equivalent to a University of Toronto mid-B or better in the final year or over senior courses.
  • English Language Proficiency (if required)
  • Please see the SGS calendar for more details.

We encourage equity-seeking groups to identify themselves in their application.


Required Supporting Documents

All applicants must submit: 

  • Transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended
  • Two letters of reference (one academic and one professional)
  • A résumé that provides clear and complete information about the applicant's work or field experience related to their proposed studies
  • Applicants are asked to answer questions explaining your experiences and how they relate to the program during the application submission process.
  • View FAQ for other important application notes.

Additional Program Information

Coursework

Students must complete 5.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs), or 10 half courses as follows:

  • APD1200H Foundations of Human Development and Education (0.5 FCE).
  • APD2293H Interpretation of Educational Research (0.5 FCE).
  • 2.0 additional FCEs (4 half courses) must be selected from the department electives list located on the Applied Psychology and Human Development program guidelines.
  • The remaining 2.0 elective FCEs (4 half courses) may be taken from within or outside the department. Elective courses must be chosen in consultation with the student's faculty advisor. Students are asked to meet with their faculty advisor in the first session of their program.

Did you know you can choose your electives based on certain areas within DPE?

  • Mental Health & Education 
  • Education & Special Education
  • Mind, Brain, Development and Research in APHD

Collaborative Specializations provide students with the opportunity to explore a novel interdisciplinary area or special development that crosses a number of disciplines. 

Collaborative specializations are available with the MEd in Developmental Psychology & Education with the following programs. All collaborative specializations must be approved by the department:

  • Educational Policy
    • For students interested in the factors associated with educational policy development and implementation, particularly focusing on developing strategies for improving educational processes. Please note: Effective September 2023, admissions to the Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy (CSEP) have been suspended due to the CSEP closure (approved by OISE Council on April 26, 2023).

A list of the departmental electives available for students in the DPE MEd program.

Course Exemptions:
All course exemptions requests must be pre-approved from a DPE MEd Faculty Advisor. Once a course exemption has been approved by a DPE MEd Faculty Advisor and after the replacement course(s) is/are complete, students must fill in a course exemption form. This course exemption form should be forwarded to their DPE MEd Faculty Advisor for review and signature before it is submitted to the ROSE for final approval and processing.
 

COURSE CODE COURSE TITLE
APD1205H* Ethical Issues in Applied Psychology
APD1206H
(formerly APD5012H)
Mind, Brain, and Instruction
APD1207H Counselling Topics in Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Diversity
APD1210HY Research Practicum (RM)
APD1211H Psychological Foundations of Early Development and Education
APD1212H
(formerly APD5021H)
Basics to Program Evaluation in Social Sciences
APD1213H
(formerly APD5001H)
Psychology and Education of Children and Adolescents with ADHD
APD1217H Foundations of Proactive Behavioural and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention in Children
APD1222H Approaches to Psychotherapy-Lifespan
APD1230H (formerly APD5008H up to and including Summer 2023 Well-Being & Education
APD1231H
(formerly APD5018H)
Mindful Self-Compassion for Educators
APD1233H Cognitive Development and Applications
APD1235H (formerly APD5017H up to and including Summer 2021) Technology, Play, and Social Media in Adolescence
APD1236H Developmental Psychopathology
APD1249H Social-Emotional Development and Applications
APD1250H Program Evaluation Practicum
APD1251H Reading in a Second Language
APD1256H Child Abuse: Intervention and Prevention
APD1257H (formerly APD5010H) Child Development & Personal History
APD1260H* Family Therapy
APD1271H Perspectives of Executive Functions in Education: From Theory to Practice
APD1272H Play and Education
APD1273H (formerly APD5024H) Psychology & Education of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
APD1274H (formerly APD5020H) Learning to Learn: Bridging Theory and Practice
APD1279H Preventative Interventions for Children at Risk
APD1280H Symbolic Development and Learning
APD1281H
(APD2280H if completed prior to 2019)
Education Exceptionalities, Special Education, and Adaptive Instruction
APD1285H Psychology and Education of Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities
APD1286H Foundations of Literacy Development for School Age Children
APD1290H Indigenous Healing in Counselling & Psychoeducation
APD1291H* Addictive Behaviors: Approaches to Assessment and Intervention
APD1292H Instrument Design and Analysis
APD1294H Technology, Psychology, and Play
APD1295H Adolescent Mental Health: An Examination of Risk and Resilience
APD1296H Assessing School-Aged Language Learners
APD1297H Mental Health in the Classroom: How to Help Our Most Vulnerable
APD1298H Imagination, Reasoning and Learning
APD1299H Language Acquisition and Development in Early Childhood
APD2252 Individual Reading and Research in Human Development and Applied Psychology - Master's Level
APD2275H Technology for Adaptive Instruction and Special Education
APD2296H Reading and Writing Difficulties
APD3201H Qualitative Research Methods in Human Development and Applied Psychology [RM]
APD3202H A Foundation of Program Evaluation in Social Sciences (Research Methods)
APD3204H Contemporary History and Systems in Human Development and Applied Psychology
APD3221H Cross-cultural Perspectives on Children's Problems
APD3286H Developmental Neuropsychology
JOI1287H Introduction to Applied Statistics (RM)
JOI1288H Intermediate Statistics and Research Design (RM)
JOI3228H Mixed Methods Research Design in Social Sciences (RM)
Special Topics Courses. These courses count as DPE MEd Department Electives but may not be offered frequently. Please check course schedules for offerings.  
APD5013H Special Topics: Master’s Level Teaching English Language Learners
APD5022H Special Topics: Masters Level Math Learning and Teaching in the Early School Years
APD5023H Special Topics: Masters Level Teaching in the 21st Century: Diversity, Technology, and Professional Identity
APD5026H Special Topics: Masters Level Motivation and Its Role in Learning
APD5027H* Special Topics: Masters Level All My Relations: Indigenous Social and Relational Theories in Education and Applied Psychology
APD5029H Special Topics: Masters Level Response to Intervention
APD5034H Special Topics: Masters Level Maximizing Learning: Understanding How Individuals and Groups Learn Best
APD5035H Special Topics: Masters Level Spatial Thinking and Steam Education
APD5036H Special Topics: Masters Level Online Pedagogy in Practice
APD5038H Special Topics: Personality Development and Education
APD5039H Special Topics: Privilege, Power, and Oppression: Implications for Psychology and Education
APD5040H Special Topics: Fostering Black Mental Health from Childhood to Emerging Adulthood through Anti-Racist Practices
APD5041H Special Topics: Multiliteracies: Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century
APD5043H Special Topics: Neuroscience of Reading and Reading Disorders
APD6006H* Special Topics: Doctoral Level Influencing Organizational and System Change

For course descriptions and schedules, please see the OISE Bulletin and the OISE Registrar's Office Course Information and Schedules.

*These courses require permission of instructor for enrolment by DPE MEd students.

Learn about the Research Practicum Course (APD1210HY)

Learn about the Academic & Language Foundations Course APD1274H (formally APD5020H).

DPE MEd students will be able to choose the Program Evaluation Emphasis. The Program Evaluation (PE) emphasis will encourage an exploration of program evaluation used in education, psychology, and social sciences. PE is a systematic analysis of the process, effectiveness, and outcomes of programs. 

Learn more about the Program Evaluation Emphasis.

Is there a date to start this program for the winter term? 
No, the DPE MEd program only starts in the Fall term, there’s no winter start date. 

Is there a part-time option for this program?
Yes, students can choose part-time or full-time registration status and choose maximum course load based on your registration status. See OISE Office of the Registrar and Student Services for maximum course load.

How do students gain supervisors?
The DPE MEd program is a non-thesis degree so you do not have a supervisor that you work one on one with. Instead you have a Faculty Advisor that you can speak with if you have questions regarding program requirements, course selection etc.

Do you need to have a degree in Psychology?
No, the minimum admission requirements for this program is an appropriate honours bachelor’s degree (4-year) in psychology or equivalent with standing equivalent to a University of Toronto mid-B or better in the final year or over senior courses.

If unable to provide an academic reference, would two professional ones work instead? 
While a minimum of two letters of reference – one academic and one professional – should be included in your application, sometimes applicants experience difficulty obtaining a letter of reference. For example, if you graduated many years ago and have since not been active in an academic setting you may be unable to call upon a university instructor with whom you studied. You're strongly encouraged to obtain one academic and one professional letter of reference, but you may submit an alternative combination such as two reference letters from a professional source. Tip: for two professional letters direct the most suitable referee to include comments pertaining to your intellectual abilities and potential. 

Is the MEd for teachers only?
No, you do not need be a certified teacher to apply. We have many of our students who do not have a teaching degree applying to the DPE MEd program.

How does the funding work for the MEd program?
The DPE MEd program is a non-funded degree. You pay your registration based on the registration status you choose; either full-time or part-time registration. 

Can you switch to PT or FT half way?
Yes, you can request to change your registration status from PT to FT or FT to PT. You must contact your Registration Specialist in the OISE Office of the Registrar and Student Services and make the request to change your registration status. Please keep in mind that changing your registration status will affect your registration fees; contact your Registration Specialist of details: oise.registration@utoronto.ca.

What is considered PT course load and what is the approximate length of time it would take to take this program part-time, if full-time is 1.5 years. DPE MEd Program Length 4 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F); 10 sessions part-time.

How does the collaborative specialization work? 
The Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy serves students interested in developing an understanding of the factors associated with educational policy development and implementation, with particular emphasis on developing theoretical and practical strategies for improving educational processes. The collaborative specialization's intellectual objectives include providing students with exposure to cross-field and cross disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving in order to broaden the possibilities for innovative and effective policy analysis; helping students understand how to apply theoretical concepts to particular social and educational problems in particular settings; and understanding the broader social, institutional, and policy contexts within which educational policy processes occur.

There are two required courses and an annual lecture series. Upon successful completion of the degree requirements of the participating home graduate unit and the collaborative specialization, students will receive the notation "Completed Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy" on their transcript.

Program Chair: Dr. Anne-Claude Bedard & Dr. Michel Ferrari

Program Faculty: Dr. Esther Geva; Dr. Angela Pyle; Dr. Chloe Hamza; Dr. Eunice Jang; Dr. Kaja Jasinska; Dr. Lisa Dack; Dr. Michel Ferrari; Dr. Patricia Ganea; Dr. Zachary Hawes; Dr. Alexandra Makos; Dr. Rhonda Martinussen; Dr. Michal Perlman; Dr. Tracy Solomon; Dr. Richard Volpe; Dr. Mahshid Azimi-Bolourian; Dr. Kang Lee; Dr. Anne-Claude Bedard; Dr. Linda Iwenofu; Dr. Earl Woodruff; Dr. Cynthia Waugh; Dr. Becky Chen; Dr. Mark Wade; Dr. Jennifer Jenkins, Dr. Todd Cunningham; Dr. J Garrett-Walker; Dr. Steven Katz; Dr. Yiola Cleovoulou

Questions? Please email us at oise.aphd@utoronto.ca

Program Coordinator:
Gela Bolandpour

gela.bolandpour@utoronto.ca

Ready to join one of the world’s top universities?

Take the next step in your academic journey and start your application to graduate studies at OISE.