Courses

This program consists of ten graduate level courses (30 credits) to be completed in sequence. Cohort members will move together through each course. For cohort members who have already completed EDU 520 or EDU 521, alternate courses will be identified on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the affected students.

Courses are offered online, unless otherwise noted.

Year One

EDU 520 Foundations of School Leadership ★3 (Summer Term, 2023)

Explore the foundational dimensions of school leadership including instructional leadership, fostering effective relationships, supporting the application of foundational knowledge about Indigenous Peoples, visionary leadership, leading learning communities, modelling continuous professional learning, developing leadership capacity, understanding the social context influencing schooling, and managing school operations and resources.

EDU 521 School Leadership: Theory and Practice ★3 (Fall Term, 2023)

Hone leadership practices grounded in research to demonstrate mastery of Alberta's Leadership Quality Standard (LQS). Includes a job-embedded learning component in which participants visit, observe, and collaborate with a school leader or leadership team in a school setting of their choice, in which the Alberta Program of Studies is offered.

EDU 530 First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Issues in School Leadership ★3 (Winter Term, 2024)
Explore the history of policy and legislation in relation to First Nation, Metis, and Inuit peoples in Canada, the current state of First Nation, Metis and Inuit education, and opportunities to conceptualize informed school leadership practice.
EDU 596 Leadership Development ★3 (Spring Term, 2024)
This course is taught in collaboration with a variety of Alberta professional education partners all of whom have provided high-quality, research-based leadership professional development opportunities to teachers and school leaders. Students, all certificated teachers in the Province of Alberta, who enrol in this course must have successfully completed their school division's leadership program addressing learning objectives and activities mutually agreed upon between the jurisdiction and the course instructor.

Year Two

EDU 510 Fundamentals of Educational Research ★3 (Summer Term, 2024)

Explores the findings of educational research, and works to apply the results of research to educational problems. Focuses on conceptualizing methods of educational research to specific and individual educational sites and issues.

Students will be encouraged to come together in various local meeting centres to meet face-to-face (the instructor will be remote and coordinating instruction at all local sites). Local meeting sites will be coordinated through the participating school divisions.

EDU 514 Planning for Educational Change ★3 (Summer Term, 2024)

Explores how educational research can enhance educational change toward school improvement and focuses on utilizing appropriate research methods to create a site-based research proposal for a specific site.

Students will be encouraged to come together in various local meeting centres to meet face-to-face (the instructor will be remote and coordinating instruction at all local sites). Local meeting sites will be coordinated through the participating school divisions.

EDU 596 Supporting Educator Professional Development ★3 (Fall Term, 2024)
This course is designed to support participants as they increase their knowledge about historical and contemporary challenges and issues in supporting educator professional growth. Topics covered in the course will be relevant to teachers, school leaders, system administrators, teacher educators, and policy-makers.
EDU 515 Conducting Educational Research ★3 (Winter Term, 2025)
A supervised research assignment to develop and apply knowledge and skills related to data collection, data analysis techniques and research report presentation.
EDU 550 Rural Education Issues and Advantages ★3 (Spring Term, 2025)
This course focuses on continuing and emerging educational issues and advantages unique to teaching and learning, and leadership and management in rural contexts. Students will have an opportunity to explore topics related to professional practice using empirical research and theoretical perspectives.
EDU 900 Program Synthesis ★3 (Summer Term, 2025)
A reflection and synthesis of learning from the Master of Education in Educational Studies in relation to the concepts of leadership and school/educational improvement that are the foundations of the program.

Grading

The program uses the University of Alberta's 4-point scale grading system. For more information about the University of Alberta grading system, see the grading system at the Office of the Registrar.