What is the difference between the M.Ed. and the M.A. programs/degrees? How long do these two programs take? (top)
The M.Ed. program was originally intended for practicing teachers with specific interest in autism/developmental disabilities. However, in recent years, individuals with experience providing
intervention outside of school to children or adolescents with autism or other developmental disabilities have also been accepted. The emphasis of the M.Ed. program is on advanced coursework
and its application to real-life situations. The capstone experience for each student (in EPSE 590) is a formal presentation of a graduating portfolio. The portfolio provides evidence that
the student has met coursework and application goals that are identified at the beginning of his or her program.
The length of time for the M.Ed. depends on whether or not prerequisite requirements have been met and the number of courses taken per semester. Students with full-time loads of 3 courses
per semester can complete the program in 4-5 semesters (15-18 months), while students with part-time loads (1-2 courses per semester) require a longer period of time.
The M.A. program is intended for students who plan to compete a Ph.D. at some point, or who are interested in developing both knowledge and research skills. The main difference is that
the M.A. program requires a thesis and associated research design and methodology courses, while the M.Ed. does not. Among other things, you will need to have good writing skills to
complete the thesis in a timely manner. The thesis is usually initiated after coursework is completed and requires an additional 12-18 months, depending on the student’s writing, analytic,
and time management abilities. Most students in autism/developmental disabilities produce theses that are published in peer reviewed journals (found here, under “Student Projects”).
Can I meet the coursework requirements for Behavior Analyst Certification (BCBA) in either program? (top)
Yes, you can do this through both programs. See the course listings for the MA Program and the MEd Program, and find information about BCBA certification here.
What is the minimum GPA required for admission? (top)
Admissions requirements are uniform across the University and are established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. See their website for more details.
I don’t meet the minimum GPA requirement – can I apply anyway? (top)
This is a difficult question to answer. A student who has a marginally low GPA (for example, a B average instead of a B+), excellent experience, and excellent academic reference letters will be viewed differently from a student with a very low GPA (for example, a C average), minimal experience, and poor reference (or non-academic) letters. In the latter case, a student would not be admissible while in the former, he or she might be, depending on the number of spaces available and both the size and quality of the applicant pool for that year. Alternatively, the admissions committee might recommend that a student be admitted for a Qualifying Year, during which the student would enroll in senior undergraduate courses to (hopefully) bring the GPA up to the Faculty of Graduate Studies standard of 76% or better (see here). This is only possible for students with excellent academic letters of reference (see the section on reference letters, below) and an excellent statement of intent as part of the application. Recommendations for a Qualifying Year are not common, but they do occur. The fact is that this program is quite competitive and always has more applicants than spaces, so students who do not meet all of the requirements are often denied admission.
Is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) required? (top)
The GRE is not required for admission to special education Masters programs but it is required for the Ph.D. program. However, if a student completed his or her Masters degree in ECPS, the GRE is not required for doctoral studies in SPED.
Is a foreign language test required if English is not my first language? (top)
If you graduated or are currently enrolled in a university outside of Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction, you must take the Test
of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and achieve a passing score. Take a look at the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for information about the TOEFL and how
to take it and information about other documentation requirements for foreign students.
I did not graduate from UBC – how do I know if I have the prerequisite courses? What if I don’t? (top)
Some Universities have equivalent courses for EPSE 481 and 482; we have many of them listed here. There is
no equivalency list for EPSE 312 or 317 (only one these is required); these are assessed on an individual basis from your transcript.
If you are unsure about whether or not you have the
prerequisite but know that you meet all of the other admissions requirements, we suggest that you complete an application anyway. During the adjudication process, the admissions
committee will determine whether the courses on your transcript meet the prerequisite criteria and if they do not, you can simply add the missing courses to your graduate program, if you are admitted.
Can I send a photocopy of my transcript? (top)
No. Take a look here for information about documentation that is required.
What kind of reference letters are best? Who should I ask for letters of reference? (top)
Letters of reference are VERY important; they may make the difference between acceptance and rejection, especially in a year with many applicants.
Your referees should be individuals who are able to comment on your academic preparation, originality, skills at research, industry, intellectual capacity,
teaching ability (if known), and all-around ability. These are all qualities that are related to your potential for completing a graduate program successfully.
Ideally, your referees should be professors or sessional instructors in research laboratories, courses, or practica who know your work well and can comment
knowledgeably. They can also be employers or supervisors who can attest to your ability to complete advanced coursework. You should not submit letters from
friends, relatives, colleagues, parents of children with who you have worked (even extensively), or others who may know you to be a fine person but who have no
direct information about your aptitude as a scholar. For mature students who have been out of school for some time, finding appropriate referees can be challenging,
but you should do your best to identify individuals who can attest to your academic ability, not just your skill as a teacher or interventionist. Of course, you should
also ascertain from the people you ask whether or not they can provide you with a strong letter and strong scores in the required areas of the reference form. For more
information, see the information posted here. Then, download the reference form.
It sounds like experience and/or teaching ability don’t count at all. Is this true? (top)
Definitely not!!! Since this is a graduate program (not an introduction to the field), we very much prefer applicants who have had at least some
experience teaching in schools and/or providing other types of instructional support to individuals with autism/developmental disabilities. In
fact, if this is not the case, you should consider working for 1-2 years as a behaviour interventionist, resource teacher, or in another capacity
before applying. Students should provide detailed information about their experience and background in their written statement of intent (see question #11).
If want to work with young children with autism while I am in the program, are there local service providers who hire students as behavior interventionists
and provide mentoring/supervision? (top)
Yes, there are several. You might want to visit the Qualified Service Provider List maintained by Autism Community Training for contact information about local
agencies that provide this service. You will have to contact them individually to inquire about
job openings, but they are usually quite interested in hiring UBC graduate students.
In the application, I am asked to describe my goals, research interests, and so forth. How long should this be and how much detail should I provide? (top)
Like reference letters, this section of the application is quite important, and your response should be as focused and specific as possible. General
statements of the nature of “I want to be a better teacher,” or “I want to learn more about autism,” suggest that you have not really thought through
your specific knowledge needs and goals. On the other hand, flowery statements of your deep commitment to children with autism are also inappropriate; we
assume that you are committed to your work and we are more interested in your specific goals and interests. If you are applying for the M.A. program and
already have an idea for research you would like to conduct as a thesis, you should describe it briefly, although this is not required. Of course, you should
be careful to spell check your statements and be sure they are grammatically correct as well. You are limited to 500 words for these statements.
If I meet all of the requirements, will I be admitted? (top)
There is no guarantee of admission, even if you meet all of the requirements. Both of these programs are quite competitive, and we rarely accept more than half of
all students who apply. Admission depends on how you compare to other applicants with regard to overall GPA and academic preparation, your statement of intent,
reference letters, and background and experience. You should do your best to prepare an application that accurately reflects your skills and background and provides
the admissions committee with solid evidence of your suitability.
How do I apply? What about financial aid? What is the application deadline? etc. (top)
Additional information and links about these and other topics can be found here . The application deadline is December 1 for
admission the following summer or September; this deadline is firm.
