About

This program is committed to the following principles:

• Expanding scholar-practitioner teaching-learning experiences and relationships with school communities
• Promoting leadership capacity building centred on equity, equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonizing praxis
• Engaging school district leadership and policy making and implementation that fosters commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization
• Creating shared spaces for educators, educational leaders and policy makers to examine systemic inequities, racism and oppression in schools and communities
• Articulating course objectives, themes and content in ways that highlight equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization drawing on readings and worldviews by authors from socially, historically and institutionally marginalized groups

SD43 statement: This program aligns with Coquitlam School District’s Directions 2030, which emphasizes equitable and inclusive learning environments and the development of leadership capacity to support the success and well-being of all learners.

 

EDST statement: “Decolonization is everyone’s work, but the work we are specifically called to do depends on our positionality, our expertise, and our role/position/power within the institution” (EDST Self-Study, 2025, p. 128)

Schedule

This is the proposed schedule and is subject to change.

The UBC MEd in Educational Administration and Leadership consists of 30 credits of course work, typically completed in two years and one term.

This program is designed to be completed online and in-person. Elective courses may be taken online or face-to-face at UBC Vancouver, or elsewhere with the Program Advisor’s permission.

This is the proposed schedule and is subject to change.

Application Requirements

Normally, applicants for a master’s degree program must hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC including one of the following:

• A completed four-year undergraduate degree and a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC) in third- and fourth-year courses.
• A minimum of three years’ full-time teaching experience or an equivalent combination of engagement within schools, communities, non-governmental organizations, and other education oriented environments.

Alternatively, applicants who do not meet the requirements stated above, but who have had other significant formal training, relevant professional experience, and/or otherwise possess demonstrable knowledge or expertise that would prepare them adequately for successful study in a specific graduate program, may be granted admission on the recommendation of the EDAL program and approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Program-Specific Requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must meet the following program expectations:

• Applicants should have a strong academic record
• Additionally Applicants should have some:
  • leadership experience, demonstrated in schools or in formal or informal community settings; and
  • a minimum of 3 years of successful teaching experience in public or independent schools or in community education settings.

For further details, please visit: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/programs/educational-administration-leadership/

Your application must also include:

• A resumé/CV.
• A 600-word statement of intent clearly outlining your experiences and how it relates to your interest in the program as well as your professional goals.
• Three letters of recommendation from educators, supervisors, or colleagues who can speak to your engagement with the theme of the cohort, your ability to complete a graduate degree, and other relevant professional experience.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors and may be adjusted without prior notice. For the most accurate and up-to-date information on tuition and fees, visit the official UBC Calendar. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Graduate tuition is assessed as an annual program fee, which is divided into three equal installments due at the beginning of academic terms starting in September, January and May. Students in this program will pay a minimum of 7 installments.

Student Fees

Student fees include fees established and authorized by the UBC Board of Governors and fees established and authorized by students societies. These fees are in addition to tuition fees. Please see the UBC Calendar for details on student fees.

Funding Eligibility

As this program is part-time, it is not eligible for student loans or other types of funding.

How to Apply

Application Status: Closed (Opens October 15, 2026)

Application Deadline: February 15, 2027

ONLINE APPLICATION

• Navigate to grad.ubc.ca/apply/online.
• When you are ready to apply, click “Apply Online”.
• Read the instructions, and either log in with your CWL or create a CWL if you have never attended UBC.
• Once logged in, on the “Degree Program Selection,” type the 4-character cohort designation EDAL into the “Program Keyword” field.
• IMPORTANT: The program name should be Master of Education in Educational Leadership & Administration – Professional Cohort and the cohort code should be EDAL. Please ensure you are applying to the correct program – this part-time Professional Cohort is different than the regular on-campus program.
• Select the program.
• Click the “Apply” button.
• Fill out the application as indicated.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Please have these ready to upload when you apply:

Transcripts, degree certificates (if applicable), English language assessment report (if applicable), statement of intent, and an up-to-date resume must be uploaded to your application.

In cases where referees are unable to submit an electronic reference, sealed and endorsed reference letters may be sent by mail. Your referee will receive a link to a reference form that they should complete and send back to us.

You can also find the Grad Reference Form here.

 Important: Please ask your referees to include the 4-character cohort designation EDAL when they submit their reference. All references by mail must arrive in sealed envelopes with the referee’s signature on the seal.

Please send mailed documents to:

Kelvin Mok
EDAL Graduate Cohort
Faculty of Education, OPL Office
University of British Columbia
1304-2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4

APPLICATION TIMELINE

After your application is submitted, all documents are uploaded, and references have been received, your application file is considered complete.

Once the application deadline for the program has passed, all completed application files are submitted to the Department for review.  Applications recommended by the Department for admission are then confirmed against Graduate & Post-Doctoral Studies requirements, and accepted applicants are notified. Any special case admissions require an additional review by Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies.

The entire process generally takes 8 to 12 weeks.

ASSISTANCE

If you require any assistance with the application process, please contact:

Kelvin Mok
Senior Program Assistant
604-827-5662
opl.educ@ubc.ca

Apply Now

Info Sessions

Have questions? We’ve got answers!

Meet the Program Advisor and Senior Program Assistant, and learn more about this program and about applying to become a UBC graduate student.

Info Session: July 29, 2026

1:30-2:30pm PDT
Online via Zoom

Info Session: October 29, 2026

3:30-4:30pm PDT
Online via Zoom

Info Session: January 19, 2027

3:30-4:30pm PDT
Online via Zoom

Contacts

For program content questions:

Dr. Bathseba Opini
Cohort Advisor
Department of Educational Studies
604-822-5361
bathseba.opini@ubc.ca

For application questions or assistance:

Kelvin Mok
Senior Program Assistant
604-827-5662
opl.educ@ubc.ca

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