Master in Education in French
Pluralistic and Critical Approaches for French-Language Educators and Education Leaders
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Reflect on your French teaching practices and curriculum through a research-informed lens tailored to your needs.
Program Features
- Two-year program
- Online from September to June
- Two summer courses in Quebec
- Cohort-based model to foster a professional learning community
- 30 credits, with or without a final project
- Explore topics that interest you: multiliteracies and plurilingual approaches, critical intercultural teaching, social justice, decolonizing and anti-racist approaches, artificial intelligence in French programs, etc.
Financial Support
- Bursaries are available for MEd students residing in British Columbia.
- A minimum of $1500 per year is provided to help cover costs associated with the summer courses in Quebec.
- Administered by UBC and provided by the British Columbia Ministry of Education and Early Childhood (from federal funding).
- Students from other provinces are encouraged to check with their school board and ministry for available financial assistance.
This program is offered by the Language & Literacy Education Department.
Application Deadline:
March 1, 2026
Start Date: July 2026
Length: 2 years | part-time
Domestic Tuition: $17,391.92 CAD
International Tuition: $20,906.40 CAD
Apply By: March 1, 2026
Upcoming Info Sessions
Program Details
Schedule
| Date | Course Code | Course Title |
| Summer 2026 | LLED 525 (in Montréal) |
Bilingual Education: Theory and Practice |
| Fall 2026 | LLED 573A | Theories of Second Language Acquisition |
| Winter 2027 | EDUC 500 | Research Methodology in Education |
| Spring 2027 | LLED 565 | Critical Perspectives in Applied Linguistics for Teachers |
| Summer 2027 | LLED 513 (in Montréal) |
Indigenous Storytelling in Education |
| Fall 2027 | LLED 521 | Critical Intercultural Studies in Language Education |
| Winter 2028 | LLED 552 | Theoretical Foundations of Reading: Research and Practice |
| Spring 2028 | LLED 520 | Theory and Research in Teaching of Modern Languages |
| Summer 2028 | LLED 577 | Culture and Politics in Second Language Education |
| LLED 590 | Graduating Project | |
| Elective Course |
Courses
Exploration of the foundations of bilingualism and multilingualism at the individual and societal levels, as well as their implications for bi/multilingual education.
Key concepts: individual bilingualism, societal bilingualism, translanguaging, Indigenous language revitalization, language ideologies, identity, bilingual education programs .
Exploration of the major theories of second or additional language acquisition (SLA), their strengths and weaknesses, and their links to our own language acquisition.
Key concepts: universal grammar, cognitivism, interlanguage, input, output, individual differences, social and identity factors.
Exploration of various methodologies – Indigenous, qualitative, quantitative and mixed – related to educational research to help us better understand the scientific literature.
Key concepts: research problem, literature review, research design, reliability and rigour.
Knowledge development in linguistics and connections to our professional practice in teaching French.
Key concepts: functional systemic linguistics, communicative competence, symbolic power, text genres.
Exploration of rich and diverse Indigenous texts that exist within Indigenous cultures and their application to curricula and pedagogies.
Key concepts: Indigenous knowledge and perspectives, oral tradition, storytelling, protocol, land as teacher.
Exploration of the field of intercultural education in relation to second language teaching, including the conceptual foundations of the notion of culture and its relationship with language, identity, and the land.
Key concepts: language and culture, decentering, decolonization, anti-racism, storytelling.
Deepening understanding of approaches and pedagogies for teaching reading from K-12 considering theory and empirical research.
Key concepts: essential components of reading, effective reading strategies, reading learning.
Deepening understanding of approaches and pedagogies for teaching additional languages (particularly French) in light of theory and empirical research.
Key concepts: intercultural orientation, plurilingual approaches, AI and language teaching, content-language integration, indigenous perspectives in language teaching.
Exploration of cultural, political and power issues, from a critical perspective, in the teaching of second languages, particularly French.
Key concepts: criticality, language politics, multiculturalism and difference, linguistic diversity, race, Indigenous languages, decolonization, the concept of native speaker, queer theory, neoliberalism.
This course is the project option for the Master of Education program at UBC. For the FR cohort, this course is in the form of workshops whose goal is to guide you in completing your project.
You may choose to complete an elective course in lieu of the final project. The elective course must be related to the program of study (e.g., courses in education, literature, linguistics, or applied linguistics).
Two Immersion-Based Courses in Québec
Each of the two years begins with a three-week, in-person summer course in Québec.*
First Summer in Montreal (2026):
- Meet your classmates in person and build both personal and professional connections.
- Enjoy a culturally rich environment in a multilingual Francophone context.
- Make connections between Montreal—a multilingual city—and our course Bi/Multilingual Education.
Second Summer in a Francophone Region and Indigenous Territory (2027):
- Immerse yourself in a Francophone setting to strengthen your linguistic and intercultural skills.
- Take part in social and cultural activities connected to the local Indigenous community.
- Make connections with the course offered there: Oral Tradition and Indigenous Storytelling in Education.
*Note: In exceptional cases, the program coordinator may approve an alternative course if a student is unable to attend in person.
Application Requirements
All students must meet the requirements for this program, which include:
- Proficiency in French (preferably B2) is required — this program will be taught entirely in French (readings are in French and English; major assignments are submitted in French or English; no tests)
- Two years full-time teaching experience or an equivalent combination of engagements within schools, community centers, non-governmental organizations and other education-oriented environments
- A completed three- or four-year undergraduate degree, and at least a 76% average on all senior-level credits
- Three recommendations from professors, educators or administrators that speak to your engagement with education and leadership
- A CV (resumé)
- A 750-word statement of intent in French and English that explains:
- why you have decided to apply to this program (in English)
- how your professional/personal experiences have prepared you for this program (in English)
- which topics or questions are you interested in and hope to explore in more depth in your coursework (in French)
- what you hope to take away from the program (in French)
Audience
This program is open to anyone working in the field of second, additional, or foreign language education:
- Teachers of French in immersion, Francophone, core French, or intensive French programs from Kindergarten to Grade 12
- Instructors teaching French at the post-secondary level
- Educators teaching a second language other than French (e.g., English, Spanish, German, Japanese, Korean…) who wish to complete a master’s degree in French
While the program emphasizes education in French, students are welcome to explore the languages and language programs of their choice in their coursework.
Contacts
For program content questions:
Carl Ruest
Program Coordinator
carl.ruest@ubc.ca
For application questions or assistance:
Senior Program Assistant
604-822-2013
opl.educ@ubc.ca
Team
Dr Marika Kunnas
Assistant Professor (she/her)
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education. I acknowledge that I work and learn on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
My research focuses on French immersion programs and anti-racism. My master’s thesis examined inequalities in French immersion policies in Toronto and Ontario. My doctoral research explored the experiences of racialized students in French immersion programs. The participants in my study used counter-stories and monologues to communicate their experiences as racialized students in French immersion in Ontario. Our stories and monologues are available on this website: https://mkunnas.wixsite.com/race-in-fi.
Through my research and teaching, I seek to disrupt the status quo and make education more inclusive, equitable, anti-racist, and anti-colonial. My research aims to explore the realities of racialized minorities in French immersion, to amplify the voices of racialized students, and to engage in anti-racist pedagogy with FSL educators.
Before joining UBC, I taught high school French in Ontario on the territories of the Huron-Wendat, Anishnabek, Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and Mississaugas of the Credit River.
In the MEd program, I teach courses on second language acquisition and on culture and politics in second language education.
Dr Carl Ruest
Academic Program Coordinator
Assistant Professor (he/him)
I am an Assistant Professor in French Education in the Department of Language and Literacy Education (LLED) at UBC’s Vancouver campus. I acknowledge that I work and learn on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, on the land where UBC’s Vancouver campus is located.
My research and projects in French teacher education aim to help current and future educators develop strong identities as professional French teachers, build meaningful relationships with the community, and adopt an intercultural orientation in French teaching—one that supports the recognition of students’ identities and encourages deep, thoughtful, and critical engagement with the world.
Before joining LLED, I was the first coordinator of the Parcours français at UBC Okanagan School of Education, where I co-founded Espaces francophones with Dr. Francis Langevin. I also taught French immersion for about fifteen years in Richmond, British Columbia.
In the MEd program, I am the Academic Program Coordinator and teach courses on bi/multilingual education and on theories and research in second language education.
Dr Julia Donnelly Spiegelman
Assistant Professor (she/her)
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at UBC. Having completed my PhD in Applied Linguistics, I work at the intersection of identity, equity, and language education, seeking more equitable and just methods and policies.
Originally from the northeastern United States, I began learning French at age 12 in school. My passion for learning and teaching languages led me to teach English in elementary schools in France (in Brittany, from 2008 to 2010) and in Germany (in Berlin, from 2010 to 2011), and later to settle in Boston to teach French, German, Spanish, and social justice to youth aged 10 to 14. Disturbed by the power imbalances I noticed in my curriculum and school, I wrote my master’s thesis on representations of the Francophonie in French textbooks—a study that highlighted the implicit presence of white supremacy and colonialism. My doctoral dissertation and current research agenda focus on the diverse contexts, the power of agency, and the investment of nonbinary youth learning French and Spanish in secondary schools in the U.S. and Canada. I advocate for and develop pedagogical resources for teaching inclusive language strategies for all gender identities.
In the MEd program, I teach the course on applied linguistics in French language education.
Dr Meike Wernicke
Associate Professor (she/her/sie)
I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education. Before working at UBC, I spent fourteen years at Capilano University as Language Coordinator and Director of the German Department. My current research in French teacher education builds on twenty-five years of experience in teaching modern languages (German and French), heritage German-language education, and French linguistics. As a non-Indigenous person on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm territory, my research focuses on critical multilingual perspectives in language teacher education and intercultural studies. I am particularly interested in the ideological and discursive mechanisms of language, as they influence power relations, educational policies, knowledge construction, and the lived experiences of language learners and teachers.
My international research collaborations have included work with the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe (ECML) in Graz, Austria, and a project on multilingualism in teacher education with the University of Hamburg in Germany. In Canada, I have contributed to multi-institutional projects coordinated by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers on the professionalization of French language educators, as well as projects focused on program implementation and the integration of decolonial approaches and Indigenous knowledge in French language education.
I have been teaching in the MEd program since 2009 and served as coordinator from 2016 to 2023. I currently teach courses on critical approaches to intercultural language education and on the final project.
Fees
Tuition Fees
| Type | Per Installment | Total Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic | $2,173.99 CAD | $17,391.92 CAD |
| International | $2,613.30 CAD | $20,906.40 CAD |
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 8 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
Students may be eligible for the French Education bursary. Find out if you are eligible
How to Apply
Application Status: Open
Application Deadline: March 1, 2026
Document Deadline: March 15, 2026
1. 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 “Professional Cohort” into the “Program Keyword” field.
Important: The program name should be Modern Languages Education – Professional Cohort, MEd. Please ensure you are applying to the correct program – this part-time Professional Cohort is different than the regular on-campus program.
- When finished entering your information, you must click “Declare & Submit”.
- You will automatically receive an email acknowledgement, with instructions on documentation and deadlines.
References:
Important: Please include at least one academic reference (a former professor or university instructor) who can speak to your ability to complete a graduate program. Professional references can include your principal, vice-principal, or someone who has supervised you. When adding your references to your application, you will be asked whether they are professional or academic references.
- You are strongly encouraged to submit electronic letters of reference. Simply fill in the email addresses of your three referees when completing the online application (an email address is required). References with free, web-based email addresses (e.g. Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) will receive a link to the paper reference form, which must be mailed to our office (address on the reference form). NOTE: Please see “Supporting Documents” below for more information on paper references.
Once you submit and pay for your online application, your referees will automatically receive an email with a link and instructions for completing the electronic reference form or the link to the paper reference form, as above.
A letter can take the place of the reference form as long as it addresses the questions posed in the reference form. Despite the apparent size of the text box, referees may type as much as they want.
2. 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.
- Your reference will receive a link to a reference form that they should complete and send back to us.
- The form is also available here.
Important: Please ask your references to include the 4-character cohort designation FR10 when they submit their reference.
- In cases where referees are unable to submit an electronic reference, sealed and endorsed reference letters may be sent by mail. All references must arrive in sealed envelopes with the reference’s signature on the seal. Paper references should be sent to the following address:
Senior Program Assistant
FR10 Graduate Cohort
Faculty of Education, OPL Office
University of British Columbia
1304-2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4
ASSISTANCE
If you require any assistance with the application process, please contact:
Senior Program Assistant
604-822-2013
opl.educ@ubc.ca
Info Sessions
Meet the Program Advisor and Senior Program Assistant, and learn more about this program and about applying to become a UBC graduate student.
Upcoming Sessions
Did you miss one of our info sessions?
Watch a recorded info session from November 19, 2025
Testimonials from Our Graduates
Completing my Master of Education degree in French Language and Literacy was a wonderful and fulfilling experience professionally and personally. My learning throughout this experience has strengthened my professional practice in the classroom and has also enhanced my competence and confidence as a leader, a teacher, a colleague, a parent, and as a person. The highlight of my graduate studies experience was to learn as part of a cohort at l’Université de Québec à Montréal. For me, communicating daily in French was the most valuable part of the experience. Through collaborating with my fellow cohort members, I have a greater understanding and appreciation of the different approaches to teaching additional languages adopted by provinces throughout Canada. I also treasure the connections and friendships that developed because we were able to explore the beautiful and historic city of Montréal.
– Teacher and French Department Head from Burnaby, British Columbia
The stay in Montréal with our cohort for a shared course was the best way to begin a two-year online program. Since I’m usually a bit shy in new situations, I know that this course gave me the confidence to feel more comfortable with the cohort and the professors online.
– Teacher from Saanich, British Columbia
In Montréal, I really appreciated getting to know my cohort and having the chance to talk with them. I feel more confident about starting online education!
– Teacher from Vancouver, British Columbia
The synchronous format allows me to take this course remotely while still benefiting from visual contact with the instructor, the ability to ask questions and get immediate answers, learning from my classmates’ questions, and having the opportunity to discuss among ourselves.
– Teacher from Fredericton, New Brunswick