M.Ed. in Special Education
  North Shore Cohort Program

The Program

The Special Education area concerns the education of students with exceptionalities, such as students with visual impairments, physical disabilities, emotional or behavioural disorders, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The Master's program focuses on both research and practice. Topics addressed in the Master's programs include cognitive, language and social development, learning and instructional design, cultural and individual differences in relation to students with exceptionalities.

proposed Program Schedule

The UBC M.Ed. in Special Education consists of 30 credits of course work which are typically completed in three years. The proposed schedule is as follows:

Communication

Participants must have computer and e-mail/internet access. One way UBC students can get Internet and e-mail access is through Netinfo, http://www.netinfo.ubc.ca/, a service provided by the UBC Library and ITServices.

Admission

All students must meet the requirements for this program, which include:

• A completed four-year undergraduate degree and at least a 76% average on all senior-level credits.
• Three academic letters of reference that speak to your engagement with education.
• Successful work experience with children and/or youth with special needs in schools or in the community.

pre-requisites

There are two pre-requisites for this program:

• EPSE 317, 312 (or an approved equivalent)
  • EPSE 317 - Development and Exceptionality in the Regular Classroom
  • EPSE 312 - Introduction to the Study of Exceptional Children
• EPSE 483 (or an approved equivalent)
  • EPSE 483 - Statistics in Education

If you have not completed the pre-requisites prior to the application deadline you may still apply and complete them as co-requisites during the cohort program. You will be required to register in the offered sections as follows, you will have two courses in the summer sessions:

• EPSE 317
• EPSE 483

Tuition

Program fees will be paid over a minimum of eight (8) installments of $1,522.17 payable in September, January and May of each year. The program total is $12,177.36 plus applicable student fees.

Tuition fees are in Canadian dollars, are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors, and are subject to change.

Application Process

Application Deadline: December 1, 2008

In addition to your on-line application, please forward:

• Two official (sealed) transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (except from UBC)
• Three (sealed) letters of reference. It is strongly recommended that references be submitted electronically (by filling in the referee's email address when completing the online application). If you wish to submit references by mail, the form is available here.
• A one page statement indicating how you think this program will contribute to your work in this field (if you did not complete that in the online application)

You must apply for this program on-line; please print out these instructions and refer to them when actually making your on-line application:

• Go to http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/
• Before beginning your application, read all of the instructions
• When you are ready to apply, click on "Apply Online"
• Read the instructions, and click on "Create Your Account" (unless you have already begun your application, in which case you should "Login")
• Once you have created your account, choose "New Application" and then click on "Start a Completely New Application"
• Under "Degree Selection," choose "Master of Education" in the pulldown menu
• Under "Specialization," you must choose "EPLT NORTH SHORE SPECIAL EDUCATION - NSPD "
• Proceed with your application as instructed
• When finished entering your information, you must click "Submit" for the application to work
• You will automatically receive an email acknowledgement, with instructions on documentation and deadlines

Some application reminders

• We need sealed transcripts from EVERY post-secondary institution you attended, whether or not they issued you a degree, except UBC. If you are a UBC alumnus, please provide your student number and we will print your transcript.
• If you have transcripts, please enclose or fax us photocopies (604-822-2015). We can make a quick adjudication of your eligibility even before all of your "official" documents arrive. Please note that this adjudication is not official until we have received your sealed transcripts.
• Send everything - EVERYTHING - to EPLT (1304-2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4). The most common delay in admissions is caused by the search for documents that are at other locations on this huge campus.
• It is preferred that references are submitted electronically:  when you submit your application, include the referee's email address.  This will generate an automatic email which contains a link to a site where your referee can enter his/her reference, and then submit it.  They can type as much as they want, despite the apparent size of the text box. This link will only be available when your application is submitted.  If you plan on having your referee(s) submit a reference by mail, please leave the email address blank on the application.
• If you decide to submit any or all of your references by hard copy you can download the reference form for this program here. A letter can take the place of the reference form but it must answer the questions posed in the reference form. The reference form is designed for professors to fill out. If your referee is not a professor, please ask him or her to write about your ability to successfully complete a graduate degree in this particular focus.  Please note:  the reference letters must be received here in sealed envelopes with the referee's signature written across the sealed envelope flap.

For More Information

For academic information about the cohort, please contact

Elizabeth Jordan, Cohort Advisor
UBC Faculty of Education
Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology and Special Education
604-822- 2991
elizabeth.jordan@ubc.ca

For information about the program, information sessions, or submitting an application, please contact

Linda Haftner, Senior Program Assistant
UBC Faculty of Education
External Programs and Learning Technologies
604-822-4499 or Toll Free 1 888 492-1122
linda.haftner@ubc.ca

District Contacts:

Julie Parker North Vancouver SD 604-903-4621 jparker@nvsd44.bc.ca	Jody Langlois West Vancouver SD 604-981-1099 jlanglois@sd45.bc.ca
Rose MacKenzie Howe Sound SD 604-892-5228, ext. 109 rmackenzie@sd48.bc.ca	Debbie Amaral Sunshine Coast SD 604-740-6364 damaral@sd46.bc.ca