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, with both synchronous and asynchronous components, including online (Zoom) class sessions. Dates and times are determined by the instructor. In a 13-week course (fall/winter), students will spend between 5 and 10 hours/week on the coursework (for example: readings, assignments, group presentations). In spring and summer, courses are condensed into 6 and 3-week timeframes, respectively, so the time required will increase.

Year One

Winter 2024 - EDU 520 Foundations of School Leadership ★3

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.

Spring 2024 - EDU 521 School Leadership: Theory and Practice ★3

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.

Summer 2024 - EDU 596 Leading School Operations ★3
This course provides a foundation for school management. Leading school operations requires the ability to effectively manage the school's financial, material and, most importantly, human resources. The course considers practical tools and best practices to address the opportunities and challenges of leading and managing schools.
Fall 2024 - EDU 596 The Futures of Assessment and Accountability in Our School Systems ★3
Course description coming soon.

Year Two

Winter 2025 - EDU 596 Métis Foundational Knowledge for School Leaders and Teachers ★3 (Winter Term, 2025)
This course supports the development of foundational knowledge and understandings about Métis languages, culture, history, identity, and governance. Further, the course assists teachers and school leaders to make this foundational knowledge accessible to all learners and educators in K-12 education.
Spring 2025 - EDU 530 First Nation, Métis and Inuit Issues in School Leadership ★3
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.
Summer 2025 - EDU 510 Fundamentals of Educational Research ★3

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.

Summer 2025 - EDU 514 Planning for Educational Change ★3

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.

Fall 2025 - EDU 515 Conducting Educational Research ★3
A supervised research assignment to develop and apply knowledge and skills related to data collection, data analysis techniques and research report presentation.
Winter 2026 - EDU 900 Program Synthesis ★3
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.