Curriculum Program

The Curriculum program of study leads to M.Ed., M.A., Ed.D., and Ph.D. degrees of the University of Toronto. The program is a forum for systematic reflection on the substance (subject matter, courses, programs), purposes, and practices used for bringing about learning in educational settings. Of concern are such fundamental issues as: what should be studied? why? by whom? in what ways? and in what settings? Reflection upon such issues involves an interplay among the major components of education: subject matter, learning, teaching, and the larger social, political, and economic contexts as well as the immediate instructional situation.


Admission Requirements

Although the minimum requirement for admission to a master's program is the equivalent of a University of Toronto bachelor’s degree with standing equivalent to a University of Toronto mid-B, students normally need a higher academic standing to compete effectively with the large number of applicants to be considered each year. Given the limited number of students this department may accept into the majority of its programs, not all eligible students can be admitted.

All applicants must submit:

  1. A Statement of Purpose, in duplicate, which is a carefully prepared short essay telling the admissions committee why the applicant wishes to undertake a graduate program in curriculum. Refer to the applicable degree for specified issues that should be addressed. The statement is an essential part of every application; an applicant who omits it will not be considered for admission;

  2. Two letters of reference:
    • Master’s Candidates: where possible one reference should be from a university professor who knows the applicant’s current scholarship and/or professional work;
    • Doctoral Candidates: where possible both references should be from university professors who know the applicant’s current scholarship and/or professional work.

Degrees in the Curriculum Program

Master of Education
The M.Ed. within the Curriculum Program consists of eight half-courses plus a research project (Option II). Applicants should refer to the Minimum Admission, Program and Degree Requirements. Ordinarily, students who enter this program will have a minimum of one year of professional experience.

In the Statement of Purpose, applicants should state the reasons they wish to study curriculum at the graduate level. The chief academic interests, professional concerns, and career plans within curriculum should be discussed. The committee reviews this Statement to determine the kind of curriculum problem or area of study in which an applicant is most interested. It also looks for signs of his or her intellectual maturity and ability to write.

Master of Arts
Admission to the Master of Arts within the Curriculum Program normally requires a four-year University of Toronto bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, in a relevant discipline or professional program. The M.A. program consists of eight half-courses and a thesis. Additional courses may be required of some applicants.

The program may be undertaken on a full- or part-time basis. Ordinarily, students who enter this program will have a minimum of one year of professional experience. (See the Minimum Admission, Program and Degree Requirements for other admission and program requirements.)

In the Statement of Purpose, applicants should relate the reasons they wish to undertake a research-oriented program in curriculum. The chief academic interests, professional concerns, and career plans within curriculum should be discussed. The committee reviews this statement to determine the kind of curriculum problem or area of study in which an applicant is most interested. It also looks for signs of his or her intellectual maturity and ability to write.

Doctor of Education
The Ed.D. within the Curriculum Program is intended for established practitioners in positions that involve responsibility for curriculum design and implementation, including professional development of both preservice and inservice teachers. The program emphasizes the relationship between theoretical perspectives and curriculum practice in order to develop intellectual leadership among promising professionals in a variety of roles in education. In general, the Ed.D. thesis concerns some aspect of curriculum that may be studied within the framework of the candidate’s professional role. (See the Minimum Admission, Program and Degree Requirements for program requirements.)

In addition to the minimum admission requirements, students who enter this program will ordinarily have a minimum of three years of professional experience in education. In the Statement of Purpose, applicants should state the reasons they wish to undertake a professional doctoral program in curriculum. The interests or problems to be pursued during his or her period of study should be specified. Prior research and development experiences should be briefly described.

Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. within the Curriculum Program is intended primarily as preparation for academic positions in universities, and demands a strong commitment to curriculum research. Ordinarily, students who enter this program have a minimum of two years of professional experience. (See the Minimum Admission, Program and Degree Requirements for other admission and program requirements.)

In the Statement of Purpose, applicants should state the reasons they wish to undertake training in scholarly inquiry. The interests or problems to be pursued during his or her period of study should be specified. Prior research and development experiences should be described.

Areas of Specialization in the Curriculum Program

Applicants may specify up to two specializations but should clearly designate the specializations and the order of preference. Applications will not be reviewed until this information is provided.

Seven areas of specialization, described below, are supported within the Curriculum Program. Applicants are requested to indicate an area of specialization on their application form (B#3); this assists in the evaluation of applications for admission and in the assignment of faculty advisors.

  1. Adaptive Instruction
    Coordinator: Anne Jordan

    Adaptive Instruction is an interdepartmental specialization between the departments of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, and Human Development and Applied Psychology. It is concerned with the relationship between learning and instruction, addressing such issues as:

    • reading and reading disability;
    • characteristics of instruction and its adaptation to meet the diverse needs of learners in modern classrooms;
    • methods for delivering programs including integration and inclusion;
    • characteristics of learners, their development, and the individual differences contributed by learning difficulties.

    For students registered in the Curriculum Program, courses within the 1000 series for master’s level and within the 1800-1819 for doctoral level contribute to the count of courses taken in the student’s home department. Additional Adaptive Instruction courses are offered by the Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology. See also the overall description regarding OISE/UT Interdepartmental Graduate Specializations.
    (N. Bélanger, A. Jordan, P. Stanovich, K. Stanovich, D. Willows)

  2. Computer Applications
    Coordinator: Robert S. McLean

    This area of specialization includes an examination of the theories, practices, and technology of digital applications in teaching and learning. The focus is on integrating the technology in the curriculum and the development of constructivist learning environments at all levels of education. Our students work in schools, colleges, universities, health care institutions, government and workplace training. Courses within the specialization deal with learning theories, implementation issues, educational and psycho-social impacts, and technical understanding. Our students learn the appropriate criteria and design principles for the construction of quality learning environments in the context of the most recent technological advances. Currently, courses focus on the use of many digital technologies with particular strengths in Internet technologies, computer conferencing technologies, knowledge building research and strategy, and the uses of computers in the curriculum.

    Faculty research interests are broad and address a variety of current issues, including: the integration of new technologies into constructivist learning environments; the use of Internet resources for support of health care; computer mediated distance education; knowledge building in intentional learning environments; the effects of different knowledge structures in computer conferencing environments.
    (L. Davie, B. Durell, J. Hewitt, D. McDougall, R. McLean, M. Scardamalia, R. Wolfe, E. Woodruff)

  3. Curriculum Studies
    Coordinator: Joel Weiss

    This specialization represents a diverse range of teaching and research interests in curriculum. Areas of interest include:

    • the link between theory and practice in relation to both working and learning environments;
    • the development of critical frameworks for the examination of broader curricular issues such as: what the curriculum should contain, the relation of schools to society, the relationship between teaching and learning, and the conditions for structuring curriculum;
    • the role of language both as text and as process in relation to the curriculum as a whole;
    • learning in everyday settings, such as the home, the work-place, and community cultural institutions (e.g. museums).
    (A. Anderson, B. Bennett, C. Conle, M. Connelly, N. Frenette, L. Hannay, S. Hidi, J. Miller, S. Peterson, C. Rolheiser, J. Ross, H. Russell, W. Seller, E. Smyth, D. Thiessen, M. Wahlstrom, J. Weiss, G. Wells)

  4. Holistic and Aesthetic Education
    Coordinator: Jack Miller

    Holistic and aesthetic education recognizes the interconnectedness of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Learning is viewed as an experiential, organic process; making connections is seen as central to curriculum processes. An aesthetic perspective and the process of building knowledge through inquiry are seen as integral to all forms of education and life itself. Creative tools and webs of communication are explored within this context. Courses in this program focus on arts education, creativity, contemplation, imagery, literature, mathematics and technology, and experience-based approaches to language.
    (M. Beattie, D. Booth, L. Cameron, R. Cohen, K. Cooper, V.Darroch-Lozowski, K. Gallagher, J. Miller, S. Stiegelbauer, J. Wilkinson)

  5. Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
    Coordinator: Derek Hodson

    This area of specialization includes a wide range of teaching and research interests. Courses address a spectrum of significant issues in contemporary research and international debate concerning the purpose and practice of science, mathematics and technology education at the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels, including: constructivist pedagogy in science and mathematics; perspectives in Science-Technology-Society-Environment Education; gender issues in science and mathematics education; aspects of the history, philosophy and sociology of science, mathematics and technology, and their significance for elementary and secondary education; computer-based learning in mathematics; the nature of technology and technology education; historical perspectives on curriculum design and development in science, mathematics and technology education; assessment and evaluation strategies. Additional support in the form of quantitative and qualitative research methods courses is available for those contemplating thesis research in this area of specialization.

    Faculty research interests are broad and address most major areas of study, including: multicultural and antiracist education; gender equity issues; concept acquisition and development; history, philosophy and sociology of science and science education; computer-based and multimedia learning; informal science and technology education; public understanding of science and technology; hands-on work in science and mathematics; authentic assessment; science and mathematics teacher education, action research in science, mathematics and technology education.
    (L. Bencze, R. Cohen, G. Hanna, J. Hewitt, D. Hodson, B. Kelly, D. McDougall, E. Pedretti)

  6. Social Justice & Cultural Studies in Education
    Coordinator: Roger Simon

    Students concentrating their studies in this specialization will explore the nature of teaching and learning in response to the interdependent, polycultural, conflictual, and fast-changing character of the contemporary world. These concepts may be explored across the curriculum in elementary, secondary, college, and non-formal settings. Emphasis is given to social, cultural, and pedagogical theories as resources for the work of educational and social transformation.

    Interests of students currently enrolled in this area include:

    • relationships of school and non-school education to social economy, international migration, multiculturalism, Indigenous education, spirituality, changing ways of life, family issues, electronic media, educational technologies, and popular culture;
    • pedagogical responses that support the positive recognition of social differences such as race, class, gender, sexuality, culture, and ethnicity;
    • education for peace and justice, democracy, social change, development, and environmental sustainability;
    • current debates regarding the changing nature of socio-cultural literacy, history, social sciences, and arts, with particular reference to curricular practices in elementary and secondary schools;
    • the relationship among the aesthetic, political, and socio-cultural forces affecting the ethics of engagement outside the school community, particularly in relation to literature, music, art, film, photography, television and theatre.

    (K. Bickmore, D. Bogdan, J. Cummins, J. Dillabough, L. Fitznor, D. Gérin-Lajoie, T. Goldstein, D. Hodson, R. Morgan, E. O'Sullivan, D. Selby, R. Simon, P. Trifonas)