Bachelor of Education Honours Program

Bachelor of Education students, across all five pathways, may apply to add Honours to their degree. Taking place during the final year of the degree, Honours gives students the opportunity to develop research skills and explore research interests, gaining practical knowledge and aiding in the transition into professional life or future studies.

Eligibility

Honours applicants must:

Be in the process of completing, or have completed, all 400-level Education (EDUC) coursework
Have completed all other mandated coursework, aside from the 500-level Education (EDUC) courses*

*Check out the full Calendar requirements!

Admission requirements

To be admitted, applicants must:

Present a minimum 3.30 GPA based on the 30 most recently completed units, up to the Fall Term preceding desired intake into the Honours Program
If admitted, have maintained a 3.30 GPA in the Winter Term immediately preceding the Honours Program intake term
Present a minimum grade of B in all 400-level Education (EDUC) coursework
Applications are also evaluated on documents submitted in the supplementary application package

Application process

To apply, students must:

Submit a Change of Program application via their Student Centre between October 1st and February 1st - students will select the Fall term for their 500-level year; the Advising Team will manually change the term to Spring on students' behalf
If students meet the minimum GPA requirements outlined previously, complete and submit the supplementary package that will be emailed to eligible applicants, including proposed research project, by March 15th*

*Part of the application package requires the listing and approval of a potential project supervisor. Check out tips on reaching out to a supervisor via our Undergraduate Research site!

After admission

If admitted, students will:

Be registered in EDUC 571 for the Spring and Summer terms, and 572 in the Fall term, by Undergraduate Programs in Education
Must maintain a 3.30 GPA across the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms in which Honours coursework will be completed
Achieve a minimum B+ grade in EDUC 571 in order to progress into 572

Regularly Scheduled

Spring

EDUC 571A

Summer

EDUC 571B

Fall

EDUC 521

EDUC 525

EDUC 530

EDUC 535

EDUC 540

EDUC 572*

*Runs throughout full semester, including alongside Field III.

Participating in TAB/Taking Summer Courses

Spring

EDUC 571A

Summer

EDUC 525

EDUC 535

EDUC 571B

Fall

EDUC 521

EDUC 530

EDUC 540

EDUC 572*

*Runs throughout full semester, including alongside Field III.

If the opportunity had existed for you to do an Honours program when you were doing your Bachelor of Education, would you have done it and why?

I can honestly say I would have jumped at the chance to do an Honours program in my Bachelor of Education for many reasons, some more altruistic than others. First, teachers are, by their very nature, researchers. They are constantly gathering data on student learning and using that data to inform policy and practice. I would have loved to learn some of the more formal methodologies that would have allowed me to do that better at the start of my career.

In addition, an Honours program would have allowed me to find out more about something that I really love, but it also became that something that I had to wait to learn more about through experience and eventually grad school: educational leadership. I have always viewed all teachers as leaders in the many ways they engage with their communities, and I could have explored that more deeply before entering the classroom had I the time and a program that formalized it for me.

Lastly, and this is less altruistic, an Honours program would have set me apart from other graduates. I didn't graduate with a teachable subject area that differentiated me in any real way from others, and this would have been something I could have pointed to and talked about in interviews. Did the fact that I didn't do an Honours program prevent me from being employed? No. I did get a classroom and it all worked out just fine, but it would have been an added something that I would have loved to do, and I really believe would have made a difference to my practice, to my understanding of the theory, and to my students.

What would be your top piece of advice for someone considering the Honours program?

My top piece of advice for someone considering the Honours program is the same as my advice to all students: think about what you can reasonably accommodate well in your life and then go for it! You don't need to take on every additional opportunity out there. You can make choices that work with your life. But once you have considered what works for you, don't hesitate.

Program Overview: Honours Webinar

When: Wednesday, September 28th, 2022 from 4.30 - 5.30pm

What: Learn more about our Honours program with Associate Dean, Dr. Amy Burns.

Honours Mixer

When: Wednesday, October 26th, 2022 from 4.30 - 5.30pm

What: Meet potential supervisors and discuss project ideas!

Honours: Next Steps Webinar

When: Wednesday, January 18th, 2023 from 4.30 - 5.30pm

What: Learn more about developing your research idea and completing the application. This conversation will be led by Dr. Amy Burns, Associate Dean and researcher in women's leadership, policy and governance, and Cynthia Prasow, Director of Student Experience and faculty member in charge of our PURE awards. We will also have two potential supervisors in attendance who will share their wisdom and insights on doing educational research.

At this session we will go over how to decide on a topic and how to narrow it down, how to complete the application form that you will need signed by a supervisor, how to approach a potential supervisor, and, finally, the structure of the honours program and what that entails.

After the February 1^st deadline, if you are otherwise eligible, you will be sent the supplementary application package asking you to describe your project and program goals, as well as confirming you have a supervisor in place!

In the meantime, we highly encourage you to check out some great resources on approaching a supervisor, writing a potential supervisor an email, and our list of Honours supervisors!