oise ma thesis

School of Graduate Studies

Language and literacies education, program overview.

The Language and Literacies Education program is offered by the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), leading to the Master of Arts (MA) , Master of Education (MEd) , and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

This program investigates questions around the relationships of literacies in language and language in literacies across communities, societies, instructional environments, and informal learning settings. The scope of the program encompasses the following within applied linguistics and literacies studies:

• the learning, teaching, and use of first and additional (non-native) languages in diverse settings;
• curriculum, instruction, and assessment related to the development of first and additional language and K-12 literacy skills;
• the development of bilingual, multilingual, and translinguistic abilities;
• language and literacy education policies and planning;
• pedagogy oriented towards multiliteracies development, including early literacy and adolescent reading, writing, and oral language development, and
• children’s literature across the curriculum;
• social justice issues related to plurilingualism and cultural and linguistic diversity; and
• pedagogical implications of the fact that language and literacy are infused into all aspects of learning in contexts characterized by linguistic diversity.

Quick Facts

Master of arts.

Applicants expecting to pursue a doctorate in the future are advised to enrol in the MA (rather than the MEd) program in Language and Literacies Education (LLE). The MA program can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Admission requires an appropriate bachelor's degree, with the equivalent of a University of Toronto mid-B or better in the final year, in a relevant discipline or professional program. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning's additional admission requirements stated below.

Ordinarily, applicants should have teacher certification and at least one year of relevant successful professional experience prior to applying.

Responses to Faculty questions in the online admissions application: for detailed information on presenting research interests while answering the Faculty questions, applicants should visit the Language and Literacies in Education MA degree program web page .

Program Requirements

Coursework. Students must complete 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) or eight half courses as follows.

A minimum of 2.0 FCEs in CTL 3000-level courses within the LLE program including CTL3001H Research Colloquium in Language and Literacies Education (0.5 FCE).

A research methods course relevant to the topic of the thesis (0.5 FCE). Any of the following courses can fulfil this requirement: CTL1018H, CTL1041H, CTL1306H, CTL3033H, CTL3807H, APD1296H, APD3202H, JOI1287H, JOI1288H, JOI3228H, or SJE1905H.

Students wishing to propose an alternative course to fulfil one of the LLE course requirements will be required to obtain the approval of both the LLE graduate program coordinator and either their faculty advisor or their thesis supervisor.

Additional courses may be required of some applicants.

Students are responsible for meeting deadlines to complete their course requirements, thesis committee formation, and thesis ethical review.

Program Length

6 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F/W/S); 10 sessions part-time

3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

Master of Education

The Master of Education (MEd) degree program can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis.

• Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies, which specify an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university, with the equivalent of a University of Toronto mid-B or better in the final year. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning's additional admission requirements stated below.

Responses to Faculty questions in the online admissions application: applicants should state the reasons they wish to study language and literacies in education at the graduate level. For detailed information on answering the Faculty questions and completing the application, applicants should visit the Language and Literacies in Education MEd degree program web page .

Coursework. The MEd program consists of 5.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) including:

A minimum of 2.5 FCEs in CTL 3000-level courses.

4 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F); 10 sessions part-time

Master of Education (Field: Language Teaching)

Within the existing Master of Education (MEd) degree program, the field in Language Teaching includes a structured focus on language teaching foundations. Language Teaching integrates an engagement with scholarly research in Language and Literacies Education with a commitment to excellence in teaching to support graduate students as novice language teachers. Students pursuing this field will graduate with: (a) a solid theoretical and intellectual grounding in LLE research; (b) a course-based, practitioner focus on language teaching foundations; and (c) gained practical experience in a language-education context through a required practicum.

This field is only available on a full-time basis. Priority will be given to novice teachers with less than a year of teaching experience. This field will not lead to Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Ontario certification nor to the Certificate of Qualification and Registration with the Ontario College of Teachers.

• Normally, applicants should have at least one year of professional experience prior to applying. Previous classroom teaching experience is not a requirement.
• Responses to Faculty questions in the online admissions application: applicants should state the reasons they wish to study language and literacies in education at the graduate level. For detailed information on answering the Faculty questions and completing the application, applicants should visit the Language and Literacies in Education MEd Field in Language Teaching degree program web page .
• CTL3002H Second Language Teaching Methodologies
• CTL3010H Second Language Learning
• CTL3796H Practicum in Language and Literacies Education: Master's Level (Credit/No Credit)
• CTL3000H Foundations of Bilingual and Multicultural Education
• CTL3003H Planning and Organizing the Second Language Curriculum
• CTL3008H Critical Pedagogy, Language, and Cultural Diversity
• CTL3013H Language Assessment
• CTL3020H Writing in a Second Language
• CTL3039H Academic English Research and Acquisition (Credit/No Credit)
• CTL3101H Language Awareness for Language Educators
• The remaining 2.5 FCEs can be elective courses taken towards the requirements of a collaborative specialization if applicable, or courses offered within the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning or other departments at OISE or the University of Toronto.

4 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F)

3 years full-time

Doctor of Philosophy

Students participating in the PhD program must have a strong commitment to research. The Language and Literacies Education (LLE) program offers both full-time and flexible-time PhD options. Degree requirements for the full-time and flexible-time options are the same. Applicants must declare their preferred option when applying.

PhD Program

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning's additional admission requirements stated below.

An appropriate master's degree with a grade equivalent to a University of Toronto B+ or better from a recognized university is required.

Admission is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a master's thesis, or the equivalent in the form of a scholarly piece of writing.

Ordinarily, applicants will have a minimum of two years of relevant professional experience prior to applying.

Responses to Faculty questions in the online admissions application: applicants should state the reasons they wish to study language and literacies in education at the graduate level. For detailed information on answering the Faculty questions and completing the application, applicants should visit the Language and Literacies in Education PhD degree program web page .

Coursework. Students must complete 3.5 to 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) depending on previous experience and academic qualifications, as follows:

A minimum of 2.0 FCEs within the LLE program, including CTL3001H Research Colloquium in Language and Literacies Education (0.5 FCE) and CTL3899H Proseminar in Language and Literacies Education (0.5 FCE), if not previously taken at the master's level. If CTL3001H or CTL3899H was taken at the master's level, students are not permitted to take it again and should substitute it with another LLE program course (0.5 FCE).

A student wishing to propose an alternative course to fulfil one of the LLE course requirements must obtain the approval of the LLE program coordinator and either their faculty advisor or thesis supervisor.

Comprehensive examination , which consists of two parts. 1) The first is longer, untimed, and generally related to the area of study that doctoral students intend to pursue for their dissertation. 2) The second is timed (two weeks for full-time PhD students, four weeks for flexible-time PhD students) and is designed to assess students’ breadth of knowledge in LLE.

Students are provided six prompts addressing a wide range of questions related to LLE (theory, major research domains, research methods); they choose one and write a response within the specified timeframe.

The Comprehensive Exam is offered twice per year (winter and summer). While students are encouraged to initiate the process as close to the end of their coursework as possible, they must successfully pass the exam by the end of the Year 3 (full-time) or Year 4 (flexible-time).

Papers are evaluated as Pass, Revise and Resubmit, or Fail. Students who receive a Fail may attempt the exam one more time.

A thesis embodying the results of an original investigation, and a Doctoral Final Oral Examination on the content and implications of the thesis.

Students are responsible for meeting deadlines to complete their course requirements, thesis committee formation, comprehensive examination, and thesis ethical review.

Full-time PhD students must maintain full-time status throughout their program of study.

Students must register continuously and pay the full-time fee until all degree requirements have been fulfilled.

Students cannot transfer between the full-time and flexible-time PhD options.

PhD Program (Flexible-Time)

Applicants must demonstrate that they are currently employed and are active professionals engaged in activities relevant to their proposed program of study.

A student wishing to propose an alternative course to fulfil one of the LLE course requirements will be required to obtain the approval of the LLE program coordinator and either their faculty advisor or thesis supervisor.

Students must register continuously until all degree requirements have been fulfilled. They must register full-time during the first four years and may continue as part-time thereafter, with their department's approval.

“Make time for friends, family, and leisure. There’s more to life than research and academic pursuit.”

Research Guides

Theses & dissertations, uoft theses online, uoft theses in print.

• Thesis from Other Institutions
• Borrowing or Reqesting Theses
• Writing & Submitting Your Thesis
• University of Toronto TSpace This link opens in a new window The University of Toronto's research bank. Showcases and preserves the scholarly work of the U of T community, and makes theses and dissertations publicly accessible online.
• Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global The most comprehensive worldwide collection of dissertations and theses. Full text for many dissertations added since 1997+.
• Theses Canada This link opens in a new window Comprehensive collection of Canadian theses at Library and Archives Canada. Covers U of T dissertations from 1950+ and master's theses from 1989+.
• School of Graduate Studies - Theses University of Toronto's Open Access repository (TSpace)
• Engineering & Computer Science
• UofT Archives

Many print U of T doctoral dissertations and masters' theses are listed in LibrarySearch . Older print theses may be listed in a card catalogue at the particular library in which it is held.

Theses from 2009+ are submitted online only to TSpace .

For information on print theses at different U of T libraries please click on the tabs above.

Doctoral dissertations and masters' theses submitted between 1989 and 2009 are listed in LibrarySearch .

Search by author, title or subject.

Browse theses and dissertations by doing an advanced search  and selecting 'Thesis' from the format dropdown menu.

Doctoral dissertations and master's theses from  1972-1989  are also available on  microform  in the  Media Commons , 3rd floor, Robarts Library.

Search for doctoral dissertations and theses submitted between  1930 to 1997 in the card catalogue in the Reference Department, 4th floor, Robarts Library.

Search by author, department, or subject.

For University of Toronto masters and doctoral theses in the sciences consult the library catalogue . Theses can be searched in the catalogue by author, title, or department .

Ask at the Gerstein Information Desk for assistance.

Where do I find a paper copy in Gerstein?

microfiche copies of U of T masters theses in the sciences are held in the Media Commons (4th Floor), Robarts Library

All theses are shelved by author name on 2-Below at the end of the Z call number range.

Please note that the Engineering & Computer Science Library no longer keeps print theses in the library.  Some theses are located at Gerstein Science Information Centre and others at Downsview. For information on a thesis is located see below .

If you have the citation information for a print thesis, you can search the UTL catalogue :

• By the title of the thesis
• By the author of the thesis

If you would like to browse UofT's theses holdings, use the following instructions:

• Go to the UTL Catalogue .
• Select Call number from the drop-down list.
• Type in the appropriate code (i.e. AEROS for aerospace science and engineering).
• Optional: Type in the year , if you know the year you are looking for
• Example: AEROS 1985  

List of Engineering and Computer Science Theses Codes:

• AEROS (aerospace science and engineering)
• IBMEN (biomedical engineering/biomaterials and biomedical engineering)
• CHENG & CHEMG (chemical engineering)
• CIENG (civil engineering)
• COMPS (computer science)
• ELENG (electrical engineering/electrical and computer engineering)
• INENG (industrial engineering)
• METAL (metallurgy, materials science and engineering)
• MEENG (mechanical engineering/mechanical and industrial engineering)

Finding theses from OISE

All OISE theses & dissertations submitted after November 2009 are available on TSpace

Pre 2009 theses are located on the 2nd floor of the OISE library  and are filed alphabetically by author's last name

Theses are searchable in the library catalogue

• The  University of Toronto Archives holds master's theses from 1897 to 1989 & doctoral theses from 1900 to 1985
• Next: Thesis from Other Institutions >>
• Last Updated: May 30, 2023 9:44 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/theses

Library links

• Library Home
• Renew items and pay fines
• Library hours
• Engineering
• UT Mississauga Library
• UT Scarborough Library
• Information Commons
• All libraries

University of Toronto Libraries 130 St. George St.,Toronto, ON, M5S 1A5 [email protected] 416-978-8450 Map About web accessibility . Tell us about a web accessibility problem . About online privacy and data collection .

© University of Toronto . All rights reserved. Terms and conditions.

Connect with us

• more social media

MA in Curriculum & Pedagogy

In this research-based program, you will investigate how curriculum can shape educational experiences in both informal and formal settings. If you wish to pursue doctoral studies, this program is for you.

This program offers seven program emphases: Critical Studies in Curriculum and Pedagogy; Arts in Education; Digital Technologies in Education; Indigenous Education and Decolonization; Qualitative Methodologies; Science, Math and Technology; and Well-being.

Full-time students receive a OISE Graduate Funding Package for their first year of study. Part-time students are self-funded.

OISE's Graduate Funding Package covers the cost of tuition, and helps offset other living expenses. Last year, awards averaged around $25,000 per eligible student.

OISE Home      

OISE Bulletin

Course description by course code.

• Leadership, Higher and Adult Education

Scholars in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE) are engaged in a range of theoretical and practical areas: primary, secondary, and higher education leadership and administration; adult education; policy and change; social diversity; and community engagement. LHAE develops and organizes collaborative specializations in support of particular research areas of interest including those in policy, international development education, and workplace learning. These collaborative specializations can be taken in conjunction with most OISE graduate programs.

Overview of Programs

Adult education and community development program - ma, med, phd.

• Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care Across the Life Course - MA, MEd, PhD
• Community Development - MA, MEd (admissions have been administratively suspended)
• Comparative, International and Development Education - MA, MEd, PhD
• Educational Policy - MA, MEd, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
• Environment and Health - MA, MEd, PhD
• Environmental Studies - MA, MEd, PhD
• Indigenous Health - MA, MEd, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
• Sexual Diversity Studies - MA, MEd, PhD
• Women and Gender Studies - MA, MEd, PhD
• Workplace Learning and Social Change - MA, MEd, PhD

Educational Leadership and Policy Program - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

> Field: Educational Leadership and Policy - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD 

• Comparative, International and Development Education - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
• Educational Policy - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
• Ethnic and Pluralism Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
• Sexual Diversity Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
• Women and Gender Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

> Field: International Educational Leadership and Policy - EdD only

• Comparative, International and Development Education - EdD
• Educational Policy - EdD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
• Ethnic and Pluralism Studies - EdD
• Sexual Diversity Studies - EdD
• Women and Gender Studies - EdD

Higher Education Program - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

>  Field: Education in the Professions - MEd only

• Comparative, International and Development Education - MEd
• Educational Policy - MEd (admissions have been administratively suspended)
• Sexual Diversity Studies - MEd
• Women and Gender Studies - MEd

> Field: Higher Education - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

• Engineering Education - MA, MEd, PhD

> Field: Higher Education Leadership - MEd only

> Field:   Student Development and Student Services in Higher Education - MEd only

Collaborative Specializations

LHAE is also home to three collaborative specializations which provide students with exposure to cross-field and cross-disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving to broaden possibilities for innovative and effective interdisciplinary analysis. In order to participate in collaborative specialization, students must first be admitted to and registered in a regular degree program.

Comparative, International and Developmental Education (CIDE) CIDE is one of the world's largest, most diverse, and dynamic collaborative specializations in the field of comparative education. Faculty interests span an exciting range of theoretical and practical issues—from the study of ethnicity and identity to the issues of globalization and global governance; from non-formal learning and citizenship education to concrete problems of educational reform, social equality, language education, conflict resolution and community development.

Educational Policy (EP) (Note: Admissions have been administratively suspended to this Collaborative Specialization.) EP serves students interested in educational policy development and implementation, with particular emphasis on improving educational process. EP provides students with exposure to cross-field and cross-disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving to broaden the possibilities for innovative and effective policy analysis.

Workplace Learning and Social Change (WLSC) WLSC is designed for students interested in developing their understandings of work and learning trends in Canada and internationally, with a focus on social change. This specialization situates workplace learning within broader social trends such as globalization, neo-liberalism and organizational restructuring. It aims to highlight the learning strategies that seek to foster social change through greater equality of power, inclusivity, participatory decision-making and economic democracy.

NOTE: Please see Bulletin sections below for more information on LHAE programs.

• See the School of Graduate Studies Calendar for details about Collaborative Specializations.
• See the School of Graduate Studies Calendar for  Graduate Faculty Members.
• Applied Psychology and Human Development
• Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
• Social Justice Education
• Programs List
• Search Courses
• Administrative Officers (Partial List)
• Sessional Dates and Deadlines
• General Program, Policy and Course Information
• Indigenous Education
• Financial Support
• Registrar’s Office and Student Experience
• Publication Updates
• PDF Version of Bulletin
• Archived Bulletins