Western Education's MPEd | Field of Teaching Students with Exceptionalities
The Master of Professional Education Program in the field of Teaching Students with Exceptionalities will prepare you to think critically about your workplace problems. You will also learn different theories and apply current research – or conduct your own research – to solve these problems.
The degree is offered in a cohort setting, which means you will study with the same group of students during the two years. This gives you the opportunity to develop a professional networking group where you can learn from each other.
This is an exclusively online graduate degree program.
Solve real-world problems
Online degree – study anywhere
Develop critical-thinking skills
Learn from your peers
What I like about my MPEd program is the way all the courses have connected directly to my professional and personal life. It has also allowed me to grow as an educator in many positive ways. Our online experience has been great as everyone in the programs is open, respectful and take price in sharing their personal experiences.
My MPEd degree program helped me think critically about gender equity, social justice, aboriginal education and more within my everyday teaching practise. It has allowed me to make great connections with peers and professors who have taught me so much. All that I have learned in this program will stay with me as an educator and person throughout the next chapters of my life.
- Manjeet Dhillon, Graduated 2020
Beyond the program details
Admissions
Required:
- A four-year degree (20 full courses or equivalent) from an accredited university.
- Minimum "B" standing (70%) or equivalent in the final two years of study.
Notes & Exceptions:
- Bachelor of Education and Additional Qualification course grades aren’t used in calculating admission averages.
- Applicants with three-year degrees will be considered on a case-by-case basis if seats are available in programs. Successful experience as an educator in a professional setting may be considered in the selection process.
- Probationary status: If an applicant doesn’t meet all of the minimum admission requirements (e.g., average below 70% and/or has only a three-year degree plus B.Ed.) the applicant may be offered admission as a Probationary Student with Conditions.
- Conditions: Applicants will be required to maintain a 75% average in each of these courses to clear conditions.
- The successful completion of an MPEd degree doesn’t lead to certification with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).
Tuition
Tuition amounts are set each year by Senate and then published on the Office of the Registrar's Fees Schedules web page. Fees are assessed once each term (Fall, Winter, Summer).
Current students can access fee information by logging into the Student Centre (use your Western email log in and password). Students are notified each term once fee amounts have been posted in the Student Centre; it is each student's responsibility to log into the Student Centre and pay fees by the due date indicated. Failure to do so may result in a late payment fee or deregistration.
For questions about fees, including how to pay fees and the methods of payment that are accepted, students should go to the Student Financial Services pages of the Office of the Registrar's web site or contact Student Financial Services (Office of the Registrar) at 519-661-2100.
The Graduate Student Affordability Calculator was designed for you to get a better estimate of what it will cost to attend one of Western's graduate programs for one year. The calculator is not a promise of funding or a place to access scholarship support or financial aid; rather, it is intended to provide you with an accurate estimate of how much money you will need to pay for your tuition, fees, housing, food, and many other necessities for a 12-month (three-term) academic year.
Funding
The Faculty of Education recognizes the financial commitment required to pursue professional graduate studies.
As the majority of our programs are fully online, we offer students flexible learning that allows them to fund their education by remaining in their current employment. Some employers offer subsidization or time release opportunities for the professional learning of their employees. As a result, internal funding is not available for these programs.
There are also many external funding opportunities for competitive candidates in our professional programs. Download this PDF file for an additional list of over 30 external awards (see more information below). Also, visit online sites that contain numerous award opportunities.
Please note that students must apply for these awards individually. Read the qualifications carefully, and contact the award provider for more criteria and award information. Some application support is available from the Research Office for research-based awards only.
Many private financial institutions offer financing options (with particular rates and payment plans) to full-time students. Please contact a representative of your preferred financial institution for more information.
Provincial governments offer a variety of loan programs to help students finance their studies. Ontario residents may be eligible to apply for OSAP.
The Government of Canada's CanLearn website provides a listing of contact information for the offices of all government student financial assistance programs. Please visit CanLearn to find your province or territory listing. The Government of Canada implemented the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) to encourage higher education and training. The LLP allows you to withdraw up to $10,000 a year from your registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance training or education for you or your spouse or common-law partner. For further information on this plan, visit the government's website at www.ccra.gc.ca.
Technology
Instructors of onsite courses use the Sakai OWL platform, although it is not required. Access to a course in Sakai OWL is typically opened the first business day of each term. Please note that although your own access may be granted prior to the first business day, course content may not be posted until closer to the scheduled term start. Your Western University login and password is required to access the course (your Western email without the @uwo.ca and its accompanying password). Access to Sakai OWL is found here: https://owl.uwo.ca/portal.
For online courses, students are required to have access to the following:
- High speed Internet access
- Access to a computer that enables connection to outside websites (flexible firewall restrictions)
- Multimedia playback capabilities (video/audio)
- WebCam
- Computer capable of running a recent version of Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox; and/or Cisco MOVI client for PC or Mac
- Audio headset and microphone for computer
Program information
Description
The Master of Professional Education Program in the field of Teaching Students with Exceptionalities will prepare you to think critically about your workplace problems. You will also learn different theories and apply current research – or conduct your own research – to solve these problems.
- Inquiry and research: Students will become familiar with current research, and the application of it to problems of practice. Courses may include the option of conducting applied research (e.g., action research), in order to solve professional problems of practice.
- Students will engage in critical thinking, framing analysis of education problems and practice from multiple perspectives or lenses (see below).
- Students will participate in signature pedagogies, including the use of case studies, inductive teaching methods, and problem-based learning.
- Students will participate in communities of learning and collaborate, in setting such as laboratories of practice.
In coursework, students are expected to apply multiple frames or lenses to the analysis of problems of practice. Lenses are selected to support rich discussion, evoke application of theory and research, and inform practical problem solving. The following are examples of suggested lenses or frames that can be brought to bear on problems of practice, and questions that could be used to elicit discussion of a given problem of practice.
- Ethics and inclusion: How can we support the rights, opportunities, independence, and self-determination of the student? How can we support the inclusion, acceptance, and equity of the student as a member of the school community?
- Model of Disability: How do we use the medical model and the social model to think about the nature of the student’s exceptionality? How do these models inform practice?
- Evidence-based practice: What research is relevant to this problem? What is its extent and quality? How can it inform our practice in this situation?
Important Note
The successful completion of a Master of Professional degree does not lead to certification with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).
Objectives
The objective of the Masters of Professional Education is to provide in-depth, graduate-level courses to educational professionals who will be competent in identifying and responding to complex problems in teaching students with exceptionalities. It is appropriate for classroom teachers, special education teachers, and educational administrators. The program will do the following:
- Support the professional learning of educators who can construct and apply knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, and communities;
- Provide opportunities for candidates to develop and demonstrate collaboration, communication skills, and leadership skills to work with diverse professionals and communities to build partnerships;
- Provide field-based opportunities to analyze problems of practice and use multiple frames to develop meaningful responses;
- Draw on and develop a critically reflective professional knowledge base that integrates both practical and research knowledge, and that links theory with systemic and systematic inquiry; and,
- Emphasize the generation, transformation, and use of critically reflective professional knowledge and practice.
Timing/delivery
The MPEd is designated as a full-time program. Full-time status requires that students complete four half-courses in each year of the 2-year program. Full-time students have access to all student services at Western. See the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for details.
This program of study is a course-based cohort model. Approximately 20 students will be admitted to the cohort. This cohort structure will provide ongoing support within the course work, enabling students to develop a professional community of practice. To ensure the integrity of the cohort model, continuous enrollment is required, and will necessitate that students complete all the required courses within the timeframe stipulated.
Courses
Year 1 Fall
ED 9480 Introduction to Teaching Students with Exceptionalities
This course emphasizes critically understanding various conceptions of education for students with exceptionalities. Examples of historical and regional variations will be examined. Implications for models of delivering services will be considered, including the role of the individual educational plan. Several exceptionalities will be introduced, including learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, communication disorders, and intellectual developmental disabilities; gifted and struggling learners will also be considered. Each exceptionality will be considered with respect to the following: Psychological characteristics, assessment, learning needs and strengths, interventions; and program accommodations and modifications. Students will have the opportunity to apply different conceptions to analyze and solve problems of practice.
Year 1 Winter
ED 9481 - Social and Emotional Learning
This course focuses on the interpersonal challenges and well-being of students. Topics include the following: resiliency; belonging; safe and inclusive schools; the role of mental health professionals in the schools; and whole class and individual interventions.
Year 1 Summer - Intersession
ED 9482 Academic Learning for Students with Exceptionalities
In this course, students learn to analyze and address problems of practice concerning the academic learning of struggling learners. Topics covered will include general teaching practices such as strategy instruction, universal design, and differentiated instruction; subject-specific interventions and modifications in decoding, reading comprehension, written composition, mathematics, and content area subjects; and accessing evidence-based instructional resources.
Year 1 Summer - Summer Session
ED 9484 Inquiry and Research for Educating Exceptional Students
This course focuses on the role of research in professional knowledge and practice. Methods of research commonly found in the special education literature will be presented, with an emphasis on critical analysis and classroom application. Methods of research for professional learning, such as action research, will be introduced. Effective strategies for searching research literature and examples of professionally relevant, evidence-based, accessible sources of research will be highlighted.
Year 2 Fall
ED 9483 Positive Classroom Management
This course focuses on positive classroom management. Topics will include the motivational principles underlying student behaviour, school-wide classroom management, safe schools, and externalizing disorders.
Year 2 Fall
ED 9488 Laboratory of Practice for Students with Exceptionalities I
This course is carried out across two terms at a reduced pace (1.5 hours per week). Students will carry out a research project on a problem of professional practice. They will formulate a research question and situate it in a professional and scholarly context, formulate a plan for action, carry out the plan, collect data to evaluate and modify the plan and practice, and write a final report.
Year 2 Winter
ED 9486 Assessment for Teaching Students with Exceptionalities
This course examines assessment as it relates to the professional practice of teachers and school administrators. Topics covered include psycho-educational assessment in the identification of students with exceptionalities, including instruments, procedures, and statistics; and assessment of the classroom learning of students with exceptionalities. Students will learn to critically evaluate various forms of assessment and their results, and to apply knowledge about assessment to analyzing case studies, and solving problems of professional practice.
Year 2 Winter
ED 9489 Laboratory of Practice for Students with Exceptionalities II
This course is carried out across two terms at a reduced pace (1.5 hours per week). Students will carry out a research project on a problem of professional practice. They will formulate a research question and situate it in a professional and scholarly context, formulate a plan for action, carry out the plan, collect data to evaluate and modify the plan and practice, and write a final report.
Year 2 Summer Intersession
ED 9487 Capstone Project for Teaching Students with Exceptionalities
Students will present a final, culminating paper that demonstrates a critical reflection, review and synthesis of the professional program in response to a current issue in teaching students with exceptionalities.
