How to apply

Required:

• A Master's degree in the area of Educational Leadership or Educational Administration is preferred. Master's degrees in other areas will be considered.
• Minimum GPA of 3.5. Typically an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work.
• Minimum three years of full-time work experience in an Educational Leadership role. OR, 
• Minimum five years of full-time work experience in a role allied with leadership such as a role in a community setting. 
• Formal or informal leadership experience in an educational setting, clearly demonstrated in your CV or Resume and Statement of Intent.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language. For more information go to the requirements and deadlines section of the apply page. 

• Master's degree in education and/or related fields
• Minimum GPA of 3.5. Typically an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work.
• Minimum three years of work experience in education and/or related fields.
• A commitment to addressing Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice is clearly demonstrated in the Statement of Intent.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language. For more information go to the requirements and deadlines section of the apply page. 

• Master's degree in applied behaviour analysis, psychology, education, and/or related fields*
• Candidates must be Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) or eligible to sit for the BCBA exam, or have a record of coursework and research experience in behaviour analysis.
• Minimum GPA of 3.5. Typically, an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work.
• Minimum three years of work experience in Applied Behaviour Analysis, such as in schools, private practice, or clinical programs in agencies.  
• A commitment to advancing the scholarship and practice of ABA is demonstrated in the Statement of Intent. 
• Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language. For more information go to the requirements and deadlines section

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.

Recommended:

• Honours degree.
• For applicants to the field of Educational Psychology/Special Education (Applied Behavior Analysis) only, a background in psychology should be apparent.
• For applicants to the field of Educational Leadership a minimum of one year of teaching experience, or experience within the field of education is recommended.

Notes & Exceptions:

• Bachelor of Education and Additional Qualification course grades are not used in calculating admission averages.
• Applicants with 3-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 does not meet all of the minimum admission requirements (e.g. average below 70% and/or has only a 3-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.

Required:

• Research based Master's degree in Education or equivalent from an accredited university
• Normally an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work
• Evidence of previous scholarly research, such as a Master's Thesis, Masters Research Project, or Qualifying Research Paper acceptable to the Doctoral Admissions Committee and the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs
• Clear statement of plans for future study and research

Recommended:

• Professional qualifications and work in an educational setting (teaching experience or other)

Notes & Exceptions:

• Students with Master's degrees and an excellent academic record in a related field, who have experience in education and teaching in universities, colleges, or organizations other than public schools, and who may not have professional teaching credentials or qualifications, will also be considered for admission.
• Students may be required to make up for any deficiencies in their specific backgrounds by taking appropriate additional course work.

Required:

• Research based Master's degree in Education or equivalent from an accredited university.
• Normally an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work.
• Evidence of previous scholarly research, such as a Master's Thesis, Masters Research Project, or Qualifying Research Paper acceptable to the Doctoral Admissions Committee and the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs
• Clear statement of plans for future study and research

Recommended:

• Professional qualifications and work in an educational setting (teaching experience or other)

Notes & Exceptions:

• Students with Master's degrees and an excellent academic record in a related field, who have experience in education and teaching in universities, colleges, or organizations other than public schools, and who may not have professional teaching credentials or qualifications, will also be considered for admission.
• Students may be required to make up for any deficiencies in their specific backgrounds by taking appropriate additional course work.

Required:

• A Master's degree or equivalent (with thesis) in Clinical, Developmental, Cognitive, Counseling, Educational or School Psychology;
• Normally an "A" standing (80%) or equivalent in previous graduate work.
• Although separate admissions are required for the MA and PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology, the two levels are one coherent program. When accepted into the PhD program, the transcripts of candidates who did not take the MA in School and Applied Child Psychology are assessed. Students are required to complete the MA courses for which they do not have equivalence as part of their previous MA program to ensure that they have learned the skills and content taught in the MA program. These courses are listed in their admissions letter. If they believe that they have fulfilled the requirement, they may appeal to the Program Chair for a re-assessment of their previous coursework.
• There are certain core courses that must be taken at the Master’s Graduate Level.  If you received a Master’s degree from a different university, and these core courses are not on your transcript, you may need to take additional courses. Students who enter the PhD without Ethics in Psychological Practice MUST take it during the first year of the PhD program.  Given the requirement of breadth when registering as a psychologist, students must also meet the 5 cognate (core content areas identified below) requirements in their upper senior undergraduate (3 ^rd or 4 ^th year) or in their graduate program.  Most of these requirements (with the exception of one; historical and scientific foundations of general psychology) can be obtained through the existing program.   If you have not taken a course that meets the criteria for the historical and scientific foundations of general psychology, you will have to obtain that credit prior to your internship placement.

  The five core content areas are:

  1. Biological bases of behaviour (e.g., physiological psychology, comparative psychology, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology)
  2. Cognitive-affective bases of behaviour (e.g., learning, sensation, perception, cognition, thinking, motivation, emotion),
  3. Social bases of behaviour (e.g., social psychology; cultural, ethnic, and group processes; sex roles; organizational and systems theory),
  4. Individual behaviour (e.g., personality theory, human development, individual differences, abnormal psychology), and
  5. Historical and scientific foundations of general psychology (this content area can be fulfilled with a one-semester, senior undergraduate course).

OPTIONAL: Graduate Record Examination (GRE); General & Psychology. There is no pre-determined cut-off score on the Graduate Record Examinations

Required:

• A four-year Honours degree (20 full courses or equivalent), with a major in Psychology, from an accredited university.
• An undergraduate honours thesis
• Minimum "B" standing (70%) or equivalent in the final two years of study.
• Minimum one year or equivalent paid and/or volunteer experience in the helping professions (see note for more information).

Recommended:

• Courses/background in research statistical methods.

Notes & Exceptions:

• With regard to work experience, the Admissions Committee will add time in positions together to make up the equivalent of one year. There is no minimum requirement in terms of hours of work. However, there should be a reasonable accumulation of time that is the equivalent of one or more years in a related field.
• When considering whether or not an applicant's helping experiences qualifies them for consideration the admissions committee will examine both the role of the helper and the conditions under which a person is seeking help. Helping experience encompasses any activity where the helper is aware that they are providing assistance to someone who needs support for emotional or mental distress and needs. The person who seeks help is looking to the helper to provide assistance and help them improve and modify their current emotional and mental state. Helping experience does not include tutoring, teaching, or sport/performance coaching, which would be focused on making change to a cognitive or physical state. It does include experiences where the helper is aware that they are responsible for attending to the emotional/mental needs and state of the client, and can include distress centres, shelters, street-level services for vulnerable people, and mentoring programs, for example. One marker of an acceptable helping experience is the inclusion of training on the role and limitations of a helper and the psychological needs and vulnerabilities of the client population.
• Decisions for the Counselling Psychology program are based on application materials and a personal interview. Approximately 24 candidates are selected for personal interviews based on their application, which are held in March each year.

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.

Recommended:

• Honours degree.
• A qualification leading to certification as a teacher (e.g. B.Ed.).
• Minimum one year of teaching experience, or experience within the field of education.

Notes & Exceptions:

• Bachelor of Education and Additional Qualification course grades are not used in calculating admission averages.
• Applicants with 3-year degrees will be considered on a case-by-case basis if places 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 does not meet all of the minimum admission requirements (e.g. average below 70% and/or has only a 3-year degree plus B.Ed.) the applicant may be offered admission as a Probationary Student with Conditions.
• Conditions:  Full-time applicants will be required to register in 2 half courses during the Fall Term and maintain a 75% average in each course to clear conditions.  Part-time applicants will be required to register in one half course in the Fall Term and one half course in the Winter Term and maintain a 75% average in each of these courses to clear conditions.

Required:

• A four-year Honours degree (20 full courses or equivalent), with a major in Psychology, from an accredited university.
• An undergraduate thesis, or equivalent research and writing experience, is required.
• A course in undergraduate statistics or quantitative research methods is required (second year or beyond); or students must complete 9621 Introduction to Quantitative Methods during the first year of the program.
• A 0.5 course in child development (second year or beyond).
• An undergraduate average of 80% is required.  
• A professor must agree to supervise the applicant’s thesis before an offer of admission is made; students must contact potential supervisors when preparing an application, and list 1 ^st, 2 ^nd and 3 ^rd choices of supervisors on the application.
• For International applicants, an IELTS average score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 on each scale, and a Skype interview, will be required.

OPTIONAL: Graduate Record Examination (GRE); General & Psychology. There is no pre-determined cut-off score on the Graduate Record Examinations

NOTE: Students short-listed for the MA in Educational Studies in the field of School and Applied Child Psychology will be required to participate in an online interview.

Progression to the PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology Program:

• Students who successfully complete this program may apply to the PhD in School and Applied Child Psychology.
• Admission to the PhD in Education Studies in the Field of School and Applied Child Psychology program is competitive, but those graduating successfully from our MA are given first consideration.
• If you’re interested in applying to the PhD after the MA, it is advisable that you check the admission requirements to ensure you have the necessary coursework

• The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies reserves the right to ask any applicant whose first language is not English for a test score.  This includes Canadian Citizens, whose first language is not English, and who do not meet the above criteria.
• International applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide an English Proficiency test score along with their supporting application documents by the application deadline.
• Score reports are valid two years from the date of submission of a student's Online Application.  If the test results are older than two years, the test will need to be rewritten. 
• Applicants who are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English and fail to do so may be denied admission.
• "Each student granted admission to Western must be proficient in spoken and written English.  Students must demonstrate the ability to write clearly and correctly. Work presented in English in any subject at any level, which shows a lack of proficiency in English and is, therefore, unacceptable for academic credit, will either be failed or, at the discretion of the instructor, returned to the student for revision to a literate level.  To foster competence in the use of the English language within their own discipline, all instructors will take proficiency in English into account in the assignment of grades."
• A student who, after admission, shows an inadequate command of spoken or written English must improve his or her proficiency to the satisfaction of the graduate program or department.

• Francophone students from Canada do not typically need to provide an English Proficiency test score, however, it is expected that applicants are bilingual. 
• Students whose first language is not English may be considered exempt from providing an English Proficiency test score if they have studied academic courses, full time, for at least two years, in an English speaking University or full time, for at least three years, in an English Speaking College that is in a country whose official first language is English.  If in doubt, students should contact the Graduate Programs Office for clarification. 
• Please note, that exemptions beyond these criteria are extremely rare and must be requested in writing through this form by the application deadline

Minimum required test scores

• The Western University's Institution Code is 0984, and the Department Code for Education is 85.  These two numbers must be indicated on a student's test form in order for the Graduate Programs Office to receive your results.
• Students who did not include these codes when they wrote the test should contact the testing centre to provide the codes.

Students who are required to present proof of proficiency in English must make their own arrangements to write the TOEFL or IELTS and to have the official results sent directly to the UWO by the testing agency.

Application forms for the TOEFL may be obtained by writing to:

Test of English as a Foreign Language 
Box 899
Princeton, New Jersey
08541, U.S.A.

The TOEFL is administered on several dates each year; registration forms must be submitted directly to the testing agency at least one month in advance of the test date. More information is available at the Official TOEFL web site.

The IELTS is not offered in Canada or the United States but is offered in most other countries. For information, please contact:

British Council Office or the IELTS Liaison Officer
British Council
10 Spring Gardens
London, England
SW1A 2BN