Bursary helps employees pursue graduate degree
Employees at Western who are looking to increase their skills now have another incentive to do so.
A new bursary, for September 2022 admission, has been created to help employees further their education with a Master of Professional Education (MPEd) degree from the Faculty of Education.
“Our goal with the MPEd bursary is to provide another avenue for Western employees to pursue professional development,” Anna Zuber, Manager of Graduate Programs at the Faculty of Education, said.
Applicants can choose from 11 fields of study, but Zuber said the Fields of Curriculum and Pedagogy; Educational Leadership; and Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice would benefit higher education staff the most.
Full-time staff are eligible for the $2,000 bursary, and it would be applied through their student account to their first-year tuition.
Even more important, the MPEd allows students to balance their work, family and school lives while pursuing a Master’s degree, Zuber said.
She added the degree is professionally focused, allowing students to take an issue they are dealing with at Western, analyze it, and come up with research-informed solutions. In short, the MPEd provides employees with a blueprint to solve their workplace problems while making them stand out from their peers.
“Solving workplace problems requires many skills and the MPEd helps them refine these skills,” Zuber said. “They will enhance their research skills and – through discussion and collaborative project work – they will engage in critical thinking to determine which theories and practical knowledge can be applied to their work.”
The application deadline is July 31. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Western Education recruitment team at edrecruit@uwo.ca.
