Students seeking entry into the Master's Thesis Programme within the Department of Educational Administration are required to have:

• successfully completed a 4-year Bachelor of Education degree or equivalent;
• two or more years of successful teaching or related experience;
• an average of 73% in the last two years of study (10 full classes or 60 credit hours);
• favourable recommendations from three academic/professional referees;
• favourable recommendation from the Admissions Committee of the Department of Educational Administration;
• acceptance by the College of Graduate Studies and Research (where completion of MAT and/or GRE may be required); and
• English language proficiency at a IELTS level of 6.5 or higher, or TOEFL 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or higher.

Students accepted into the Master's Thesis Programme are required to complete a minimum of 21 credit units (7 courses)—of which, one course in organizational analysis, one course in educational research methods, one non-credit course in research ethics, and four additional courses in practical or theoretical analysis of educational administration are engaged. Additionally, under the supervision of a member of faculty, the student is required to produce a thesis, and engage members of a supervisory committee in defense of the document on two separate occasions—one following the completion of the third chapter but prior to embarking upon the research project, and the second following completion of all research and writing and involving the scrutiny of an external evaluator.

At the University of Saskatchewan, all graduate students are registered in the College of Graduate Studies and Research (CGSR) but are considered to be students of the academic unit or department offering their chosen programme. For this reason, the admission process for graduate students into Educational Administration MEd and PhD programming involves both the CGSR and the Department of Educational Administation. To understand more, please visit Admissions Process on the CGSR website.

Prospective students applying for admission into the Master's Thesis Programme in the Department of Educational Administration must follow the procedure outlined below:

• Complete the online application form;
• Pay the online application fee (more information is provided on the link to the application form);
• Send by email, or arrange to send hard copies (see address at bottom of this page), to the Department of Educational Administration each of the following:
  • a completed personal information form;
  • an official transcript of marks from all universities you have attended other than the University of Saskatchewan—we obtain University of Saskatchewan marks through internal student information systems;
  • an abbreviated resumé of your work history and professional activities;
  • official English language proficiency test score forms (if applicable);
  • a one to two page statement explaining why you are interested in pursuing Master's-level studies in the Department of Educational Administration;
  • three confidential letters of recommendation are to be submitted online by the referees. Referees are notified by email (when their name is entered in the online application) with instructions for completing and submitting their online letter. If a referee is unable to submit the online letter, the pdf version of GSR 101: Confidential Letter of Recommendation should be used. The hard copy of this reference letter must be received by the department, in a sealed envelope with the referee's signature across the sealed back;

Lead time is essential to ensure that all application and acceptance procedures are completed before the first course registration. The following deadlines will apply:

• April 30 for all September start-dates
• October 31 for all January start-dates
• January 31 for all Spring and Summer Session start-dates

After a student has been successfully admitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research, he/she is required to consult with the Department Head in Educational Administration to complete a Program of Studies document. The purpose of this document is to provide an agreed upon outline of each required and elective course to be taken within the student's programme in the Department. An appointment for a programme consultation meeting should be made as soon as possible following admission. For the information of prospective and new students, the minimum requirements for the Master's Thesis Programme in the Department of Educational Administration are outlined below.

Program Requirements

Every student must complete a minimum of 21 credit units (equivalent to 7 single-term [September through December or January through April] credit-based classes).

• The following 6 credit units and non-credit courses are prescribed as required courses: EADM 811.3, EADM 990.X, EADM 994.X, ERES 800.3 or ERES 810.3, and GSR 960.X
• Each student's program must include at least 12 credit units from among the following: EADM 812.3, EADM 813.3, EADM 816.3, EADM 819.3, EADM 820.3, EADM 821.3, EADM 825.3, EADM 826.3, EADM 829.3, EADM 834.3, EADM 835.3, EADM 836.3, EADM 892.3, EADM 894.3, EADM 895.3.
• The remaining 3 credit units are open electives and may be chosen from the above list (plus EADM 898.3) or from those courses offered by other departments on the approval of the Department Head.

Time Limit

The time limit for completing a program of studies is five years from the date of registration in the first course credited to the program.

Course Offerings

Information related to specific courses offered within the Department of Educational Administration is available from the University of Saskatchewan Catalogue.

Deadlines

Graduate studies are subject to a variety of deadlines, ranging from when assignments are due to deadlines for submission of theses or application for awards or grants. Students should be familiar with such deadlines and should abide by them. It is noted that deadlines imposed by the University or external agencies are not within Department control. The Department assumes no responsibility for the consequences of students not adhering to deadlines.

Graduate-Level Grading Policy

Evaluation of student performance in graduate-level writing is according to the following criteria and categories:

• 90-100% (or equivalent) An exceptional paper in all respects, and in addition, contains original, creative thought that is of publication quality.
• 85-89% (or equivalent) An excellent paper with respect to most or all criteria.
• 80-84% (or equivalent) A very good paper that meets most of the criteria very well.
• 75-79% (or equivalent) A good paper that meets some of the criteria very well, and remaining criteria adequately.
• 70-74% (or equivalent) A satisfactory paper that meets all the criteria adequately--competent, though not outstanding.
• 60-69% (or equivalent) A minimally acceptable paper that lacks originality (in that it imitates references too closely) or is deficient in three or more of the criteria.
• < 60% (or equivalent) Not acceptable. Indicative of a paper that is deficient on most of the listed criteria. Does not meet the standards required for writing at a graduate level.

Criteria employed in the evaluation of written submissions are provided below:

1. Research is evident, the student has reviewed literature that is relevant current and useful in understanding the topic. Not only books, but journals, monographs, research reports, and possibly non-print sources such as interviews, tapes, films, microfiche, and microfilm have been used.
2. Sources of information are acknowledged in an acceptable manner (i.e., APA 6th Edition has been correctly employed). The names of authors consulted are used in the text of the paper.
3. The paper says something substantive about the topic that is of value to the reader. The writer has been selective in the literature reviewed.
4. The writer's own input is evident, the ideas taken from the literature are utilized to make observations, discuss implications, develop generalizations and draw conclusions.
5. The paper is characterized by clarity simplicity, parsimony, and good English. It can be easily read and understood by a colleague.
6. The paper has overall quality. The writer understands the topic and displays an ability to organize, to analyze, to synthesize, to evaluate ideas, and to express thoughts fluently.

Evaluation of Teaching

Evaluation of teaching is a Departmental practice for all courses taught. During the last two weeks of each course, students are asked to complete an online questionnaire (SEEQ) rating the strengths and weaknesses of the course and instruction. An opportunity is also provided for comment. The Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) is found in PAWS under the Student Course Tools tab.

Information gathered is confidential. NSIDs are used only to validate course registration and to ensure that no one completes the same evaluation more than once. After the final grades have been approved and posted, a summary of the numeric responses along with any written comments are released to the Department Head and the instructor.