Master of Education in Adult Learning and Education (MEd)

Overview

The mission of the Adult Learning and Education graduate program at UBC is to contribute to the creation, elaboration, exchange and application of knowledge concerning the education and learning of adults in diverse contexts. This includes the development of scholars and reflective practitioners who will shape society and its institutions in ways that promote lifelong education and learning for all in critical ways.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

The Adult Learning and Education (ALE) program is the oldest graduate adult education program in Canada with historical roots in traditions of social welfare, community development and extension education. ALE is concerned with the development of scholars and practitioners who will shape society in ways that promote lifelong learning for all. Our ALE program challenges students to understand the diverse contexts in which adult learning occurs and their role in these from a wide variety of theoretical, conceptual and philosophical perspectives.

Program Structure

The M.Ed. program is considered a professional degree for people who wish to work as practitioners in any adult education setting, most often as instructors, program planners, consultants or administrators. It is a 30-credit program with required and elective courses.

All on-campus master's students take a core of 9 credits of the following adult learning and education courses:

EDST 503 (3)
EDST 514 (3)
EDST 518 (3)

These core courses are supplemented with electives that allow students to deepen their study of adult learning and education or to explore topics and issues addressed elsewhere in the department and the university that have implications for adult learning and education.

Students must also take a 3-credit research methods course approved by their pro-tem advisor (for available options, refer to the Program’s website).

To complete their 30-credit program, students can a) complete 15 credits of electives and the 3-credit graduating paper (EDST 590); or b) complete 18 credits of electives.

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Education

Academic Unit Department of Educational Studies

Specialization Adult Learning and Education

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Program Components Coursework + Options

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: 8,043.27 | International: 17,034.40

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Fees	Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat	International
Application Fee	$118.50	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$2,681.09	$5,678.12
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$8,043.27	$17,034.36
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible)		$1,500.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)	$1,144.10 (approx.)
Costs of living	Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.

Program Funding Packages

We do not offer any scholarships within the department for our MEd programs, however you can check out the information on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate Awards website about possible funding opportunities.

Funding Statistics

Within this program 10 students received funding in the form of teaching or research assistantships or internal or external awards averaging $16,000.

1 student received an internal award valued at $16,000.

Study Period: Sep 2018 to Aug 2019 - average funding for full-time students enrolled in at least two terms per academic year in this program (Year 1 to 2).
Teaching Assistantships exclude lectureships; Internal Awards = awards funded from UBC budget; External Awards = government and other funding paid through UBC. Other funding (employment income, work learn, co-op, government sponsorship, independent research agencies, etc.) are not included. Please note that these historical values cannot speak to anticipated changes in future years.

Employer support

Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Master of Education in Adult Learning and Education (MEd). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Applications	90	85	98	74	61
Offers	26	24	29	17	25
New Enrolment	13	11	17	11	14
Total Enrolment	30	26	29	26	25

Completion Rates & Times

This program has a graduation rate of 98% based on 53 students admitted between 2015 - 2018. Based on 51 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 0.68 years and the maximum time is 5.8 years with an average of 1.7 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.

Disclaimer

Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new enrolment for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.

Program Website

Apply Now

Apply for September 2026

If you don't have a UBC Campus-Wide Login (CWL) please create an account first.

September 2026 Intake

Application Open Date1 August 2025

Canadian Applicant Deadline1 February 2026

International Applicant Deadline1 February 2026

Program Enquiries

If you have reviewed the information on this program page and understand the requirements for this program, you may send an enquiry

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.

Master of Education in Adult Learning and Education (MEd)

Overview

What makes the program unique?

Program Structure

Quick Facts

Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

English Language Test

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Other Test Scores

Prior degree, course and other requirements

2) Meet Deadlines

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

Letters of Reference

Statement of Interest

Supervision

Citizenship Verification

4) Apply Online

Research Information

Research Focus

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

Program Funding Packages

Funding Statistics

Employer support

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Foreign government scholarships

Working while studying

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Cost Estimator

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates & Times

Disclaimer

Related Programs

Same specialization

Same Academic Unit

At the UBC Okanagan Campus

Further Information

Specialization

UBC Calendar

Program Website

Faculty

Academic Unit

Program Identifier

Classification

Apply Now

September 2026 Intake

Program Enquiries

Social Media Channels

Considering UBC for your graduate studies?