From a single Master’s to a suite of programs: 40 years of excellence in graduate studies
The 2024/25 academic year marks the 40th anniversary of excellence in graduate programming at the University of Lethbridge, a legacy that began with the first graduate program—the Master of Education (MEd).
While the inaugural Master of Education cohort had just 12 students, Faculty of Education graduate programs have grown considerably since 1994, reaching over 250 active students in the late 1990s and a current enrolment average of 190 students. Over the years, Faculty of Education programs have evolved to meet demand, foster innovative educators and reflect changes in professional standards. This is reflected in the Faculty's introduction of a Counselling Psychology specialization in 1999, an added Educational Leadership specialization and a partnership with the University of Calgary and Athabasca University to offer a Master of Counselling (MC) program in 2002. A further stride was taken in 2016 as the Faculty opened the first intake for a PhD in Education.
As the educational landscape continues to change, the Faculty undertook a major revision of the MEd (General), relaunching the program as MEd (Contemporary Issues in Education), looking to keep pace with modern educational challenges. The revamped program uses a thematic cohort model and features a blend of core courses and specialized electives focused on current issues. The cohort theme for 2025 is "Complex Realities of Contemporary Schooling".
Additional changes have been made to the PhD program to accommodate annual intakes of new doctoral students, a move designed to ensure a continuous community of inquiry, where doctoral candidates at different stages can learn from and support one another, further enriching the research culture in the Faculty of Education. The shift to yearly admissions also looks to open the door for more educational professionals and researchers to pursue doctorates each year.
A new Master of Clinical and Counselling Psychology program is being developed and will replace the current MEd (Counselling Psychology) program. The new degree is being developed to meet the College of Alberta Psychologists’ forthcoming enhanced standards for assessment and psychodiagnostics.
Over the past 40 years, more than 1,900 students have completed their graduate degrees in the Faculty of Education: 1,365 (Master of Education), 286 (Counselling Psychology), 263 (Master of Counselling) and 6 (PhD in Education). Take the next step in your educational journey and consider pursuing a Master of Education. Applications for the MEd (Leadership) and MEd (Contemporary Issues in Education) programs remain open until May 15 for a July 2025 start.