Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy
Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy Overview
Please note: Effective September 2023, admissions to the Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy (CSEP) have been suspended due to the CSEP closure (approved by OISE Council on April 26, 2023).
If you are interested in studying educational policy analysis and program evaluation in K-12 (elementary and secondary) schools, please consider applying to the Educational Leadership and Policy program; or in post-secondary (college and university) settings, please consider applying to the Higher Education program
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education's Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy (CSEP) is perfect for students interested in educational policy development and implementation with particular emphasis on improving educational processes.
CSEP provides students with exposure to exciting cross-field and cross-disciplinary approaches to educational problem-framing and problem-solving to broaden the possibilities for innovative and effective policy analysis.
What the CSEP offers:
- The multidisciplinary perspective of seven collaborating home programs.
- The graduate courses Educational Policy Analysis (formerly titled Educational Policy and Program Evaluation) (EDP3045) and Methodological Approaches for Researching Education Policy [RM] (formerly titled Advanced Issues in Educational Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation) (EDP3145).
- Once a month seminars on a wide range of topics related to educational policy.
- Upon successful completion of the degree requirements of the participating home department and the collaborative specialization, students receive the notation “Completed the Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy on their transcript."
- For students enrolled prior to September 2017, the notation will read “program,” not “specialization.”
- Access to educators and researchers with policy expertise from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, other educational institutions, publications, and cross-specialization research initiatives.
Participating Degree Programs
The Collaborative Specialization in CSEP is open to students enrolled in the following programs:
| Program | Department | Eligible Degrees |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Education & Community Development | Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education | MA, MEd, PhD |
| Curriculum Studies & Teacher Development | Department of Curriculum, Teaching & Learning | MA, MEd, PhD |
| Developmental Psychology & Education | Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development | MA, MEd, PhD, EdD |
| Educational Leadership & Policy | Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education | MA, MEd, PhD, EdD |
| Higher Education | Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education | MA, MEd, PhD, EdD |
| Language & Literacies Education | Department of Curriculum, Teaching & Learning | MA, MEd, PhD |
| Social Justice Education | Department of Social Justice Education | MA, MEd, PhD, EdD |
CSEP Seminar Series (2022-2023)
This years Collaborative Specialization in Education Policy's 2022-2023 Seminar Series, will be occurring once a month on Thursdays starting in October and ending in May. Each seminar will be taking place from 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM (EST), unless otherwise mentioned. Seminar information will be sent out via the ListServ and will include the Zoom link and/or room location depending on the format. Please check back often, as this section is regularly updated.
Please note, seminar attendance is mandatory and CSEP students are required to attend all seminars in the 2022-2023 academic year, to be held from October 27, 2022 to May 18, 2023. CSEP Seminar Calendar 2022-2023 (Coming Soon).
Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy Admission Requirements
All students must apply to and be accepted by both a home degree program and the collaborative specialization.
Students who know they are interested in CSEP at the time of their initial application to their home graduate program should indicate this on their application and indicate to referees that their letters of support will be used in application for both the home program and collaborative specialization.
In addition to corresponding to all home program requirements, the application statement of intent should include:
- Relevant personal and/or professional experiences, a career plan, motivation in seeking admission to CSEP.
- An indication of specific courses of interest.
- For thesis and doctoral students, a brief outline of possible areas of interest.
- For thesis and doctoral students, indication of preference of supervisor.
Additional Program Information
Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) website for the Collaborative Specialization in Educational Policy Course List.
| Department | Participating Faculty |
|---|---|
| Department of Applied Psychology & Human Development |
|
| Department of Curriculum, Teaching & Learning |
|
| Department of Leadership, Higher & Adult Education |
|
| Department of Social Justice Education |
|
All students enrolled in the CSEP must complete the requirements of CSEP, in addition to the requirements of their home degree program.
The required half-course for CSEP may also be counted as an elective in students' home programs. The CSEP Committee is responsible for certifying the completion of the collaborative specialization requirements. The home graduate unit is solely responsible for the approval of the student's home degree requirements.
Doctoral Students in CSEP
- Take the core half-course, Educational Policy Analysis (formerly titled Educational Policy and Program Evaluation) (EDP3045)
- Complete the core half-course, Methodological Approaches for Researching Education Policy [RM] (formerly titled Advanced Issues in Educational Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation) (EDP3145)
- Attend the CESP Seminar Series over two consecutive sessions (i.e: all seminars in Fall and Winter). CSEP Seminars occur once a month, attendance is required.
- Are encouraged, but not required, to consider one or more elective half courses in the area of educational policy selected from the electives course list.
- Take the remaining courses for the fulfillment of the degree requirements of the home program.
- Are required to complete a thesis which incorporates educational policy issues. A member of CSEP's core faculty will serve as supervisor or committee member.
CSEP Graduation Form
- Students who have completed their collaborative specialization requirements are required to fill out the CSEP Graduation Form.
- Email the complete CSEP graduation form to oise.cepp@utoronto.ca for review. We will acquire the necessary signatures before sending it to the Registrar's Office.
All students enrolled in the CSEP must complete the requirements of CSEP, in addition to the requirements of their home degree program.
The required half-course for CSEP may also be counted as an elective in students' home programs. The CSEP Committee is responsible for certifying the completion of the collaborative specialization requirements. The home graduate unit is solely responsible for the approval of the student's home degree requirements.
All Master's Students in CSEP
- Take the core half-course, Educational Policy Analysis (formerly titled Educational Policy and Program Evaluation) (EDP3045)
- Attend the CESP Seminar Series over two consecutive sessions (i.e: all seminars in Fall and Winter). CSEP Seminars occur once a month, attendance is required.
- Take the remaining courses for the fulfillment of the degree requirements of the home program.
- Enrolled in home programs requiring a master's research project or thesis will be required to incorporate educational policy issues in their research; a member of the collaborative specialization core faculty will serve as supervisor or committee member.
Master of Arts (MA) Students
- Are encouraged, but not required, to enrol in an elective half-course from CSEP course list.
Master of Education (MEd) Students
- Course-only MEd students must take two electives from the CESP course list.
- MEd students enrolled prior to September 2017 are encouraged, but not required, to take an elective half course from the CSEP course list.
CSEP Graduation Form
- Students who have completed their collaborative specialization requirements are required to fill out the CSEP Graduation Form.
- Email the complete CSEP graduation form to oise.cepp@utoronto.ca for review. We will acquire the necessary signatures before sending it to the Registrar's Office.
Specialization Director
Associate Professor Anna Katyn Chmielewski
Email: ak.chmielewski@utoronto.ca
Program Administrator
Email: oise.cepp@utoronto.ca
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