How to Get Admitted to OISE

The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education is one of Canada's best schools for teacher education.

OISE, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, is a graduate-level teacher education school that is part of the University of Toronto. Accordingly, OISE has a great reputation for teaching teachers and educating educators, preparing the next generation of teachers for the classroom.

If you want to become a teacher in Canada — especially in Ontario — OISE is one of the best places to earn your credentials. OISE offers many other programs, too, in everything from counselling psychology to social justice education, but here, we'll focus on the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, which offers Master of Teaching and Masters of Education degrees. If you're not sure which department or program is right for you, OISE offers a handy program finder to sort through your options.

Master of Teaching (MT)

The Master of Teaching (MT) is a full-time two-year master's degree that prepares you for the classroom. To be admitted, you'll need a bachelor's degree with decent marks — at least a 75% or so, generally — and, for bonus points, experience working with groups of learners. This might be through a volunteer position or past work experience.

Throughout your MT degree, you'll undertake many academic courses, as well as four practice teaching placements. You'll take part in observation days, as well as two practicums, which are four-week full-time classroom experiences where you'll be paired with an Associate Teacher who can help guide your classroom practice.

You'll have a choice to make about your concentration, too.

Primary-Junior: Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6

This is the youngest group of learners, and there aren't any additional prerequisites for this group. As a teacher, you'll work with kids in the lower grade levels.

Junior-Intermediate: Grade 4 - Grade 10

For this concentration, you'll need to choose a "teachable" or "teaching subject," which is your area of focus as a teacher. Learn more about teachables below.

Intermediate-Senior: Grade 7 - Grade 12

This is the most advanced concentration, covering all of high school. You'll need two "teachables" or "teaching subjects" to qualify for the intermediate-senior concentration.

Teachables / Teaching Subjects

"Teachables" are your area of focus as a teacher. You may be interested in drama, math, history, music, science, and so on. Both Junior-Intermediate and Intermediate-Senior have specific prerequisites for teachables — be sure you meet these prereqs before choosing a concentration!

Master of Education (MEd)

The Master of Education (MEd) designation prepares you for advanced study in teaching and learning. At OISE, many departments offer MEd degrees, depending on your interest — from counselling psychology to social justice education.

Though aimed at teachers who want to build and expand their practice, and perhaps become school administrators or researchers someday, the MEd isn't just for educators. If you're interested in policy leadership, consulting, or child advocacy, an MEd might be the right fit for you.

Each MEd has its own admission requirements and can be pursued full- or part-time. Many programs are still open for application!

Whether you aspire to become a classroom teacher, or you want to broaden your knowledge and understanding of contemporary education practices, OISE is one of Canada's premiere institutions for learning about learning. Learn more about OISE at the University of Toronto.