Master of Arts in Language & Literacies Education

The Language & Literacies Education program is designed for flexibility. Choose courses that best meet your needs. The program details are as follows:

• The LLE MA degree normally requires eight completed courses and a Masters thesis. Additional courses may be required of some candidates.

• Students are required to successfully complete CTL3001H – Research Colloquium in Language and Literacies Education and a course in research methods from the LLE approved research methods course list. 

• At least four of the courses must be Language & Literacies Education courses. LLE courses are identified with CTL3000-level course codes (i.e CTL3000H to CTL3999H) and Special Topics courses in LLE are identified as CTL5300H to CTL5699H (Masters Level) and CTL6300H to CTL6999H (Doctoral Level). The remaining courses are electives. The remaining courses are electives.

• Non-LLE courses (if you choose to take them) can include Masters-level courses from the Curriculum & Pedagogy program or courses from any other OISE departments: Social Justice Education, Applied Psychology & Human Development, and Leadership, Higher, and Adult Education. 

The LLE MA Program offers a wide variety of courses. Our classes typically consist of 15 to 25 students. 

The LLE MA can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students are required to take at least two couses (or maximum of three) in the fall session and at least two courses (or a maximum of three) in the winter session. Part-time students may take a maximum of one course per session. A typical course involves 12 classes. During the fall and winter session, a class will meet once each week. The summer session has a first term (May to June) and a second term (July to August), during which time if you choose to take courses, classes meet twice a week for six weeks per term. Classes are normally scheduled for the early evening (e.g., 5pm to 8pm) or the early afternoon (e.g., 1pm to 4pm), Monday through Thursday. We also offer a large selection of online courses, which allow you to participate from home.

Interested in interdisciplinary study?

UofT offers collaborative specializations which involve the cooperation of two or more graduate units (i.e. departments, programs, or centres). Students admitted to LLE have the opportunity to discover the research possibilities available with the following collaborative programs: 

• Comparative, International & Development Education
• Education, Francophonies and Diversity
• Ethnic, Immigration and Pluralism Studies
• Knowledge Media Design
• Sexual Diversity Studies
• Women and Gender Studies

Regrettably, our Full-Time Funded Master of Arts program cannot accept International applicants at this time.  However, the Department may consider applications from international applicants where home governments, international organizations or funding agencies can provide them with funding. The funding must minimally have the value and duration of the graduate funding package that is offered and should be indicated on the application. Please review the Graduate Funding Package website. 

International students are invited to apply to the Part-Time Master of Arts program or the Master of Education (Full-Time or Part-Time) program. Any international applications for the Full-Time MA program will automatically be redirected to the Full-Time M.Ed. program for consideration.

For more on international student admissions please review International Applicants on the OISE Registrar's office website.

• SGS Guide to Supervision
• OISE's oral examination guidelines
• The Role of the Literature Review
• The Qualitative Dissertation Proposal (Article by Professor Emeritus Brent Kilbourn)
• Student to Scholar Research Modules

The following is the result of a question and answer (Q&A) discussion which took place following a LLE Open House presentation.

Is there a part-time option for this program?
Yes, students can choose part-time or full-time registration status and choose maximum course load based on your registration status. See the OISE Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE) for maximum course load.

How do students find a thesis supervisor?
At the point of admission successful applicants to the LLE MA are assigned a Faculty Advisor whom you can speak with if you have questions regarding program requirements, course selection etc.  Your Faculty Advisor will often become your Thesis Supervisor, however if you find that your academic interests necessitate that you work with a different faculty member as thesis supervisor, your faculty advisor will help you to find an appropriate faculty member to take on that role.

What should I include in my resumé?
Your resumé should describe your education history (both academic and professional), research experience, employment history (including names of employers, job titles, position responsibilities, dates employed, whether full- or part-time), awards, business and professional achievements, community activities, as well as any special skills.

If unable to provide an academic reference, would two professional ones work instead? 
While a minimum of two letters of reference – one academic and one professional – should be included in your application, sometimes applicants experience difficulty obtaining a letter of reference. For example, if you graduated many years ago and have since not been active in an academic setting you may be unable to call upon a university instructor with whom you studied. You're strongly encouraged to obtain one academic and one professional letter of reference, but you may submit an alternative combination such as two reference letters from a professional source. Tip: for two professional letters direct the most suitable referee to include comments pertaining to your intellectual abilities and potential. 

Can you switch to Part-Time or Full-Time half way?
Yes, you can request to change your registration status from Part-Time to Full-Time or Full-Time to Part-Time. MA Part-Time students who wish to change to Full-Time may only request the change after completing the first year of study.  You must contact your Registration Specialist in the OISE Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE) and make the request to change your registration status. Please keep in mind that changing your registration status will affect your registration fees; contact your Registration Specialist of details: oise.registration@utoronto.ca.

Can I complete the MA at a distance?
You can do that.  Although not guaranteed, there are normally enough courses available online to complete the degree.

What are collaborative specializations?
Collaborative Specialization programs are created by participating graduate units to explore a novel interdisciplinary area or special development that crosses a number of disciplines.  If you are admitted into a graduate program that participates in a collaborative specialization; many of which are actually University of Toronto wide specializations to which CTL is very closely connected; you can apply to a collaborative specialization, but you need to apply to them directly.  If you review our website, and websites of affiliated collaborative specializations, you’ll see LLE participates in a number of collaborative specializations. 

I have a question about language proficiency. I’ve been working as an occasional teacher for four years here, but finished education outside of Canada. Do I still need to prove language proficiency?
As English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the University of Toronto, applicants must demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in English, regardless of their citizenship status or country of origin. It is important that these students follow School of Graduate Studies (SGS) policies on English Language Proficiency (ELP) testing requirements and take one of the required tests for admission to a graduate program.  Applicants from universities outside Canada where English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of their application.

The determination of whether an English language proficiency test is required is determined by the admissions division of the OISE Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE), but only after the application has been submitted.  Visit the SGS webpage on English language proficiency for more information.

What is the difference between Masters of Teaching degree and the LLE MA?
The Master of Teaching is actually a different program.  That is our teaching program which offers a master's degree and Ontario Teaching Certification for classroom teaching.  This is a program where if you wanted to go into teaching as a career you would pursue a master's degree there.  That is not an option in our Language & Literacies in Education program.  

What happens after I submit my applications?
Once you've completed your application, understand what happens next by visiting After Submitting Your Application. 

I was offered admission, what are my next steps?
Applicants who receive an official "Offer of Admission" result letter can view the Newly Admitted Students webpage for information on next steps.