Below are a few of the questions we get asked, frequently:

Courses and Programs:

I’ve been accepted, now what?
Please read through the items below:

• Visit the School of Graduate Studies, website for initial steps to follow as a new graduate student.
• Set up and use your @mun.ca e-mail account as all official Memorial University and program information and correspondence goes to @mun e-mail accounts.
• Consult the University Calendar for Regulations Governing the Degree of Master of Education
  Consult the University Calendar Diary for important dates and deadlines each semester
  Refer to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs website for registration information each semester.
• Register for the courses on registration day by logging into Memorial Self-Service. Only register for courses outlined on the Program of Study form received at admittance

Does a Masters degree entitle graduates to teach in Newfoundland and Labrador?

No. Successful completion of the MEd does not make the degree-holder eligible for Newfoundland and Labrador Teaching Certification teacher certification as these are issued by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. To be recommended for certification, students must have completed a Bachelor of Education Degree.

What courses are required for my program?
Required courses for a given program are outlined on programs of study provided upon acceptance, or by visiting the Faculty of Education website. If you still have questions about your program, please contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs and provide your student number to arrange an advising session. Program fees only cover the cost of courses required for the program.

How do I register for courses?
On-program students are responsible for their own registration via Memorial Self-Service. For information on registration, the following websites are excellent resources: Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs, School of Graduate Studies and the Office of the Registrar. Only accepted students can register for Faculty of Education graduate level courses. For information on how to apply, visit the Faculty of Education page.

How do I know what courses are being offered for a given semester?
Visit our website prior to the start of the registration period each semester. Click on Course & Registration Info menu on the left hand side of the page. Register for Education 9000 in your first semester or when returning from a leave of absence (ED 9000 is not a course it merely identifies you as a Graduate student in the Memorial University computer system. By not registering for ED9000, students risk termination from the graduate program or risk being unable to register for subsequent semesters.)

What textbooks are required for my courses?
Textbooks can be ordered through the Memorial University Bookstore. To view textbook order information for the winter 2020-2021 semester, click here.

What courses can I do as electives? How do I register for courses?
The Faculty of Education, Academic Programs Office website provides a listing of course offerings each semester. This document lists course reference numbers (CRN#), instructors, class times, etc. Under the CRN number there is an acronym for the programs (i.e., EDLS, CTLS, CP, EDTC (formerly IT), PSST, DPSS). Most courses are restricted to program groups and students in those particular programs have priority. For open electives courses, students can do any of the courses for their program group or the courses without the acronym under the CRN number, as they are open to all graduate students. Permission to do other program group courses as electives is also granted, if spaces are available after program group students register – normally after waitlist deactivation (approximately two weeks after the start of registration).

How do I request a waiver to register for a course?
If a waiver is required, please contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs. Ensure you provide your student and course number. Each request is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

How many courses can I take each semester?
A part-time student, as per Calendar Regulation 13.2 Program of Study, can register for a maximum of three credit hours (1 course) in the fall and winter semesters and a maximum of six credit hours (2 courses) in the Spring/Summer session. A student on full-time status can register for a maximum of 12 credit hours (4 courses).

Note: A full-time graduate student is one who (a) registers as such, (b) devotes full-time to his or her academic program and (c) does not commit more than 24 hours a week working time, including teaching assistant or research assistant duties, to matters other than the degree program.

Can I take extra courses?
Permission to do extra courses is not granted for full-time students and normally only granted in very extenuating circumstances for part-time students. Please contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs and provide them with your student number, a rationale and supporting documentation to support your request.

I want to register in a specific course but the section is full. Whom can I contact?
For the first two weeks of registration, students are required to be on waitlists if not successful in getting in courses. We cannot place students in courses that have been filled; however, by waitlisting it enables us to see where the need is and to determine if additional sections can be added. When directed to a waitlist when you register for a course, please ensure that you press the submit changes button at the bottom of the screen and confirm that you are indeed waitlisted for your course(s) before exiting the system. Waitlists identify need. If resources are available, the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs will add additional sections and those on the waitlist, not at their maximum credit hours, will get priority. We also use the waitlist to determine whether students have any courses. Once waitlists deactivate, registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis if space opens. Therefore, once waitlists are closed, you should continue to check Self-Service in case a space becomes available as students frequently drop and switch courses until the end of the registration period. Therefore, we encourage you to continue to check self-service during this time, up to the first week of classes.

I get an error message when I try to register for a specific course that I want for my degree. What can I do?
Program group courses are only available to students in that particular program or cohort. Permission to do other program group courses is dependant on space availability after the specific program group register. Elective courses are open to everyone. For assistance with registration issues, please contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs and provide them with your student number and the applicable course(s) as well as the error you are receiving.

The last course for my degree is not offered in the current semester. What do I do?
Students can request a leave of absence for that semester which will put their program and fees on hold. Forward the completed and signed form to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs for approval.
For more information, please contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs and provide them with your student number and the applicable course(s).

What is the timeline to add/drop courses?
Specfic important dates and deadlines regarding adding and dropping courses is available in the University Calendar Diary.

How do I make changes to my program (e.g. change route, status, or add a supervisor)?
Program changes require the submission of the correct form for departmental approval. Submit completed forms to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs for processing. A change of status form is required to switch from part to full-time (or vise versa). When switching to full-time status, an official letter confirming part-time employment is required. A confirmed supervisor is required to switch from the course route to the thesis, project, paperfolio and internship routes. When a faculty member agrees to supervise, students must complete and submit a change of program form. Both the student and supervisor signatures are required on the form.  

Can I transfer credits from another institution to a graduate education program at Memorial?
Students are permitted to transfer up to 30%, if the courses were not used to satisfy another degree as per Calendar Regulation 4.4.8. Transfer of Course Credits. Confirmation from the university that the course is a graduate level course is required, along with an official and complete course syllabus. The syllabus must show content and a complete evaluation scheme from the attended university to determine if it is a suitable elective to the M.Ed. program. To request an advising session and discuss your options for transfer credit, please contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs.

How can I transfer programs (e.g., from Curriculum, Teaching and Learning to Educational Leadership Studies)?
To transfer programs, a rationale outlining the reason for transferring is required to be submitted to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs. This request is evaluated by the program group and if approved, forwarded to the School of Graduate Studies for processing. With exception is the Counselling Psychology program. To transfer to the Counselling Psychology program, students are required to submit a new application that would be evaluated along with all applicants for a given competition.

How do I transfer from the graduate diploma program to the master’s program?
To transfer from the graduate diploma to the masters program, a formal request in writing is all that is required to be submitted to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs when your registered for the third course in your program. If the diploma is not conferred, the courses and the money paid to date will transfer; however, a differential fee will be charged to align with the master’s program. If the diploma is conferred, only the courses will transfer.

What happens if I do not register and/or fail a course?
Grounds for termination of a graduate program are outlined in the Memorial University Calendar: Regulation 4.13 Termination of a Graduate Program and 4.7 Evaluation.

Can I take a semester off?
As per Regulation 4.3., all graduate students are to enrol each semester until they meet all degree requirements, except for approved leaves of absences. Students are responsible for all fees each semester whether registered in courses or not. A leave of absence request is required to refrain from paying fees for a given semester. Students can request a leave of absence that will put their program and fees on hold for up to one year if approved. Forward the completed and signed form to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs for approval. Ensure to include leave start and end dates in month/day/year format.

How do I withdraw from a graduate program?
In some cases, a leave of absence may be all that is required. If you wish to discuss your options, contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs. However, if a withdrawal is necessary or preferred, submit your request in writing to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs.  Consult the University Calendar Diary for important dates and deadlines.

I withdrew/terminated from a graduate program; what is the procedure for reinstatement?
In order to be considered for reinstatement, the Associate Dean will require the following:

• A letter with an explanation of how your situation has changed (as applicable) that will allow you to meet the obligations of your masters program.
• A proposed plan/time frame to successful completion.

What is required when writing a thesis?
Thesis guidelines are available online on the School of Graduate Studies website.

Supervisor/Advisor

A faculty advisor is assigned upon admission. This person is not your supervisor. The advisor’s name is listed on the program of study form provided with your admission letter.

Do I need a supervisor?
A supervisor is required for the thesis, project, paperfolio and internship routes. It is not necessary to have a supervisor in place before applying to the graduate program.  However, once accepted, a confirmed supervisor is required to switch from the course route to the thesis, project, paperfolio and internship routes.

How do I find a thesis supervisor?
A student should explore the research areas of faculty members for a potential supervisor. A supervisor should have the same or similar research interests to your intened area of study. Please consult the Faculty of Education directory and/or the School of Graduate Studies website for direction.

Graduation and program completion

Who can advise on required courses for Graduation?
The Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs can provide you with an unofficial audit to outline the courses you have remaining in your program. To request an unofficial audit, please contact us. Please ensure to include your student number. Third party official audits (e.g. for a funding agency) are provided by the School of Graduate Studies.

My thesis has been examined, how do I make a final submission to graduate?
For final submission of a thesis, a student needs to:

• Apply for convocation
• Consult the University Calendar Diary for deadline dates
• Supervisor signs the Recommendation for the Award of a Graduate Degree form and submits it the Faculty of Education, Academic Programs Office
• An electronic copy of the thesis and any associated supplementary files uploaded to the University Library using the e-thesis submission form in my.mun.ca portal.
• Instructions are available on the School of Graduate Studies page. Once uploaded, a confirmation email sent to @mun.ca email account once thesis successfully submitted. (The final version of your thesis should be in PDF/A format [needed for the long-term archiving of electronic theses] and use the following naming convention: lastname_firstname_middlename_finalsubmissionyear_finalsubmissionmonthandyear_degree.pdf (e.g., Smith_John_James_122013_PhD.pdf).

There is a balance owing on my account. Am I required to pay?
Students on the Faculty of Education, Master of Education programs pay a program fee not a per course fee. Students choose a payment plan when accepted. If a student completes the program in less than the semesters they sign-up for, they still have to pay the remaining semesters (for example if you sign-up for six semesters but finish in four you will still need to pay the two remaining semesters). Also, if you go over the number of semesters, you will be required to pay a continuance fee. When a student successfully completes their program and the School of Graduate Studies are notified, the Financial and Administrative Services Office adjusts the student’s account accordingly.

How do I obtain a letter for Teacher Certification?
Program audits are completed after the official release of grades. If all requirements are met, the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs forwards an award of degree form to the School of Graduate Studies. The School of Graduate Studies will mail an official letter to students indicating the requirements for the degree are completed. Students can then send this letter to Teacher Certification. Information on graduation procedures is available on the School of Graduate Studies website.

How do I request a transcript?
Unofficial and official transcript requests are available through Memorial Self-Service. Such requests are handled by the Registrar’s Office.

I am not attending convocation, how do I obtain my degree?
Visit the Registrar’s Office page for instructions.

Can I do courses for Level 7 Certification?
Registration in courses for Level 7 certification is considered special permission.  Permission to complete education courses is sometimes given to non-program students after on-program students register. We have a special permissions request review process via the Academic Programs Office. In assessing each request, we take into account a number of things such as, but not limited to, whether the course is available to non-program students, if there are pre-requisites/co-requisites required, etc.  If you are interested in registering for graduate level courses by special permission, the following criteria must be met:

• The student must be enrolled in, or have completed, a Masters program.
• The student must provide “proof” in the form of an official letter of enrollment from the registrar of the University or an official transcript of Masters completion. (If completed through Memorial University of Newfoundland only your student number is required).

If all of the previous conditions have been met, the following applies:

• The student must be eligible for registration. This means if you have not completed courses at this University in the past THREE semesters you must apply or reapply. You will be applying for the General Undergraduate Application. Please see the Registrar's Office website for application deadlines.
• Forward a completed “Course Change Form” to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs. By submitting this form, you are agreeing to be registered if space is available. Therefore, it is the student’s responsibility to check their my.mun.ca accounts frequently to see if the registration was processed and to ensure any associated fees are paid by the set deadlines.

PLEASE NOTE: Such requests can take until the end of the registration period each semester to be finalized. A seat is not guaranteed. The student will be given permission after all current on program students have registered and provided that there is space available in the course of choice.

Deferred exam, absence, or special accommodations

I require accommodation for exams. How do I arrange this?
The Blundon Centre offers accommodations for students and support around learning accessibility. Students requiring support should communicate with The Blundon Centre at their earliest opportunity. Information on Memorial's policy for students with disabilities is available here.

Whom do I contact if I am going to miss some classes?
Contact the course instructor to inform them of any class time that you are expecting to miss.

I missed a test/exam due to illness or other cause. How do I request a deferred exam?
For online course exams: visit the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning page.  Midterm exams on campus: Contact course instructor; provide supporting documentation.
For final exams on campus: Complete the application for deferred exam form and submit it to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs within one week of the original date of the exam.

I have a medical issue and I cannot complete my classes this semester. What can I do?
Contact the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs to discuss your situation.

Tuition, Scholarships and Extra-curricular activities

What is the graduate program tuition and fees?
Students in graduate programs at Memorial choose a Payment Plan when accepted. They do not pay a per course fee. Full-time students normally follow Payment Plan A and part-time students follow Plan B. Plan C is only available to Master of Education, Educational Technology students with advanced standing. Changes to payment plans can only be made in the first semester of a program. The payment plan fees only cover the courses outlined on the program of study. If a student completes the program in less than the semesters they sign-up for, they still have to pay the remaining semesters (for example if you sign for 6 semesters but finish in 4 you will still need to pay the 2 remaining semesters). Also, if you go over the number of semesters, you will be required to pay a continuance fee. The charges do not include books, insurance, housing, Distance Education and Special Delivery Fee, etc. The School of Graduate Studies website outlines the graduate tuition and an estimated cost of living.

Recreation Fees: Graduate students completing online courses do not have to pay the recreation fee. This also includes those who are part of an off-campus cohort or those doing thesis research off campus. Usually the system will recognize a distance course or a non-campus course registration and exempt students automatically. However, students not automatically exempted will have to apply for an exemption by submitting an exemption form. Submit completed forms to the Faculty of Education, Office of Academic Programs for processing. Students taking even one course on campus must pay the fee but are able to take advantage of the recreation facilities.

Is there any funding for graduate students?
Depending on funding availability, graduate fellowships are available for two years from the start date of a student’s program. The rate is approximately $3000.00 for the first year of study and $6000.00 for the second year. Students must meet the academic credentials (full-time, thesis route with an undergraduate average of at least 75%). Graduate Assistantships are also available, depending funding availability, during the fall and winter semesters. The amount of Graduate Assistantship is $1333 per semester for 60 hours of work with a professor. Students may also apply to work with faculty on research grants where funding is available.

Unfortunately, funding is not guaranteed; therefore, students should be prepared to pay for all necessary expenses (program fees, textbooks, accommodations, utilities, meals, living supplies, etc.) for the duration of their program.

Where can I find Scholarships that are available for Education students?
You can find that information on our Education Scholarshipspage.

How can I get involved in clubs, societies and committees in the faculty?

Visit our Faculty of Education Student Societies page. Education Societies are student run and organized. We encourage students to work together to form their societies. Information about other groups may be circulated over email at the beginning of the academic year.

The Faculty of Education looks for student representatives on a number of committees. If you are interested in sitting on a committee, please contact the Office of Academic Programs to express your interest.  

Where can I find volunteer/leadership opportunities on/off campus that may or may not be associated with the faculty?
Work and volunteer opportunities are frequently circulated through student listservs (email) while you are completing your program. We also circulate much of this information through social media. Keep checking your email and social media accounts for different opportunities.

If you are looking forsomething specific, our staff may be able to assist. You can contact the Office of Academic Programs if you have any questions.

How do I opt out of the Graduate Listserv?
To unsubscribe from the gradsociety listserv, email us (with a blank subject) containing just the following in the body of the email:

Unsubscribe gradsociety

Please note: you will need to use the email account that you used to sign up.