Post-Secondary Education
Contributions to Post-Secondary Education in Canada
Post-Secondary Education within the Faculty of Education at Memorial University plays a critical role in preparing post-secondary instructors, institutional administrators, curriculum designers, health care practitioners, student affairs and services practitioners, policy makers, and more.
Beginning in 1974, the Faculty of Education assumed responsibility for instructor education for the preparation of vocational and adult education instructors in Newfoundland and Labrador. This program included the courses required for the Instructor’s Certificate as well as the Diploma in Adult Learning and Post-Secondary Education. In 1998, Memorial University introduced academic regulations that replaced the vocational education programs with the current post-secondary education programs.
Memorial University was among the first to offer programs in the post-secondary education field in Canada with its Master’s in Post-Secondary Education with a Specialization in Student Affairs and Services. Memorial University has been foundational in the development of this profession and our libraries house the archive of the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) historical documents pertaining to student affairs and services in Canada and its founding organizations.
The Canadian and provincial contexts for post-secondary education are vitally important to our programs. We examine and adjust our programs and services to work with post-secondary stakeholders to ensure programs are sensitive to the changing needs of this sector of education.
Working to maintain Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador's legacy as the foundation of student affairs and services in Canada. We are maintaining and building on this groundwork through the development of new credentials and pathways for student affairs and services professionals. In 2024, we launched Graduate Diploma in Post-Secondary Education (Student Affairs and Services), which is the first credential of its kind in Canada and is designed for student affairs and services practitioners, administrators, and educators. This credential is centred on the learning and development of the Canadian student affairs and services scholar-practitioner with assignments grounded in campus applications. Forward-looking courses encompass design thinking assessment as a tool for decolonization; empathy and equity in assessment; storytelling, culture, and Indigenous methodologies; supports and services for adult learners and underrepresented populations, student development and adult learning theories under the microscope; senior student affairs officers (SSAO) roles and responsibilities; and program planning and initiative design.
Canadian education is increasingly accessed by newcomer students who are either international students or immigrant students and it is integral that we are providing the necessary supports within postsecondary education. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has identified the need for professional development for international educators across Canada. In 2024, we launched Graduate Diploma in Post-Secondary Education (International Education), which provides a formalized training in the field of international education. This credential is centred on a breadth of concepts related to the international newcomer experience on campus, such as intercultural competence, inclusion and assimilation, and adjustment to diverse academic contexts, alongside practical considerations of housing, food security, and balancing study and work commitments. Comprehensive courses explore government and institutional regulatory policies and frameworks for international and immigrant students, program development, and equity, diversity and inclusion, among other topics of relevance.
Nested Programs
We recognize that our post-secondary education students come from diverse occupational fields and are situated at different points in their careers. Our post-secondary education programs are carefully designed to be accessible to a diverse community of learners. We strive to keep our programs current and structure our course design and delivery in ways that create the conditions for all students to be successful, regardless of prior learning.
Our programs are nested, which means that they were intentionally designed so that learners can begin the credential they require and receive recognition for their studies as they move through future credentials. For example, learners may start at the Instructor’s Certificate and continue to complete an undergraduate degree and eventually move into our graduate programs.
Online Program Offerings
Post-secondary education is a growing field, and we are in a unique position in that we are the only institution in Canada to offer all-online undergraduate and graduate programs in this area that allow professionals and practitioners to study from their respective part- and full-time workplaces across various provinces and territories.
Currently, we offer the following undergraduate and graduate programs:
| Undergraduate Programs | Delivery |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Instructor’s Certificate (awarded by the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador | Online |
|
Diploma in Adult Learning and Post-Secondary Education Note: Course credits earned in the Diploma in Adult Learning and Post-Secondary Education program can be used towards earning a Bachelor of Education (Post-Secondary) as a First Degree. |
Online |
| Bachelor of Education (Post-Secondary) as a 1st Degree | Online |
| Bachelor of Education (Post-Secondary) as a 2nd Degree | Online |
This certificate underwent an extensive review and re-development process in line with stakeholder needs in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are six courses in the Instructor’s Certificate: four core courses on teaching and learning in post-secondary contexts with another two courses chosen from a selection of courses. We aim to deliver quality programming relevant to post-secondary teaching and learning in the province. All courses are available online.
Our Diploma in Adult Learning and Post-Secondary Education and Bachelor of Education (Post-Secondary) programs are designed to prepare individuals in a variety of instructional and leadership roles in formal and informal post-secondary education, including careers in academic, adult, community, technical and trades, and professional education. These undergraduate programs also underwent extensive review and renewal. Curriculum mapping, planning and development have streamlined our programs so that students can enter and exit at relevant points. All courses are available online.
Our Graduate Diplomas in Post-Secondary Education (Health Professional Education), (International Education), and Student Affairs and Services are designed to enhance professionals’ abilities as educators and leaders and graduates will be well-positioned, with a specialized credential, to seek advancement within their careers and/or move into senior level positions. Our Master of Education (Post-Secondary Education) is designed to provide instruction within four core course cluster areas: teaching and learning, governance and administration, international education, and student affairs and services. The Master of Education (Post-Secondary Education) allows for three routes as options for your learning: comprehensive course route, internship route, and thesis route. All courses are available online.
Faculty Members
Meet our dedicated team of professors.
Dr. Christine Helen Arnold | Associate Professor | B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., Brock University; Ph.D., University of Toronto/OISE
Research Interests: Student development and success in post-secondary education; student mobility and credit transfer systems; access and attainment of underrepresented student populations; quality assurance and learning outcomes; organizational structures and leadership in student affairs/services; and the role of qualifications and community college/vocational education.
Dr. Cecile Badenhorst | Professor | B.A. (Hons), University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; M.A., UBC; Ph.D., Queen’s University
Research Interests: Academic writing; academic literacies; graduate research writing; academic writing genres; faculty writing and productivity; post-secondary learning; adult learning; and internationalization and international students.
Dr. Vernon Curran | Professor | Cross-appointed with the Faculty of Medicine | B.A., Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador; Dip. Adult Ed., St. Francis Xavier University; M.Ed., Dalhousie; Ph.D., University of Guelph
Research Interests: Assessment and program evaluation in post-secondary education; continuing professional education; school to work transition experiences of post-secondary education graduates; distance education, digital learning and adult learners; and interprofessional education and collaboration in the health professions.
Dr. John Hoben | Associate Professor | B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., Ph.D., Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador; L.L.B., Western University; called to the Bar of Ontario in 2002; called to the Bar of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2004
Research Interests: Teaching and learning; democratic education; post-secondary legal policy and governance; and poetic inquiry.
Dr. Dale Kirby | Professor | B.Sc., M.Ed., Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador; Ph.D., University of Toronto/OISE
Research Interests: History of higher education; systems of post-secondary education; quality and evaluation in post-secondary education; educational finance and economics; institutional governance; post-secondary student success and persistence; college/post-secondary choice; student financial assistance; inter-sectoral collaboration; and apprenticeship and skilled trades training.