Program Location
Education Building
Start Term
Summer Semester
Program Type
Coursework, Internships, & Project
Schedule
Full-Time/Part-Time
Credits
60 Credits
Average Duration
2 years (5 semesters) Full-Time
The Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning (MATL) in English Language Arts offers a comprehensive pathway to Quebec teacher certification at the secondary school level, tailored for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in a Ministry of Education-identified teachable subject area. (Note that the department can not pre-assess prior credits for prospective students; this process happens only after applications are submitted.) Incoming students are expected to have a passion for social science and an undergraduate background related to the subject matter.
MATL students benefit from learning through engaging coursework and practical experiential learning during two school-based internships. It is strongly recommended that students applying to this program should be comfortable teaching in French during their school placements, as most local high schools provide social science instruction in French.
Students undertake an independent Capstone Research Project and curate a professional e-portfolio to showcase their skills, preparing them for future employment. Successful program completion earns graduates a recommendation for teacher certification from the Quebec Ministry of Education.
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Details from the eCalendar
Teaching and Learning (Non-Thesis) (M.A.): Social Sciences Option (60 credits)
Offered by: Integrated Studies in Ed (Faculty of Education)
Degree: Master of Arts
Program credit weight: 60
Program Description
The Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning; Non-Thesis - Social Science is a graduate- level teacher education program. The program includes a minimum of 700 hours of school-based internships at the secondary level and offers two streams: an Independent Research Stream and a Course-Based Stream. The program's core academic components emphasize a comprehensive understanding of educational foundations, principles, theories, and practices and include a specific emphasis on history content and pedagogies with a specialization in geography or culture and citizenship in Quebec. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are recommended to the Québec Ministry of Education for teacher certification at the secondary school level.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please refer to Visual Schedule Builder. A technical issue is causing the "Terms offered" field to incorrectly report "this course is not currently offered" for many courses in the Course Catalogue.
Required Courses (45 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 550 | Indigenizing Pedagogy and Curriculum. | 3 |
Indigenizing Pedagogy and Curriculum. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Diverse social, cultural, linguistic, political, and pedagogical histories of Indigenous communities. Indigenous ways of knowing and worldviews. | ||
| EDEC 612 | Digital Media and Learning. | 3 |
Digital Media and Learning. Terms offered: Summer 2025 This course addresses emerging theories, pedagogies, and practices related to youth learning through digital media and online participatory cultures. Through direct engagement with multiple forms of digital media and youth, students will consider implications for teaching and learning within and beyond schools. | ||
| EDIN 610 | Internship 1. | 7 |
Internship 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Mentored student teaching in a school requiring a gradual increase in teaching and related duties. | ||
| EDIN 620 | Internship 2. | 8 |
Internship 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Mentored student teaching in a school requiring full responsibilities for lesson planning, student learning, classroom management, and evaluation. | ||
| EDPS 600 | Introductory Professional Seminar. | 3 |
Introductory Professional Seminar. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Introductory seminar designed to foster critical thinking about the complex educational endeavour of becoming a teacher. Considers what shapes the development of teachers’ roles, identities and professionalism. Case-based approaches to topics such as community, families, relationships, conflict management, and trauma informed practices. E–portfolio documentation of developing individual teacher identity and professional competencies. | ||
| EDPS 610 | Professional Seminar 1. | 2 |
Professional Seminar 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Reflexive thinking on equity, diversity and inclusion, classroom situations with a view to improving practice, and of teacher collaboration and community-building through a case study approach. Ongoing support for and debrief of concurrent internship. E–portfolio documentation of professional competencies and selection of artifacts. | ||
| EDPS 620 | Professional Seminar 2. | 1 |
Professional Seminar 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Professional and ethical practices as novice teachers. Case study approach of topics include: identity, contributions to education, connections to competencies, professional organizations and professional development. Ongoing support for and debrief of concurrent internship. E-portfolios are completed and prepared for future professional development in the field. | ||
| EDTL 508 | Critical Educational Praxis. | 3 |
Critical Educational Praxis. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Implications of intercultural/multicultural, global, environmental and social justice advances as these affect critical thinking and inform practice in the classroom. Addressed through the development of professional competencies. | ||
| EDTL 515 | English Exam for Teacher Certification. | 0 |
English Exam for Teacher Certification. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Two hour exam designed to assess teacher candidates' competency in the language of instruction - MELS requirement for teacher certification in the Quebec school system. Students are permitted 4 attempts to pass this exam; it must be passed before commencing the First Internship (EDIN 601). Any student unsuccessful after 4 attempts must withdraw from the program. | ||
| EDTL 601 | Student Engagement and Learning Environments. | 3 |
Student Engagement and Learning Environments. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of a range of classroom expectations and routines including creating and maintaining a positive approach, building connections between home and school, building positive relationships, developing positive responses to challenging behaviour and other aspects of creating an engaged classroom. Focus is on developing a leadership style and teaching philosophy crucial to establishing and maintaining a positive, authentic learning environment where student engagement is central to learning. Quebec Ministry of Education professional competencies are addressed and assessed throughout. | ||
| EDTL 604 | Techniques for Planning and Assessment. | 3 |
Techniques for Planning and Assessment. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Classroom planning and assessment in the Quebec context including backward design, writing learning objectives, assessment for, of, and as learning, differentiated planning practices, and the creation of assessment tools. Classroom opportunities to foster and assess creativity and problem-based learning while balancing the constraints posed by standardized testing and other evaluation and reporting responsibilities. Quebec Ministry of Education professional competencies are addressed and assessed throughout. | ||
| EDTL 607 | Language and Policy in Quebec Education. | 3 |
Language and Policy in Quebec Education. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Structure and organization of education in Quebec considered from historical, political, language, social, administrative and legal perspectives. Enables students to contribute to the educational system in their roles as leaders of educational thought and change. All addressed through the development of professional competencies. | ||
| EDTL 609 | Neurodiversity and Learning. | 3 |
Neurodiversity and Learning. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Current research and practice in educating students who have a variety of individual needs and strengths. The complex interplay between individual and contextual factors that impact learning in the modern classroom. Examination of abilities/disabilities, school and classroom dynamics, and teachers' roles in promoting an inclusive environment. Focus on applicable, practical skills such as curriculum design and modification, formal/informal assessment procedures, universal design for instruction, home-school collaborations, and differentiated instruction. Quebec Ministry of Education professional competencies are addressed and assessed throughout. | ||
| EDTL 633 | Applied Methods in Teaching Social Science in Sec. School. | 3 |
Applied Methods in Teaching Social Science in Sec. School. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Underpinnings of educational theories and current research in secondary social sciences education. Topics include the nature, content, methodology and implications of professional practice. All addressed through the development of professional competencies. Parts of this course may be undertaken in school settings. | ||
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
3 credits selected from (in accordance with second specialization in Geography or Culture and Citizenship in Quebec)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDTL 612 | Adv Applied Methods in Teaching Quebec Culture & Citizenship. | 3 |
Adv Applied Methods in Teaching Quebec Culture Citizenship. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The culture and citizenship in Quebec program for secondary schools, focusing on the conceptual framework, philosophical orientations and teaching practices. Relevant Quebec Ministry of Education professional competencies are addressed and assessed throughout. | ||
| EDTL 634 | Adv Applied Meth in Teaching Social Sciences in Sec. School. | 3 |
Adv Applied Meth in Teaching Social Sciences in Sec. School. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Continuation of topics covered in EDTL 633. A focus on geography as addressed in the secondary school curriculum is also included. Addressed through the development of appropriate professional competencies.Parts of this course may be undertaken in school settings. | ||
3 credits selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 648 | Historical Knowledge and Social Change. | 3 |
Historical Knowledge and Social Change. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course provides a deep understanding of how individuals and societies use history for purposes of giving meaning and acting in social reality. The emphasis is on the workings of historical consciousness for addressing educational and other societal issues of concern. Special attention will be given to exploring how history can be used for fostering positive changes for the betterment of society. The aim is to exercise participants' own historical sense making processes and to help locate their social posture to serve as a springboard for making a difference as future practitioners for improving the quality of a common future life. | ||
| EDER 626 | Theory and Praxis of Culture and Citizenship. | 3 |
Theory and Praxis of Culture and Citizenship. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study and critique of contemporary ethics and cultural education models with a specific emphasis on Quebec’s Culture and Citizenship program. Introduction to a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives on the roles culture and citizenship play starting from our personal lives to the classroom. | ||
9 credits selected from one of the following two streams:
Independent Research Stream
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDER 633 | Project 1. | 6 |
Project 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theoretical or practical project to explore and analyze an area of interest relevant to education and society. | ||
3 credits selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 690 | Research Methods: Theory and Practice. | 3 |
Research Methods: Theory and Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of the epistemological foundations of a range of research methods, including but not limited to quantitative, philosophical, qualitative, arts-based, and mixed methods. Students will learn techniques to conduct research and to develop a research proposal. | ||
| EDTL 640 | Teacher Inquiry and Action Research. | 3 |
Teacher Inquiry and Action Research. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Furthers students' understanding of teacher inquiry and action research. Students will make connections between their theoretical understandings of research and their own emergence as practitioner researchers in educational settings. Topics include: writing a focused literature review; collaborative and spectator forms of research; ways to identify problems to investigate; data collection and analysis; reflexive praxis; and ways to draw conclusions from research. The major assignment for the course will be the completion of the final written MATL capstone project or equivalent. | ||
Course-Based Stream
3 credits selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDER 615 | Introduction to Philosophy of Education. | 3 |
Introduction to Philosophy of Education. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Explores questions, aims, debates and modes of inquiry that characterize philosophical approaches to studying educational questions. Introduces philosophy of education as a distinctive field of educational research and may focus on figures or themes of contemporary interest. | ||
| EDTL 506 | Philosophy of Education. | 3 |
Philosophy of Education. Terms offered: Summer 2025 An exploration of philosophical underpinnings of educational theories as they inform professional practice. Reflections on aims of education, knowledge and values, nature of schooling and curriculum, roles and responsibilities of professional educators. All addressed through the development of professional competencies. | ||
6 credits to be chosen from among 500-level or 600-level department course offerings to be determined by the student’s area of study. Courses in other departments may be taken upon approval by the department graduate coordinator or director.
Eligibility (Admission Criteria)
- Possess an undergraduate degree.
- A completed Social Science- Geography Self-Assessment Grid or the Social Science- Culture & Citizenship in Québec Self-Assessment Grid (Please note: Grids must be typed and not hand written)
Courses listed must be at the 200 level or higher (no Foundation level courses) and you must have received a grade of “C” or higher, per McGill standard. These credits may be taken as part of a degree or as an independent/special student. Note that it is preferable to have all 45 credits of background completed prior to the start of the MATL program. Applicants missing up to, but not exceeding, 6 discipline-specific credits may be accepted into the MATL program. The completion of missing credits will be consider a condition of program completion. Students are strongly encouraged to complete outstanding discipline-specific credits prior to the start of the MATL program. In exceptional circumstances, students may be allowed to complete outstanding discipline-specific credits during the MATL program; however these credits should be completed prior to beginning the subject-area specific methods course. Failure to complete outstanding discipline-specific credits may result is a deferral of the first internship placement. This deferral will result in a significant delay in the students program completion. - Have minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is 3.0 out of a possible 4.0, or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 out of 4.0 in the last two years of full-time studies.
- Experience working/volunteering in formal/informal education or youth sector. Informal teaching experience includes, but is not limited to, camp counselor, tutoring, mentoring, coaching, etc.
Admission decisions for graduate programs at McGill are holistic, meaning that many factors are taken into consideration in the admission decision, including academic credentials and grades. The eligibility requirements outline the minimum requirements for admission to the MATL program at McGill. These minimum requirements apply to both Canadian and international candidates. Please review the list carefully, as you must meet all of the minimum requirements in order to be considered for acceptance. Keep in mind that meeting the minimum admissions requirements does not guarantee your admission.
Application Deadlines
November 1st for International applicants and November 15 for Canadian and Permanent Resident applicants
Supporting Documents
- A current working CV
- A personal statement. 2 page maximum.
- A completed Social Science- Geography Self-Assessment Grid or the Social Science- Culture & Citizenship in Québec Self-Assessment Grid (Please note: Grids must be typed and not hand written)
- A copy of your unofficial transcripts from all previous university level studies (undergraduate and graduate, including exchanges with other institutions, even if the credits appear on your home institution transcript). Official transcripts are required after you are officially admitted to the program.
- Two letters of recommendation, one from a university-level instructor and the second from a professional who has supervised you in a formal or informal education or youth sector position (if you have experience working in a formal school setting, one letter must be from a school/school board administrator qualified to assess your professional qualities). You will be prompted to provide the names and contact information of your referees in uApply. An email request will be generated prompting referees to upload their letter of recommendation directly to uApply.
- English Language Proficiency Requirement (if applicable): Applicants to graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the institutional language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone), must meet one of the following English proficiency criteria:
- IELTS with a minimum overall band of 7.0; with a minimum Writing, Speaking, Listening and Reading score of 7.0; or
- TOEFL:iBT (Internet-based test) – total score of 92 with a minimum score of 22 each for the Writing, Speaking, Listening and Reading sections. N.B. Applicants are required to submit their scores electronically.
- The Department reserves the right to evaluate the applicant's language proficiency before initial registration and at the time of application.
