Program Information, Forms and Guidelines

On this page: Field Work Option | Special activity |
Reading Courses


This page contains resources for current M.Ed. Educational Psychology concentrations students.

Practical components

Students in the MEd program have opportunities to gain experience in an applied setting. Dependent upon the concentration within which they are enrolled, students can complete either one semester long or yearlong Field Work options in either their first or second year of study. Students interested in completing a Special Activity (EDPE 699D1-D2) do so in their second year in the program. Further information on both practical components of the program can be found below. 

For further information consult the Registration Information on the program website. Consult with one of our edpsych.education [at] mcgill.ca (Program Coordinators) for further information.

Field Work Option

(EDPI 539; EDPI 540; EDPI 656D1-656D2)

Purpose

Field Work provides the opportunity to expand your experiences working with students with diverse needs in a variety of settings. Students select Field Work sites that correspond to their own needs, interests, and professional growth in consultation with the McGill course instructor.

Recommended Pathways

Recommended pathways. Students who come into the program with limited previous experience are encouraged to do a 3 credit Field Work course (EDPI 539) near the beginning of their program. Some students with little field experience will also complete a second Field Work course of 3-credits (EDPI 540). Some full time students complete a full 6-credit Field Work course (EDPI 656) during their program. All of these Field Work students take the Field Work course together.

Field Work Sites

There are a variety of field sites available. We try to have sites both in specialized settings (e.g., Summit School, Jewish General Hospital, Taylor Adolescent Program) and in inclusive settings (e.g., Family and School Support and Treatment Team, Hampstead School, Mack Belson Program, Westmount Park, The Study, Westmount High School).  Students may choose another site as agreed upon in consultation with the Course Instructor. Sites must be chosen outside of the student's regular work site and cannot be paid.

Time Requirements in the Field

Students are required to spend a minimum of 150 hours for every 3-credits of Field Work. Often, a student’s time onsite will exceed this in order to ensure a meaningful experience. Students doing a 6-credit Field Work course are expected to make a commitment to the site for both the Fall and Winter semesters. Students will need to spend approximately 10 hours per week onsite in order to accumulate the required 300 hours. Specific schedules will be determined by the Field Work Site Supervisor. Students must keep a detailed hours log of their Field Work using a template provided below. This log serves to document the hours spent onsite and the activities/tasks which were completed. 

Time Requirements in the Course

Students taking EDPI 539, EDPI 540, or EDPI 656 must attend bi-weekly seminars (alternate Monday evenings) with the McGill Course Instructor. In these seminars, students will engage in critical analysis of their practice, as well as engage in professional development activities. Case presentations, discussion, and resource sharing are all critical components of the Field Work course.  Attendance is mandatory.

Grading

Students are graded as pass/fail for these courses. Successful completion of the course requires engagement with aforementioned seminar activities, the submission of a completed hours log, and the submission of a passing evaluation from their Field Work Site Supervisor (on the MEd Field Work Assessment and Evaluation Rubric). Please note, that students are encouraged to self-evaluate their readiness for Field Work by reviewing their skill sets and abilities against those outlined in the evaluation criteria which is mapped out in the MEd Field Work Assessment and Evaluation Rubric (available below) prior to registering for course.

Forms - Everything will be provided to students in the first day of class

 

 

Field Work Hours Log Template (.pdf)

Rubric For MEd Field Work Courses (.pdf)

 

Special activity

(EDPE 699D1-699D2 - 12 credits)

NOTE: The Special Activity option is NOT available to those enrolled in the Project concentrations and is an advanced-level course only available to second year MEd students or senior Part-Time students who have completed all of their required foundational courses outlined in year 1 of their timetable (refer to course timetables for your concentration for more information). 

Special Activity Options

There are two main approaches to the Special Activity: the Research Project or the Practice-Based Project. The M.Ed. Special Activity reports are catalogued in the university's online library catalogue. These may be consulted for Special Activity ideas and for recent examples of each approach to the Special Activity.

Approach 1: Special Activity Research project

Students may negotiate a project with an individual professor (usually in a Full-Time Faculty Member's interest area). These projects can range from working as part of a research team in an apprenticeship model to working on a particular project in collaboration with the professor alone. Ultimately, this is to be agreed upon with the professor. The only requirement is that the project represent approximately 300 hours of work per term (6 credits) and that the student gain some valuable experience and learning in the process. The student is still required to attend the Special Activity seminars and the agreement with a professor is to be approved by the Course Instructor assigned to the Special Activity (EDPE 699D1-D2).

Approach 2: Practice-based Project

This type of activity is primarily practice–based and seeks to advance the way a given service (e.g. teaching, nursing, therapy) is understood and supported. This might typically occur through the collation, organization, provision, exploration, or analysis of existing resources, practices, or services for the community. This activity is supervised only by the Course Instructor of the Special Activity through the attendance of the Special activity seminars.

Registering for the Special Activity

Students must register for all 12 credits (equivalent to four 3 credit courses) of the Special Activity (EDPE 699D1/D2). These courses are split over two terms (6 credits per term - equivalent to 300 hours per term):

  • Fall 2020
    • CRN: 21910 - EDPE 699D1-001 - Special Activity
  • Winter 2021
    • CRN: 18822 - EDPE 699D2-001 - Special Activity

Special Activity Introduction (2021-2022) (.pptx) 

Special Activity Contract (.pdf) 

 

Reading Courses

A reading course is a specially designed course not normally offered as part of the curriculum that is arranged between a student and a faculty member.

The course is run as a tutorial and counts as a regular course. It may count as credits towards your concentration.

If you are interested in a particular topic or subject that complements your academic program, you should discuss your interest with a faculty member. If he or she is willing to direct your reading course, the two of you should design the course together. You should agree on the reading list, the assignments that will be due, the meeting time, how the course will be graded and whether or not it will count towards your program.

The students and the Faculty member must complete the Contractual Agreement for Reading Courses and submit to your program email edpsych.education [at] mcgill.ca before the start of term.

Back to top