Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to link to the application form. The application deadlines are indicated on the application form.

Please visit the Office of the Registrar website for information regarding the admission requirements of the MEd program. 

Students may complete the degree online by enrolling in only the online courses. The delivery format of the courses scheduled each term is available on the confirmed course schedule​. Students who choose to complete a thesis may be required to attend the thesis defence at one of our campuses. The defence is arranged at a mutually beneficial time.

The current term tuition fees are listed on the Finance Department website​. Full-time and Flexible Full-time MEd students are required to pay the term tuition for a minimum of six consecutive terms. Students who complete the degree in less than six terms will be required to pay the Balance of Degree Fee in order to equal the total minimum fee paid by a full-time student.

MEd students may choose to complete the degree via one of three routes:

• The Thesis route (total 30 credits) - complete six courses 3-credit courses including the two core courses and EDUC-5454 Thesis (12 credits) (seven courses in total);
• The Major Research Paper route (total 30 credits) - complete eight 3-credit courses including the two core courses and EDUC-5115 Research Paper (6 credits) (nine courses in total);
• The Research Project route (total 30 credits) - complete nine 3-credit courses including the two core courses and EDUC-5186 Research Project & Seminar (3 credits) (ten courses in total).

Further information is available in The MEd Program Handbook​.

Our Flexible Full-time program is intended to permit working professionals to be engaged in continued employment in areas related to the fields of research. They may enrol in fewer courses each term and take up to four years (12 terms) to complete the program. Students in the Flexible Full-time program are not eligible for financial support from the university.

All applicants must apply for admission to our Full-Time (2 years) or Flex-Time (3-4 years) program. We no longer accept applications to our part-time program. All Students admitted to our MEd program will be subject to the academic regulations and the tuition and ancillary fee​ schedule in effect at the time admission.  Students may be granted permission to retain credit for MEd courses previously completed at Nipissing University (must have achieved a minimum of 70%​) if the courses are less than six years old at the time of application.  For students who are granted permission to retain credit for MEd courses previously completed at Nipissing University, their time to complete the program may be reduced.  The amount of reduction will be determined by the number of courses that are approved.

The name and e-mail address of your assigned Faculty Advisor is available to you in WebAdvisor by selecting Summary of Grades, Academic Profile (Select GR as the transcript type).

The role of the faculty Advisor is to assist student in:

• ​developing a program of study according to the MEd degree requirements;
• choosing the appropriate degree completion route: Thesis, major Research Paper (MRP), or Research Project;
• locating a research supervisor should the student decide to complete a Thesis or MRP;
• assist with the development of the student's topic outline for the Thesis or MRP; and
• supporting any necessary Leaves of Absence or Degree Extension Requests.

​Once students are registered in the MEd program, they may enroll in a maximum of two 3-credit or 6-credit hours of Master of Education or equivalent courses through another graduate program.  If students have received advanced standing for courses imported into their program, these will reduce the number of courses students may take at another university, while in the program.  To receive permission to take a graduate course at another university, students are required to submit a brief description of each course they wish to take and the credit hours allocated to it.  If the course is located in an Ontario university, students must complete the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student form. If the course is located in a Canadian university in a province outside of Ontario, students must complete the Canadian University Graduate Transfer form.  All forms are available on the School of Graduate Studies website​.  

Students may not transfer or import PQP courses for credit in the MEd program. 

Please review our Proposed MEd/PhD Course Schedule on our website.

The current course schedule is available on our website.

See the Important Course Dates and Deadlines for course registration and withdrawal dates.

Information regarding waiting lists is available on our website. WebAdvisor will contact you via your student e-mail account when a spot becomes available in the course and you are first on the wait.  From this point, you will have 72 hours to enrol in the course.  If you decline the spot or do not respond within 72 hours, without further notice, WebAdvisor will remove your name from the waitlist and offer the spot to the next person on the waitlist. NOTE: you may place your name on more than one waitlist. You may be enrolled in a course and also place your name on the waitlist for another course(s).

We will not enrol students in MEd courses once the registration deadline has passed. We suggest that, in planning for each term, students review the Important Course Dates and Deadlines on our website and refer to the Bulletins sent to the student e-mail account prior to each term or session.

Once the final course withdrawal deadline has passed, students must submit an Academic Petition for late withdrawal from the course. The form is available on the forms website​ for the Office of the Registrar.

You may have an academic or financial restriction. Please contact the Office of the Registrar (registrar@nipissingu.ca) for an academic restriction or the Finance Department (finance@nipissingu.ca) for a financial restriction.

For technical assistance, please contact our Help Desk via e-mail to techsrv@nipissingu.ca or via phone to 705-474-3450 ext. 4342.

Visit our bookstore to find the books for your course.

You can contact the bookstore for assistance.

Full- and Flex-time students are required to enrol in a course(s) each term (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer). The term tuition fee is assessed each term for a minimum of six terms regardless of the number of courses in which the student is enrolled.

Part-time students are required to enroll in a course each term (Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer). Part-time students are assessed the continuation fee (currently $500 + ancillary fees) each term that they are not enrolled in a course or if they have exceeded the time allowed to complete a MRP (two terms) or a thesis (three terms). NOTE: as of September 2013, there is no longer a Part-time designation. Current Part-time students are grandfathered and may continue in the Part-time program. Incoming students will self-select as either Full-time or Flexible Full-time (Flex-time).

In graduate studies, a student's status is determined by the designation of their program and not by the number of credits in which they are enrolled. Therefore, Full-time and Flexible Full-time (Flex-time) students may take less than three courses in a given term and still be considered Full-time. (NOTE: that Full-time and Flexible Full-time students pay the term tuition fee each term, for a minimum of six terms, regardless of the number of courses in which they are enrolled). Full-time and Flexible Full-time (Flex-time) students who have regular status may enroll in a maximum of four (4) three-credit courses each term. NOTE: see the information on probationary status above.

Part-time students who commenced in the MEd program PRIOR to July 2013 may enroll in up to two (2) courses per term or session while Part-time students who commenced in the MEd program in July 2013 and later are limited to ONE (1) course per term or session. Appeals from part-time students to enroll in additional courses in a given term will not be considered.

Part-time students who do not plan on completing a course during a term must enrol in EDUC-0500 Continuation Fee ($500 plus ancillary fees).

You are expected to participate in online discussions through Blackboard Learn from the first day. Online course instructors expect students to participate in online discussions consistently every week according to the course outline/schedule and assign marks for online participation.

MEd courses, whether onsite or online, are 36 hours each. For a twelve-week course, you should expect to be engaged in the online discussion for a minimum of three hours per course each week. For a six-week course, you should expect to be engaged in the online discussion for a minimum of six hours per course each week. As for onsite courses, course assignments in online courses are completed outside of the hours designated for the online discussion.

Online courses through Blackboard Learn do not lend themselves well to extended absences of a week or more. If you miss too much of the online discussion, the instructor may ask you to withdraw from the course.

You will not have access to your course in Blackboard Learn until approximately 9:00 a.m. EST on the course start date. at 9:00 a.m. on the first day of your course refer back to the course list on your myInstitution page and click the hyperlinked code for your course. If you still do not have access, please contact our Help Desk by e-mail to techsrv@nipissingu.ca to be added to your course.

MEd students may contact their Faculty Advisor for assistance in choosing a degree completion route. Generally, it is recommended that students hoping to complete a doctorate consider completing either a Thesis (usually preferred for doctoral studies) or a Major Research Paper.

All MEd students must complete 30 credits regardless of the degree completion route they choose. 

• Thesis route
  • EDUC-5157 Survey of Research Methods (3 credits) 
  • EDUC-5196 Understanding Education (3 credits) 
  • Four 3-credit electives from the MEd/PhD course schedule (12 credits)
  • EDUC-5454 Thesis (12 credits) 
• Major Research Paper route
  • EDUC-5157 Survey of Research Methods (3 credits)
  • EDUC-5196 Understanding Education (3 credits)
  • Six 3-credit electives from the MEd/PhD course schedule (18 credits)
  • EDUC-5115 Research Paper (6 credits)
• Research Project route
  • EDUC-5157 Survey of Research Methods (3 credits)
  • EDUC-5196 Understanding Education (3 credits)
  • Seven 3-credit electives from the MEd/PhD course schedule​ (21 credits)
  • EDUC-5186 Research Project & Seminar (3 credits) NOTE: students are encouraged to enrol in EDUC-5186 at their earliest opportunity after they have completed the pre-requisites (15 credits including EDUC-5157)

Further information is also available in The MEd Program Handbook​.

Students may switch from the Thesis Route or the MRP Route by submitting the MEd Request to Switch Routes form available on the forms website. Students should carefully review the notes on the form as academic and/or financial penalties may be applicable. Also review the MEd Program Handbook​.

Students are advised to review The MEd Thesis Handbook and The MEd Major Research Paper Handbook on our website​.

Student may contact their Faculty Advisor for assistance in locating a research supervisor. We also provide a list on our website of Education graduate faculty members who are able to act as research supervisors or co-supervisers or internal readers.

Students must submit the MRP/Thesis/Dissertation Application form signed by their Research Supervisor and Internal Second Reader. The application form is available on the forms website. Once the application is approved, students must register in EDUC-5454 Thesis or EDUC-5115 Research Paper via WebAdvisor.

The tuition that part-time students pay for EDUC-5454 Thesis covers three consecutive terms (terms A, B & C). If you have not defended your Thesis by the end of term C, you must pay the Continuation Fee (currently $500 plus ancillary fees) in each additional consecutive term until the thesis is defended. Similary, the tuition that part-time students pay for EDUC-5115 Research Paper covers two consecutive terms (terms A & B). If you have not completed your Research Paper and your Research Supervisor has not signed off by the end of term B, you will be assessed the Continuation Fee (currently $500 plus ancillary fees) in each additional consecutive term until the Research Paper is complete and signed off.

The university recogzies that from time to time students may need to be absent from their studies. Upon the recommendation of the Chair of Graduate Studies in Education, the Assistant Vice President, Research and Graduate Studies may grant a Leave of Absence. Requests for a leave of absence must be received prior to the registration deadline of the term to be effective for that term. Requests will not be approved retroactively. Information about the different Leaves of Absence is available in the School of Graduate Studies Regulations. The Leave of Absence Request form is available on the forms website​.

If you are a member of the Ontario College of Teachers, it is your responsibility to advise the College of your degree completion once your degree has been conferred.

The Application for Graduation is available in WebAdvisor.

Information about graduation and convocation is available on our website.

Full-time and Flex-time (flexible full-time) MEd students are required to pay term tuition fees for a minimum of six consecutive terms.  MEd students who complete the program in fewer than six consecutive terms will be subject to the Balance of Degree fee to equal the total minimum fees required for the full-time MEd program.