GCE: Leadership in Social Justice

The GCE: Leadership in Social Justice helps leaders become agents of change by teaching them to develop policies and practices that foster equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID) in their professional contexts.

With a focus on cultivating equitable and ethical leadership, the curriculum focuses on developing work cultures that reflect social consciousness and commitment to inclusive spaces.

Graduates of the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice are equipped to be the pioneers, safekeepers, and advocates of socially responsible and equitable organizational policies as they bring about a cultural shift within their organizations.

Delivery

Fully Online

Start Dates

September

Duration

As few as 10.5 months*

*With full course load, year-round study and/or approved transfer credits. Each applicant is encouraged to contact an Admissions Advisor to determine the potential duration of their program according to their unique circumstances.

The [Ethical Leadership] course taught me, a curriculum leader, how to consider diverse student perspectives, make them feel included, and show them that they matter – which they do.

 

Canute Lawrence
Master of Education, Yorkville University

Program Features

Flexible schedule

Course scheduling and online course options allow you to work and make time for other life priorities while completing your program.

Choose to take courses as your busy life permits and study during the day, evenings or on the weekends.

Accelerated program

Complete your program in as few as 10.5 months with a full course load, year-round study or approved transfer credits.

 

Experienced Faculty

Professional, doctoral faculty who are experienced educational professionals dedicated to helping students achieve their career goals.

Practical Focus

Our rigorous curriculum is designed to be highly practical in its focus, thus preparing you for EDID leadership in your profession.

 

YORKVILLE UNIVERSITY

YORKVILLE UNIVERSITY ADVANTAGE

Yorkville University programs are aimed at helping you achieve your personal and professional goals. Online or in class, across Canada, Yorkville University’s degrees are flexible, fast paced and above all, lead to transformation through education.

Flexibility

Flexible Learning 

Course scheduling and online course options allow you to make time for work and other life priorities while completing your program.  

Accelerated Degrees 

Graduate faster with our year-round study option. We also provide optimum credit transfers based on your previous learning.  

Year-Round Start Dates

Start your program as soon as you are ready with various start dates throughout the year.

Resources & Support

Student Assistance

Our program advisors assist you every step of the way, from finding the right program to graduation, and beyond.  

Student Success Centre  

Get 24/7 online supportaccess to writing and referencing resources, and links to tutoring and one-on-one support.  

Career services  

We assist you in creating impactful resumes, cover letters and portfolios, prepare you for interviews, and help find work opportunities that match your ambition.   

Enhanced Learning

Small Class Sizes

Get personalized attention in an average class size of 20 students and learn through active participation.

Networking

Build lifelong relationships with fellow students and faculty as part of teamwork, discussions and assignments. 

Experienced Faculty

Benefit from the knowledge of experienced faculty who use their expertise to help you achieve your own career goals. 

Career Outcomes

Graduates of the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice are equipped to be the pioneers, safekeepers, and advocates of socially responsible and equitable organizational policies, in areas such as: 

  • Public Service
  • Private organizations
  • Not-for-Profit
  • Healthcare
  • Social Work
  • Armed forces
  • K-12 Equity Champions
  • Organizational development
  • Human Resources 
  • Higher Education

Meet the Dean

Professor Goddard is the Interim Dean of the Faculty of Education at Yorkville University. He has extensive expertise in university administration and governance, including Vice Provost (International) at the University of Calgary and Dean of Education at UPEI. He served on the Board of Directors of both the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, and was president of the Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration.

 

J. Tim Goddard, M.S.M., Ph.D.
Interim Dean

Meet Our Faculty

  • Sepideh Mahani, Ph.D.

    Associate Dean (Education) & Chair of Education Leadership

  • Wendy Kraglund-Gauthier, Ph.D.

    Associate Dean (Research) & Chair of Adult Education

  • Jeeyeon Ryu, Ph.D.

    Interim Associate Dean (General Education)

  • Adwoa Onuora, Ph.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Angel Davila, Ph.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Barbara Elliott, Ph.D

    Faculty Member

  • Bernard Potvin, Ph.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Daniel Diaz Reyes, Ph.D., J.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Deb Clendinneng, Ph.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Debbie McCleary, Ph.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Diane Burt, Ed.D.

    Faculty Member

  • Doris MacKinnon, Ph.D.

    Faculty Member

Course Descriptions

Students must complete the 15-credit requirement to graduate by completing the four mandatory courses (Indigenous Perspectives in Canadian Education, Ethical Leadership, Curriculum as Living Inquiry, and Diversity and Leadership) and any one of the elective courses. The rigorous curriculum of the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice includes the following courses:

  • EDUC 6003 – Indigenous Perspectives in Canadian Education  

    Indigenous Perspectives in Canadian Education introduces students to the history of Indigenous education in Canada, Indigenous pedagogies and epistemologies, decolonization in education, while encouraging students to think about their own roles in reconciliation through the lens of education. Through selected readings, weekly discussions, and assignments, students will develop a greater understanding of the traditional, historical, and contemporary roles of education in the lives of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Because the course readings include studies that draw upon Indigenous or Indigenous-informed methodologies, students will also be introduced to some ways that Indigenous methodologies are used in educational research.  

    (3 credits) 

    • EDEL 6153 – Ethical Leadership  

      Ethical Leadership uses tenets of critical pedagogy and ethics to help students develop as critically conscious leaders guided by the notion that education can simultaneously foster the cultivation of intellect and a commitment to socially just practices.  

      (3 credits) 

      • EDEL 6443 – Curriculum as Living Inquiry  

        Curriculum as Living Inquiry introduces students to curriculum as dynamically re/conceptualized and relationally understood. Drawing from both foundational and current scholars, students will differentiate between curriculum as plan and curriculum as process as they explore the notion of currere, interrogate hidden curriculum, and investigate those made invisible by curriculum. The roles of self and self-in-relation are central considerations as students from diverse education contexts explore various approaches to including lived experience in curricular initiatives or program planning.  

        (3 credits) 

        • EDEL 6193 – Diversity and Leadership  

          Diversity and Leadership uses selected readings, weekly discussions, and assignments, to help students develop a greater understanding of diversity as a social construction in relation to the concepts of social identity and social location. The specific areas of diversity included in this course are: Identity and Intersectionality; Privilege and Power; Race and Ethnicity; Gender and Sexual Orientation; Multiculturalism; Inclusiveness and Universal Design for Learning; and Globalization and Leadership.  

          (3 credits) 

          • EDEL 6173 – Administrators as Leaders

            Administrators as Leaders focuses on developing leadership and managerial skills in school administrators. Particular attention is given to instructional leadership, developing clear, compelling, shared, and supported visions, and encouraging cultures of ongoing learning and professional development.

            (3 credits) (elective)

            • EDEL 6113 – Perspectives and Practices in Educational Leadership

              Educational Leadership: Perspectives and Practices is a foundational course that is attentive to the ways theoretical knowledge and applied practice can inform each other. A prerequisite for further studies in the field, it explores major theoretical perspectives on leadership in relation to current practices in educational administration and leadership. 

              (3 credits) (elective) 

              • EDEL 6143 – Change and Transformation

                Change and Transformation prepares students to successfully manage and champion personal, professional, and organizational change. Collaborative and interest-based approaches are foundational as are discussions of dynamic change theory and the avoidance of change fatigue. 

                (3 credits) (elective) 

                • EDEL 6223 – Supervision of Instruction

                  Supervision of Instruction introduces students to various institutional settings for instructional supervision as well as supervisory techniques that support professional development. 

                  (3 credits) (elective) 

                  • EDEL 6433 – Leadership & Community Engagement

                    Leadership and Community Engagement teaches students to engage a range of community stakeholders in ways that benefit all those with vested interests. Identifying leaders as integral to this process, this course focuses on the complexities of community engagement and the various forms this engagement might take. The skills required of successful leaders of community engagement are explicitly connected to critical reflection and thoughtful praxis. Particular attention is given to students developing their own leadership capacity to strengthen professional connections within their K-12 school communities and/or community-based non-profit organizations. 

                    (3 credits) (elective) 

                    • EDEL 6453 – Leadership in Higher Education

                      Leadership in Higher Education encourages students to develop the skills, knowledge, innovative thinking that is required of leaders within various post-secondary contexts. Under the impacts of internationalization and 21st century technological advances, individuals in multi-faceted leadership positions across colleges and universities are being challenged to consider emerging models of leadership and their implications for the design and organization of post- secondary educational environments. The specific areas of leadership in higher education included in this course are: strategic planning; communication, collaboration, and partnership development (within and beyond the institution); leadership commitment to diversity; supporting intellectual curiosity; recruitment, retention, and student support; financial leadership; change leadership and crisis management. 

                      (3 credits) (elective) 

                      • EDEL 6463 – Leadership & Online Pedagogies

                        Leadership and Online Pedagogies explores the evolution of education in our online, digital world. The online environment is heralding contemporary learning theories and novel pedagogies that allow educators to provide person-centric, socially supported learning. This transition increasingly requires educators to demonstrate a desire to move towards an open, equitable, instructional role in technologically supported contexts. It also requires visionary educational leaders who critically examine their choices for implementation of educational technologies. This course prepares students to be effective leaders and educators in online contexts as they work to advance educative practice, support student engagement, and transform learning. 

                        (3 credits) (elective) 

                        • EDUC 6013 – Research Methods

                          Research in Education familiarizes students with methods of educational research. Its primary focus is to help them understand both quantitative and qualitative research and to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to read, understand, and critically evaluate published research. Mixed methods and critical approaches are also explored. Research methods, information gathering strategies, and analysis procedures are examined. Students will begin to think about possible topics for their capstone projects. 

                          (3 credits) (elective) 

                          • EDUC 6033 – Action Research

                            Action Research provides students with an in-depth study of the action-oriented ways adult educators, teachers and educational leaders can systematically examine their own practices. Emphasis is placed on developing skills related to research focus, project design, information gathering, and interpretation. This course is grounded in reflexive practice. 

                            (3 credits) (elective) 

                            • EDUC 6043 – Learning and Organizations

                              Learning and Organizations provides an opportunity for students to examine the emergence of the learning organization and explore ways to build sustainable learning dynamics and foster spaces where people flourish. Attention will be given to the ways knowledge management and technology help organizations become learning organizations. 

                              (3 credits) (elective) 

                              • EDUC 6063 – Assessment and Evaluation in Education

                                Assessment and Evaluation in Education allows students to explore various diagnostic, formative, and summative methods from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Students will learn how to develop and use assessment to promote student learning within a positive knowledge-curation culture (i.e., classroom, department, working unit, etc.). A focus on how to build efficacious and self-regulated learners through pedagogical assessment strategies that utilize accurate and ethical interpretation will be a focus. Students will also explore and differentiate between assessment and evaluation principles for both individual and program performance. A final culminating learning experience will be to reflect upon an assessment and evaluation architecture that aligns to an area of professional interest. 

                                (3 credits) (elective) 

                                • EDAE 6323 – Foundations of Adult Education

                                  Foundations of Adult Education presents an overview of the major societal purposes of adult education by exploring and examining the conceptual, historical, and philosophical foundations that inform current practices in the field. Students are encouraged to examine the relationship between theory and practice, and to identify their own ideas and practices in relation to these theories and practices. 

                                  (3 credits) (elective) 

                                  • EDAE 6343 – Program Development and Planning

                                    Program Development and Planning provides a theoretical and conceptual foundation in contemporary approaches to program development and planning for adult learners. Students apply newly‐acquired knowledge and skills in designing a program. Topics include: designing and developing programs; assessing needs; setting learning objectives and outcomes; designing instructional plans; and developing evaluation strategies. 

                                    (3 credits) (elective) 

                                    • EDAE 6373 – Learning and Teaching Online

                                      Learning and Teaching Online explores the theory underlying the development and application of new interactive educational technologies, how they might fit with instructional design, learning and assessment strategies, and infrastructures. The course provides hands-on experience with a range of learning technologies and enables students to explore the processes of designing, implementing, and critiquing technology-based learning. The course will introduce students to current debates around the concept of openness. By the end of the course, students will have developed the ability to act as creative and critical professionals within the broad field of technology-based learning, teaching, and training. 

                                      (3 credits) (elective) 

                                      • EDAE 6383 – Transformative Learning in Adult Education

                                        Transformative Learning in Adult Education involves an examination of transformative learning. This course will help students to understand what transformative learning is, distinguish it from other forms of learning, and foster it in their practice. The course will cover five broad areas: history; theory; research; practice; and future perspectives of transformative learning. 

                                        (3 credits) (elective) 

                                        • EDAE 6523 – Adult Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship

                                          Adult Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to integrate with depth and creativity the principles of sustainability and global consciousness into classrooms, colleges, and community contexts. Students will explore sustainable development and global citizenship to understand their alignment with adult education theory and practice, in particular affective and dialogic learning, inclusivity, and systemic thinking. 

                                          (3 credits) (elective) 

                                          • EDAE 6533 – Coaching and mentoring in Adult Education

                                            Coaching and Mentoring in Adult Education will introduce students to coaching and mentoring strategies that they can utilise in their workplaces. Students will learn about the underlying theory as well as explore current models. They will also be encouraged to reflect on what coaching and mentoring strategies may work best for them and their organisation. This course will aid students in helping others toward continuous professional development. 

                                            (3 credits) (elective) 

Admission Requirements

Yorkville University’s GCE: Leadership in Social Justice is offered 100% online. 

The program is administratively offered out of Fredericton, New Brunswick. 

Applicants to the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice are required to provide the following: 

  • Official undergraduate transcript and proof of obtainment of a bachelor’s degree* 
  • Resume and statement of interest 
  • Detailed course descriptions if applying for transfer credits 
  • Two letters of reference from professional or academic sources 
  • Completed online application 
  • Application fee of $150 (CAD) 

*All official transcripts need to be sealed, stamped and sent directly from the issuing institution to our Admissions Services Department for evaluation. 

 

In addition, applicants are required to have: 

  • A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in undergraduate study of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 or 4.3 scale, or a GPA of at least 3.0 in the final two years of study. Applicants may be conditionally admitted with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.99 if strength of overall application is sufficient. 

Applicants who do not meet the standard admissions requirements may be considered for admission under the Faculty of Education’s Flexible Admissions Policy. Yorkville University reserves the right to refuse admission or ask admitted students to withdraw from the program in special circumstances. 

For full details of admissions requirements, please see the Academic Calendar. 

To fill out the details of your reference for admission to our GCE: Leadership in Social Justice, click here. 

English Language Requirements 

English is the primary language of instruction at Yorkville University. 

Applicants who have obtained a bachelor’s or first professional degree in a language other than English are required to submit confirmation of an official test of ability to work and study in English: 

  • Proof of obtaining any other degree at the post-secondary education level where the primary language of instruction was English. 
  • Canadian Academic English Language – Computer edition (CAEL-CE) with a score of at least 70. 
  • Confirmation of an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 95 (Internet-based version). 
  • Confirmation of a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) overall score of 9 with no component below 9. 
  • Confirmation of an International English Language Test System (IELTS) overall band score of at least 7.0 with no band below 6.5. 
  • Confirmation of a Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTest) with a minimum overall bandwidth of 4.5. 
  • Confirmation of a score on any other test of English language proficiency that equates to Level C1 or higher of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 
  • Confirmation of a score equivalent to these scores on another test of English language proficiency recognized by and acceptable to the University. 
  • Confirmation of a Duolingo minimum score of 115. 
  • Confirmation of Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic score of 65 

Canadian applicants who completed their qualifying bachelor’s degree in French, but completed another post-secondary degree, certificate, or diploma or their secondary education in English, are exempted from the requirement to provide tested confirmation of English language proficiency. 

The University reserves the right to refuse admission to any student whose proficiency of English is questionable and to ask any student whose written work is below acceptable standards to withdraw from the program. 

Any questions? Please contact an Admissions Advisor.

Tuition & Fees

The total cost for the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice is $11,700. * 

 

The academic year of the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice is comprised of 2.5 academic terms of 15 weeks in length each, beginning in January, May and September. Students must complete 15 credits of coursework to graduate with a GCE: Leadership in Social Justice. A typical course is three credits. 

 

Total program tuition may vary based on actual credit transfers and course equivalencies.  

Terms Credits COST PER CREDIT HOUR Fees
One 6 $780 $4680
Two 6 $780 $4680
Three 3 $780 $2340

*As of 2022 – 2023. Tuition and fees subject to change.

Tuition Fees

Arrangements for payment of tuition must be made at least two weeks prior to the start of each term. Monthly payment arrangements can also be made. Please contact our Bursar’s Office for more details at 1-888-886-1882.  

Other Fees

Please note that costs do not include other fees such as textbooks, expendable supplies, equipment and resource fees. All fees and charges are quoted in Canadian dollars (CAD). Yorkville University also accepts equivalent payment in other currencies. 

For further information about tuition, fees and payment methods, please contact Yorkville University’s Bursar’s Office. Tuition rates are confirmed three months prior to the start of each term. Changes to tuition rates will be announced at least three months prior to the start of the term to which they apply. Current tuition rates are available on the Yorkville University website or from the Bursar’s Office at 1-888-886-1882. 

Financial Aid Types

Scholarships & Bursaries

Yorkville University provides a limited number of scholarships and bursaries to qualified students.

Learn More

Financial Aid

Yorkville University is committed to helping students find affordable solutions to finance their education investment.

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Partnerships

Learn more about Yorkville University’s partnerships and how they can save you money and help you graduate faster.

Articulation Partners

Previous students of select colleges have the opportunity to transfer credits towards Yorkville University’s programs and graduate faster.

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Canadian Forces

Special tuition bursaries and military training credit transfer options are offered to current and former Canadian Forces members and their families.

Learn More

FAQ

  • 1. How much does the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice cost?

    Please see here for current tuition rates. Yorkville University is committed to helping you evaluate different financial aid options and payment schedules. Please contact an Admissions Advisor for more information. 

    • 2. How much time will I need to dedicate to each course?

      Students can expect to dedicate approximately 16 to 20 hours per week to successfully complete the requirements for each academic course. 

      • 3. What is the application process for the GCE: Leadership in Social Justice?

        Please see here for more information or contact an Admissions Advisor if you have further questions. 

        • 4. Does Yorkville University offer any scholarships?

          Yorkville University is committed to helping you evaluate different financial aid options and payment schedules. Please contact an Admissions Advisor for more information. 

          • 5. Can I apply for Canadian provincial student loans?

            Only domestic students can apply to Canadian provincial student loan programs such as the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), New Brunswick Student Loans (NBSL) or StudentAid BC. 

            Yorkville University is committed to helping you evaluate different financial aid options and payment schedules. Please contact an Admissions Advisor for more information. 

            • 6. What if I have more questions?

              If you can’t find your questions addressed on this web page, please contact an Admissions Advisor. 

Program Brochure

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