Leadership, Higher and Adult Education

Scholars in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education (LHAE) are engaged in a range of theoretical and practical areas: primary, secondary, and higher education leadership and administration; adult education; policy and change; social diversity; and community engagement. LHAE develops and organizes collaborative specializations in support of particular research areas of interest including those in policy, international development education, and workplace learning. These collaborative specializations can be taken in conjunction with most OISE graduate programs.

Overview of Programs

Adult Education and Community Development Program - MA, MEd, PhD

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care Across the Life Course - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Community Development - MA, MEd (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Educational Policy - MA, MEd, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Environment and Health - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Environmental Studies - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Indigenous Health - MA, MEd, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Women and Gender Studies - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Workplace Learning and Social Change - MA, MEd, PhD

Educational Leadership and Policy Program - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

> Field: Educational Leadership and Policy - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD 

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
    • Educational Policy - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Ethnic and Pluralism Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
    • Women and Gender Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD


> Field: International Educational Leadership and Policy - EdD only

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - EdD
    • Educational Policy - EdD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Ethnic and Pluralism Studies - EdD
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - EdD
    • Women and Gender Studies - EdD

Higher Education Program - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

> Field: Education in the Professions - MEd only

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - MEd
    • Educational Policy - MEd (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - MEd
    • Women and Gender Studies - MEd

> Field: Higher Education - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
    • Educational Policy - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Engineering Education - MA, MEd, PhD
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD
    • Women and Gender Studies - MA, MEd, EdD, PhD

> Field: Higher Education Leadership - MEd only

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - MEd
    • Educational Policy - MEd (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - MEd
    • Women and Gender Studies - MEd

> Field: Student Development and Student Services in Higher Education - MEd only

  • Collaborative specializations:
    • Comparative, International and Development Education - MEd
    • Educational Policy - MEd (admissions have been administratively suspended)
    • Sexual Diversity Studies - MEd
    • Women and Gender Studies - MEd

Collaborative Specializations

LHAE is also home to three collaborative specializations which provide students with exposure to cross-field and cross-disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving to broaden possibilities for innovative and effective interdisciplinary analysis. In order to participate in collaborative specialization, students must first be admitted to and registered in a regular degree program.

Comparative, International and Developmental Education (CIDE)
CIDE is one of the world's largest, most diverse, and dynamic collaborative specializations in the field of comparative education. Faculty interests span an exciting range of theoretical and practical issues—from the study of ethnicity and identity to the issues of globalization and global governance; from non-formal learning and citizenship education to concrete problems of educational reform, social equality, language education, conflict resolution and community development.

Educational Policy (EP)
(Note: Admissions have been administratively suspended to this Collaborative Specialization.)
EP serves students interested in educational policy development and implementation, with particular emphasis on improving educational process. EP provides students with exposure to cross-field and cross-disciplinary approaches to educational problem framing and problem solving to broaden the possibilities for innovative and effective policy analysis.

Workplace Learning and Social Change (WLSC)
WLSC is designed for students interested in developing their understandings of work and learning trends in Canada and internationally, with a focus on social change. This specialization situates workplace learning within broader social trends such as globalization, neo-liberalism and organizational restructuring. It aims to highlight the learning strategies that seek to foster social change through greater equality of power, inclusivity, participatory decision-making and economic democracy.


NOTE: Please see Bulletin sections below for more information on LHAE programs.