The next cohort will start in Summer 2025 (July).

Questions? Contact us at mesinfo@ualberta.ca. 

Courses in the Master of Education in Educational Studies - Education Futures will critically examine the implications of the disruptions impacting the education sector by applying the interdisciplinary analytical tools of future studies and anticipatory leadership to engage real-world opportunities and challenges in schools. These disruptions include significant changes in demography, new economic realities and the changing nature of work, new pedagogies, challenges of equity and inclusion and the emergence of AI-enabled technologies.

The curriculum emphasizes the cultivation of leadership that is responsive, equity-focused, and grounded in ethical practices and the framework of adaptive schools. With personalized coaching and a support network of experienced university instructors, participants will emerge well-equipped to lead successful schools and effect meaningful education reform. They will also have mastered the use of specific tools which will assist them in their day-to-day work as leaders, adaptive coaches and mentors and agents of change.

The cohort will begin coursework with an inquiry into how ‘the future’ is imagined and anticipated by influential policy actors and organizations. These players are shaping policy-making and teaching practices, including curriculum and instructional design, assessment, and Indigenous education. As the courses progress, participants will develop their capacity to generate innovative, context-sensitive strategies to enhance educational resilience through adaptive leadership. This work will be grounded in regenerative thinking, anticipatory governance and evidence-based decision-making. They will also be encouraged to apply their knowledge and skills in specific interventions – use cases – and assess the impact of these interventions over time. Research and evaluation skills will be studied through key courses.

Note: completion of a graduate certificate does not guarantee admission into the MES program.

MES Education Futures Ladder
Click here for course and schedule details.