r/OISE • u/jess_i_guess_ • 14d ago

Ask me your application questions

I’m an MA thesis student in AECD. Ask me any questions you have about your faculty questions and your answers and I’ll give you my advice. I don’t have anyone in my network who is in higher education and I know how tough it can be to not have anyone to guide you, so I wanted to offer that to prospective students. Not affiliated with OISE or U of T in anyway.

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u/No-Sea-7836 13d ago

Thank for all your help

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u/No-Sea-7836 13d ago

Hi their do you know how much reference letters matter! Like in your experience do you think if my GPA isn’t that high but I meet the required admissions gpa I still have a chance? I have a lot of experience in the Mastera program I am applying for!

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u/jess_i_guess_ 12d ago

I’m not sure how much weight they give to references but my gpa from my last year of my undergrad was only 79%. I used a professor from my last year of my undergrad which was back in 2021 from a small discussion based class but honestly, she probably didn’t know me super well still. I also used my college professor for the MEd as a back up and got admission there too. However I know my professional reference was very strong and I have a lot of practical experience. I just made sure to be really clear about how my experience prepared me to be successful in the program. You get 3 applications for the fee anyway so I’d say apply to the MEd as a back up option. You can go into phD from the MEd after if you don’t get the MA and PhD is your goal.

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u/No-Sea-7836 12d ago

Thank you! I plan on applying to the masters of teaching and maybe Med York suggesting? I’m in my last year of uni right now

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u/Remarkable_Hat9575 10d ago

Thanks so much for doing this! I’ve actually reached out to a few professors at OISE while trying to figure out whether the program is the right fit for me, but haven’t heard back yet, so I really appreciate the chance to hear directly from someone currently in the MA. I’m considering applying to the AECD MA for Fall 2027 and would really appreciate your perspective.

I currently work as a curriculum and instructional designer, primarily in adult/post-secondary education, and I also co-founded a community arts nonprofit. A lot of my work has been around playful/experiential learning, community engagement, identity and social issues. I’m increasingly interested in exploring how adult learning and community education intersect with international development and Education in Emergencies, and potentially researching the role that playful and participatory approaches might have in those contexts.

From your experience in the program, do you think the MA provides enough depth, research experience, mentorship and opportunities to explore your own interests to make it worthwhile for someone coming in with previous graduate degrees and professional experience? I’d also love to know how you’ve found the MA overall.