Program Requirements

Program Requirements

All students in the School of Child and Youth Care must adhere to the Faculty of Human and Social Development’s Guidelines for Professional Conduct, and will be expected to function within the terms of the code of conduct of an appropriate professional association. All travel, accommodation, meal, textbook, course reading and other expenses related to attending course sessions are in addition to the program tuition costs, and are the responsibility of the student.

Students are required to have access to a computer (PC or Macintosh) with Internet capabilities.

Master’s Program

The School of Child and Youth Care offers a Master of Arts in Child and Youth Care in a flexible delivery format to ensure accessibility to individuals working in the field. The program has an applied focus, preparing professional practitioners in the child and youth care field for leadership in advanced practice, training and related service support roles.

Child and Youth Care practice experience is essential to the master’s program; students are required to complete at least one field-work placement in a setting approved in writing by their program supervisor. A wide range of child and youth care settings and programs are suitable, and selection should be made in consultation with the student’s program supervisor. Individual students are responsible for all related field work costs, including travel, criminal records checks, telephone, accommodation and other costs.

Master’s—Thesis Option

The program of study consists of a total of 21 units:

• 15.0 units of core courses and electives
• 6.0 units of thesis

Course Requirements

Program Electives

Other Requirements

As outlined in the course requirements, MA students must complete a practicum. The minimum number of practicum hours for CYC 553 is 165 for a 1.5 unit course or 300 hours for a 3.0 unit course. It is expected that a mininum of 15 hours will be spent in direct (individual or group) supervision with the field site supervisor.

Thesis

The focus of a thesis is on a theoretical issue and methodology. This includes the application of a research question, a thorough literature review, an analysis of data, a presentation of findings, and the implications of findings for further research and practice. Students must follow the Guidelines for the Preparation of Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations (available online from Graduate Admissions and Records).

Oral Examination

Students are required to pass an oral examination at the end of their thesis.

Program Length

The maximum time limit for the MA Program is 5 years. It is expected that full-time students will complete their programs in less than 3 years.

Master’s—Non-Thesis Option

The program of study consists of a total of 21 units:

• 15.0 units of core courses and electives
• 6.0 units of research project

Course Requirements

Program Electives

Other Requirements

As outlined in the course requirements, MA students must complete a practicum. The minimum number of practicum hours for CYC 553 is 165 for a 1.5 unit course. Of these 165 hours, it is expected that 15 hours would be dedicated to meetings with the site supervisor to set goals, evaluate progress, and discuss issues.

Final Project

The focus of a project is on practice. It has a service-oriented intent. The project may involve one or more of the following: needs assessment, program design, curriculum development, documented practice intervention, program evaluation, or publishable review/synthesis of an aspect of the CYC literature for the benefit of a particular service group requesting this as a service. Students can discuss other possible projects with their supervisors.

Oral Examination

Students are required to pass an oral examination at the end of their project.

Program Length

The maximum time limit for the MA Program is 5 years. It is expected that full-time students will complete their programs in less than 3 years.

PhD Program

The focus of the PhD program is the preparation of graduates who will play key leadership roles at provincial, national, and international levels in the broad field of Child and Youth Care. Through research and knowledge development, and with a particular emphasis on the scholarship of practice, graduates will influence teaching, research, policy, practice, program development, and evaluation.

The School of Child and Youth Care is also committed to addressing issues related to communities or populations that have been historically oppressed or marginalized. The courses address theoretical and practical foundations for working within and across cultures.

The program of study consists of a total of 30 units. PhD program students will be expected to take a minimum of 7.5 units of core courses, with additional course work if necessary as determined by their committees. The remaining units will consist of at least 3 units of elective courses and a dissertation normally 19.5 units.

Course Requirements

Program Electives

Other Requirements

Students will normally be in residence while taking core courses.

Candidacy

Students will be expected to complete two candidacy papers (one focused on the substantive area of interest including related theories, and the other on methodology related to their area and topic of interest) and an oral examination before qualifying to undertake PhD research and a dissertation. Within thirty-six months of registration as a provisional doctoral student and at least six months before the final oral examination, a student must pass a candidacy examination.

PhD Proposal

Following the successful completion of candidacies, the doctoral student will produce a research proposal. The student will be expected to outline his/her research proposal and answer questions from his/her supervisory committee as part of the approval process. The committee members will then indicate by signature their support and approval of the proposed research on the proposal and the student will proceed to the ethics review process (as appropriate) and subsequent research.

Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation must embody original work and constitute a significant contribution to knowledge in the candidate’s field of study. It should contain evidence of broad knowledge of the relevant literature, and should demonstrate a critical understanding of the works of scholars closely related to the subject of the dissertation. Material embodied in the dissertation should, in the opinion of scholars in the field, merit publication.

Oral Examination

Students are required to pass an oral examination at the end of their dissertation.

Program Length

The maximum time limit for the PhD Program is 7 years. It is expected that full-time students will complete in less than 5 years.

Graduate Diploma in International Child and Youth Care and Development

The School has responded to the child and youth care needs of developing countries by creating a culturally and contextually appropriate graduate diploma program designed to advance country-identified development priorities. The program consists of six 500-level courses that form part of the School’s Master’s degree program (CYC 541, CYC 565, CYC 547, CYC 549, and two CYC 590 courses). This program is available only through specific country partnerships. Successful completion of these six courses does not automatically count towards the Master’s degree from the School, as admissions to the School’s Master’s degree program is through a separate admissions process.