Social Sciences education is a dynamic and evolving field that explores how identity, culture, relationships, power, and lived experience shape individuals and communities.
In this course, you will examine leadership within Social Sciences education through the interconnected lenses of curriculum, inquiry, assessment, equity, and community engagement, while reflecting on how your professional judgment and leadership practices support meaningful and inclusive learning environments. Throughout the course, you will engage with Ontario curriculum and policy, Indigenous perspectives and knowledge systems, anti-oppressive and culturally responsive approaches, inquiry-based learning, inclusive pedagogies, and ethical uses of technology, including artificial intelligence. You will also consider the role of mentorship, collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, and community partnerships in strengthening Social Sciences programs and supporting student well-being.
By course end, you will have strengthened your ability to design responsive, equitable, and inquiry-rich learning experiences through reflection, dialogue, and practical leadership tasks, supporting both student success and professional growth in diverse educational communities.
Program Information
What you’ll learn and do in Honour Specialist: Social Sciences:
- Critically analyze Social Sciences theories, methodologies, and perspectives to inform curriculum leadership and instructional practice.
- Evaluate Ontario curriculum, policies, and legislation to support ethical, inclusive, and legally responsive program planning.
- Synthesize Indigenous histories, perspectives, and knowledge systems in alignment with TRC and UNDRIP to inform responsive teaching and leadership.
- Apply anti-oppression and culturally responsive pedagogical frameworks to address systemic barriers and support equitable learning environments.
- Design inclusive, accessible, and differentiated learning experiences grounded in Universal Design for Learning and Learning for All principles.
- Assess and refine instructional and assessment practices using evidence-informed approaches that support learner achievement, well-being, and agency.
- Integrate ethical and responsible uses of technology, including artificial intelligence, to enhance teaching, learning, and critical media literacy
- Lead collaborative professional learning and community partnerships to support innovation, inquiry, and collective efficacy in Social Sciences education.
- Collaborate with colleagues, students, families, caregivers, community agencies, and Indigenous/community partners to strengthen responsive and reciprocal Social Science learning environments.
- Develop research-informed, inquiry-based approaches to curriculum design that reflect diverse voices, identities, and lived experiences.
- Synthesize approaches to integrating real-world contexts, career/life planning, and community connections into Social Science education.
- Construct a comprehensive, leadership-oriented program or initiative that demonstrates coherence across curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and equity-focused practices.
Prerequisites
- 1.) OCT MEMBERSHIP Confirming that your Certificate of Qualifications shows certification in at least two teaching divisions (Primary, Junior, Intermediate, Senior).
- 2.) YOUR UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE UNIVERSITY TRANSCRIPT(S)Your transcript(s) must show:- A Bachelor’s degree at an accredited university with the equivalent of 20.0 full credits (4 Year Degree) – The equivalent of 9.0 full undergraduate/graduate credits in this teaching subject with a second class standing or higher.
- 3.) CONFIRMATION OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE FORM Signed by a Supervisory Official* from your School Board confirming that you have two years (388 days) of teaching experience since becoming a certified teacher, one year (194 days) of which is in the subject area of this course.
- *The Ontario College of Teachers defines “Supervisory Official” as the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent of the school board for a teacher employed by a Board of Education. A principal or headmaster is not recognized in this capacity. For a teacher employed by a private school, the “supervisory official” is the Ministry of Education official (Education Officer) appointed to your school. For overseas experience, the appropriate Supervisory Official is the person your Principal reports to.Please note that a new form is always required for a Specialist course as experience is course/subject specific.
Materials
There are no additional resources required for this course.
Technology
- Laptop/PC: Windows 10 or higher or equivalent operating system with recommended 8 GB of RAM and at least 16 GB of free hard disk space and Wi-Fi capabilities.
- Access to reliable high-speed broadband internet access (Cable, DSL, LTE) with a minimum bandwidth of 15 Mbps is recommended.
- Included integrated webcam and microphone recommended.
This is an asynchronous, cohort based, instructor-led course with defined start date, end date and specific module due dates. Learners are not expected to be online at a certain time of day, but they are expected to work through the material alongside other learners. Learners should expect to spend 16-18 hours on coursework throughout each week to stay on track.
To successfully complete your program, you will complete all assignments, activities and discussions by the posted deadlines in the program.
Your progress will be continuously evaluated using a variety of formative and/or summative assessments to receive a final mark. Information about these assessment methods will be provided in the Learning Management System on the first day of the program.
| Course Detail | Course Info |
|---|---|
| Course Code | EDUC 9N857 |
| Course Name | Honour Specialist: Social Sciences |
| Category | Honours Specialist |
| Price | $725 |
| Delivery Mode | ASY - Asynchronous Online |
| Duration | 8 weeks |
| Registration | More Info |
| OSAP Eligible | Yes |
In partnership with
Important dates:
| EDUC 9N857 | Spring | Late Spring | Summer | Late Summer | Fall | Late Fall | Fall-Winter | Winter | Late Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0. Availability | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| 1. Start Date | Mar 23, 2026 | May 4, 2026 | Jun 22, 2026 | Jul 20, 2026 | Sep 14, 2026 | Oct 19, 2026 | Nov 16, 2026 | Jan 18, 2027 | Feb 22, 2027 |
| 2. End Date | May 17, 2026 | Jun 28, 2026 | Aug 16, 2026 | Sep 13, 2026 | Nov 8, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | Mar 14, 2027 | Apr 18, 2027 |
| 3. Withdraw deadline 100% | March 29, 2026 | May 10, 2026 | June 28, 2026 | July 26, 2026 | September 20, 2026 | October 25, 2026 | November 22, 2026 | January 24, 2027 | February 28, 2027 |
| 4. Withdraw deadline 50% | April 12, 2026 | May 24, 2026 | July 12, 2026 | August 9, 2026 | October 4, 2026 | November 8, 2026 | December 6, 2026 | February 7, 2027 | March 14, 2027 |
A complete listing of important dates for each academic term.