°Ä¿Í¾º²Ê
Program Location
Start Term
Fall Semesters
Program Type
Thesis, Project, or Coursework
Schedule
Full-Time/Part-Time
Credits
45 Credits
Average Duration
Full-Time: Up to 3 Years
Part-Time: Up to 5 Years
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A program for aspiring educational leaders who are dedicated to enhancing both personal and institutional practices within diverse learning environments. You can expect to delve into policy-making, operations, and change management in education, examining contemporary issues in education, including social, ethical, political, economic, and cultural contexts.
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Students may choose from three program options, as outlined in the tabs below.ÌýThe thesis option is recommended for students interested in undertaking a more in-depth independent study or pursuing a PhD upon completion of their Master's degree. The non-thesis option may be more appropriate if you wish to pursue your Master's alongside full-time work or are primarily pursuing your Master's for career advancement.
Master of Arts Educational Leadership (Course Work)
Ìý
Full Program Details from the Course Catalogue
Educational Leadership (Non-Thesis) (M.A.): Course Work (45 credits)
Offered by: Integrated Studies in EdÌý(Faculty of Education) Ìý Ìý
Degree: Master of Arts
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
This M.A. program focuses on Educational Leadership, with an emphasis on the evidence-based skills, capacities, and dispositions needed for effective, collaborative, and quality leadership.
Required Courses (9 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 609 | Critical Perspectives in Educational Theory and Research. | 3 |
Critical Perspectives in Educational Theory and Research. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025 Critical exploration of contemporary issues in educational theory and research, in terms of current scholarship in the field, current educational contexts, and various research paradigms. Educational issues as expressions of social, ethical, political, economic, epistemological and cultural reconfigurations. Students will learn to be critical consumers of educational theories and research. | ||
| EDEM 610 | Leadership in Action. | 3 |
Leadership in Action. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Teaches the use of reflective practice to develop theories of leadership action in educational settings. Also provides students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to engage in processes to improve individual and organizational performance. Special emphasis will be given to communication, problem solving and decision-making. | ||
| EDEM 673 | Leadership Theory in Education. | 3 |
Leadership Theory in Education. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Explores theory and research on leadership approaches (including leadership styles, strategies, and communication practices) and the role of leadership theory in educational settings. | ||
Complementary Courses (27 credits)
18-21 credits selected from the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 606 | Educational Leadership Issues. | 3 |
Educational Leadership Issues. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on the critical analysis and appraisal of leadership issues across geographic, linguistic, racial, gender and cultural contexts from a comparative perspective. Students will analyze their own experience. This is a co-constructed course designed to speak specifically to students’ realities and address areas of learning identified by the practitioner-learners in the class. | ||
| EDEM 628 | Education Resource Management. | 3 |
Education Resource Management. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Explores the concepts and skills necessary to manage the human and financial resources of small organizations (schools, NGOs, departments). Among the areas explored are labour contracts, supervision, grant writing and fundraising, use of volunteers, managing site-based budgets. | ||
| EDEM 630 | Workplace Learning. | 3 |
Workplace Learning. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Drawing on different theoretical perspectives, research, and policy discourse, this course explores how changes in the contemporary character of work has produced transformations in how workplace learning is conceived and practiced. | ||
| EDEM 635 | Fiscal Accountability in Education. | 3 |
Fiscal Accountability in Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focuses on accountability in schools and education systems, public responsibility, budgeting, and measures of educational performance. | ||
| EDEM 637 | Managing Educational Change. | 3 |
Managing Educational Change. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Winter 2026 Explores conceptual approaches to managing school improvement and organizational change with applications such as conflict management, action planning, coaching, shared vision-building and problem solving. Uses relevant case studies to bring theory into practice. | ||
| EDEM 644 | Curriculum Development and Implementation. | 3 |
Curriculum Development and Implementation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explores and critiques the processes of curriculum development, implementation and evaluation in relation to the field of curriculum studies. The focus will be on the role of the educator/leader as a curriculum professional in formal and non-formal learning environments. | ||
| EDEM 646 | Planning and Evaluation. | 3 |
Planning and Evaluation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on contemporary approaches to planning, monitoring and evaluating programs across a range of contexts (K-graduation, college, non-governmental organization, adult education centre). Areas of study include adaptive and strategic management, results-based management, log frame analysis, systems assessment, stakeholder analysis, and fourth generation evaluation. | ||
| EDEM 660 | Community Relations in Education. | 3 |
Community Relations in Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Examines the role of school community relations to foster high quality learning environments. Explores and discusses methods for encouraging public involvement in education, the role of the leader in facilitating community engagement, and issues and dilemmas in community relations. | ||
| EDEM 664 | Education and the Law. | 3 |
Education and the Law. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The legal and institutional framework of Canadian education systems; legal terminology and the tools and methods of legal research; selected public and private law issues in Canadian education. | ||
| EDEM 671 | Role of the Leader. | 3 |
Role of the Leader. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Explores the roles, expectations and skills related to the task of the educational leader and the implications for school climate and effectiveness. | ||
| EDEM 674 | Organizational Theory and Education. | 3 |
Organizational Theory and Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on contemporary organization theories and their implications for education and the management of learning environments. Also examines how theories of organizational research, strategy, and organizational learning can be applied in practice. | ||
| EDEM 675 | Special Topics 1 in Educational Leadership. | 3 |
Special Topics 1 in Educational Leadership. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explores important current issues in the field of Educational Leadership Studies. (Content varies from year to year). | ||
| EDEM 677 | Special Topics 2 in Educational Leadership. | 3 |
Special Topics 2 in Educational Leadership. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explores important current issues in the field of Educational Leadership Studies. (Content varies from year to year.) | ||
| EDEM 681 | Practicum - Administrative Studies. | 3 |
Practicum - Administrative Studies. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focuses on field studies and applied research, including the preparation of a research report. Using case studies and problem-based learning, students will draw from practical and/or contextual examples to understand educational leadership in context. | ||
| EDEM 690 | Research Methods: Theory and Practice. | 3 |
Research Methods: Theory and Practice. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Overview of the epistemological foundations of a range of research methods, including but not limited to quantitative, philosophical, qualitative, arts-based, and mixed methods. Students will learn techniques to conduct research and to develop a research proposal. | ||
| EDEM 693 | School Improvement Approaches. | 3 |
School Improvement Approaches. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Focuses on the analysis of action and research approaches used to improve school performance. Explores the collection and use of data to improve decisions making; strategies for creating interventions to improve schools; and political and social facets of making good ideas become good policy and practice in schools. | ||
| EDEM 695 | Policy Studies in Education. | 3 |
Policy Studies in Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focuses on issues in the field of policy studies with specific reference to the formulation, analysis, and assessment of educational policies. Particular focus on strategic policy implementation, analysis of unintended policy consequences and responsive policy-making. | ||
Ìý6-9 credits selected from the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEA 555 | Applied Theatre. | 3 |
Applied Theatre. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of the practices of theatre and drama in non-traditional settings, encompassing theatre practices and process drama that tackle areas of social and cultural policy such as public health, education, housing and social welfare. | ||
| EDEA 655 | Arts-Based Educational Research. | 3 |
Arts-Based Educational Research. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Forms of thinking and portraying that emanate from the arts: music, dance, drama, visual art, poetry, which provide an aesthetically-oriented lens from which to examine perspectives and premises that influence educational practice, and to develop processes that use one or more of the arts. | ||
| EDEC 575 | Special Topics in Education. | 3 |
Special Topics in Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth study of current topic(s) in the field of education. | ||
| EDEC 602 | Foundations in Curriculum. | 3 |
Foundations in Curriculum. Terms offered: Fall 2025 This course introduces the field of curriculum studies, including a historical approach to the discourses, debates and issues that have shaped it. Students will actively explore relationships between curriculum theory and professional as well as pedagogical practice. | ||
| EDEC 604 | Literacy and Learning Across Curriculum. | 3 |
Literacy and Learning Across Curriculum. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of the central role of language in learning across the curriculum: the processes by which pupils acquire information and understanding and the ways in which teaching must take account of these processes: learning through talk, learning by writing, learning from text. | ||
| EDEC 606 | Self-Study, Autoethnography, and Autobiographical Research . | 3 |
Self-Study, Autoethnography, and Autobiographical Research . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Critical and ethical engagement with the relationship between self and other through various auto/biographical approaches to research in education, such as self-study, autoethnography, currere, life writing, artistic practices, writing the self, and memory-work. Exploration of various forms of writing, representation, analysis and critical discussion | ||
| EDEC 612 | Digital Media and Learning. | 3 |
Digital Media and Learning. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026 This course addresses emerging theories, pedagogies, and practices related to youth learning through digital media and online participatory cultures. Through direct engagement with multiple forms of digital media and youth, students will consider implications for teaching and learning within and beyond schools. | ||
| EDEC 620 | Meanings of Literacy. | 3 |
Meanings of Literacy. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Investigation of basic issues related to definitions of literacy. Issues include new directions in literacy and education, the need for non-print literacies in contemporary life, and the challenges these changes present for educators. | ||
| EDEC 625 | MA Seminar in Practice-Based Teacher Education 1. | 3 |
MA Seminar in Practice-Based Teacher Education 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar that provides an overview of research in practice-based teacher education, across content areas, and apprenticeship opportunities in teacher preparation contexts. | ||
| EDEC 628 | Literacy - Multilingual/Multicultural Settings. | 3 |
Literacy - Multilingual/Multicultural Settings. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course examines the teaching of literacy in a range of multilingual and multicultural settings in schooling and society, primarily from the sociocultural perspectives of self and group identity as well as empowerment within majority-minority group relations. | ||
| EDEC 635 | Research Writing. | 3 |
Research Writing. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The course offers a research-led introduction to processes and practices of research writing. Working to develop their research writing projects, students learn to examine, critically reflect on, and participate in the research writing practices in their fields, guided by current research on the discursive construction of knowledge. | ||
| EDEC 648 | Historical Knowledge and Social Change. | 3 |
Historical Knowledge and Social Change. Terms offered: Fall 2025 This course provides a deep understanding of how individuals and societies use history for purposes of giving meaning and acting in social reality. The emphasis is on the workings of historical consciousness for addressing educational and other societal issues of concern. Special attention will be given to exploring how history can be used for fostering positive changes for the betterment of society. The aim is to exercise participants' own historical sense making processes and to help locate their social posture to serve as a springboard for making a difference as future practitioners for improving the quality of a common future life. | ||
| EDEC 650 | Critical Race Studies and Education . | 3 |
Critical Race Studies and Education . Terms offered: Winter 2026 Investigates the relationships among race, racialization, and education. Defines education as the processes through which we claim identities, make knowledge claims, and how we learn to take action in the world. Concerned with 1) how we come to know and produce knowledge through race, 2) the pedagogical processes that normalize racial inequity; and 3) the impact of racializing knowledge and structures for variously racialized persons in educational settings. Surveys a range of intersectional critical race theoretical frameworks particularly in Canada. Relevant for developing a critically-engaged educational practice, for whom race, racialization, and social justice are central concerns. | ||
| EDEM 679 | Special Topics 3 in Educational Leadership. | 3 |
Special Topics 3 in Educational Leadership. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected topics in educational leadership. | ||
| EDEM 688 | Critical and Participatory Research Methods . | 3 |
Critical and Participatory Research Methods . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of several critical and participatory research methodologies (such as Black radical, feminist and activist ethnography) to understand their implications for study methods (framing research questions, data collection and analysis). | ||
| EDER 536 | Critical and Ethical Dimensions of Sexualities Education. | 3 |
Critical and Ethical Dimensions of Sexualities Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Overview of the recent critical and ethical debates around Canadian sex education curricula and instruction. Special focus will be on: the social implications of the developmental category of ‘adolescent’, sexual citizenship, discourses as a tool of moral regulation and discipline, construction of gender, race and class in sex education, and the ways Canadian laws define issues of consent and abuse in relation to youth sexual activity. | ||
| EDER 600 | Globalization, Education and Change. | 3 |
Globalization, Education and Change. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The impact of globalization on educational institutions, processes and practices. Topics may include the politics of change, teachers' work, educational reform, technology, environment, educational management and leadership. | ||
| EDER 607 | Ethics and Values in Education. | 3 |
Ethics and Values in Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Considers education as a concept and practice influenced by values (ethical, religious, aesthetic, cultural, political, etc.). Includes a critical examination of selected approaches to values education. | ||
| EDER 608 | Educational Implications of Social Theory. | 3 |
Educational Implications of Social Theory. Terms offered: Winter 2026 An analysis of some of the educational implications of various social and political theories: liberalism, Marxism and others. | ||
| EDER 614 | Sociology of Education. | 3 |
Sociology of Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Social context of schooling, including education and social stratification and socialization processes within and outside schools. | ||
| EDER 615 | Introduction to Philosophy of Education. | 3 |
Introduction to Philosophy of Education. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Winter 2026 Explores questions, aims, debates and modes of inquiry that characterize philosophical approaches to studying educational questions. Introduces philosophy of education as a distinctive field of educational research and may focus on figures or themes of contemporary interest. | ||
| EDER 617 | Aesthetics and Education. | 3 |
Aesthetics and Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination and critical analysis of selected readings on the topic of aesthetics, with specific reference to their application to educational practice. | ||
| EDER 622 | Studies in Comparative Education. | 3 |
Studies in Comparative Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Comparative study of the economic, political and social aspects of education systems. | ||
| EDER 625 | Special Topics in Educational Studies. | 3 |
Special Topics in Educational Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explores important current issues in the field of Educational Studies. (Content varies from year to year.) | ||
| EDER 626 | Theory and Praxis of Culture and Citizenship. | 3 |
Theory and Praxis of Culture and Citizenship. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Study and critique of contemporary ethics and cultural education models with a specific emphasis on Quebec’s Culture and Citizenship program. Introduction to a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives on the roles culture and citizenship play starting from our personal lives to the classroom. | ||
| EDER 639 | Education and Development. | 3 |
Education and Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theories of development and the contribution of education to political, economic and social change. | ||
| EDER 643 | Women, Education and Development. | 3 |
Women, Education and Development. Terms offered: Winter 2026 This course will trace the major theoretical developments in women and development and relate them to educational issues in the formal, non-formal and informal settings. There will be an emphasis on the significance and policy implications of women's education for sustainable developments in the countries of the South. | ||
| EDER 649 | Education: Multicultural Societies. | 3 |
Education: Multicultural Societies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Majority-minority relations and their implications for educational policy and practice. | ||
Elective Courses (9 credits)
9 credits at the 500, 600, or 700 level chosen in consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator or the Graduate Program Director.
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Eligibility (Admission Criteria)
Applicants should meet the following requirements:
- Possess anÌýundergraduate degree.
- AÌýminimum CGPA of 3.0 out of 4.0, or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 out of 4.0 in the last two years of full-time studies.ÌýInternational applicants can look upÌýgrade equivalencies on °Ä¿Í¾º²Ê’s Future Graduate Students website.
- It is recommended that applicantsÌýhave a minimum of two years of relevant leadership experience in education or related professional experience.
- Proficiency in English.ÌýApplicants to graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English and who have not obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, or from a recognized institution in Canada or the US (anglophone or francophone), must submit documented proof of proficiency in oral and written English.
- IELTS with a minimum overall band of 7.0; (with a minimum writing score of 7.0); or
- TOEFL:iBT (Internet-based test) – total score of 92 with a minimum score of 22 each for the Writing and Speaking sections and a minimum of 20 each for the Reading and Listening sections and PBT (paper-based test) – 580
(The Department reserves the right to evaluate the applicant's language proficiency before initial registration and at the time of application.)
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Application Process & Required Documents
All applications are done throughÌý. The application steps and instructional video are on the University'sÌýFuture Graduate Students website. The following documents must be part of your application: (Note that all uploaded documents to the portal must be in PDF format.)
- A completeÌýapplication formÌý(accompanied by your application fee payment).
- A copy of yourÌýunofficial transcriptsÌýfrom all previous university-level studies (undergraduate and graduate).Ìý Official transcripts are required to be submitted byÌýthose who gain admission to the program. (Instructions on sending official transcripts will be sent upon acceptance.)
- Letters of Reference:ÌýWithin the online application, applicants must provide valid institutional e-mail addresses forÌýtwo (2) references. At least one reference must be from a university-level instructor; the other may be from an administrator in an educationally relevant context. °Ä¿Í¾º²Ê will contact the referees directly to submit their letters of reference.
- Personal StatementÌý(2-page maximum, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, 1 inch margins). Applicants should demonstrate a clear motivation for pursuing a graduate degree in education and an interest in educational issues manifested in cultural, historical, philosophical, economic, and/or political contexts. Moreover, this letter of intent shouldÌýspecifyÌýyour relevant academic and professional experience, particularly related to education or other work in a language and/or teaching context.
- English Language Proficiency Test Score (if applicable):ÌýPlease arrange for test scores (TOEFL, IELTS) to be sent to °Ä¿Í¾º²Ê directly from the testing agency. You must indicate the °Ä¿Í¾º²Ê institution code: 0935.
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Application Deadlines
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- Fall Admission: January 1
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What to Expect After Submitting your Application
Applications are first processed by the department, with recommended applications sent to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) for further review. Once your application has been fully processed, you'll receive an email notification confirming your status. Successful candidates will be asked to confirm their acceptance via their .
Master of Arts Educational Leadership (Project)
Ìý
Full Program Details from the Course Catalogue
Educational Leadership (Non-Thesis) (M.A.): Project (45 credits)
Offered by: Integrated Studies in Ed (Faculty of Education)ÌýÌýÌý
Degree: Master of Arts
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
This M.A. program focuses on Educational Leadership, with an emphasis on the evidence-based skills, capacities, and dispositions needed for effective, collaborative, and quality leadership. The program includes two 6-credit action-oriented projects focused on leadership.
Research Project (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 625 | Project 1. | 6 |
Project 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Theoretical or practical project under the supervision of a departmental faculty member to explore and analyze an area of interest relevant to the concentration in leadership or curriculum. | ||
| EDEM 627 | Project 2. | 6 |
Project 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Extension of Project 1 or new project. | ||
Required Courses (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 609 | Critical Perspectives in Educational Theory and Research. | 3 |
Critical Perspectives in Educational Theory and Research. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025 Critical exploration of contemporary issues in educational theory and research, in terms of current scholarship in the field, current educational contexts, and various research paradigms. Educational issues as expressions of social, ethical, political, economic, epistemological and cultural reconfigurations. Students will learn to be critical consumers of educational theories and research. | ||
| EDEM 610 | Leadership in Action. | 3 |
Leadership in Action. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Teaches the use of reflective practice to develop theories of leadership action in educational settings. Also provides students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to engage in processes to improve individual and organizational performance. Special emphasis will be given to communication, problem solving and decision-making. | ||
| EDEM 673 | Leadership Theory in Education. | 3 |
Leadership Theory in Education. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Explores theory and research on leadership approaches (including leadership styles, strategies, and communication practices) and the role of leadership theory in educational settings. | ||
| EDEM 690 | Research Methods: Theory and Practice. | 3 |
Research Methods: Theory and Practice. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Overview of the epistemological foundations of a range of research methods, including but not limited to quantitative, philosophical, qualitative, arts-based, and mixed methods. Students will learn techniques to conduct research and to develop a research proposal. | ||
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
9 credits selected from the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 606 | Educational Leadership Issues. | 3 |
Educational Leadership Issues. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on the critical analysis and appraisal of leadership issues across geographic, linguistic, racial, gender and cultural contexts from a comparative perspective. Students will analyze their own experience. This is a co-constructed course designed to speak specifically to students’ realities and address areas of learning identified by the practitioner-learners in the class. | ||
| EDEM 628 | Education Resource Management. | 3 |
Education Resource Management. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Explores the concepts and skills necessary to manage the human and financial resources of small organizations (schools, NGOs, departments). Among the areas explored are labour contracts, supervision, grant writing and fundraising, use of volunteers, managing site-based budgets. | ||
| EDEM 630 | Workplace Learning. | 3 |
Workplace Learning. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Drawing on different theoretical perspectives, research, and policy discourse, this course explores how changes in the contemporary character of work has produced transformations in how workplace learning is conceived and practiced. | ||
| EDEM 635 | Fiscal Accountability in Education. | 3 |
Fiscal Accountability in Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focuses on accountability in schools and education systems, public responsibility, budgeting, and measures of educational performance. | ||
| EDEM 637 | Managing Educational Change. | 3 |
Managing Educational Change. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Winter 2026 Explores conceptual approaches to managing school improvement and organizational change with applications such as conflict management, action planning, coaching, shared vision-building and problem solving. Uses relevant case studies to bring theory into practice. | ||
| EDEM 644 | Curriculum Development and Implementation. | 3 |
Curriculum Development and Implementation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explores and critiques the processes of curriculum development, implementation and evaluation in relation to the field of curriculum studies. The focus will be on the role of the educator/leader as a curriculum professional in formal and non-formal learning environments. | ||
| EDEM 646 | Planning and Evaluation. | 3 |
Planning and Evaluation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focuses on contemporary approaches to planning, monitoring and evaluating programs across a range of contexts (K-graduation, college, non-governmental organization, adult education centre). Areas of study include adaptive and strategic management, results-based management, log frame analysis, systems assessment, stakeholder analysis, and fourth generation evaluation. | ||
| EDEM 660 | Community Relations in Education. | 3 |
Community Relations in Education. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Examines the role of school community relations to fost | ||