Applying To Teacher Education School

Teacher education relates to everything we know! Which mean there's a lot for prospective teachers to study. This variety of options, therefore, affects the application process to the different teacher education programs at the university, community college or private career college level.

Admission to undergraduate university programs in teacher education is typically competitive and admission is granted based on academic requirements and personal qualities. There are two main ways to take a Bachelor of Education degree: entering directly from high school, or transferring from another university degree program. The concurrent BEd is taken while studying in another Faculty at the same time, while the consecutive BEd involves applying to the non-education Faculty, and then after two or three years transferring to the Education Faculty. Some programs may require a prior post-secondary diploma. The most common combined degrees are Bachelor of Education with Bachelor of Arts (BA/BEd), Bachelor of Science (BSc/ BEd), Bachelor of Physical Education (BPE/BEd), or Bachelor of Music (BMus/ BEd). Aboriginal teacher education programs like NORTEP (Northern Teacher Education Program) may be offered at various regional centres affiliated with different universities, which means there is some real flexibility in terms of where you take your actual classes.

Students should apply using the using the post-secondary application service of their respective province, if relevant, or directly to the institution. University application also usually includes a non-refundable application fee of anywhere between $25-$100, as specified by the institution, as well as official high school transcripts. Intake is normally in September and January, but students are advised to apply early for the more competitive programs. In terms of academic requirements needed for university admission (whether directly to an Education Faculty or to another Faculty prior to transferring to Education), you need Grade 12 completion with a certain grade (generally around 70%) in each of the required courses, which typically include English and math. Other courses will be required depending on the specific teaching subjects you intend to specialize in. A student's overall academic average or Grade Point Average (GPA) is also considered, and the competitive GPA can change from year to year depending on the quality of the applicant pool and the number of places available. Additional potential requirements include reference letters, questionnaire, current résumé, proof of English proficiency, personal essay or letter of intent and possibly health clearance. You may be asked to participate in an interview or meet with an admissions counselor. If you are interested in pursuing a BEd or a Bachelor of Religious Education (BRE) at a Christian university may be required to provide additional application materials, such as a reference from your church, or you may be asked to sign the school's statement of belief.

Community colleges generally have open admission in which students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. However, admission to most community college diploma and certificate programs in teacher education is competitive--requiring Grade 12 completion with satisfactory standing in English and math--and generally follow application procedures similar to university programs. These are often direct-entry programs that you can apply to straight from high school.

Career colleges differ in that some offer continuous enrolment with programs starting every month; others operate on a more traditional semester system with a fall and/ or winter intake. Many career colleges therefore don't have as defined admission deadlines and instead process applications all year round. Others have specific deadlines after which applications are no longer considered. Both community colleges and career colleges with internal scholarships and bursaries may encourage early application in order to qualify for these awards and financial assistance. At this level as well, application consists of an official application form (usually downloaded), a fee, transcripts, and any of the additional requirements mentioned above.

Check out CampusStarter's database of Canadian Teacher Education Schools and Programs