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Alberta provincial teaching certification is a two-stage process and it requires separate evaluations by separate governing bodies.

• Alberta Education issues teaching certificates.
• The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), through the Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS), determines salary.

Both evaluations are required to be eligible to teach in Alberta public schools.

Certification

To be eligible to teach in Alberta, a valid teaching certificate issued by the Province of Alberta is required. After the successful completion of the BEd program, a student may be recommended for an Alberta Interim Professional Certificate by the Werklund School of Education. Typically all of the required units needed for certification are included within the courses taken as a part of the BEd program.

Note: In order to meet certification requirements students who are in the Two-Year After-Degree BEd program are required to present 3 units in English Literature or French Literature in addition to the courses taken as a part of the BEd.

Typically, these are taken as a part of the student’s first degree, or they can be taken following the completion of the first degree, as they are required for admission into the BEd After-Degree program.

Teachers who have been certified to teach in other jurisdictions (other provinces and other countries) and who wish to teach in Alberta must contact Alberta Education, Teacher Development and Certification Branch to have their credentials evaluated.

All enquiries concerning certification should be directed to the Alberta Education website.

Students mandated by Alberta Education to complete practicum hours for the purposes of teacher re-certification, may be eligible to take Education 570.

Students wishing to take this course must:

• Have completed all other Alberta Education evaluation-directed coursework, if mandated
• Contact the Director, Field Experience
• Provide a copy of their Alberta Education evaluation letter to the Director once requested
• Successfully be admitted to Open Studies for the term in which Education 570 is being offered
• After successful admission, contact the Undergraduate Programs in Education to have registration in Education 570 facilitated
• Be aware that Education 570 is not offered every academic year
• Be aware that regardless of Alberta Education-requested hours, Education 570 comprises a non-negotiable minimum 9 weeks of practicum experience
• Be aware that successful completion of required coursework and/or admission into Open Studies does not guarantee a placement can be secured
• Be aware that no placement requests can be guaranteed
• Adhere to all field experience regulations and required codes of conduct
• Obtain a current, clear Police Information Check, including Vulnerable Section Check, as directed by the Field Experience Team

Evaluations for salary purposes are determined by the Teacher Qualification Service (TQS), Alberta Teachers’ Association, and not by Alberta Education or the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ.

For more information, please refer to the Teacher Qualifications Service website.

The majority of teacher education graduates can expect to work as kindergarten/elementary and/or secondary teachers. Indeed, the role of classroom teacher is one that permits graduates to work most closely with young people and allows for the greatest direct service to educational communities. The modern context of education demands that graduates be prepared to go beyond the traditional role of classroom teacher. To teach successfully, graduates must be prepared to work closely and effectively with students, colleagues, parents, and the community in virtually every aspect of educational decision-making. Furthermore, graduates must understand and embrace that it is imperative to extend their formal education throughout their careers. The successful completion of a BEd program is only the beginning of a teacher's academic and professional learning.

Increasingly, Education students are finding employment in community and workplace settings. Teachers develop numerous skills that are highly valued in community, government, and business organizations.

Many graduates will choose from one or more additional careers in education, nearly all of which require successful experience as a school-based practitioner, permanent professional certification, and a master's or doctoral degree in education:

• Curriculum developer
• Assessment designer
• Administrator
• Staff developer
• Staff officer for a teachers' professional association
• Author of instructional resources
• College instructor
• University professor