TEACHER CERTIFICATION

Our teacher education programs lead to a British Columbia Professional Teaching Certificate issued by the B.C. College of Teachers (BCCT), the provincial certification authority. This certificate is valid for all grade levels from grades K to 12, and remains valid as long as you maintain membership in the BCCT. The School of Education sends the BCCT a list of students who have successfully completed our program, usually in June. At the same time, each student who wishes to teach in British Columbia applies to the BCCT for certification and membership. You usually receive your certificate within a month after all documentation has been submitted.

Once you have obtained the B.C. Professional Certificate, you may also apply for and will normally receive a teaching certificate in other Canadian provinces and territories.

If you are not a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, you will receive a Letter of Standing that states that you qualify for the Professional Certificate. A Professional Certificate or the Letter of Standing will normally entitle you, upon application, to a valid interim teaching certificate in most states in the U.S. *) However, early in your program you should determine specific requirements for particular jurisdictions where you plan to teach so that you can include those in your studies. Students who are not residents of Canada but are offered a teaching position in British Columbia can usually obtain a one-year Canadian residency permit from border authorities.