Teacher certification

Here is a brief video on how to apply for teacher certification for students graduating from an Alberta teacher preparation program.

Temporary teaching authority

Alberta applicants with an employment offer ahead of graduation are eligible for a 90-day temporary teaching authority.

1. Submit your Interim Professional Certification application, including all required documentation and fees, at least 8 weeks before the end of your degree program.
2. We will process your application for a pre-certification letter in approximately 20 business days.
3. Request an offer letter from your prospective employing school authority.
4. Take the pre-certification letter and the offer letter from your employer to the dean of your Education faculty and request an early clearance letter stating you have successfully completed your program and will be recommended for teacher certification.

With these 3 letters, you are authorized to teach for 90 days.

When the dean’s recommendation list is received by Alberta Education, your Interim Professional Certification will be issued and mailed to you.

Under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, teachers who hold a valid teaching certificate from another Canadian jurisdiction are eligible for certification in Alberta without requiring additional education, training or examination.

Teachers certificated in another jurisdiction in Canada may be asked to demonstrate language proficiency in the language of practice in Alberta.

Individuals must still apply for Alberta teacher certification and will be eligible for either Interim Professional Certification or a Letter of Authority with the same scope of practice as authorized by your valid teaching certificate from the other Canadian jurisdiction.

All applicants must meet the below criteria. Academic credentials will be assessed on a course-by-course basis. If your program is not acceptable to the Minister of Education, you may need to take additional courses to qualify for Interim Professional Certification.

When your assessment is complete, you will receive a letter of assessment in the mail that details the outcome of your application.

Programs not recognized include but are not limited to:

• School-centered Initial Teacher Training
• School Direct, or Graduate Teacher Programs
• Teach America
• TEACH-NOW
• Teacher Ready

Other programs and courses that may not be recognized include:

• denominational or doctrinal courses
• audit courses
• self-directed teacher education programs
• distance delivered education programs
• alternative certification programs

All applicants are required to provide evidence of their legal names and right to work in Canada. Acceptable documents include a photocopy of:

• a government-issued Canadian birth certificate (if born in Canada)
• Canadian Citizenship Card or Certificate (front and back)
• a valid Canadian passport (accepted as evidence of Canadian citizenship only)
• a valid Permanent Resident Card (front and back)
• a Canadian Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad
• a valid Canadian work permit issued without restriction

For evidence of a change of name:

• a copy of a government-issued marriage certificate(s), which includes only name, location and date of marriage (marriage registration, civil marriage statements or church marriage certificates are not acceptable)
• Vital Statistics name change certificate

A Criminal Record Check must be obtained through one of the agencies as deemed appropriate by the Registrar. It must:

• be current (within the last 6 months)
• be original
• include a Vulnerable Sector Check
• include all names you have used for legal purposes
• be from the jurisdiction where you previously resided if less than 6 months in Alberta

Once complete, submit the results according to the method you used:

Approved online ePIC system in Canada

• Download the original PDF and email it to [email protected].

Other electronic system

• Email [email protected] for assistance, indicating the issuing police service and country.

RCMP or other police detachment

• Forward electronic copies, including the entire email and attached documentation, to [email protected].

OR

• Mail the original hard-copy to:

The Registrar at Alberta Education
2nd floor, 44 Capital Boulevard
10044 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 5E6

If you have a record of criminal conviction or charges, you will need to provide additional documentation, which will be determined after your file has been reviewed. After evaluating the details, the Registrar may refuse to issue certification.

The Alberta Certification of Teachers and Teacher Leaders Regulation requires applicants to present evidence of language proficiency in at least one of the 2 official languages of Canada, English or French. Proof of language proficiency ensures that teachers are able to communicate effectively in all modes (speaking, reading, listening and writing) in English or French prior to entering the classroom.

An applicant for teacher certification can demonstrate proficiency in English or French by providing proof of meeting one of the acceptable requirements noted below:

Official Test Report directly from the issuing institution

• A current (within 2 years) score report for the Test of English as a Foreign Language – internet based test (TOEFL-iBT) or TOEFL-iBT-Special Home Edition (Institution Code 7357) with a total score of 97, with a minimum score of 27 in Speaking, 24 in Writing, and 23 in the Listening and Reading categories. To register for the TOEFL-iBT, please contact the Corporate Headquarters of the Educational Testing Services in Princeton, New Jersey at 1-609-921-9000, or visit their website.
• A current (within 2 years) score report for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic test with a score of 6.5 in Writing, Listening and Reading, and 7 in Speaking. For more information, visit the IELTS website.

Original notarized copy of Diplôme (front and back)

• A minimum score of B1 on the Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF). 
• A minimum score of C1 on the Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF).

Additional documentation that may be considered

• Letter directly from an institution confirming completion of post-secondary education in English or French. This letter must confirm that the language of instruction for the entire duration of the program was English or French when you attended.
• Letter directly from an institution confirming completion of secondary school education, inclusive of Grade 12 in English or French when you attended.
• Transcript indicating completion of a post-graduate degree program in English or French from an approved university in Canada.
• Letter of Verification from your employer stating that at least one year of Canadian teaching experience in an accredited school setting occurred within the last 5 years. The letter must confirm that teaching experience was in English or French.
• Letter from an Alberta school authority confirming that you have demonstrated language proficiency in either English or French.

Documentation must be sent directly from the issuing institution/employer to the Office of the Registrar by email at [email protected], or by mail to:

The Registrar at Alberta Education
2nd floor, 44 Capital Boulevard
10044 108 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 5E6

You will need to provide a Statement of Standing from every jurisdiction where you have held teacher certification, including the jurisdiction where you completed your teacher preparation program. Statements of Standing must be sent directly to the Registrar from each jurisdiction. Labour mobility applicants are expected to provide a Statement of Standing from any Canadian jurisdiction where they hold current and valid teacher certification.

The Statement of Standing must show:

• your certificate’s date of issue
• whether your certificate has been suspended, cancelled or withdrawn
• the type or level of the certificate
• the scope of its authority

If a jurisdiction does not issue certification, a letter of reference is accepted in lieu of a Statement of Standing. Letters of reference must:

• be on official school letterhead
• be dated and signed by the head of the school
• be sent directly to the Registrar at Alberta Education by the head of the school
• detail the duration of employment as well as subjects and grades taught
• attest that you left the school in good standing

Transcripts are a detailed record of courses completed and grades received.

Transcripts are not accepted by fax or directly from applicants themselves (even if they are in sealed envelopes or notarized). Alberta Education requires official transcripts to be sent by the post-secondary and transfer institutions you attended. These documents must be either mailed directly from the post-secondary institution to the Registrar at Alberta Education or sent electronically via an institutional email address belonging to the appropriate office to [email protected].

You may be asked to provide additional information, such as a course syllabus of program(s) of study and practicum reports detailing the hours/days/weeks of supervised student teaching.

Internationally-educated applicants may need to provide an original notarized colour copy of the high school leaving certificate that includes a record of courses completed and grades received. Your application checklist will indicate if this document is required.

If a translator is required to translate the documents, the translator used must also work for, or be accredited by, a minimum of one of the following approved organizations:

• a Canadian embassy, consulate or high commission in the country from which the document comes
• the embassy, consulate or high commission to Canada of the country that issued the document
• a federal, provincial or municipal government in Canada
• a professional association of translators in Canada (for example, Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta)