3.4.1 Education (After Degree) in Elementary Education
Concordia University of Edmonton’s Bachelor of Education (After Degree) is a two-year program that fulfils the requirements for certification as a teacher in Alberta. Applications are encouraged from those individuals who have had direct experience with children in formal and informal settings and who possess an undergraduate baccalaureate degree. Normally, a liberal arts or science degree is preferred.
The Faculty of Education values the wide range of academic and professional backgrounds held by students admitted into the teacher education program. For this reason, the Faculty has attempted to keep admission requirements as open as possible while ensuring appropriate preparation for the academic disciplines that graduates must teach in schools.
The number of first-year students in the program is limited; therefore, admission is competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission.Offers of acceptance are normally only issued after the interim document deadline. [Approved by the Faculties Council of the Faculty of Education on March 17, 2021]
A. Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission, applicants must normally present the following requirements:
The required forms are included in the Bachelor of Education (After Degree) Admission Application Supplement.
- A three- or four-year baccalaureate degree from a recognized university or college.
- An admission grade point average (AGPA) of at least 2.3 (on Concordia University of Edmonton’s 4-point scale) or equivalent on the most recently attempted 30 credits. (Normally, courses completed in the spring and summer session immediately preceding the term of entry are not calculated in the AGPA. All grades used in calculating the AGPA are adjusted according to Concordia University of Edmonton’s grade conversion scale.)
- Successful completion of 12 credits as follows:
- 3 credits in English language/literature;
- 9 credits from at least two of the following areas of study: archaeology, anthropology, classics, computing science, economics, fine arts, history, languages other than English, mathematics, philosophy, physical education and sport studies, political science, psychology, religious studies, sciences, sociology.
- A Philosophy of Teaching Statement, including the principles that applicants believe are essential to effective teaching and learning that will guide their work as teachers.
- A Volunteer/Work Experience Record.
- Two Confidential Assessment Forms. At least one referee should be a former employer or supervisor who can comment on the applicant’s suitability to work with children between the ages of 5 and 14 years.
- Evidence of proficiency in computer knowledge and use.
- Applicants to the Bachelor of Education (After Degree) program require levels of English Language Proficiency consistent with Alberta Education’s requirements for certification. Applicants who did not complete their undergraduate degree at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English and which is located in a country with primary language of English must present:
- an overall iBT TOEFL score of 98 and the following minimum scores on each component of the TOEFL-iBT: 27 in Speaking, 25 in Writing, 23 in Listening, and 23 in Reading, or
- an overall score of 7.0 in the International Language Testing System (IELTS) academic module with minimum component scores of 7.0 in Speaking and Writing and 6.5 in Listening and Reading.
Applicants should take care in choosing referees to complete the Confidential Assessment Forms, in writing the Philosophy of Teaching Statement and Volunteer/Work Experience Record, and in preparing for the interview. An unsatisfactory assessment in any one of these areas could jeopardize their profile ranking and ultimately their competitiveness in the selection process.
To complete the program, field experiences are required. Prior to being considered for a Field Experience placement, students are required to obtain one or more types of Records Checks. See section 11.1.1.D Field Experience Procedures for further information.
Concordia University of Edmonton reserves the right to assess an applicant’s post-secondary academic record for course equivalencies.
Selection Process
Concordia University of Edmonton creates profiles for all applicants using:
- AGPA;
- prerequisite course requirements;
- Philosophy of Teaching Statement;
- Volunteer/Work Experience Record;
- two Confidential Assessment Forms;
- computer proficiency; and
- the interview
The first step in the selection process is to rank all applicants who submitted a completed application, based on points one to five on their applicant profile. Based on this ranking, qualified applicants are then invited for an interview.
The interview is designed to assess applicants’ non-academic qualifications, such as their degree of maturity and motivation, initiative, ability to communicate, personal qualities and interests, and overall suitability for the teaching profession.
Following the interviews and the receipt of final academic transcripts, Concordia University of Edmonton ranks all applicant profiles again and makes final admission decisions.