Education — bachelor's degree

FEATURES:

• Practicum and field study experiences
• Cohort learning community
• Program eligible for financial aid

Please note that the BEd program will be relocated to the UFV Mission campus in July 2024.

If you want to become an elementary, middle school or secondary school teacher and you have already completed a four-year degree, UFV's Bachelor of Education can help you achieve your goal.

Our program is designed to foster teacher agency by providing you with unique and innovative learning opportunities that will nurture your growth as a socially just, pedagogically sensitive, critically-minded and reflective educator. 

You begin the Bachelor of Education with a mandatory program orientation which includes community-building activities and events to familiarize you with the program and your fellow classmates. The program is then divided into three full-time semesters, each with a different learning focus.

In your first semester, you learn to deconstruct your own schooling experiences and examine them with “teacher eyes” through the completion of foundational courses in diversity, special education, Indigenous youth and schooling, planning and assessment, reflective practice, and classroom management, as well as subject-specific methods courses. To apply what you learn in a real-world setting, you also complete a five-week practicum.

In your second semester, you focus on methods courses, more specifically unit planning and construction, before completing your twelve week certifying practicum.

During your third semester, you examine the roles and responsibilities of teachers in a larger context — governance, action research, and professional development. You then complete and share your learning journey (via e-portfolio) with your teachers and classmates.

Upon successful completion of the program, you are recommended to the Ministry of Education to receive a B.C. teaching certificate through the Teacher Regulation Branch.

Elementary/Middle school option

The 55-credit elementary/middle school option provides a solid grounding in methods, planning, and assessment to prepare you for your certifying practicum and future career in an elementary or middle school.

View the program outline for the elementary/middle school option in the UFV Academic Calendar.

Secondary school option

If you wish to work in the secondary school grades you need to complete a degree with majors or minors in teachable subject areas. You can choose from two streams:

• math/science
• humanities (English/social studies)

View the program outline for the secondary school option in the UFV Academic Calendar.

Before applying, we strongly encourage you to attend one of our Teacher Education information seminars.

With a growing population and the need to replace retiring teachers, employment for teachers in British Columbia and in the Fraser Valley are excellent. Elementary school teachers are currently ranked second in the list for high demand occupations usually requiring bachelor's, graduate or first professional degree. There are 10,100 job openings forecasted for the next decade in B.C.

In addition to extremely favourable market conditions, the strong ties developed by UFV’s Teacher Education department with local schools districts are resulting in a 100% placement rate, with students securing jobs even before graduation.

As a UFV Bachelor of Education graduate, you are able to teach in public or private schools, locally or around the world.

Bachelor of Education (elementary/middle school option)

• View entrance requirements for the elementary/middle school option in the UFV Academic Calendar.
• View UFV equivalencies for course requirements for the elementary/middle school option.

It is recommended that you complete all prerequisites at least one term prior to the program start. If you do not complete the requirements by the beginning of the program, you will not be considered.

Bachelor of Education (secondary school option)

• View entrance requirements for the secondary school option in the UFV Academic Calendar.

Note: admission to the UFV Bachelor of Education is competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements may not guarantee admission.

Certified teachers from other countries

Are you an Internationally Trained Teacher?

If you are an internationally trained teacher from a country outside of Canada, you can become certified to teach in Canada. You must take the following steps to gain your certificate of qualification:

1. Acquire a Conditional Certificate of Qualification from the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care. This conditional certificate will provide you with a valid teaching certificate number that you will need for Step 2.
2. Once you have your conditional certificate of qualification, you need to complete the Introduction to the BC K-12 School System & Professional Standards for Educators course. This non-credit online course is completed over the course of 11 weeks. Through synchronous and asynchronous engagement, you will explore the educational landscape in BC, including the professional standards for BC educators and the BC curriculum. This course is complete/incomplete. As a non-credit course, the cost is $630.
• To take this course in the Spring of 2024, get more information from the UBC website.
• To take this course in the Fall of 2024, check out UFV’s Continuing Education Department.
3. Once you complete this course you will need to complete a certain number of hours teaching in BC schools under the supervision of a Principal.

Barbara Salingré
Phone: 604-504-7441 ext. 4700
Toll free: 1-888-504-7441 ext. 4700
Email: barbara.salingre@ufv.ca