To teach in Alberta, you are required to hold a valid Alberta teaching certificate issued by Alberta Education, the only governing body that can assess credentials for teaching authority in Alberta. For more information on Interim Professional Certification (IPC) and Permanent Professional Certification (PPC), please see information below and visit alberta.ca.
If you wish to teach in Alberta, you are required to be certificated by Teacher and Leadership Certification, Alberta Education. Before receiving a Permanent Professional Certificate, you must first apply for an Interim Professional Certificate.
Apply directly to Alberta Education, Teacher and Leadership Certification, for your Interim Professional Certificate. Your credentials will be assessed, and if you qualify, certification will be awarded when you provide evidence of the right to work in Canada. The certificate may take several months to obtain. Once issued, it is valid for up to three years.
To be certificated, you will need to meet the following certification requirements:
Academic credentials
Four years of university education and a recognized degree that includes 48 semester hour credits in teacher education coursework, with a minimum of 10 weeks in supervised student teaching at the elementary or secondary level.
If you are prepared as an elementary school teacher
Your required university coursework must include a minimum of 24 credits, including Canadian studies (3 credits), mathematics (3 credits), science (3 credits), and English/French literature and composition (6 credits).
If you are prepared as a secondary school teacher
Your university coursework must include a minimum of 24 credits in your teachable subject area and 6 credits in English/French literature and composition.
Professional standing
You must submit a Statement of Professional Standing from the licensing body or education ministry where your teacher preparation program was completed.
In Alberta, all teaching certificates are granted by the Alberta Education’s Teacher and Leadership Certification Branch in accordance with the Certification of Teachers Regulation. Certificates are divided into two categories: interim and permanent.
Information about interim and permanent certification, eligibility restrictions, applying for a teaching certificate and associated fees is available on the Alberta Teachers' Association website.
The Alberta Teachers' Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, safeguards standards of professional practice and serves as the advocate for its members.
