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Return to: Faculty of Education
Please note [Apr 4, 2023]: EDITORIAL. This page has been updated for clarity. See Amendments to the Calendar for more information.
The Faculty of Education provides professional preparation for teachers and opportunities for graduate study for those interested in more advanced work in education. Undergraduate degree programs are available in elementary and secondary program routes.
Each Bachelor of Education degree program allows for certification as a teacher in Alberta. Teaching Certificates are granted by the Minister of Education, on the recommendation of the Faculty of Education.
All inquiries should be addressed to the Office of the Associate Dean (Education Student Services), Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5.
The Faculty of Education
Historical Overview
In 1942, we became the first Faculty of Education in Canada. We had only one degree program, 12 courses and three full-time professors. Today, however, we are one of the largest Faculties of Education in Canada with nine undergraduate degree programs and a wide array of graduate degrees. We employ over 108 full time professors, 50 support staff and 103 full and part-time sessional instructors and we educate more than 2,750 undergraduate students and 800 graduate students.
Over the past eighty years, the Faculty of Education has evolved from a few discipline-oriented courses in Education offered by the Faculty of Arts and Science into one of the largest and strongest Faculties of Education in the country. The first education course, covering both the history and philosophy of education, was approved in 1911 and first offered in 1912. In 1928, the School of Education was created under the administration of the Faculty of Arts and Science. It opened the following year with an enrolment of seven students. The School later evolved into the College of Education; then, in 1942, into the Faculty of Education. In 1945, the Province of Alberta closed its Normal Schools in Calgary and Edmonton and turned control of teacher education over to the University of Alberta. Alberta was the first province in Canada to make teacher education exclusively a university responsibility. Since 1945, the Faculty of Education has awarded more than 45,000 BEd degrees, and developed strong graduate programs that have provided outstanding educational leaders for institutions and school systems across Canada and around the world. In 1991, the Faculty of Library and Information Studies joined the Faculty of Education and became the School of Library and Information Studies.
Mission Statement
The Faculty of Education is committed to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge about teaching and learning. We promote the view that to be a professional educator is to continue to question, to reflect, to seek knowledge, and to be open to change and diversity.
Scholarship, Research and Teaching
The Faculty of Education places a high priority on excellence in teaching, research, and community service. As a focus of excellence in scholarship, research and teaching, the Faculty is consistently ranked among the top three Faculties of Education in Canada and is considered one of the finest in North America. Our researchers provide ground breaking contributions and national/global leadership in many areas.
Education students will encounter many professors who have won distinctions such as the 3M Teaching Award, Library Journal Teaching Award, and Faculty of Education teaching awards. With 12 Rutherford Undergraduate Teaching Awards, our Faculty instructors embody excellence in teaching. The Faculty also employs Field Experience Associates, seconded from local school systems, who have demonstrated their excellence in teaching at the elementary and secondary school levels.
Undergraduate students also have an opportunity to work closely with highly competent classroom teachers during the various components of their student teaching experience.
As might be expected in a leading Faculty of Education containing program areas in Educational Psychology, Elementary Education, Educational Policy Studies, and Secondary Education, as well as the School of Library and Information Studies, the research output of Faculty members is both extensive and wide ranging.
Grants
Faculty members have received top-level research grants from SSHRC, NSERC and CHIR funding agencies and major research awards such as:
- UNESCO Prize for Peace Education
- Whitworth Award for Education Research
- J Gordin Kaplan Award for Excellence in Research
- Killam Annual Professorship
- McCalla Professorship
The Faculty of Education is a leader in service to the educational and broader communities. Many faculty members and graduates devote many hours to professional development, curriculum development, and the production of educational materials for use in the schools. Many graduates have distinguished themselves in areas as diverse as the arts, politics, and public administration as well as in the classroom. Three outstanding exemplars, all of whom have been awarded the Order of Canada, are Myer Horowitz, former Dean of Education and President of the University of Alberta; Steve Ramsanker, principal of an inner-city school who devoted his life to educating the under-privileged; and Thomas Peacocke, one of Canada’s most widely acclaimed actors and directors.
Students entering the Faculty of Education will join a community with a strong tradition of teaching and research excellence and dedicated community service.
Our Graduates
Our graduates are leading the way. More than 60 percent of the elementary and secondary school teachers in Alberta are U of A graduates, 33 have become presidents of universities or colleges and over 25 percent of the current Deans of Education in Canada are alumni of this Faculty.
Areas of Expertise
The Faculty has expertise in a variety of areas including, Aboriginal populations, counseling psychology, curriculum and pedagogy, educational measurement, literacy, multicultural/international education, libraries and information management, policy development and leadership, and teacher education.
Members of the Faculty
Faculty of Education Members of the Faculty
Student Organizations
The Education Students’ Association (ESA) is the largest undergraduate student organization within the Faculty of Education. As well as being the official representation for undergraduates in the Faculty, the ESA is also designated as Student Local #1 of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), and is also designated as the official faculty association of the University of Alberta Students’ Union. All members of the ESA are entitled to run for council or executive positions on the Education Students’ Association. ESA has representation on a number of Faculty councils and committees. For more information on representation on councils and committees, contact the ESA Vice President, External Affairs.
The ESA is responsible for renting lockers located in the Education building, and provides a tutor registry for Education students looking for tutor opportunities. The ESA also conducts a number of social, academic and professional development events throughout the year.
For more general information, contact the ESA at info@educationstudents.com, visit www.educationstudents.ca, or visit us in person at the ESA office [4-110A Education North, (780) 492-3650] during office hours for details.
Advanced Study in Education for Holders of Approved Degrees
The Faculty of Education offers professional learning through free-standing for-credit University Certificate in the following area:
Admission to University Certificate requires a three- or four-year degree (see Admission for admission and document requirements).
University Certificates consist of a minimum of 15 units of course weight. Certificates will be awarded for the successful completion of the designated courses within the Certificate and with a final GPA of 2.0 or above. Certificates must be completed within four years.
Students who complete a University Certificate from the Faculty of Education in good standing may be able to use the courses from the certificate to receive up to 15 units of course weight in advanced standing in a Diploma in Education. Completion of the certificate does not guarantee admission to a diploma program. The certificate may be used for both the basis of admission and laddered into a relevant diploma program.
Diploma of the Faculty of Education
The Faculty of Education offers a series of diploma programs to provide additional special qualifications in designated areas. Normally, admission to a diploma program requires an undergraduate degree and a professional teaching certificate. Where exceptional circumstances warrant, one or both of the above requirements may be waived. Additional requirements may be set, and quotas may be imposed on particular diploma programs.
Students who now hold the MEd degree may not obtain the Diploma based on courses credited to the MEd degree program.
Normally, courses credited toward the diploma may not also be credited toward the Bachelor of Education degree. The minimum required grade for courses to be credited toward the Diploma is C-. Students who fail to complete the diploma program requirements in four years from date of starting the program may have their diploma program reviewed and, if necessary, rearranged according to prevailing requirements.
Applicants who do not hold a Teaching Certificate will not receive one on completion of a Diploma program. A student wanting certification must take the basic Certification program described in Teaching Certification .
Applicants who have never attended the University of Alberta must complete an Application for Admission and submit it along with all relevant documentation to the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline.
Applicants who have attended the University of Alberta should complete an Application for Readmission or Internal Transfer form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline.
Diploma programs currently available are listed by program area, as follows. Contact the program areas directly for more detailed information.
Educational Psychology
Inclusive/Special Education
Instructional Technology
Teaching English as a Second Language
(Program Plan A)
Teaching English as a Second Language
(Program Plan B)
Educational Policy Studies
Adult Education
Education Administration
Postsecondary Education
Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education
General Studies
Language Arts
Music Education
Second Languages
Secondary Education
Art
Biological Sciences
Chemistry
Career and Technology Studies (CTS)
CTS: Business, Administration, Finance
CTS: Communication Arts
CTS: Computing Science
CTS: Design
CTS: Health
CTS: Human Sciences
CTS: Media
CTS: Natural Resources
CTS: Recreation
CTS: Trades, Manufacturing, and Transportation
Drama
English Language Arts
English as a Second Language
General Sciences
Health Education
Mathematics
Music: Wind Band
Physical Education
Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics)
Physics
Religious and Moral Education
Second Languages
Social Studies
Special Topics*
*From time to time Secondary Education may offer diploma programs in special topics or students may be interested in completing a diploma in an area not included in the listing above. Students interested in working in an area not included in the listing above should consult Secondary Education.
Graduate Degree Programs in Education
The Faculty of Education offers graduate work for the preparation of teachers, supervisors, guidance counsellors, administrators and other educational specialists, and may lead to the degrees of Master of Education, Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy. Candidates for these advanced degrees choose an area of concentration corresponding to the specialization of a particular program area as follows:
Educational Policy Studies: adult education; educational administration and leadership; indigenous peoples education; and theoretical, cultural and international studies in education.
Educational Psychology: counselling and school psychology, educational psychology, special education, instructional technology education.
Elementary Education: curriculum and instruction in kindergarten, primary, and elementary education (Grades 1-6).
Secondary Education: curriculum and instruction in secondary education (Grades 7-12).
To meet candidates’ needs and interests, program ares permit considerable flexibility in the programs leading to advanced degrees. In general, students pattern their courses from the offerings of the program area of their choice, supplemented by approved courses from other program areas. Specific requirements for graduate degrees offered by the various program areas in the Faculty of Education are found in Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research .
Graduate-level courses in education are offered in Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.
Students should address their preliminary inquiries to the appropriate academic lead and, if possible, arrange for an interview.
All candidates for graduate degrees must also be formally admitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, which administers graduate degree programs offered by the University of Alberta.
School of Library and Information Studies
The School of Library and Information Studies offers the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) degree. The MLIS program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association. This accreditation is also recognized by the Canadian Library Association.
The MLIS develops the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills that prepare graduates for positions of responsibility in school, academic, public and special libraries, and in the information industry.
In preparing for the MLIS program, students should include courses distributed among the social sciences, biological and physical sciences, literature, and other areas of the humanities. Prior library experience can be beneficial.
The minimum requirement for the MLIS degree is either 13 single-term graduate courses and a thesis (thesis route), or 16 single-term graduate courses and a capping exercise (course-based route). Students may enrol in the School on a full-time or part-time basis. Students registered full time will normally be able to complete the degree requirements in two years. There are no residence requirements in the course-based route.
For further information, contact the School of Library and Information Studies.
School of Library and Information Studies courses are listed in Course Listings , under the heading Library and Information Studies (LIS).
Employment with Catholic School Boards
Students planning to seek employment in Catholic Schools in Alberta should consult St Joseph’s College early in their program about including courses in Christian Religious Education, Theology, and Philosophy in their program of study.
Collaborative BEd Degree Completion Program with Keyano College
A Bachelor of Education (Elementary Route) Degree Completion program with Keyano College was approved, beginning in September 2015. The focus of this program is on Teaching in the Rural North. For more information regarding this ongoing program, contact Education Student Services in the Faculty of Education (University of Alberta) or the Student Advising Office at Keyano College.
Collaborative BEd Degree Completion Program with Red Deer College
A Bachelor of Education (Elementary Route) Degree Completion program with Red Deer College was approved, beginning in September 1996. The focus of this program is on Middle School Education. For more information regarding this ongoing program, contact Education Student Services or the Education Programs Office, Red Deer College.
Please Note: No longer accepting applications, effective Fall 2023.
Collaborative BEd Degree Completion Program with Northwestern Polytechnic
A Bachelor of Education (Elementary) Degree Completion program with Northwestern Polytechnic was approved, beginning in September 1999. The focus of the Teacher Education North program is teaching in northern communities. For more information regarding this ongoing program, contact Education Student Services or the Registrar’s Office, Northwestern Polytechnic.
Collaborative BEd Degree Completion Program with the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP)
A Bachelor of Education Degree Completion program in collaboration with various postsecondary institutions such as Blue Quills First Nations College, Keyano College, Northern Lakes College, Maskwachees Cultural College, Portage College on an alternating basis. For more information contact the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Education.
BEd Program for Certificated Teachers
Certificated teachers are granted credit for the first year of the Bachelor of Education degree for their Normal School or Junior E training if this training was of not less than seven months’ duration.
Teachers who have never attended the University of Alberta should submit an Application for Admission form to the Office of the Registrar.
Teachers who completed the one-year program offered by the University of Alberta (before 1962) should submit an Application for Readmission or Internal Transfer form to the Office of the Registrar.
Certificates
Embedded Certificates (Undergraduate)
The Faculty of Education is the administrative unit for certificates offered to graduating students which acknowledge formally that students have studied particular themes, within one discipline, or across disciplines. Normally the requirements for the certificates can be completed as part of the requirements for the degree; however, in some cases, a student may need to take more than the minimum required for their degree program in order to qualify for both the degree and the certificate. The following certificates are available:
Certificate in Global Citizenship : available to undergraduate students across the University, regardless of Faculty or program.
Deadline for Application: Application for all certificates is made to the student’s home Faculty student services office by February 1 for Spring Convocation and September 1 for Fall Convocation. At present, this certificate is not available to students who have already completed their degrees, or who are not receiving a degree at the appropriate convocation.
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