Teacher Certification

Apply for Teacher Certification

If you plan on teaching in Alberta upon graduating from the program then you must apply to Alberta Education for teacher certification. We recommend that you apply approximately two to three months prior to the end of your program.

Alberta Education will not issue a teaching certificate until the Dean of the Faculty of Education has recommended you for teacher certification.

At the end of each term, Education Student Services (ESS) sends a list, signed off by the Dean, of all graduating students to Alberta Education and Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS). This is commonly referred to as the “Dean’s recommendation”.

The list is typically sent 6-8 weeks after the end of the term once final grades have been posted on Bear Tracks and Student Advisors have completed a final review of programs for graduating students. Alberta Education will issue teaching certificates to applicants upon receipt of the Dean’s recommendation.

You will be recommended for teacher certification if you:

  • Applied for graduation on Bear Tracks by the appropriate deadline.
  • Fulfilled degree and convocation requirements.
  • Are eligible for teacher certification in Alberta.

Please contact Alberta Education directly if you have questions about the application process or about teacher certification.

Contact Information:

Alberta Education
Phone: 780-427-2045
Website: https://www.alberta.ca/teaching-in-alberta (search “teacher certification”)

Apply to Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS)

The Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS) is responsible for evaluating a teacher’s education for salary purposes. If you plan on teaching in Alberta upon graduation, we recommend that you apply to TQS for an evaluation approximately two to three months prior to the end of your program.

Applying for a TQS evaluation requires an ATA Online Member account. Instructions for getting an Online ATA account are available on the ATA's website under My ATA. You will need to set up a student account until you have a teaching certificate number. A brief video for creating an online student membership is available here.

Once you have an account, apply to TQS using their Online Applications portal available.

Please review the information for applicants and contact TQS directly if you have additional questions about the application process or your evaluation.

Contact Information:

Teacher Qualification Services
Phone: 780-453-2411
Email: tqs@teachers.ab.ca
Website: https://teachers.ab.ca/(search “Teacher Qualifications Service”)

Developmental Teacher Certificate 

The Developmental Teacher Certificate allows eligible students in the final year of their Bachelor of Education program to work as teachers while completing their degree. It is intended for students who plan to pursue a teaching career and have secured, or are seeking, employment in a teaching role.

The certificate is valid for one year from the date of issuance and requires you to remain actively enrolled in your Bachelor of Education program at the University of Alberta. If you leave the program, you are no longer eligible to continue teaching under the certificate. Students who do not maintain active student status may be required to re-apply and re-compete for admission to the Bachelor of Education program.

For more information, please refer to the Alberta Education Website  https://www.alberta.ca/expedited-teaching-certificates

How to Apply

Eligible students can apply for the Developmental Teacher Certificate through TWINS (Teacher Workforce Information System). For up to date instructions on how to apply for the Developmental Teacher Certificate, please refer to the Alberta Education Website  https://www.alberta.ca/expedited-teaching-certificates

University of Alberta Endorsement Letter

  • As part of your application, you will be required to provide a “Dean of Education Confirmation of Enrolment”, also referred to as the “Endorsement Letter”.
  • You may request an Endorsement Letter once you meet the University of Alberta's eligibility requirements.
  • Important: You must have a valid TWINS Reference Number before requesting your Endorsement Letter.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Developmental Teacher Certificate, you must:

  • have completed a minimum of 90 of 120 credits in the four-year Bachelor of Education program; or have 30 credits or fewer remaining to complete a combined degree program or after-degree Bachelor of Education program; and
  • have successfully completed your Advanced Field Experience (EDFX 425 or EDFX 450), or be registered to complete it in the upcoming academic year.

For students registered in their APT term

If you are registered in the Advanced Professional Term (APT) during your final year, you must successfully complete all required on-campus condensed courses before continuing in EDFX 425 or EDFX 450.

You are not eligible for the Developmental Teacher Certificate if you:

  • do not successfully complete the required APT condensed courses; or
  • withdraw from or delete EDFX 425 or EDFX 450.

Therefore, Endorsement Letters will only be issued after the Advanced Field Experience (EDFX 425 or EDFX 450) Add/Delete Deadline has passed and your continued enrollment and eligibility have been confirmed.

Teaching During Field Experience

Students completing their Advanced Field Experience (EDFX 425 or EDFX 450) are pre-service teachers working under the supervision of mentor teachers and the Faculty of Education. The field experience is a supervised component of the Bachelor of Education program, it is not employment as the teacher of record.

Therefore, students are not eligible to be employed as classroom teachers under the Developmental Teacher Certificate while completing their AFX practicum. 

Request Endorsement Letter

To request your Developmental Teacher Certificate Endorsement Letter, please click the button below.

Developmental Certificate Endorsement Letter

Important Update - Early Clearances

The process has changed for Fall 2026.

With the implementation of the Developmental Teacher Certificate by Alberta Education, early clearance letters will no longer be issued. If you intend to teach upon completion of your degree program, and before the Dean’s recommendation is sent to Alberta Education (6-8 weeks after the end of the term), you will need to apply for the Developmental Teacher Certificate. 

Even if you do not intend to teach concurrently to the final coursework of your degree, the Developmental Teacher Certificate will allow you to accept a teaching position once you have completed your program, but before the Dean’s recommendation has been submitted for your Interim Professional Certificate.

We recommend that you apply approximately two to three months prior to the end of your program.