Registration

Check your enrolment date in Bear Tracks to ensure that you are eligible to enroll in courses. Your enrolment date can be found in your Bear Tracks account by clicking on the Manage Classes tile, then the ‘My enrolment Dates’ tab, and selecting the appropriate term. Your enrolment date will also be displayed when you access “My Schedule Builder” in Bear Tracks on the main ‘Select a Term’ page. These sections will be updated for every Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

Once your transfer credit has been assessed and granted, you can view your Transfer Credit Report in Bear Tracks under the Academic Records tile. This credit will also appear in your Program Sheet or Academic Advisement Report as it applies toward your degree requirements.

Please note that After-Degree students do not receive an official Transfer Credit Report. Instead, waived degree requirements will be reflected directly in your Program Sheet or Academic Advisement Report.

If you receive a validation error, please be sure to:

• check if there are any course restrictions by viewing the course details, select the drop-down arrow next to the course title. Restriction information may be found in the ‘Description,’ ‘Requirements,’ ‘Subject Notes’ and/or ‘Class Remarks,’ so read the information carefully.
• check to see if there are prerequisites and/or corequisites, as per the Course Catalogue, and ensure you have planned to register in those courses as well

Note: If there are required prerequisites and/or corequisites that you have planned for, you may still receive a validation error as the system can only check courses that you are actively registered in.

Example: If you are planning to take a prereq in the fall term for a winter term course, you may get a validation error for the winter course, as you are not yet registered for the fall term.

Note for students that are taking the IPT or the APT: a validation error will occur. This is because you are not yet actively registered in EDFX 325 or EDFX 350 (for IPT), or EDFX 425 or EDFX 450 (for APT). When your registration opens, ensure that you register first into EDFX 325 or EDFX 350 when taking the IPT, or register first into EDFX 425 or EDFX 450 when taking the APT.

Note for students in the Secondary Route that are taking the IPT and APT back-to-back in the upcoming fall and winter terms: a validation error will occur for the APT courses. This is because you are not yet actively registered for the fall term, the system cannot "read" that you plan to take the IPT in fall. When your registration opens, please proceed with the fall IPT first, and then the winter APT.

You will need to register first for any pre/coreqs when registration opens, and then proceed with the other courses. If you still have issues after registering for the required pre/coreqs, please contact us through the Student Service Portal.

Prerequisites and corequisites are coded on classes, as per the Course Catalogue. Students must have the required prereq and/or coreqs in order to register.

If you are a student who has received transfer credit for prereqs and/or coreqs, you may need manual registration help as the registration system can have issues recognizing transfer credit. If you have completed the required prereqs and/or coreqs, and still cannot register, please contact us through the Student Service Portal.

Registration in some courses is restricted to students in specific programs and/or faculties. Refer to the course details using the drop down arrow next to the course title. Restriction information may be found in the ‘Description,’ ‘Requirements,’ ‘Subject Notes’ and/or ‘Class Remarks,’ so read the information carefully (ex. some courses in the Faculty of Education have sections that are restricted to Elementary students and sections that are restricted to Secondary students).

Some courses have special registration dates for groups of students based on program and/or faculty. Registration is set up this way so that students in a specific program/faculty have priority when it comes to registering in these courses. Click the drop down arrow to the right of the course title in My Schedule Builder to see if the course has special registration dates (ex. courses offered by the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, like KIN, often have special registration dates).

In some cases, there will be a contact email address listed in the course details (click the drop down arrow to the right of the course title) in My Schedule Builder. If not, you must contact the department or teaching area that teaches the course for assistance.

You will not be able to register if there is a hold on your account. If you attempt to register and receive the error that you have a hold on your account, you will need to clear this hold before you will be able to register. Refer to Financial Holds.

If you have been newly admitted to the Faculty of Education for the Fall Term and are transferring from another program or faculty at the University of Alberta, you must change your program to Education in Bear Tracks for both the Fall and Winter terms.

If you find that you are getting the error message “restrictions not met” or some variation of this, please read the error message notes, as well as the course details (click the drop down arrow next to course title) on My Schedule Builder. If you are not able to resolve the registration issue, you may need to contact the department or teaching area that offers the course.

You can find out which faculty and department offers a course by checking Course Listings in Bear Tracks. Contact information for non-ED teaching departments can be found at the main University of Alberta website in the Faculties & Programs tab.

For Education courses (prefixes of EDCT, EDEL, EDES, EDIT, EDPY, EDPS, EDU, and EDSE), please contact us through the Student Service Portal.

Please include the following information when submit a ticket through the portal:

• First and Last Name
• ID #
• Course number
• Section
• Term (Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer)
• copy of your Program Sheet or indicate if you have the Academic Requirements Report in Bear Tracks

The instruction mode for a course indicates how a course will be taught. Some courses are offered via internet instead of in-person. For more information regarding the different instruction modes, including definitions, please visit the Office of the Registrars UAB Reg website. To find courses offered online:

1. Go to Bear Tracks
2. Click in as a guest or log in as a student. 
3. Click on the “My Schedule Builder” tile. 
4. Pick the term you want to search in.
5. Enter a class to search for (i.e. 'EDPS' or 'EDPS 410') and click enter. 
6. Click on “Mode of Instruction” above the search bar and uncheck ‘In person’.
7. Look for the mouse icon next to specific class sections.

To find courses that are offered in the evening or weekend, or at a specific time of day:

1. Go to Bear Tracks 
2. Click in as a guest or log in as a student.
3. Click on the 'My Schedule Builder’ tile.
4. Pick the term you want to search in.
5. Click on ‘Advanced Search’ in ‘Select Course field’
6. Select the criteria (Days Permitted, Start After Time, End Before Time, etc) and select the days and times you are looking for.

COURSES IN THAT TERM THAT FIT WITHIN THOSE DAYS/TIMES WILL BE DISPLAYED. If there are no times/days to select then no courses are available that match your selections.

For Students using a Program Sheet:

To have an Advisor review your registration, please submit a request for a Registration Check to Education Student Services. Upon receipt of your request, a Student Advisor will check your registration in Bear Tracks and respond with feedback/advice to your @ualberta email. At that time, you will also receive an updated copy of your Program Sheet.

NOTE: Student Advisors must be able to view your registration in Bear Tracks, which means that you must be enrolled in courses to complete a Registration Check.

We strongly recommend that you get regular Registration Checks done throughout your program. It is our experience that students who get regular Registration Checks are less likely to run into issues with graduation at the end of their program.

For Students using the Academic Advisement Report:

The Academic Advisement report is an online degree planner tool that updates automatically with your current registration. This will allow you to track your progress and determine if your course selections are accurate in real time. 

However, if you notice an issue with your Academic Advisement report and would like a Student Advisor to review, please submit an Academic Requirements Check, or contact us through the Student Service Portal.

We have also created ‘how-to’ video resources as well as Academic Requirements Planning Guides to help with utilization of the Academic Requirements Report. 

The following only applies to students on the new Fall 2026 program requirements: 

For students in the 4-year Elementary or 4-year Secondary Education program, a course may be listed as a requirement in both your major and minor. Double counting occurs when a single course satisfies a requirement in both the major and minor. Double counted courses can only be counted toward the total units once, meaning that an additional Open Option will be added in order to meet the *120 units required for your degree. 

Elementary

Based on your chosen minor, your Generalist major requirements and number of Open Options may change to account for course overlap and the double counting of requirements. Once admitted, your Generalist major requirements and number of Open Options should remain the same throughout your program unless you submit a minor change. If you identify a course that you believe should fulfill your Generalist major and chosen minor requirements but currently is not, please submit an Academic Requirements Check. 

Secondary

Based on your chosen major and minor combination, some courses may satisfy requirements in both areas. If you complete a course that is eligible to be double counted towards your major and minor, the course will fill both spots in your Academic Advisement Report, and your Open Options will increase by 3 credits. This will be captured in your Academic Advisement Report, and summarized in the Open Options section under the banners:

• The following courses have been counted towards your Major and Minor
• You must take XX units in Open Options 

For major and minor combinations where a single course is mandatory for both the major and minor, your Open Options will increase in advance of you registering in the course to account for the overlap.

The number of Open Options you are required to complete in the program will always be determined by the Open Options banner and may change based on completion of double-counted courses or specific major/minor overlap. Therefore, students should regularly review this section to ensure they are aware of the number of Open Options available to them.

Completing a course during your program that fulfills a requirement for both your major and minor will result in an Open Option being added to your program requirements. If this occurs, you may be eligible for additional transfer credit. Please submit an Academic Requirements Check for an Advisor to review your program.

For students who require an Education Elective, you may choose any 300 or 400-level undergraduate Faculty of Education course.

Please see Bear Tracks for Education courses offered in the following areas:

• EDEL - Elementary Education
• EDES - Elementary and Secondary Education (Dept of Elementary or Secondary)
• EDSE - Secondary Education
• EDCT - Career Technology Studies (Dept of Secondary)
• EDPS - Educational Policy Studies
• EDPY - Educational Psychology
• EDIT - Instructional Technology (Dept of Educational Psychology)
• EDFX - Field Experience

NOTE: Some Education courses may not be available to students seeking Electives. Please refer to Bear Tracks for prerequisites, course restrictions (click the drop down arrow next to course title), and availability.

Open options are courses you can take to align with your career goals. This may include completing a second minor, developing a complementary teaching area, or exploring personal interests.

An Open Option can be any course offered by the Faculty of Education or from another faculty at the U of A.

Religious Education and Certificate in Catholic Education

St. Joseph’s College at the University of Alberta offers SJC offers the following Religious Education courses to help you with the application process for a continuous employment contract with the Edmonton Catholic School District, Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools and Elk Island Catholic Schools:

Elementary Teachers

CHRTC 250: The Theological Education of the Catholic Teacher
CHRTC 380: Teaching Religion: Elementary

Secondary Teachers

CHRTC 250: The Theological Education of the Catholic Teacher
CHRTC 381: Teaching Religion: Secondary

You can register for all SJC courses in Bear Tracks. Need help? Visit uab.ca/reg for more information.

Other Catholic School Districts in Alberta may view these courses as an asset on your application; please speak to a representative from the district(s) to which you are applying for further information.

SJC also offers a Certificate in Catholic Education to provide additional special qualifications in the area of Catholic elementary and secondary education. The courses required for the certificate may be able to be used in the Bachelor of Education as Open Options or as Extra to Degree courses. Please see the St. Joseph’s College website for further information about the Certificate.

Complimentary Teaching Areas are bundles of related courses that allow you to focus on a specific topic in order to build your knowledge and capacity in that area.

Students will not receive a formal credential or certificate for completing a certain number of courses in a specific area; however, this experience can be highlighted during the job application and interview process.

When selecting open options, consider focusing on a specific complementary teaching area. Please see Information about Complimentary Teaching Areas and Open Options for Bundle Examples.

Depending on the number of open options available in your program, you may be able to complete a second minor teaching subject with careful planning. However, officially declaring a second minor is not required and you will not receive a formal credential or certificate for completing a second minor.

Instead, you can reference the Academic Calendar for second minor course requirements and use your open options to complete these requirements. This approach still allows you to demonstrate additional teachable subject areas and experience that can be highlighted during the job application and interview process.

Your second minor should typically be in a different teaching area (e.g., STEM, Humanities, Fine Arts, or Second Languages) to increase your flexibility as an educator. Students with majors and minors in science are strongly discouraged from pursuing a second minor in another science area.

Starting in Fall 2026, all students admitted to the BEd program will be required to complete 3 units from the approved SFISE course list as part of their degree requirements:

• EDPS 360 - Society and Education
• EDPS 491 - Special Topics in Educational Policy Studies (Topic must be: Anti-Oppression Education or Black Studies in Education)
• EDPS 411 - Cross Cultural Studies in Education
• EDPS 412 - Multicultural and Anti-Racism Education
• EDPS 415 - Sexuality, Gender, and Culture in Education
• EDPS 422 - International Development Education
• EDPS 425 - Global Education

Pre-service teachers can prepare for their field experience by viewing the Faculty of Education Field Experience website, which includes information on the using the campusBRIDGE portal, placement guidelines, and Police Information Check and Alberta Intervention Record Check requirements. Registration in the Introductory Professional Term (IPT) and Advanced Professional Term (APT) is a two-step process. 

1. Register in the appropriate courses in Bear Tracks through My Schedule Builder (refer to your Program Sheet/Academic Requirements Report for a specific list of courses). Also, see the Additional Registration tips area below for Elementary and Secondary specific IPT and APT information.
2. At least 24 hours after you have registered in Bear Tracks, complete the online registration for the Field Experience found on the Field Experiences’ website at www.fieldexperiences.ualberta.ca.

The most common question we get from students related to the IPT and APT relates to how these terms work. Below is some information on the breakdown of each term.

Introductory Professional Term (IPT)

The IPT is divided into two parts. The first part includes coursework on campus and the second part includes your field experience in an elementary or secondary school. Although the two parts are related to one another they do not overlap.

On-Campus Coursework

For the first nine weeks of the term, you are in classes on campus. Within this 9-week period, you attend classes, participate in an on-campus seminar related to your field experience and complete three observation days in an elementary or secondary school. At the end of this nine-week period, you write final exams for your courses.

The Field Experience

After your final exams, you will begin your Introductory Field Experience (IFX) which lasts a total of five weeks and takes place in an elementary or secondary school under the mentorship of a teacher. For more information about the IFX, please refer to the Field Experiences’ website at www.fieldexperiences.ualberta.ca.

Advanced Professional Term (APT)

The APT is divided into two parts. The first part includes coursework on campus and the second part includes your field experience in an elementary or secondary school. Although the two parts are related to one another they do not overlap.

On-Campus Coursework

For the first five weeks of the term, you are in classes on campus. Within this 5-week period, you attend classes and participate in an on-campus seminar related to your field experience. At the end of five weeks, you write final exams.

The Field Experience

After your final exams, you will begin your Advanced Field Experience (AFX) which lasts a total of nine weeks and takes place in an elementary or secondary school under the mentorship of a teacher. For more information about the AFX, please refer to the Field Experiences’ website at www.fieldexperiences.ualberta.ca.

Students looking to register in EDEL 305 or EDEL 316 in the fall term preceding the IPT must have completed/be registered in the prerequisites and/or corequisites, as per the Course Catalogue. Registration for these courses should be completed as follows:

• One of EDEL 305 OR EDEL 316 in the Fall term that precedes the IPT
• The remaining EDEL 305 OR EDEL 316 in the Winter term IPT
  • Students should not be taking both EDEL 305 and EDEL 316 in the same term

Register into a section of EDFX 325 First

• For students in the Elementary Route IPT, the EDFX 325 registration needs to be done BEFORE the remaining IPT courses.

Courses Needed for the IPT

• EDEL 305 or 316: this is a 3-credit course
• EDEL 330 or 335: this is a 3-credit course
• EDPY 303: this is a 3-credit course, and you must choose a section that is for Elementary students (see Class Remarks on My Schedule Builder)
• EDFX 325: this is a 6-credit course. Also see "How do I register for IPT/APT?" above for more information about the EDFX registration – it is a two-step process

Register into a section of EDFX 425 First

• For students in the Elementary Route APT, the EDFX 425 registration needs to be done BEFORE the 300-level EDEL registration will process on Bear Tracks.

Courses Needed for the APT

• EDEL 330 or 335: this is a 3-credit course
• EDPY 301: this is a 3-credit course
• EDFX 425: this is a 9-credit course. Also see "How do I register for IPT/APT?" above for more information about the EDFX registration – it is a two-step process

EDFX 200, EDU 210, and EDU 211 are the pre/co-requisites for the following EDSE Minors courses:

• EDSE 305, EDSE 313, EDSE 318, EDSE 323, EDSE 328, EDSE 333, EDSE 338, EDSE 344, EDSE 348, EDSE 356, EDSE 369, EDSE 370, EDSE 374

Students will need to have the EDFX 200, EDU 210, and EDU 211 courses completed or be registered in them PRIOR to registering in the EDSE 3XX minors course.

Important Notes:

1. These minors courses are not part of the IPT or APT, and cannot be taken during the IPT or APT term.
2. Some minors courses are only offered in specific terms – refer to your Program Sheet or Academic Advisement Report to determine if you have a minors course that is only offered in a specific term.

Students looking to register in the IPT must have completed the prerequisites, as per the Course Catalogue. - EDFX 200, EDU 210, EDU 211, EDPY 302, and at least 9 credits from the major area.

Courses needed for the IPT

Register into a section of EDFX 350 First

• For students in the Secondary Route IPT, the EDFX 350 registration needs to be done BEFORE the remaining IPT courses.

Courses Needed for the IPT

• EDSE 3XX for your major: this is a 3-credit course (see Program Sheet or Academic Advisement Report for the exact course number)
• EDSE 307: this is a 3-credit course
• EDPY 303: this is a 3-credit course, and you must choose a section that is for Secondary students (see Class Remarks on My Schedule Builder)
• EDFX 350: this is a 6-credit course. Registering in EDFX 350 is a two-step process.  Please see "How do I register for IPT/APT?" above for more information

IPT must be taken/registered in before taking/registering for the APT. Students must have also completed at least 24 credits in the major area, as per the Course Catalogue.

Courses Needed for the APT

Register into a section of EDFX 450 First

• For students in the Secondary Route APT, the EDFX 450 registration needs to be done BEFORE the remaining APT course.

Courses Needed for the APT

• EDSE 4XX for your major: this is a 6-credit course (see Program Sheet or Academic Advisement Report for the exact course number)
• EDFX 450: this is a 9-credit course. Registering in EDFX 450 is a two-step process.  Please see "How do I register for IPT/APT?" above for more information