School of Education

Applications to the program opens the first of November each year and the deadline is mid January.

The Acadia Admissions website offers all details regarding the application process to the program: http://www.acadiau.ca/admissions/bachEdProgram.htm

Please note that all offers of admission are based upon successful completion of the first degree.

The specific academic/teacher certification requirements for the elementary and secondary requirements are clearly outlined on the Acadia University School of Education Website. Applicants will need to read the appropriate section carefully:

 Requirements for the Elementary Program

 Requirements for the Secondary Program

In exceptional circumstances, applicants who are missing no more than three credit hours for certification purposes may be selected for the sixteen month program, given the following parameters:

For elementary applicants:

 “If a candidate has met all but 3 credit hours of the admissions requirements and has justifiable reasons for requesting an academic exemption, they may be granted an exemption with the understanding that this credit will need to be completed to meet Nova Scotia teacher certification requirements. Each request for an exemption is evaluated on an individual basis by our B.Ed. Selection Committee.”

For secondary applicants:

 “If a candidate has met all but 3 credit hours of the admissions requirements and has justifiable reasons for requesting an academic exemption, they may be granted an exemption with the understanding that this credit will need to be completed to meet Nova Scotia teacher certification requirements. Each request for an exemption is evaluated on an individual basis by our B.Ed. Selection Committee.”

We will begin processing applications for students who hold a GPA of 3.0 and above upon receipt of a completed application. Applications of candidates holding a GPA of 2.67 - 2.99 will be processed following the closure of the application submission process in late January. Candidates are welcome to apply beyond the January application submission deadline.  These applications will be processed and provided an offer or placed on a waiting list depending on availability of seats.

Applications of candidates who identify as a representative from a committee approved under-represented group holding a GPA of 2.67 and above will also be processed immediately upon receipt of a completed application.

Students holding a GPA of less than 2.67 may apply with an opportunity to explain the reasons for a lower GPA through the application process. Successful admission to the program will depend upon both availability of seats and reason for lower GPA.

Applicants on a wait list or not accepted to the program are normally notified by end of March.

Calling to inquire about the status of your application does not speed up the process.

All courses in the School of Education at Acadia University for the 16-month program are face-to-face on campus. Students are expected to be present on campus for ALL courses and all compulsory aspects of the program (i.e. workshops, seminars, etc.).

In the 16-month consecutive program there are intensive Summer Institute classes whereby advance course work is completed prior to the beginning of classes and classes are offered 5 days a week, every day, for two weeks.

Full attendance is expected for ALL courses.

The 16 month consecutive program is intensive and demanding. At times, it requires students to be present in a class every day for two weeks to complete one course. This may be repeated for several courses. All practica require you to be at the school in which you are placed for any activities and times a professional educator is normally present. In the case of the 16 month consecutive program, the main practicum occurs for ten to twelve weeks, from March until June. Given these demands, we strongly discourage full time employment.

The Bachelor of Education program at Acadia is an accredited program.  We are obligated to follow specific protocols and processes. This is an in-person program with all courses delivered in-person and on campus.  Students experience this program as a cohort and must take this program on a full-time basis.

All decisions around teacher certification are established by the Nova Scotia Department of Education - Teacher Certification Branch. Sole authority to issue teaching certificates rests with the Nova Scotia Department of Education. The School of Education at Acadia University will facilitate the collection and sending of all required teacher certification application documents to the Nova Scotia Department of Education on your behalf prior to the completion of the program.

Students in the 16-month consecutive program may receive their teacher certification shortly after the completion of the program. 16-month students are eligible to apply for teaching jobs prior to receiving their official teacher certificate, pending successful completion of the program and completion of the pre-requisite requirements.

16-month program students must do their first two practicums in a Centre of Education geographically close to Acadia University as they will be required to be on campus throughout the fall while on practicum on Wednesdays. This usually includes the AVRCE and the HRCE.  They can choose to do their spring practicums in other jurisdictions away from Acadia.

Students doing practicum in the AVRCE can be placed in any school within the AVRCE. This covers a large geographic area from Cornwallis base in Annapolis County in the west to Summerville in West Hants in the east. This is a range of over 100kms.  Student placements are dependent upon Associate teachers willing to host a pre-service teacher and teachers teaching the required subject areas or grade levels. Often, many students are requesting to be placed in the Wolfville area.  This is rarely possible and students must be prepared to be placed in any school within the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education.

Students doing practicums in the Halifax area are placed by the HRCE outside of any input or control by the Acadia School of Education.  Therefore, students must be ready to travel to a designated school for practicum within the HRCE.

Students are responsible for organizing their own transportation.

Students in the program are invited to attend an information session early in the fall term to obtain details of particular requirements for international placements. Students wishing to be considered for an international placement must submit an application to the International Placement committee. There is also an interview process.

Application to the B.Ed. program is highly competitive.

• It will not be possible to provide individual feedback to everyone who was unsuccessful.
• We encourage all applicants to consider and develop the areas of interest we identify on the application in order to enhance subsequent applications.

Yes. Once you have received your Nova Scotia teaching license from the provincial Department of Education, you can then apply to other Departments of Education to transfer your credentials to that region. For further information, please contact the Department of Education governing the region you wish to have your certification transferred into.