About Teacher Certification in Alberta
To teach in the Alberta Education system, all teachers must hold valid teaching authority prior to commencement of employment with a school authority.
>> Take our four question survey and tell us what you think about the information we are providing you.Information for individuals wishing to teach in Alberta:
Teacher Development and Certification Branch of Alberta Education is responsible for the evaluation of credentials and issuance of certification for teachers in Alberta. The Teacher Qualification Service (TQS) of the Alberta Teacher's Association or International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) do not determine eligibility for Alberta teacher certification.
Please be aware of the following when completing an application for the Alberta Interim Professional Certificate and submitting documents to this Office:
- Prior to commencement of employment in the Alberta school system (public, separate, private, charter, francophone, and band schools); a teacher must hold an Interim Professional Certificate or other valid Alberta teaching authority. It is the responsibility of the hiring school authority and individual teacher to ensure that a teacher does not teach in an Alberta classroom before holding valid teaching authority.
- The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is the professional organization of teachers, and through the Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS), evaluates credentials for salary purposes. Teacher Qualification Service (TQS) does not issue salary assessments until teaching authority has been issued by Alberta Education. Any enquiries regarding salary assessments should be directed to the Teacher Qualifications Service (TQS) at 447-9400 (from Edmonton or area) or 1-800-232-7208 (from elsewhere in Alberta) or visit their website to learn more: ATA - Teacher Qualifications Service
- Official documentation must be provided to both this Office AND the Teacher Qualification Service of the ATA. Applicants with original, irreplaceable documents should submitted them to Teacher Development and Certification Branch of Alberta Education first and then submitted them to Teacher Qualification Service.
- Applicants may be required to submit, on a random basis, a current criminal record check.
- Applicants possessing a record of criminal conviction will be asked to contact the Clerk of the Court where their case(s) was heard to arrange for a Notice of Conviction to be sent directly to the Registrar. (A Notice of Conviction must be sent for each conviction, which may mean contacting more than one Office of the Clerk of the Court).
- Applicants may also be required to provide the Registrar with an official criminal record search by fingerprint comparison at their own expense.
- The Registrar may refuse to issue a certificate to a person who has been convicted of an indictable offence in Canada or an equivalent conviction in a jurisdiction outside Canada, or to a person whose teaching certificate is or has been suspended or cancelled, or to a person who the Registrar has reason to believe should not be issued a certificate.
Requirements for Alberta Interim Professional Certification
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