As the modern classroom continues to evolve, there is an increasing demand for teachers at the elementary and secondary levels to upgrade and develop new skills.

To meet this need, the Continuing Teacher Education unit at the Faculty of Education has been offering Additional Qualification (AQ) and Additional Basic Qualifications (ABQ) courses to Ontario teachers for over 25 years. Four years ago, they expanded into British Columbia to offer post-graduate certificates online. A wide range of courses have been offered for the past four years to teachers in B.C., and this fall the post-grad certificates will expand with certificates designed specifically for teachers in Ontario.

This marks a significant expansion for learning opportunities, explains Jessica Della-Latta, Executive Director of the Faculty of Education’s Professional and Non-Credit Programs, adding that the new certificates will provide advanced standing for the online Professional Masters of Education (PME). The PME is a course-based master’s degree program, which we designed for working professionals in diverse educational fields, and consists of 10 courses. The program offers fields of specialization to help students make the most of their education – fields include Aboriginal Education, Assessment and Evaluation, Classroom Specialist, Literacy, and Teaching Abroad. The completion of one of the new post-grad certificates will allow two courses towards the PME.

Initially, two certificates – Special Education and English Language Learners – were available in B.C., but have since expanded to include Mathematics Education, and Early Childhood Education. In 2018 they will add another post-grad certificate for Teacher-Librarian.

After a small start the online program has gone from 25 enrolments in the first year to offering eight sessions annually, with more than 700 enrolments for the past summer term alone.

“Enrolments in B.C. have increased dramatically and it’s primarily through word of mouth,” Ms. Della-Latta says. “Response has been great. We have candidates calling up just to say how fantastic the courses are and that they are telling everyone they know about them.”

Ms. Della-Latta says she expects to see a similar reaction in Ontario now that AQ/ABQ courses can be taken for a post-grad certificate ultimately leading to advanced standing in the PME. The initial post-grad certificates for Ontario will include Special Education, Teaching English Language Learners, Teacher Leadership and Technology in Teaching. An approval for a fifth post-grad certificate in Reading and Literacy is pending.

“The people who are taking the online post-graduate certificates love it and they love that Queen’s is doing it,” she says. “These courses showcase the Faculty of Education’s commitment to quality teaching and learning and the candidates notice. We are excited to see how the program grows.”

To learn more about the Post-Graduate Certificates, visit the Post-Graduate Certificates webpage.

Information about the online Professional Master of Education is available on the program website.