Two-Year Community-Based Bachelor of Education After-Degree
Why choose this pathway
A Unique Pathway
Drawing on the Werklund School of Education’s strong foundation of innovation, and on the strengths of an excellent undergraduate program, the Two-Year Community-Based Bachelor of Education After-Degree addresses issues of access and equity by providing a unique pathway to obtain a Bachelor of Education. This program was developed to attract students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Education, but unable to commit to a residency-based program. The program thus hopes to mitigate the high turnover rate of teachers in rural and remote areas.
To do so, this degree will allow you to to remain in your home community for the majority of your studies, while receiving excellent instruction and advisory support from the University of Calgary. You will also gain teaching experience in your local community through your Field Experience practicum placements.
While you are able to remain in, or near, your home community for the majority of your program, you will take courses on-campus each Summer, providing you with the opportunity to work with your cohort in a face-to-face environment. You will also attend an Orientation in your first year, and are afterward invited to various program sessions, allowing you to connect with the faculty and staff of the Werklund School of Education.
Delivery Method
You will take the majority of your courses online, and complete your Field Experiences in - or as near as is possible to - your home community. Please note that the After-Degree is only offered on a full-time basis.
Geographic Eligibility
Preference for admission into this program is given to students in rural and remote areas of Alberta. As Field Experience practicum placements can be arranged across Alberta, in the Northwest Territories, and in rural and remote British Columbia, students in these areas may also be considered.
Please Note: Graduates of this program will meet the teacher certification requirements for the Province of Alberta. Certification in other jurisdictions is not guaranteed.
Important dates and upcoming events
Dec. 9, 2020
Last day to withdraw from Non-Education courses. Please contact an advisor prior to withdrawing from your course(s) to discuss your options.
Dec. 23, 2020
The Undergraduate Programs in Education Office will be closed from Wendesday, Dec. 23rd to Monday, Jan. 4th. Additionally, the University of Calgary will be closed from Friday, Dec. 25th to Monday, Jan. 4th.
Jan. 4, 2021
The Winter 2021 semester begins today.
Jan. 6, 2021
The Block Week portion of EDUC 551 begins today.
Jan. 11, 2021
The Winter 2021 regular term courses start today, including 400-level EDUC courses. All Education courses are being offered online for the Winter 2021 semester. Details can be found on your Student Services Center and within the course outlines.
Admission
Walk through the application process in just five steps!
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Dates and deadlines
- This pathway offers a summer term intake only
- Check out the Summer 2021 dates and deadlines
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Documents and transcripts
Supporting documents, such as transcripts, must be received by the Admissions office by the deadlines indicated on their website. While our office does not accept application documents, Admissions has a detailed guide on what to submit, how, and when.
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Understand your applicant category
If applicable, you may also consider applying under the Diverse Qualifications or Indigenous Admissions processes.
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Know your admission requirements
First, pick your teachable subject area. If you're not sure, check out our guide to teachable subject areas. Then, peruse our detailed admission requirements, below, and check out our FAQs.
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Apply
When you're ready, submit your application online. Start with Admissions' guide to applying.
To gain admission to the After-Degree, all applicants must present:
- A degree with a least 90 transferable units (30 semester-long courses) from an accredited post-secondary recognized by the University of Calgary
- The competitive entrance GPA for their desired teachable
- A course in English or French Literature
Geographic Eligibility
Preference for admission is given to students in rural and remote areas of Alberta. Students across Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and in rural and remote British Columbia may also be considered.
Competitive Entrance Grades
Admission to the program is competitive, and with admitting grades varying between teachable subject areas. Competitive GPA is taken from your 10 most recent university-transferable courses. Because admitting GPAs vary from year to year with different applicant pools, students are encouraged to consult with Admissions.
Applicants with graduate degrees should be aware that your entrance GPA will be calculated based on your 10 most recent, graded courses. These can be taken across degrees, chronologically back.
English or French Literature Requirement
Applicants must present an English or French Literature course for the purposes of admission. Unfortunately, language, technical writing, creative writing, composition, or communications courses do not meet this requirement. If you are unsure whether a class you took meets this criteria, please connect with us via upe@ucalgary.ca. At minimum, we would want to see the full course title and a description; a detailed course outline is even better (and, for the purposes of admission, may even be necessary). Please note that course outlines must be for the year in which you completed the course, as changes may mean that a 2019 outline is irrelevant. For course ideas, visit our page on acceptable literature courses offered at the University of Calgary.
Mount Royal University applicants should be aware that, unfortunately, the GNED courses do not meet the Literature requirement.
In Progress Admission Requirements
Courses being taken for the purposes of admission should be apparent when you submit your application, as it will be evaluated 'as is' when received. As such, if you have not registered in a course when you initially submit your transcripts, you may be denied admission on the basis of lacking a requirement.
Outlines and Back-Up Options
Course outlines may be necessary for the application process, particularly if a class’ content is not made clear by the title – for example, a course labeled ‘English’ alone may refer to a course in which you learned the language, gained basic writing skills, or analyzed literature. In order to ensure that the course included sufficient literary content, a course outline must be provided. Said outline must be received by the March 15th document deadline.
We highly advise that you select a first and second choice Teachable Subject Area upon application. If not deemed admissible to your first choice, you will then be evaluated for your second choice. You are able to pick both an elementary and a secondary route area upon application; a first and second choice do not have to be in the same route.
Police Information Check
A current, clear Police Information Check, with a Vulnerable Sector Check, is required of all Bachelor of Education students for the field experience component of the program. Students who are unable to present a current and clear check will not be placed in their field experience courses – a graduating requirement of the degree – and be asked to leave the program.
Check out our Police Information Checks page for more details.
Applicants interested in focusing on elementary education (kindergarten to grade 6) need only present the above stated admission requirements.
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Early Childhood Education
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above. No additional coursework is required.
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English Language Arts
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above. No additional coursework is required.
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French
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above.
Applicants must be fully competent in oral and written French, and demonstrate this in an interview which will be administered by program instructors in the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Calgary - substitutions are not accepted.
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Mathematics
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above. No additional coursework is required.
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Science
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above. No additional coursework is required.
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Social Studies
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above. No additional coursework is required.
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Social Studies - Revitalization of Indigenous Languages
Applicants must meet the common admission requirements stated above. No additional coursework is required.
Applicants interested in focusing on secondary education (grades 7 to 12) must present the above-stated literature, GPA, and degree requirements, as well as any mandated course requirements for their desired teachable, as listed below.
Where ten courses in a specified area are accepted for the purposes of admission, applicants must present:
- At least 6 courses - of the 10 - at the senior level, with only 4 courses at the first-year level.*
*For example, at the University of Calgary, first-year courses are at the 200-level, and senior courses start at the 300-level.
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English Language Arts
Applicants must present a degree with a major in English. Applicants who do not have a degree with a major in English must present a minimum of 10 courses (30 units) in a range of areas that includes: historical surveys of English literature, critical reading and writing, Shakespeare, Canadian literature, popular genres of literature, children's literature, or world literature.
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French
Applicants must present a degree taught in French in 1 or more of the following areas: literature, science, mathematics, history, or the equivalent. If the degree was not taught in French, applicants must have a major in French, or a minimum of 30 units in French.
Applicants must be fully competent in oral and written French, and demonstrate this in an interview which will be administered by program instructors in the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Calgary - substitutions are not accepted.
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Mathematics
Applicants must present a degree with a major in mathematics, or a degree with a minimum of 10 courses (30 units) in at least 5 of the following subject areas: calculus, number systems, number theory, linear algebra, geometry, probability, statistics, applied mathematics, discrete mathematics, or history of mathematics.
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Science - Biology
Applicants must present a degree with a major in biology. Applicants who do not have a degree with a major in biology must present a degree with a minimum of 10 courses (30 units) in at least 5 of the following subject areas: biochemistry, botany, cellular microbiology, molecular microbiology, ecology, evolutionary theory, genetics, human anatomy, physiology, or zoology.
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Science - Chemistry
Applicants must present a degree with a major in chemistry. Applicants who do not have a degree with a major in chemistry must present a degree with a minimum of 10 courses (30 units) in at least 5 of the following subject areas: inorganic, organic, physical, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, quantum mechanics, or thermodynamics.
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Science - Physics
Applicants must present a degree with a major in physics. Applicants who do not have a degree with a major in physics must present a degree with a minimum of 10 courses (30 units) in at least 5 of the following subject areas: classical mechanics, electromagnetism, modern physics, optics, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, relativity theory, or thermodynamics.
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Social Studies
Applicants must have completed a minimum of ten courses (30 units) across all 3 of the following areas, with at least 1 course per area:
History - Canadian history, European history, or world history.
Geography - Physical geography, human geography, or other courses with a focus on human interaction with physical and cultural environments.
Social Sciences - Anthropology, archaeology, Canadian studies, cultural studies, economics, globalization, indigenous studies, international relations, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, or women's studies.
The following information is for students applying with education completed outside of North America, regardless of whether the student is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or an offshore applicant.
When students with international credentials apply, their transcripts are first assessed by our central Admissions office to ensure that they present a recognized, accredited degree that is equivalent to the number of units/hours studied in a University of Calgary degree. Please note that this evaluation is not done until a formal application has been submitted, due to the volume of applications and inquiries that Admissions receives.
Assuming the applicant's prior coursework meets the minimum required standard (in this case, the degree must present 90 transferable units, or, 30 semester-long courses), their file would then be assessed for coursework requirements, and competitive admitting grade point average (GPA).
Applicants should thoroughly review the admission requirements detailed in the associated tab, above. Please note that the literature requirement is not the same as meeting English Language Proficiency. All applicants must present the course in literature (English or French); students presenting degrees completed in countries where English is not the primary language must present both the literature requirement, as well as prove English Language Proficiency.
For more information on converting your grades to the University of Calgary’s 4.0 GPA scale, please visit this information hosted by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (although the Bachelor of Education After-Degree is an undergraduate degree, not a graduate degree, the grade conversion information below is useful for applicants to self-gauge their approximate GPA). Applicants to the University's graduate programs must present at least a 3.0 GPA, but students should be aware of the fluctuating competitive GPAs that vary across teachable subject areas. Applicants may also want to chat to Admissions regarding the grade-conversion process.
Questions about the application process? Get in touch with Admissions
Program sequence
Summer term courses will take place on-campus, during a two-week intensive in July. Fall and winter term courses will be offered via distance, or involve your in-classroom field experiences, in your home community.
The Werklund School is transforming the way I think about education. It is teaching me how to help students engage in their learning. I feel more confident in my role as an educator, and through study and practice I am developing a personal pedagogy. I hope that by teaching youth, I will be able to help create positive change.
Sean Sager
Werklund Community Engaged Leadership Award recipient

Creating Community
"The time I spent on campus was really amazing. It brought me back into the student mindset and really set the pace for what the whole year was going to look like. It was also nice to be able to meet my fellow classmates and be able to put faces to names."
- Alexandra Crevier, BEd graduate
Your time on-campus
Summer Dates
2020 Dates
Summer 2020 courses and activities will take place online, from July 6th to August 12th. Summer 2021 dates will be posted as soon as they are finalized.
Online Success Program
Newly admitted students are required to complete the Online Success Program, designed to orient you to the platforms and skills necessary to be successful in an online learning environment. The program runs in June, and requires about 45 minutes to an hour of time daily.
Orientation
During your Summer terms, you will participate in orientation activities, built to familiarize you with the University community, resources that you can access (even during your distance-learning courses), and with faculty, staff, and fellow Education students. Check out our Community-Based Orientation site for details from the Summer 2020 Orientation.
Accommodation
Community-Based students are able to take advantage of a group rate through Residence and Hotel Alma during their Summer courses. You will be given more specific information about booking upon an offer of admission. International Student Services has a handy guide to short and long-term accommodation options!
Campus
You can get an idea of where your classes will be held by utilizing the Interactive Map.
Weekend
Need a study break over the weekend off during your Summer courses? Check out:
Transportation
If you will not be staying on campus during your Summer courses, you may want to explore the following links, too:
Tourism Calgary Calgary Vehicle Rentals
Understanding your fees
Fee breakdown
Tuition for all Bachelor of Education programs is assessed as it is in other undergraduate programs: on a course by course basis. We've also collated a number of resources specifically helpful to Community-Based students.
Cost Estimator
To help estimate your expenses, you can take advantage of the Cost Estimator. This will help you approximate your Education semester costs. For your non-Education semesters, please refer to the institution at which you plan to take those courses directly.
Werklund awards
The Werklund School of Education offers a number of awards and scholarships.