Bachelor of Education

The Bachelor of Education program at VIU provides students with the fundamentals needed to become teachers at the elementary school level. Throughout the five-year program students will learn diverse teaching strategies and professional development skills to give them the tools and knowledge required to earn their BC teachers certificate and begin their teaching journey. This program prepares students for teaching at various school levels and has a thoroughly articulated grounding in the Principles of Teaching and Learning, embedded and extended practica, as well as First Peoples Principles of Learning. In line with BC's redesigned curriculum, the program, and its delivery, is informed by personalized learning allowing for greater flexible learning environments well versed in ecological and environmental learning and Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. Curriculum instruction focuses on core competencies, big ideas, as well as current research and the development of reflective practices. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will be recommended for a Certificate of Qualification (COQ) as issued by the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) at the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care. A COQ is required for employment in any BC public school and can be applied towards employment in BC independent or offshore schools. It is also eligible for equivalent professional certification in other Canadian provinces or territories.
The program is comprised of undergraduate Education coursework and from various disciplines including the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Human Services with the option of completing a Minor. To do so requires meeting other degree area Minor requirements, as well as the Bachelor of Education degree requirements. Those wishing to pursue a Minor should consult with a Faculty of Education Advisor to discuss degree completion requirements and teaching career implications of their choice of Minor. Undergraduate elective coursework is predominately completed within the first two years of the program, with Education and Field Experience coursework taking place in the final three years of the program.