General Information
1.Information for online courses
2.Information for on-site courses
The year 2009 will mark an exciting milestone for Nipissing University as we celebrate 100 years of excellence in teacher education. Since 1909, Nipissing University has offered teacher education programs that are well renowned and respected. Nipissing has continued this tradition by offering a full range of professional development courses for educators. These courses include: Additional Qualification (AQ) courses, Additional Basic Qualification (ABQ) courses, Honour Specialist (HS) courses, Principal's Qualification (PQP) courses, Educational Leadership courses, as well as a part-time and full-time Masters of Education (MEd) program. The results of several recent prominent surveys show that Nipissing’s graduates and students rank Nipissing among Canada’s top universities.
At Nipissing University, you can earn a degree and professional teaching qualifications at the same time because our courses are accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers, and are also approved by Nipissing University’s Academic Senate as degree credit courses. In fact, all of our courses will be reported on a university transcript with credit values assigned. If you plan to take a number of our AQ or ABQ courses, you are encouraged to apply for admission to the part-time Advanced Bachelors Degree in Education (AdEd) program. We also provide an Advanced Bachelors Degree in Educational Leadership (AdEdL) program for candidates who are preparing themselves to be school administrators or are new to an administrative role.
For the convenience of our students, we provide courses in a variety of longer and shorter terms. We also let students choose a course delivery mode that suits their learning style and situation. This publication serves as a guide to our distance education program which includes correspondence (private study) and online course offerings. You will also find some general information about our other programs including our Principal's Qualification Program. Detailed information about all of our offerings, including our on-site (face-to-face) courses can be found under Courses & Programs/On-Site Courses . The course scheduling process continues throughout the year, so please check the website regularly for up-to-date course listings. New and returning students can use WebAdvisor to see if a course is available, register, make payment, change address information, and receive confirmation of registration.
Additional Qualifications
Additional qualifications are governed in Ontario by Regulation 184/97 and are administered by the Ontario College of Teachers. The additional qualifications offered by Nipissing include:
- Additional Basic Qualifications
- Honour Specialist Qualifications
- One-Session Qualifications
- Three-Session Qualifications (Specialist)
- Principal’s Qualification Program
- Teaching Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (new)
To successfully complete a course, all assignments, including the practicum, must be submitted. Upon successful completion of courses with a minimum grade of 60%, students will be recommended to the Ontario College of Teachers for the appropriate additional qualification. To be recommended, candidates must have met all pre-requisite requirements, must have submitted all required documentation and must not be in financial arrears to the University. The Ontario College of Teachers determines regulations for qualification. Students with an Interim Certificate from the Ontario College of Teachers must meet all of the requirements designated on the Interim Certificate. Further information about the courses, dates and modes of delivery can be found under Courses & Programs.
Changes to Ontario Regulation 184/97
Recently, the Ontario government made changes to the Teachers' Qualifications Regulation (184/97). The amendments include changes to the schedules of Additional Qualification courses available to teachers. The majority of the changes took effect on August 31, 2008. Among the changes: courses that are being revoked (most notably Design and Technology), many courses have undergone name changes, a number of new courses have been added to the schedules of Additional Qualification courses. More information about the changes can be found on the OCT website.
New Courses Developed in 2008
- Honour Specialist Biology
- Honour Specialist Math
- Honour Specialist Science
- Honour Specialist History
- Honour Specialist Geography
- Senior ABQ – Physics
- Intermediate ABQ – Religious Education
New Course Development (Nipissing) for 2009 [as of November 2008]
Beginning May 2009:
- Teaching Combined Grades
- Alternative Education
- Honour Specialist Chemistry
- Honour Specialist Business Studies
- Honour Specialist Computer Studies
- Senior ABQ: Religious Education
July 2009:
- Dance, Parts 1, 2 and 3
- Outdoor Experiential Education
Beginning October 2009:
- Honour Specialist Visual Arts
- Special Education - Behaviour
- Special Education - Communication-Autism
- Special Education - Physical
- Special Education - Communication - Learning Disability
- Special Education - Intellectual - Developmental Disabilities
- Special Education - Intellectual - Gifted
- Mathematics, Grades 7 and 8
Other courses in development:
- French as a Second Language, Part I/II/III (On-line) – offering date to be determined
- Honour Specialist: French – offering date to be determined
Principal's Qualification Program & Educational Leadership courses
The Principal's Qualification Program (PQP) consists of a Part I course, a practicum, and a Part II course. As of the date of publication, the practicum is planned during Part I and must be completed before the candidate may enroll in Part II. The guideline for the PQP is currently being reviewed by OCT. There may be substantive changes to the PQP guideline that will require the PQP courses to be revised. Among the changes expected is the timing of the practicum. Information about the changes, once known, will be posted.
For students enrolled in the Advanced Bachelors Degree in Educational Leadership, there are also several leadership courses available that cover a wide range of current issues in the area of educational leadership and school administration. For further information, visit Courses & Programs/Programs for Certified Teachers/Advanced Bachelors Degree in Educational Leadership.
Teaching Students Who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Ontario College of Teachers is changing the requirements to become a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The current three part specialist qualification (The Deaf, Part I, Part II and Specialist) expired on August 31, 2008. It will be replaced by a new 600 hour program named Teaching Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We are currently awaiting the final guidelines from the College. The proposed guidelines released last spring indicated that a prerequisite of two courses in American Sign Language would be required in order to enroll in the new program. A practicum component of 40 days was also included in the proposed guidelines. Upon receipt of the final guideline, Nipissing University will develop and implement the new program as soon as possible.
Nipissing also offers American Sign Language (ASL) courses at the North Bay and Brantford campuses, as well as an ASL immersion camp in Milton, Ontario.
Degree Programs
Candidates may wish to use the professional development courses they take from Nipissing University to earn a degree as well as to earn additional qualifications. Candidates may apply for admission to the following part-time degree programs:
Advanced Bachelors Degree in Education
The 36-credit Advanced Bachelors Degree in Education enables the many teachers who take Nipissing University courses to improve their professional qualifications and also receive credit for those courses in the form of a university degree. The candidate is able to go beyond their Bachelor of Education degree to focus on one or two areas of curriculum, teaching, and learning. The areas of focus are the Three-Session Specialist Qualifications (e.g., Special Education, Reading, Guidance and Career Studies Education, Cooperative Education, etc.).
Advanced Bachelors Degree in Educational Leadership
The 36-credit Advanced Bachelors Degree in Educational Leadership has been developed for teachers who are preparing themselves to be school administrators or are new to an administrative role. Teachers who take Nipissing University's Principal's Qualification Program (PQP) and other newly developed leadership courses can also receive credit for those courses toward a university degree. The following leadership courses are currently offered: Organization Development, Community/School Relationships, Data-based Decision Making, The Educational Leaders role in Curriculum Implementation, Staff Development, and Information Technology in Educational Leadership. The Principal's Development course is also offered periodically. Additional electives are in the planning stages..
Master of Education – Full-time (NEW) and Part-time
The Master of Education (MEd) program is designed to prepare educational leaders for learning environments such as classrooms, schools and other learning organizations. The program is offered on a full and part-time basis at the North Bay and Brantford campuses and on a part-time basis in Barrie, Bracebridge, Sudbury and York Region (King City). Some courses are also video-linked to Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie; however, it may not be possible to obtain all the required courses in these communities.
Please direct general inquiries regarding the Master of Education Program to gradstd@nipissingu.ca.
