Graduation and certification

Make sure to apply for graduation by the posted deadline. This deadline generally occurs before you have started and finished your summer-term courses.

How to apply

Visit Graduation for instructions on submitting your Application for Graduation and the posted deadline.

Make sure your mailing address on your student account is correct if you prefer to receive your parchment by mail. See Office of the Registrar Change of Address for more information if applicable. For help, email reginfo@ufv.ca.

What to expect

• BEd students generally participate in convocation before they have fully completed their summer-term courses.
• Once final grades of the summer term are posted, your application will be reviewed by the School of Education. This occurs towards the end of June.
• You do not need to contact the School of Education for approval - this happens automatically.
• Once approved, your application is forwarded to the Office of the Registrar and then to the UFV Senate for final graduation confirmation. Please note that this happens after convocation in July.

• Your graduation status will appear on your academic record once Senate approval is complete.

Graduation Documents and Transcripts

As you transition out of the BEd program, you will be required to submit transcripts to a number of institutions and agencies. UFV will submit your final UFV transcript to both the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB; for certification purposes) and to the Teacher Qualification Service Branch (TQS; towards salary category assessment).

You are responsible for the following:

• submit all other official transcripts (other than UFV) and supporting documents to the TRB,
• submit copies of all other official transcripts (other than UFV) and supporting documents to TQS, and
• submit copies of unofficial transcripts to Make-A-Future for teaching position applications. Once you are hired by a district or school, and your BEd has been officially awarded, you may be required to request a final official transcript for your employer (a school district or independent school).

See Graduation Documents and Transcripts for details on transcripts. For assistance ordering a transcript, contact reginfo@ufv.ca.

Convocation

UFV convocation happens in June. Visit Convocation for news about the schedule, program, and venue. For questions, contact convocation@ufv.ca.

To teach in the public and independent K-12 school systems in BC, educators need a teaching certificate. You should start the process to apply for a certificate of qualification (COQ) between January and April. We recommend you watch two TRB Information Sessions on applying for a BC teaching certificate and submitting the required supporting documents online.

Review the application process steps on Become a BC Certified Teacher. In the application process, you will set up a BCeID account and submit an application. You will receive a welcome e-mail with your L-number, typically within 6 weeks. This will include a list of additional documents required. There are several supplementary documents that are required to be submitted. These have to be in pdf format, no larger than 4MB. Files should be titled as follows: File#_surname_firstname_documentname.

The UFV School of Education will submit a recommendation and your final UFV transcript upon official approval of graduation status in July. You are responsible for all other document submissions.  

For assistance with your COQ application, contact the TRB.

The TQS places teachers in the BC public school system into a category for pay purposes based only on their education credentials. If you intend to work in the BC public school system you must apply and provide supporting documentation separately to both the TQS and the TRB. (Note: Salary scales differ between school districts; see BC Public School Employers Association for BC teacher salary grids. The step within a category is based on your teaching experience and is considered by the school district that hires you.)

Review First-Time Applications for the online application and Application Process more information; you will start this process between May and June. One of the supporting documents that the TQS requires is a copy of your teaching certificate. You are required to submit this to the TQS, once the TRB has issued it to you in the summer.

If you intend to teach in an independent school, you are still required to apply for your teaching certificate from the TRB. It is highly advisable that you also apply to the TQS for an assessment of your salary category, as this can be informative for your employer in terms of compensation.

If you have questions about your TQS application process or category card, contact the TQS.

Once you are hired with a school district and receive your TQS category card, submit it to your school district to ensure you are compensated correctly. For inquiries regarding how to submit your TQS category card, reach out to your employer.  

Make a Future is the official job board for all K-12 education careers in BC, operating as a partnership between BC’s Ministry of Education and Child Care, public school boards, First Nations and independent schools. This portal lists current teaching positions, and you will have the ability to apply to these positions by creating an application. We recommend you start this process at the end of your certifying practicum. Sign up for Make a Future job alerts or follow them on social media (see the bottom of their website for their handles). You can also watch a recording of a TRB Information Sessions on Make a Future in BC Education Job Board online.

When you apply to job postings through the Make a Future portal, you will need to upload documents such as your letter of application, your resume, copies of transcripts and final practicum reports. Your teaching certificate is not required for applications, as this is considered “in progress”. A teaching portfolio is also not required for your application, but it can be helpful later in your career when you seek long-term positions. For inquiries about the application portal, see FAQ or contact Make a Future.

Job search assistance

Explore job search support through the UFV Centre for Experiential and Career Education (CECE). Visit CECE’s Career Resources for guidance on cover letters, resumes, interviews, and more. Book a career coaching appointment for personalized feedback up to three semesters after you have graduated. Contact cece@ufv.ca for questions.

You can also follow CECE on social media for updates on events open to alumni. See their webpage for their social media handles.

Once you have graduated, you are now part of the UFV alumni community! Visit UFV Alumni Association to learn about membership cards, benefits, and events. Follow them on social media for updates; see their webpage for their social media handles. Contact alumni@ufv.ca for questions.

We hope to see you at Convocation to celebrate all that you have accomplished!