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AHCOTE

ALASKA HIGHWAY CONSORTIUM ON TEACHER EDUCATION

Method of delivery:
In-person		 Applications open:
October 1, 2024		 Applications close:
January 31, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. (PT)		 Next start date:
September 2025 (subject to approval)

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Get all the information you need to apply for the Alaska Highway Consortium on Teacher Education (AHCOTE). AHCOTE admission requirements vary based on whether you want to be an elementary or secondary teacher.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

During the application process, you will be asked to select your grade-level preference. While most people generally have a single preference, you can select a second preference provided you meet the requirements for both Elementary and Secondary.

General Requirements - All Applicants

Recommended Experience

  • Before applying to the AHCOTE, we recommend that you gain experience (volunteer or paid) working with children or youth at the age level you wish to teach
  • This may include, but is not limited to, spending time volunteering or observing in B.C. schools and classrooms

SFU Undergraduate Admission Requirement 

SFU Literacy Requirement 

  • All AHCOTE applicants must meet SFU's English Language requirement. Visit the SFU Undergraduate Admissions English Language requirement website for more information.
  • To enroll in EDUC 401W & 402W or to declare the BEd 2nd degree you must meet the SFU Literacy (FAL) requirement. Direct enrollment in a W course requires a higher grade than SFU's English Language admission requirement. See options on the SFU Curriculum Initiative website.

SFU Quantitative Requirement 

  • All applicants to SFU degree programs must meet SFU's Quantitative/Analytical Skills requirement. There are many ways to meet the quantitative requirement. Visit the SFU Undergraduate Admissions Quantitative requirement website for more information.
  • To declare the BEd 2nd degree you must meet SFU's Foundations of Academic Numeracy (FAN) requirement for direct enrollment in a Quantitative (Q) course. Direct enrollment in a Q course requires a higher grade than SFU's Quantitative/Analytical Skills requirement for admission. See options on the SFU Curriculum Initiative website.
  • If you do not meet the SFU English Language requirement or Quantitative/Analytical Skills requirement prior to application to the AHCOTE, we strongly suggest you complete an acceptable university or college level W or Q course with a grade of C- or higher.     

Teacher Certification Requirement 

  • To teach K-12 in B.C. schools, student teachers must meet the teacher certification requirements set out by the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) of the B.C. Ministry of Education.
  • In some cases, the AHCOTE program requirements may be higher than the TRB's. This is because the AHCOTE program is designed to prepare teachers for the challenges of K–12 schooling in B.C., while the TRB must also consider inter-provincial certification.

Criminal Record Check 

  • Once accepted into the program, you must clear a Criminal Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Search
  • This must be done directly through the BC Services Card app. Instructions on how to submit the CRC are outlined on the Student Services website.
  • If applicants have been convicted of a criminal offence, they should contact the Teacher Regulation Branch (TRB) for clarification of their status before applying to a teacher education program.

Elementary Admission Requirements

Completed before applying to the AHCOTE:

  • GPA 2.5+ (approximately last 60 units of undergraduate coursework)

Also complete one of the following:

  • NLC’s Associate of Arts Degree (Education) or a minimum of 60 university-level units that include coverage in designated subject areas (units must also be transferable to SFU and approved by SFU’s Faculty of Education) must be in-progress or complete at time of application (January).
  • A recognized Bachelor's degree from an accredited university

Completed before starting the AHCOTE (by May 31):

  • 6 units of English (including a minimum three units of English literature)
  • 3 units of Canadian First Nations or Indigenous studies
  • 3 units of Canadian History
  • 3 units of Canadian Geography
  • MATH 190 (Principles of Mathematics for Teachers) or equivalent with a recommended minimum C- final grade
  • 3 units of laboratory Science
  • EDUC 220 (Introduction to Educational Psychology) or equivalent (successful applicants to the Fall 2025 intake who have not completed this course may be able to complete it during the Fall 2025 term)
  • EDUC 252 (Introduction to Reflective Practice) or equivalent (successful applicants to the Fall 2025 intake who have not completed this course may be able to complete it during the Fall 2025 term)
  • SFU literacy requirement
  • SFU quantitative requirement

Prerequisite Courses

  • All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting AHCOTE. Applicants may submit their AHCOTE applications providing official transcripts by January 31 showing your prerequisite courses still in-progress (providing they are completed by May 31)
  • For a list of accepted prerequisite courses offered at SFU and other B.C. post-secondary institutions, refer to the Chart of Acceptable Courses

Experience

  • Before applying to the AHCOTE, you should have demonstrable experience working with children or youth, or helping others learn
  • We strongly recommend that you spend time observing or volunteering in B.C. elementary schools

Deadlines

  • For the September (Fall) intake, submit AHCOTE applications online between October 1 and January 31 at 4:00 p.m. (PT)
  • You may start the online application form and work on it over time. However, late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Interview Process

After reviewing your application, we will invite potentially suitable candidates for an interview. The interview allows the Admissions Committee to learn more about you and determine your candidacy for AHCOTE. Only short-listed applicants are contacted for an interview and the interview does not guarantee an offer of admission to AHCOTE.

Secondary Admission Requirements

Completed before applying to AHCOTE:

  • GPA 2.5+ (approximately last 60 units of undergraduate coursework)

Completed before starting the AHCOTE (by May 31):

  • Bachelor's degree (minimum 120-unit degree)
  • 1 or 2 teachable subjects (see list below)
  • 6 units of English (including a minimum three units of English literature)
  • 3 units of Canadian First Nations or Indigenous studies
  • EDUC 220 (Introduction to Educational Psychology) or equivalent (successful applicants to the Fall 2025 intake who have not completed this course may be able to complete it during the Fall 2025 term)
  • EDUC 252 (Introduction to Reflective Practice) or equivalent (successful applicants to the Fall 2025 intake who have not completed this course may be able to complete it during the Fall 2025 term)
  • SFU literacy requirement
  • SFU quantitative requirement

Prerequisite Courses

  • All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to starting AHCOTE. Applicants may submit their AHCOTE applications providing official transcripts by January 31 showing your prerequisite courses still in-progress (providing they are completed by May 31)
  • For a list of accepted prerequisite courses offered at SFU and other B.C. post-secondary institutions, refer to the Chart of Acceptable Courses

Bachelor's Degree 

  • You must have a completed Bachelor's degree before starting AHCOTE.
  • Applicants may submit your AHCOTE application with your degree still in-progress (providing that it is completed by August 31)

Teachable Subjects 

A teachable subject is defined as a subject acceptable for teacher certification in BC, and in which SFU’s Faculty of Education Teacher Education programs offers methodology courses. One teachable requires 30 units in the subject with 24 units at the upper division.

To be considered for two teachable subjects, applicants must have 30 units in each subject, with 15 upper division units in each subject.

Secondary applicants must have one or two teachables in the following subjects:

  • English Literature (English Literature, World Literature, Creative Writing; not Teaching English as an additional language)
  • Mathematics (Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics; not Statistics, Accounting)
  • Science (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics)
  • French Literature and Language
  • Visual Arts (Studio Art, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture; not Film, Media Arts, Web Design, Fashion Design)
  • Music (Performance; see Music course requirements)
  • Social Studies (see Social Studies course requirements)
  • Physical and Health Education (Physical Education, Coaching, Human Kinetics, Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (BPK))

In PPS, Computer Science, Dance, and Drama are considered secondary teachable subjects and must be combined with another teachable subject.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHABLE SUBJECTS 

Applicants who plan to teach at the secondary level must fulfil the requirements of a 120-unit bachelor's degree with 30 units in a teachable subject (24 of which must be upper division) or have 30 units each in two teachable subjects (with 15 units of upper division in each subject), prior to starting the PDP.

A second teachable subject is required for: Computer Science, Dance, and Drama. Teachable subjects that require a second teachable must have 30 units with 15 upper division units.

Experience

  • Before applying to the AHCOTE, you should have demonstrable experience working with children or youth, or helping others learn
  • We strongly recommend that you spend time observing or volunteering in B.C. elementary schools

Deadlines

  • For the September (Fall) intake, submit AHCOTE applications online between October 1 and January 31 at 4:00 p.m.
  • You may start the online application form and work on it over time. However, late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Interview Process

After reviewing your application, we will invite potentially suitable candidates for an interview. The interview allows the Admissions Committee to learn more about you and determine your candidacy for AHCOTE. Only short-listed applicants are contacted for an interview and the interview does not guarantee an offer of admission to AHCOTE.

TUITION & COSTS

Tuition 2025/26

  • *$13,000 (for the full program for domestic students; not including SFU supplementary fees)

Note: All fees are subject to change, subject to provincial legislation and the Board of Governors' approval.

*View additional information on fees (domestic and international)

SFU Supplementary Fees

Simon Fraser University assesses the Student Services/Recreation-Athletics fee, the student activity fee and the U-Pass BC fee to all eligible students in each term of enrollment.

More information

Financial Resources

HOW TO APPLY

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for the AHCOTE program.

Download AHCOTE Application Instructions

Simon Fraser University has a Code of Academic Integrity and Good Conduct (S10.01 Policy), which applies to this application. Applications with falsified, misleading, plagiarized, AI, or ghost-written materials will be removed from the competition.

AHCOTE Application Deadlines

General Application Deadline: The AHCOTE application deadline for the September (Fall) intake is January 31 at 4:00 p.m. (PST)

STEp 1: Review Important Information

Review the Admission Requirements, Deadlines, and Application Samples

STEP 2: Prepare your application

Request Academic Transcripts

Submit an official transcript from every college and university that you've attended, including withdrawals, incomplete, failed, repeated studies and attendance as an exchange student.

We cannot review your application if any transcripts are missing.

  • SFU students do not need to order their SFU transcripts, as we have access to those records.
  • You must include original transcript(s) for College Board - Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or any transfer credits (i.e. exchange program and college transfer) where applicable
  • Order ALL transcript(s) to be sent directly from the issuing institution to the SFU Undergraduate Admissions office to be received by JANUARY 31

Reminders:

  • You must submit official transcripts from institutions where you are currently taking courses
  • If your transcript does not show degree conferral, you must submit a letter from an academic advisor at your institution confirming you have either completed 60 units towards a degree (Elementary applicants) or that your degree will be complete prior to the start of AHCOTE in August (Secondary applicants). The academic advisor must email the degree confirmation letter to pps_admissions@sfu.ca.

TIP: If you are requesting transcripts from institutions outside of B.C., you should start this step as far in advance of the deadline as possible.

Create Your Resume

Your resume should include your contact information, education, work and volunteer experiences and any honours, awards, special talents, skills or training. It should:

  • Be no longer than two single-sided pages
  • Be detailed, but in an outline rather than a narrative form
  • List the length of time you were in each position, the number of hours you worked or volunteered in the position, and your duties

We highly recommend that you spend time observing/volunteering in K-12 classroom(s) in British Columbia before applying. Such visits, along with a conversation with the teacher(s) afterwards, can help you decide if teaching is a profession you wish to pursue. It may also help you craft your resume to show how your experiences thus far will help you in the pursuit of a teaching career.

When evaluating resumes, we are looking for evidence of knowledge and experiences that will be useful to you if you were to become a teacher, including evidence of experience:

  1. Working with children and/or youth (babysitting, tutoring, camp counselor, swim instructor, parenting, volunteering in a classroom, etc.)
  2. Engaging in work or activities related to helping others learn (tutoring, coaching, Resident Assistant in student housing or an orientation leader for new university students, running workshops for children or adults, summer camp counselor, designing learning materials for children or adults, such as directions, handouts, training activities, etc.)
  3. Collaborating and working with others
  4. Showing leadership and/or initiative
  5. Working independently
  6. Demonstrating organization and time management skills
  7. Engaging in novel situations and/or with a diverse range of individuals
  8. Using skills or knowledge related to the subject(s) you wish to teach

You may not have experience in all the areas listed above, but it will be important to highlight the related experiences you do have.

You will upload your resume to the online application system in PDF format.

Write Your Essay

Choose one or two experiences from your resume and explain:

  • What you learned from these experiences that will help you as a future educator
  • What they show about your interest in and potential for a career in education
  • What questions they raise for you related to teaching and learning
  • Why you chose these examples

Your essay should be 500–1000 words and fit on two single-sided pages. Use 12-point font, single spacing and 1” margins on all sides.

If you refer to other people in your essay—especially children or youth with whom you have worked—change their names and describe your experience with them in such a way that you guard their right to privacy.

Proofread your paper carefully. It will be evaluated based on:

  • The overall quality of the writing
  • The evidence it shows of critical reflection upon your part
  • How well you demonstrate your potential for and interest in education
  • You will upload your essay to the online application system in PDF format.

Find three recommenders

When submitting your online AHCOTE application form, you will be asked to submit three email addresses for individuals who are willing to complete a recommendation for you. The system will then automatically send these individuals an email requesting they fill out an online recommendation form. Recommendations may only be submitted via the online system.

Paper recommendations are no longer accepted. Download the PPS Recommendation Form Questions to review most of the questions they will be asked.

Depending on how your recommenders know you (e.g. a former employer, a professor for one of your classes, or someone in whose classroom you volunteered) they may not be able to answer all the questions in the form. That’s okay. But you may want to consider whether between them, the individuals you have asked for letters of recommendation can answer most of the questions. For example, one may know a lot about how well you work with children, while another may know more about your organizational skills.

When considering who to ask, keep in mind that:

  • We reserve the right to contact recommenders to verify the information they provide
  • Recommendations must be professional in nature
  • Recommendations from friends or relatives are not acceptable, even if those friends or relatives are educators
  • Inappropriate recommendations will make the application ineligible for consideration

Examples of inappropriate recommenders, include:

  • Family members, including in-law, step-family, etc.
  • Friends and co-workers

If the individual you ask is willing to complete a recommendation, ask them for an email address you can submit to the application system and explain how the system will send them an email request to complete the form. Inform them of the due date for their recommendation.

Tip: Provide your recommenders with a copy of your resume. They may find it useful for writing the recommendation.

Step 3: Apply to SFU Undergraduate Admissions / Activate your SFU ID

Instructions for Students New to SFU

  • New students to SFU must apply online through EducationPlannerBC. The SFU Undergraduate Admissions deadline is January 31. NOTE: AHCOTE is an “external PDP” program – select PDP for Fall on the EducationPlannerBC application.
  • Students accepted to the AHCOTE who do not submit an application to SFU Undergraduate Admissions by the deadline will not be able to start the AHCOTE.  Therefore, all applicants MUST submit their application to the SFU Undergraduate Admissions office BEFORE the application deadline. If you do not submit an application to the SFU Undergraduate Admissions office, your application may be cancelled.
  • SFU Undergraduate Admissions requires a different application with a different application fee. Review SFU Admissions requirements and make certain you are prepared to meet them.

Instructions for SFU Alumni and Current SFU Students

If you were previously an SFU student, you must apply for readmission OR be reactivated. Check with SFU Undergraduate Admissions to be certain which one applies to you.

Note former SFU students in the following categories must reapply for admission:

  • Students that have only attended SFU as a graduate student.
  • Students that attended SFU but did not graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
  • Students that since graduating from SFU have completed, or plan to complete, university-level coursework at another college/university. This includes prerequisites for PPS programs.
  • Previously applied to SFU but did not attend.
  • The deadline to apply for readmission is January 31 for a September start.

Successful PPS applicants that are eligible for reactivation do not need to apply for reactivation. The PPS office will notify SFU Records directly.

If you are a current SFU student and will be an active student in the term preceding the start of PDP, you do not need to re-apply or be reactivated to SFU.

SFU Undergraduate Admissions Questions

The PPS Admissions office does not handle SFU Undergraduate applications. For more information regarding admission to SFU, contact SFU Student Services:

Phone: 778-782-6930
Email: reginfo@sfu.ca
Website: sfu.ca/students/admission-requirements

Step 4: Submit Your AHCOTE Application Online

Apply to AHCOTE Online Here

The same application system is used for a number of teacher education programs at SFU. You will need to do the following to complete your online application:

  1. Create an account
  2. Confirm the account (you will receive a confirmation email)
  3. Select 'AHCOTE' as the program you are applying to
  4. Complete the online application form (You will need your SFU student number or EducationPlannerBC application # to complete this form.)
  5. Upload your resume and essay
  6. Enter the names and email addresses of your 3 recommenders (the system will contact these people)
  7. Pay the non-refundable application fee $80 CAD using PayPal (PayPal will accept a credit card of an Interac/Visa card if you don not have a PayPal account). We do not accept e-transfers.
  8. Submit your application (only possible after all three of your recommendations have been received)

Note: You may start your application early and work on it over time. You may review, edit or change your application at any time until you click the final submit button. After that time, you cannot change your application or any of your submitted materials. Your application form, resume, essay, and recommendation forms must all be complete before you can press the final "submit" button.

UPCOMING INFORMATION SESSIONS

Start your journey to becoming a teacher in British Columbia. Register for an AHCOTE information session. Hosted by representatives from SFU and NLC, you will learn about:

  • The history and structure of the program
  • The different program options
  • The admission requirements, including prerequisites
  • The application process and deadlines
  • A Q&A to get your questions answered

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about AHCOTE not covered on our website, contact our admissions team.

Admissions email: pps_admissions@sfu.ca

To prevent missing emails from us, add pps_admissions@sfu.ca to your contact list if you are not using an SFU email account.

Please note that all communication and interactions with the PPS Admissions office and Faculty of Education are considered part of the admissions process and are taken into account when considering applicants for admission. Admission may be denied to applicants who communicate in an unprofessional manner or who act in an inappropriate manner during the admissions process.

Virtual Hours

Get help with your application and connect with a member of the admissions team during our virtual drop-in hours: every Wednesday from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. (PST).**

Meet on Zoom:
https://sfu.zoom.us/j/66007885834?pwd=ckVtTXVkVllsak9BU0FZd3hMUWE0dz09
Meeting ID: 660 0788 5834
Password: 833520
Regular Schedule: Wednesday, 3:00 pm - 4:00 p.m. (PST)

**Regularly scheduled time slot subject to change or cancellation without notice

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