Professional Development Program

After applications are submitted online, they cannot advance to the next stage of the evaluation process until all transcripts are received by the SFU Undergraduate Admissions office.

A member of the PPS Admissions team reviews your application to:

• Calculate the GPA for the last 60 credits
• Determine whether you will meet the minimal academic requirements for the level or subject(s) you wish to teach

Applicants who have applied in more than one subject area may be eligible in one and not in the other. You will only be considered in later stages for those areas in which you meet all the minimum requirements. You will be considered “ineligible” for the others.

Only those applicants that meet the minimum requirements in at least one level/subject area will be passed on to the reviewing stage. 

The process of checking academic requirements is time consuming. To speed up the overall reviewing process, applications are released in waves from requirement checking into reviewing.  This means that decisions on some applications are made earlier than for others.

• Two Faculty Associates review the online application materials and complete a reviewing form 
• If there is something in the application materials that raises a concern (such as, but not limited to, references, evidence of falsified, misleading, plagiarized or ghost-written materials), that application is put aside until the concern can be explored by admissions administration. If the concern is legitimate, the application will be removed from consideration. Otherwise, your application returns to the regular review process without penalty.

Once the reviews are done, the scores of the reviewers are combined with the scores of the recommending writers to create ratings in seven key dimensions. These dimensions are then combined into a composite score.

The final composite score is on a scale of 0 to 4 and can be interpreted similarly to a Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale.

Composite score ranges and their interpretation

Examples of applications with a summary of their reviews, including composite and dimensions scores, along with advice for improvement are available. 

Each year a “seat limit” is set for each subject area and for the specialty modules (IPTEM, ITEM, and French).  A certain number of applicants may be admitted for elementary positions, another number for secondary mathematics, etc. Applicants may be considered in more than one subject area.

• For each of these competitions, an ordered list is made based on composite scores.  Those higher on the list will receive a seat in that competition first. Those with composite scores too low to be considered are marked as “inadmissible”.
• Students who are being considered in multiple competitions may be competitive for a seat in one and not in another
• When offers are made, if your seat is in one subject area competition, but you meet the minimum academic requirements in another, you may receive notice that you are being accepted in both subject areas
• Students whose composite is acceptable, but too low on the competition list to receive an offer will be put on a waitlist

• You will be informed about your admission status by an email from the PPS Admissions office by end of April
  
• Applicants who are waitlisted or not accepted into the program can meet with the Coordinator, Admissions and Recruitment to discuss their admission decision
• Admission to the PDP is subject to admission/readmission to SFU

The PDP is a competitive program and we receive more applications than we have seats available. Waitlist means that you have neither been offered admission nor denied and are still in the competition for a seat.

Waitlist position is determined by composite score and the number of applicants to each teachable area. We do not immediately give out your waitlist position number, as it could change at any time. As applicants withdraw their application or decline their offer of admission to the PDP, the waitlist number changes.

What to do if You Have Been Waitlisted

• Check your email (including your junk mail/spam folders) for an admission decision on a regular basis.
• Waitlists move all summer. Waitlist position information will be available to applicants starting on August 1.
• Email pps_admissions@sfu.ca for your waitlist position after August 1.

Reasons for Appealing an Admission Decision

We will only consider appeals for the following reasons:

• You have extenuating circumstances (i.e., a serious medical situation) which impacted your ability to meet the Preservice Professional Studies programs admission requirements
• You believe there was an error in processing your application

Note: Additional documentation (or new documentation) may not be added to your application as part of this appeal application.

Appeals Deadlines

• Admission appeals must be submitted by May 31 for Fall intake programs
• Allow 10 business days for a response to your appeal

How to Apply for an Admission Appeal

1. Make an appointment with the Coordinator of Admission & Recruitment (pps_acoordinator@sfu.ca) to discuss your application through Survey Monkey Apply
2. If after discussing your application, you feel you have a basis for appeal you will then be directed to the admission appeal form in Survey Monkey Apply
3. You must then submit the appeal form with the required $25 fee by the appeal deadline

If you have been accepted into the PDP but wish to defer your admission, you may apply to defer your offer of admission for one intake i.e., Fall 2022 to Fall 2023.

• Deferrals are considered for students who, after accepting the offer experience a medical condition or with extenuating circumstances that prevents them from entering the program. Documentation is required (e.g. medical note). Requests must be submitted prior to the start of the program.
• Deferrals are not granted for students who plan on attending another post-secondary institution, for employment purposes, or for students who are not financially prepared to attend SFU.
• To submit a deferral request, email pps_admissions@sfu.ca. If your deferral request is approved, you will need to contact the SFU Undergraduate Admissions office and request a deferral of your admission to the University.