Section 2(1) of the Teacher Certification Regulations defines integrated programs as follows:
“Integrated Program” means an individual program of studies developed by a teacher in consultation with a university, consisting of:
- any combination of academic and professional courses that are interrelated, and
- a minimum of 5 full courses at a university or community college, or the approved equivalent, including, subject to the exclusions in subsections 30C(4) and (5), a minimum of 3 full graduate courses, and a maximum of 2 full undergraduate courses
An integrated program requires a teacher to identify the specific courses that will comprise the integrated program and submit all courses to the Office of Teacher Certification for pre-approval. All integrated programs must be pre-approved prior to the commencement of any of the courses to be included in the program. Furthermore, any changes in the courses to be included in the integrated program must be approved in writing prior to the commencement of the new course.
Because it is not easy to find university courses that will be offered in future years, the integrated program option can pose significant logistical challenges for teachers. Therefore, integrated programs are really only suited for teachers with a very specific study plan in mind. Programs in most general theme areas are more readily available through the graduate degree option.