Accreditation/licensing

To obtain licensing for some professions, qualifying exams and proof that you attended an accredited school is required. Do your research to ensure that the school and/or program is accredited before you apply. Accreditation is when an independent agency has professionals review and evaluate a program on: quality of teaching, student achievement, curricula, academic support, and other criteria that need to meet certain standards of excellence and quality.

Sometimes, a new program is working towards accreditation which can take 3-5 years. Among other qualifications, usually a new program must have at least one graduated class before it can receive accreditation. It can be very rewarding to contribute to a new program and the direction it takes. It can also be frustrating to be a guinea pig while the program is working through course/content requirements. It may take several years for a program to be known in the job market.

Some programs are regulated and you will require a license in order to practice after you graduate. Program accreditation is one piece of this, but you must also register with the appropriate licensing or regulatory body. Sometimes work experience is required in addition to graduating from an accredited program.

It is extremely important to understand what steps will need to be taken to practice professionally in Canada. This information is not always provided or clearly outlined by programs trying to recruit applicants.

Check with the Canadian and/or Ontario regulation bodies’ websites as most professional programs have a licensing or regulatory association in each province. It is very difficult to get a medical residency in the U.S. or Canada after completing an international medical degree. If you complete your LLB outside of North America, you need to complete additional Canadian content law courses before articling in Ontario. Check that enough practicum hours will be provided if you complete your Bachelor of Education outside of Canada. It will be more difficult to get a teaching job in Ontario without building networks through local practicum experiences. Where you complete a masters or a Ph.D. degree is less important, than where you complete a professional degree.