Your Teaching Career Starts Here

The Professional Development Program (PDP) is SFU's long-standing teacher education program.

Established in 1965, the full-time, post-degree program has helped to develop more than 20,000 teachers in British Columbia — making it one of the oldest and most successful teaching programs in the province.

Student teachers who successfully complete the 16-month program are recommended by SFU to the Teacher Certification Branch of the BC Ministry of Education for a Teaching Certificate. There is also an option to complete a Bachelor of Education (BEd) as a second degree, without adding extra time or cost to the program.  

Integrating theory and practice, the PDP lets student teachers explore important education ideas and their application in the classroom. Student teachers work in small groups, called PLCs and modules, throughout the program and have extended opportunities to build professional, working relationships with their peers, teacher educators, and practicing K-12 teachers.

All of our teacher education programs use a unique staffing model that teams faculty members (researchers) with faculty associates (highly skilled teachers seconded from local school districts) as teacher educators.