Ontario Teacher Certification (MT & MA-CSE)
To teach in Ontario's publicly funded schools, you must become a member of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and receive an Ontario teaching certificate. If you have questions about the process, the OCT offers information sessions on the registration process to obtain your Ontario teaching license in December as part of the Professional Preparation Conference.
. This webpage is intended to help you navigate OISE and U of T processes in relation to your OCT application.
OCT Teaching Certification Process
Certificate of Qualification and Registration
The Certificate of Qualification and Registration (CQR) is a member's annual licence to teach in Ontario. The CQR lists a member’s teaching, academic and technological qualifications. The CQR is also known as a General Certificate of Qualification and Registration.
Note: The below is required even if you have applied for the Transitional Certificate of Qualification and Registration
This can be done at any point during your MT or MA-CSE program, but most teacher candidates apply around December of their final year. You can get the needed number without paying – you pay when you complete your OCT application.
You can opt to become an OCT member when your degree is complete in order to:
- Have valid AQ credentials.
- Take Additional Qualifications courses after graduating. You will need to have an OCT number to get visible credit for the course – for it to “count”.
- Work for a public board of Education.
- Verify that you are a teacher in good standing through your membership.
When you apply, the OCT will issue you a temporary number that will be used to track your application. You must submit this number to OISE so we can recommend you for OCT certification upon successful completion of your program.
(Please note: this is not a request for a Transitional Certificate, please see "OCT Transitional Certification Process" section.)
Current Students: Please
(Students who have graduated in a previous session, please see the "OCT Teaching Certification in a Previous Year" section.)
Annual Deadline: May 31
The following documents are required by OCT as per their instructions:
- U of T Transcripts - transcripts can be ordered through OUAC and sent directly to OCT.
At this time, transcripts ordered from ACORN will not be accepted. You will need to order them from OUAC via the . Follow these steps to do so:
Click the "Becoming a Teacher" tab (found on the top navigation toolbar).
Scroll down and click on "Apply Now".
Scroll down and click the "OUAC Transcripts" link. This is just below the OCT address and above the heading "Creating a Password". You will be directed to the OUAC site.
If you don’t have an OUAC account, you will need to "Create My OUAC Account" before you can log in with your username and password. Once logged in, click on "Continue". Read the Terms and Conditions and select “Proceed to Transcript Requests”.
Request a transcript for “After Degree Conferred”. OCT prefers transcripts that say “degree completed” – however, this cannot take place until after the MT/MA-CSE June convocation. Be sure to set the print date for your transcript to after convocation so that your transcript will show that the degree has been conferred. If you order your transcripts earlier than your convocation date, you will have to submit them again, costing you extra money and time.
Students ordering transcripts via should check their on ACORN before submitting an order to ensure the conferral of their degree has been updated on your record.**Conferral of your degree will appear on your official transcript approximately two days after the final university convocation period.** - Proof of identity – provide a photocopy of your birth certificate or passport (passport only valid if shows full name at birth).
- The original copy of a newly acquired, basic employee criminal record check - make sure it is not a vulnerable sector check.
- If applicable, proof of a name change – photocopy of marriage or name change certificate.
- MT and MA-CSE are consecutive programs. If you were graduating from a Combined Degree program, THEN you would answer yes to the question, "Was your teacher education program included as part of another degree program?"
Once you've completed the above, you don’t need to do anything further. OISE will provide the rest.
In early June, OISE will issue the "Report from Faculty" (also referred to as the “Letter from the Dean”) to OCT, recommending teacher candidates who have completed all requirements of the MT or MA-CSE but you will only be included in this report if you complete Step 2 by May 31. You do not need to email the Dean or the OISE Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE) to request the letter if you completed Step 2 by this date. After that point, students must submit a manual request for a "Report from the Faculty" (see below for instructions).
- If you need to register with OCT for a spring or summer job, you can have the Registrar’s Office produce a letter for OCT, confirming that you are eligible and are set to graduate. There is an $8 fee for this, for more info, please email lucy.stellato@utoronto.ca.
OCT Transitional Certification Process
Transitional Certificate of Qualification and Registration
The Transitional Certificate of Qualification and Registration (TCQR) is available to eligible teacher candidates who are enrolled in an Ontario-accredited teacher education program. Members who hold a TCQR can work as occasional or supply teachers while they complete their teacher education program, provided they meet the . TCQRs are valid for 18 months with a possible six-month extension.
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Once these eligibility requirements are met, students in the Master of Teaching and MA-CSE programs have the option of applying for a TCQR, if they wish to do so. Students apply for the TCQR via the College’s . This choice is entirely voluntary, and students will not be dissuaded or compelled to apply for or engage in the TCQR. Information about the TCQR and answers to can be found on the .
Should you decide to apply for the TCQR and engage in supply teaching upon receiving it while competing your teacher education program, you should be aware of the following:
1. As the TCQR holder, you are an Ontario Certified Teacher and member of OCT and as such, you are expected to uphold and demonstrate the College’s professional and ethical standards at all times. As an OCT member, if you fail to uphold these standards, you will be subject to potential findings of professional misconduct and any resulting discipline.
2. While engaged in supply teaching with your TCQR, you are expected to fully participate in fulfilling your degree requirements including attending classes, completing coursework and practicum placements as outlined in the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) calendar entry for your program.
3. The supply teaching days gained through the TCQR may not be used as a replacement for the required supervised practicum experience outlined in our degree program requirements.
In order to process an application for a TCQR, the OCT requires that you have submitted the general application and all required documentation and fees related to the general application. You will need to submit an official transcript that documents the courses that you have completed so far in your teacher education program.
In addition, the OCT requires that OISE sends a report indicating that you have met the .
This reporting process is separate from the “Report from Faculty” that OISE sends to the OCT at the end of your program as part of the OCT’s regular certification process. To support the TCQR process, OISE's Registrar's Office & Student Experience (ROSE) has developed a separate that will allow OISE teacher educations students to authorize OISE to send the report to the OCT.
The deadlines (for students who have completed year 1) to submit the form in
2024 are: July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, November 20 & December 18*
2025 are: January 22, February 19 & March 19
The Faculty Report will be sent to the OCT between 5 to 7 business days after each deadline.
*Our office will be closed from Dec 24 to January 5; the December 18 deadline Faculty Report will be sent to the OCT in Early January.
Considerations
- You must apply for regular OCT certification and submit all required documentation and fees related to the general application in order to be considered for transitional certification.
- You will also need to submit an official transcript that documents the courses that you have completed so far in your teacher education program.
- You can order your official transcript on ACORN or from OUAC (via a link in the OCT general application).
- The granting of a TCQR by the OCT does not exempt you from any of the normal requirements for your teacher education program.
- You must complete all program requirements in order to graduate.
- The has been developed to support only the special process put in place by the OCT for the TCQR. Whether or not you choose to apply for the TCQR, you will still need to provide your OCT registration number in the regular manner.
- If you are a student in either the Master of Teaching program or the MA-CSE program and are experiencing issues accessing the form, please contact ROSE.
Completed Your Teaching Certification in a Previous Year?
For students who have completed their teaching certification program in a previous year and have been asked by the OCT to have a "Report from the Faculty," otherwise known as a “Letter from the Dean” sent, please email us at oise.registration@utoronto.ca, and include:
- Your 6-digit OCT application number
- Full name
- Birth date
- Program information (teaching divisions and subjects if applicable)
- Date of graduation
- Student number
