Program Overview

Certificate Program in Advanced Teaching and Learning

The Certificate Program in Advanced Teaching and Learning is a year-long teaching development program that supports the development of graduate students’ expertise in teaching and learning. It serves both graduate students seeking excellence in teaching and learning in their future roles as faculty, as well as those who will apply the skills outside of traditional faculty roles. The Certificate Program in Advanced Teaching and Learning prepares graduate students who seek faculty positions focused on teaching and learning specifically, and more broadly creates a cohort of graduate students positioned for future educational leadership.

Program Structure

The Certificate Program in Advanced Teaching and Learning consists of the following elements:

• Blended Cohort: Meets twice per month on Friday afternoons for two hours per meeting, and includes two hours of online work per month.
• Practicum: Requires arranging two-three one-hour practical teaching experiences per term as a guest instructor, in the community, or in industry (total of six over the period of one year). Students will also observe three one-hour sessions taught by their mentor or peers per term.
• Mentoring: Students will work with a mentor, under terms to be discussed with the mentor, but which will include some classroom observation and discussion.
• SoTL (Scholarship of Teaching and Learning): Students will engage in a small-scale SoTL pilot project based on the work done in their practicum.

Program Instructors

• Joseph Topornycky, PhD
• Shaya Golparian, PhD

Admission Criteria

The Program is open to all graduate students who have completed an Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) and will remain graduate students until September 2026. If a student has not completed the ISW, they need to sign up to take the ISW before the end of the summer.

Application Process

Applications for the Fall 2025 cohort are now open. As part of the application process, students will need to select a potential mentor and line up an opportunity to teach 6 guest lectures between September 2025 and August 2026.

Program Fee

There is a one-time program fee of $500 when accepted to the program.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does CATL compare to the ISW?

The ISW is mostly focused on the completion of mini lessons and learning from peers, framed by the model and theoretical support provided by the ISW facilitators. CATL is more deeply engaged with teaching and learning theory, with cohort meetings focused on learning theory, design, and the relationship of the academic discipline or profession to teaching.

Can I apply to CATL even though I haven’t taken my ISW?

Yes, but students will need to complete an ISW before starting CATL.

I have conflict on Fridays during the fall. Is it ok that I arrive late or leave early?

The CATL program allows for a maximum of five hours of absence in the cohort sessions for the entire duration of the program. Late arrivals and departures count towards the five hours of absence.

Can you help me arrange a mentorship?

Students are expected to seek mentorship from someone whose teaching they admire. The goal is to create an opportunity for students to learn from someone they identify as an exemplary instructor in their discipline or area of practice.

How many mentors do I need/can I have?

Students can have 1-3 mentors as part of this program. It is essential for students to reach out to at least two people for this purpose, in case the first mentor chosen is no longer available.

Can I teach my practicum in [insert location] context?

Generally, practicum teachings are expected to be for a group of adult learners and be on something related to the student’s academic discipline. These lessons can be taught in university, college, or community contexts, as long as they fulfill those requirements.

I am a TA in a course and leading tutorials, can I use this as my practicum teaching space?

Probably not, as TA tutorials are often pre-designed or have a determined structure, and do not allow for trying out techniques and approaches learned in CATL.

The instructor for this course is happy to let me teach, but insists that I use their lesson plan exactly as written? Is this allowed for the practicum?

No, because the practicum is intended for students to have a space to try out techniques and approaches learned in CATL, which requires designing the lesson.

I am already collaborating/working on a SoTL/TAR project, can I use that for CATL?

In the CATL program, a particular orientation to SoTL specific to the program’s goals is taught, so it is preferred that students create a separate project based on the program’s criteria for SoTL.

I am not experienced with SoTL, it’s an entirely different kind of research than I am used to. Does this mean the program is inappropriate for me?

No, the program assumes participants are not experienced with SoTL, and the point is to learn about SoTL and get started doing it. The program provides resources and support for learning about SoTL.