What is the equivalent of a Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in the US?

...that *is* a bit complicated. Also, how long does it typically take (full-time) to complete 4, 8 or 12 subjects?

Speaking of cross-jurisdiction comparisons: An Ontarian who wants teacher certification in a year could get a consecutive B.Ed. in Ontario, a Graduate Diploma in Australia, or a masters degree in Buffalo. For all practical purposes though it's not as if you stay in Ontario you're just getting more undergrad courses, in Australia you're taking grad courses but short of a master's and in Buffalo you're getting a full-fledged masters. I'm almost certain the masters "salary bump" doesn't apply to border college grads.

Interestingly, the University of Toronto does offer a 2-year Master of Teaching degree (48 credits I believe though U of T doesn't use the 120-credit system). If somebody wants a more "in-depth" education degree with certification they'd enroll in that program, I don't think anybody goes to say DYouville College for that reason. If Ontario adopts the 2-year program, other faculties are likely to follow U of T's lead; OISE is considering dropping the B.Ed. and making the Masters of Teaching the entry-level degree.

 

A CACREP (read: Counseling) MA/MS is 60 hours minimum. Because I completed it at a seminary, I was required to take 14 hours of Bible/Theology so it was 74 hours minimum. I tried to transfer in a course that never did count (77 hours) and had to take an additional ethics course to meet the state minimum (79 hours).

And add a 67 hour PhD on top of that.

Edit: I worked full-time during both degrees. Six of our seven children were born during those two degrees (one born in between them).

Edit Again: There would be no conceivable way to do a CACREP MA in as little as the 14/15 months that may be possible in other programs. There are certain requirements that must be made before practicum and internships. It just wouldn't be possible. I know of few who have completed in the 2 year minimum. My MA took me 3 years (oh, and I paid ca$h by delivering pizza nights).

 

The variation in what constitutes a masters is enormous.

 

Generally speaking, the Graduate Diploma can be done in one year, if the student is full time. A Masters, in most cases,is two years full time. Bachelors Degree with an Honour's year is four years, if the Bachelors is a three year degree. The Honours year is a research project.
A research Masters is simply a thesis (nothing really simple about it) and the expectation for a fulltime student is two years.

The research Masters is highly competitive as there are no fees for domestic students. There are few, if any, classes and the student is guided by his university supervisor. The government pays the university money for the successful completion of this masters. Many do not complete it. A torturous path from one who has trodden it. If the university will allow it, many "roll" this masters into a PhD by doing the literature review as the Masters Program and then the research for the PhD.

The difference between a three year degree and a four year degree in the US is the high schooling leading up to the degree. The last year of high school here is "ramped up" so it is roughly about the first year of a liberal arts degree in the US. This, of course, depends on the subjects chosen and the academic stream taken in the last years of high school. The last years of high school now can constitute the first years of trade training and this would not be the equivalent of a university year, nor would the student get a place in university after completing it. The undergraduate degree here can also be a professional qualification, not the Masters.

There are also dual degrees where the student completes 4 or 5 years of study and is awarded two degrees off the one transcript e.g. arts/law degrees (LLB.BA). It is probably fair to say that this most common with law students. The professional education is fused with a liberal education.

 

Ebbwvale is right on, with the post previous the above. What is described is what my experience and understanding is with the Australian system. I was living overseas and the Australians like even their college professors to have a teaching qualification. The one I obtained was 4 classes, and was worth 1/3 of a Master's. I checked years later and it still had value through articulation. Mine had a supervised practicum.

 

I have a CAGS and I was told that this is the equivalent of a post graduate certificate. I got my masters first and then I added the other credits. (Certificate Advance Graduate Studies)

 

Wow, I had no idea.

 

Yes, the Canadian B.Ed. is an odd degree indeed.

 

What's unique about the degree is - its use as a teacher-qualification.

I know successful Canadian teachers (20 years +) who got their teaching credential from good US schools like Niagara University in Lewiston NY, often because there was simply no room for them in Canadian schools.

I believe that particular school was teaching in a dual-stream mode. They ascertained up front whether a student wanted to qualify for U.S. or Canadian teaching.

It was (and is) a very well-regarded school - and comparatively expensive back then. I can just imagine how expensive it might be nowadays. Their current offerings for Canadians are here:

College of Education: Ontario Programs | Niagara University

Johann