Mount Allison University will begin accepting applications next fall for its first cohort of future educators to go through its new Bachelor of Education program.
Developed in close partnership with the Anglophone East School District, the university announced the program Wednesday morning with an event at Tweedie Hall on Mount Allison’s campus.
When asked why the university was bringing the program back—Mount Allison had a BEd program that ended in the 90s—Ryan Gamm, special advisor to the Provost and the person who developed the program for the BEd, had a simple answer.
 ”New Brunswick needs teachers, and we’re here in response to that.”
Gamm also said they had received “overwhelming interest” from students and graduates about restarting a Bachelor of Education program.
Listen to the audio below:
The program
Designed for students with an undergraduate degree, the 16-month, four-term degree has two prospective streams: elementary (kindergarten to Grade 5) and secondary (Grades 6-12).
Applications open in October 2027, with the first cohort anticipated to be between 70 and 90 students beginning in May 2028.
Graduates in that first group would finish in 2029 with the ability to apply for New Brunswick Teacher Certification 5.
Gamm said the university will offer a unique educational opportunity by leveraging everything the small liberal arts campus has to offer—like an improv for teachers course that helps build skills that would be difficult to do in a traditional classroom.
“ We offer a lot to students, and when designing the program we pulled from as many other offices or resources or programs that we could to make it a rich interdisciplinary experience for students. And that is coursework, that’s experiential learning, and it is woven into the curriculum.”
Collaboration and partnership
Gamm is quick to acknowledge how many hands it took to make the program work— from leaders in Indigenous education to teachers, faculty, students and the community.
It also involved a very close partnership with the Anglophone East School District (ASD-E), he said.
“ That has been absolutely essential for us to develop a successful program and we would not be here today without the support of ASD-East . . . They have gone above and beyond every single time and they have been partners through every step of the process of developing the program.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Randy MacLEAN, superintendent for ASD-E, who said his policy throughout the process when the university asked a question of him and his team was “ask and you shall have.”
Moving forward, MacLEAN sees part of the school district’s role as keeping teachers here when they graduate. For that, the district needs to ensure opportunities and support exist for graduates when they begin their careers.
“ Part of it’s creating opportunity and knowledge base. The other part is, as an employer, as a school district, is creating opportunity within our school district to engage graduates sooner as interns, to get them into classrooms, to work with our students and with our teachers and with our leaders, and providing time and space for that.”
Prospective students can find out more about the program at Mount Allison’s Open House this Friday, Oct. 23 or by visiting Mount Allison’s website.
