The Université de l'Ontario français (UOF) is pleased to announce the expansion of its university offerings with programs that meet the tangible needs of the francophone community and the labour market. These university certificates and microcertificates focus on professional development in targeted areas as well as programs to support the development of professional skills in French. They include a University Microcertificate in Education - Introduction to Pedagogy, a highly sought-after program to provide a pathway into teacher education and address the shortage of qualified French teachers in Ontario. UOF also offers programs that provide flexibility in its four specialized bachelor's degrees.
With flexible and adaptable programs ranging from the 15-credit microcertificate to the 120-credit specialized Bachelor's degree, UOF supports the continued professional learning of all francophones and francophiles by adapting to their needs. "We are delighted that we will be able to offer more flexibility and make university education more easily accessible with these programs as soon as UOF opens," indicated Denis Berthiaume, PhD, UOF Vice-President, Studies and Research. "By offering shorter, part-time courses, we address both the professional development needs of people who are working, the needs expressed by the community and the desire of some people to deepen and enrich their personal interests at every stage of life."
University Microcertificate in Education - Introduction to Pedagogy
The Microcertificate in Education - Introduction to Pedagogy can help overcome the critical labour shortage in education, particularly in francophone minority communities. This program will train people who want a teaching career and are already employed in French-language schools due to the shortage of qualified teachers. The program is based on the first four courses of a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree, to be offered in the future at UOF, which has just been submitted to the relevant authorities for approval.
Other areas of continuing professional development
UOF has developed new programs aimed at working professionals who wish to deepen or expand their knowledge and skills. These programs respond directly to the demands and needs of the francophone community. A good example is the University Microcertificate in Organizational Management and Governance. It promotes the development of skills that are currently being sought for the management of cultural and community organizations and of non-profit organizations in francophone communities. The University Certificate in Higher Education Pedagogy, for its part, provides specialized training related to research-based teaching and evaluation methods. College and university professors, who are specialists in their field but have not have previous educational training, to master the basics of pedagogy to strengthen their teaching skills.
UOF also offers programs to support French-language skill development for professionals in health care and social services. The Microcertificate in French in Health Care and Social Services is designed for professionals in bilingual environments to improve their technical knowledge in French into their field of practice. The same applies to teachers who wish to acquire additional qualifications in French as a second language with the microcertificate in Education - French as a second language.
Finally, UOF's four specialized bachelor's degrees were divided into a variety of university certificates and microcertificates. These shorter programs enable students to pick a field of study and then offers a flexible pathway to the bachelor's degree. They also facilitate access to higher education at every stage of life. For example, someone working in a company's human resources department who wants to develop management skills in equity, diversity and inclusion issues could choose to enrol in the microcertificate program in Human Plurality and take a few courses.
UOF offers francophones and francophiles from every walk of life an opportunity for both professional development and personal enrichment by enabling them to deepen their knowledge in an area of interest. All UOF programs thus meet the continuing education needs of members of an ever-changing society and contribute to economic development in Ontario.
Registration is now open for the September 2021 academic year. For additional information about each program offered at UOF, go to: https://uontario.ca/futurs-etudiants/microprogrammes.
