BEd applicants must provide two professional references from appropriate individuals who have experience working with youth or children and who have observed the applicant working in group settings with age-appropriate students or youth, preferably within the last 2 years. References from experiences up to 5 years prior to application will also be considered.
Referees must be credible authorities who can speak to the applicant’s experiences, interests and abilities relevant to the teaching profession. Please see the examples below for appropriate and inappropriate referees.
Applicants must arrange for the submission of two confidential reference reports to be sent on their behalf. We will not accept more than two reports. Letters in lieu of these report forms are not acceptable.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up with their referees to ensure that both referees have successfully accessed the forms and submitted them electronically on the VidCruiter (“hiringplatform”) portal by the deadline.
The reference portal for the 2025/26 BEd application cycle is open until January 31, 2025.
Referees have until February 15, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PT to submit their confidential reference reports through a link provided to them by our VidCruiter (“hiringplatform”) portal.
Examples of References:
Appropriate References:
- Classroom teacher at an elementary or secondary school
- Camp director
- Daycare program coordinator
- School administrator, who has observed you with age-appropriate groups of students (e.g., principal, vice-principal)
Inappropriate References:
- Family members (including in-laws, step-family, etc.)
- Parent of child whom applicant tutored privately
- University professor who did not observe the applicant teaching youth or children in a group setting.
- University professor who supervised TA work at a university or college
- A classroom teacher whose only relationship to you is as their student
- Other current applicants to the UBC BEd program
Submission Instructions
Submission Instructions for All BEd Programs Except NITEP
Please review this information in its entirety carefully.
The reference portal for 2025/26 applicants is now open from October 2024 to January 31, 2025. Applicants will not be allowed to enter their reference choices after this date. Referees will have until February 15, 2025 to complete their reference reports. After this, the platform will close and no more reference reports will be accepted. Follow only one of the links below to begin the reference portion of your application. You may complete this portion before submitting an application, but please make sure that you have at least started an online application before completing this portion.
Reference report forms are due at the same time of your application on January 31, so it is beneficial for you to start this portion at the same time that you are completing your application.
Steps:
- Applicant inputs the two (2) referees’ contact information into the appropriate reference form (below).
- The two referees will receive a specific link to access and complete the confidential reference report forms.
- After both referees complete and submit their reference report forms, VidCruiter will send a message to the applicant indicating both reference report forms have been received. Please note that it can take time for your Applicant Service Centre (ASC) to be updated.
Note: unless you are a self-identified Indigenous person of Canada, please choose one of the following links:
- Reference Report Form: General BEd applications (English)
- Reference Report Form: General BEd applications (French)
If you are a self-identified Indigenous person of Canada, please choose one of the following links:
- Reference Report Form: Self-identified Indigenous applicants to the BEd Program (English)
- Reference Report Form: Self-identified Indigenous applicants to the BEd Program (French)
Applicants, please take note:
- Reference report forms are completed confidentially by your referees on an online system that will not be visible to you at any time.
- Applications are considered incomplete without two completed reference report forms. It is your responsibility, as the applicant, to follow up with your two referees to ensure that they have completed and submitted these reference report forms.
Submission Instructions for NITEP
Download two copies of the NITEP Reference Report Form. Complete reference PDFs can then be emailed to nitep.educ@ubc.ca or sent by mail to:
NITEP
Faculty of Education, UBC
Room 303 – 2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
Tips on How to Ask for a Reference Report
- Make sure that once you have identified two appropriate references, you actively engage them by asking for feedback on their observation of your interactions with youth or children.
- This will not only help you identify your strengths and challenges, it will also provide your referee with some concrete examples of what they may comment on in their report.
- This will not only help you identify your strengths and challenges, it will also provide your referee with some concrete examples of what they may comment on in their report.
- Let them know early on in your volunteer/work experience that you may eventually ask them to provide a reference in support of your application.
- When formally asking for a reference, it is advisable to ask your referee “Would you be willing to write me a favourable reference in support of my application to the BEd program at UBC?”
- Asking this question will likely provide you with a clearer idea of the strength of your reference.
- Asking this question will likely provide you with a clearer idea of the strength of your reference.
- Be aware, however, that a reference may say no when asked this question; it is better to know this so that you may obtain a stronger reference rather than submit a poor one.
- Lastly, once you have secured your references, it is a good idea to go over the Reference Report Form with them and stress the importance of their providing comments that support their ranking of you.
- This form is confidential and is sent directly to the TEO by your two referees.
- Carefully review our Sample Reference Report to determine if your intended referees are able to answer the prompts.
Application Deadlines
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Application form on EducationPlannerBC (EPBC) | January 31 |
| Supporting Documentation: Official Transcripts, and References entered into VidCruiter portal by applicants | January 31 |
| Academic Requirements Supplemental Form (on Applicant Service Centre) | February 15 |
| Reference Report Forms (submitted by referees via links from VidCruiter) | February 15 |
| Coursework and degree completion | June 30 |
| Final transcripts received by TEO (to meet conditions and finalize admission) | July 31 |