Cert in Educational Assistant is a certificate in Education, Community & Social Services programme offered by Northern Lakes College in Slave Lake, Canada. The programme runs for 1 year, delivered fully online. Tuition for international students is CAD 14,100 per total (CAD 4,700 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Education, Community & Social Services
Duration: 1 year
Delivery: Online
Local tuition: CAD 4,700 / total
International tuition: CAD 14,100 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Educational Assistant is a one-year certificate program delivered by Northern Lakes College online through Supported Distance Learning, available full-time (three terms, September to June) or part-time, with two full-time intakes (September and January) and three part-time intakes (September, January, May). It prepares students to support children with exceptionalities in K-12 school settings by adapting instructional materials, delivering one-on-one and small-group instruction, and promoting inclusion in the classroom. Coursework covers child development, behaviour management, language and mathematics instructional strategies, exceptionalities, interpersonal communication, leadership, and educational technology, and includes two practicum components embedded in the coursework. High school students can enrol through dual credit. Graduates typically work as educational assistants in K-12 schools and early-intervention programs. The program also serves as a stepping stone: completed courses can transfer toward Northern Lakes College's Early Learning and Child Care program, its Community-Based Bachelor of Education pathway, or educational assistant diploma programs at other institutions. It suits students who want a flexible, distance-based route into classroom support work with children who have additional learning needs.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Direct entry requires English 30-1 (or 60% in English 30-2, or credit in ENGL0190) and Math 10C, Math 10-3, or MATH0190; the college states equivalent English and math courses will also be considered. Applicants who do not meet these academic prerequisites may still be admitted by completing an ACCUPLACER assessment. No standardized English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL, or similar) is published for this programme; the provincial course requirement above stands in for it. Because the programme includes practicum placements, agencies may require an up-to-date Police Information Check with a Vulnerable Sector Check and an Alberta Children's Services Intervention Record Check, and the college warns that an applicant unable to obtain clear checks may be prevented from completing programme requirements. As study is delivered online, applicants also need basic computer skills and a reliable high-speed internet connection.
Application Details
Start Date:September and January
Application Deadline:Northern Lakes College does not publish a fixed closing date for domestic applicants: programme pages state that late applications are accepted if seats remain, so effectively admission is rolling, apply early. The exception is a small group of oversubscribed programmes -- Addictions Counselling, Advanced Care Paramedic, Practical Nurse, Primary Care Paramedic and Social Work -- where an accepted domestic applicant must pay a $300 tuition deposit by 1 May to hold the seat for the September intake. International applicants face fixed term deadlines instead: 1 May for Fall, 15 October for Winter and 1 January for Spring, with guidance to apply at least four months ahead of the start date; as of September 2026 the Fall 2026 international deadline has passed and the college is accepting Winter 2027 international applications up to 15 October 2026. So domestic admission is rolling until seats fill, while international admission runs to fixed, non-rolling term deadlines. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
