How Long Does It Take to Become a Teacher in 2025?

How long does it take to become a teacher? It’s understandable that you want to know what the time commitment for qualifying as a teacher is, to determine if it is a worthwhile career to pursue.

There are different types of teachers – some teaching jobs don’t take very much time (if any) to qualify for, while others will require years of education, plus a licence.

Assuming you want to teach for a government-funded public school, it usually takes between 4-6 years to become a qualified teacher. This can vary a little bit depending on where you live, and the exact kind of teaching job you’re after.

I was a single mom when I decided to finally pursue teaching in Canada. I already had a Bachelor’s degree, and I went back to school for 1 year to get my Bachelor of Education to qualify to be a teacher.

It took me a total of 6 years to become a teacher, plus additional qualification courses that I needed to take to make my application competitive.

We’re going to go through how long it takes to become a teacher in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom (where the majority of my readers are from) to give you an idea of how much time you’re going to need to set aside to get a teaching degree.

So, how long does it take to become a teacher in Canada, United States and UK?

Plus, other teaching jobs you can do that require less time to qualify for. Let’s jump in!

How Long Does It Take to Become a Teacher in Publicly Funded Schools?

There are teaching positions that you could start tomorrow, which we’ll highlight below.

But if you want to be a teacher in government-funded schools, then the rules are much stricter.

Regardless of where you live, you will need a Bachelor’s degree, as well as some sort of teaching certification, which takes 1-2 years.

Let’s go through how long exactly it would take for you to become a teacher in the US, UK and Canada.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Teacher in the United States?

Becoming a teacher in the United States takes slightly less time than in Canada, about 4-5 years.

To be a teacher in the United States, you need:

• A Bachelor’s degree, which takes 3-4 years
• A teaching certificate, which varies in length depending on your state. But, it usually takes about a year
• A teaching certificate from your state’s Department of Education, which is an online application

Pro Tip: There is an accelerated teacher certification program for teachers who want to start working as teacher as soon as possible. It allows you to start teaching right after you qualify.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Teacher in Canada?

It takes longer to become a teacher in Canada than in the US or the UK. It takes a minimum of 5-6 years to become a teacher in Canada, assuming you want to teach for publicly funded schools.

To become a certified teacher in Canada you will need:

• A 3 or 4 year Bachelor’s Degree
• A Bachelor of Education (this used to only take 1 year, but as of 2015, it is a 2 year program.) This cannot be done part time; its a full time commitment
• A teaching licence from the province you want to teach in (this is just an application and doesn’t take any extra time)

Additional Qualifications in Ontario

If you want to teach in Ontario, then some Additional Qualifications (AQs) are an asset, depending on what you want to teach. AQs usually take a few months, and can be done part-time while you’re teaching or working another job.

• French as a Second Language (FSL)
• Special Education
• any upgrades to teach other divisions from what you’re qualified. For example, if you want to teach kindergarten to Grade 3, you need the primary ABQ.

Pro Tip: AQs can be very time consuming, so prepare to spend at least 2 hours a day on an AQ course while you’re taking one

How long does it take to become a teacher in the UK?

Becoming a teacher in the UK takes similarly as long as in the US- 4 or 5 years. To become a teacher in the UK, you will need:

• A Bachelor’s degree (3 or 4 years)
• A teaching degree ( 9 months full-time, or 18 to 24 months part-time)

Teaching Jobs That Require Less (or No) Time

Not everyone has the time or the money to go to university, or to go back to school if they’ve been in the workforce for a while. So, let’s go through your options for becoming a teacher that don’t require years to qualify for

1. Teach at a Private School

Teaching at a private school doesn’t require you to have a degree. (This is universal, in Canada, US and the UK.)

Private schools are businesses that can hire who they want. So if you are a good candidate, they can hire you as a teacher even if you don’t have a teaching degree.

I knew someone who taught French at a private school, even though she wasn’t a qualified teacher. Consider what subjects you’re knowledgeable in, and look up local private schools to see what their specific requirements are.

Pro Tip: Generally, private schools will at least prefer that you have some experience in childcare, or in some sort of instructor type role. While you don’t always need a teaching degree, they want to know that you know how to teach.

2. Tutor Online

You don’t need a teaching degree to teach English (or other languages) online. There are many platforms where you can teach and tutor people of all ages, from kids to adults.

I’ve been teaching online since 2012, and did not have a teaching degree when I first started. (I became a qualified teacher in 2014, and then started teaching in public schools.)

If tutoring English (online or in person) interests you, my post on how to start a tutoring business.

Pro Tip: Tutoring in person without a teaching degree may be an option too, especially if you’re teaching ESL or another language. If you want to tutor a school subject, then the parents may prefer you to be a qualified teacher, but may also be ok with you being an expert in that subject you’re tutoring in

3. Becoming a Substitute Teacher (US)

In the United States, you can become a substitute teacher with only a Bachelor’s degree. In some states, only a high school diploma is required.

I have a few American friends who worked as substitute teachers without needing to have a teaching licence.

If you want to be a substitute teacher in the United States, then you should look into the specific requirements of the school district where you live, since it varies state by state and from school board to school board.

4. Become an emergency supply teacher (Canada)

Many parts of Canada are experiencing a teacher shortage. As a result, school boards have been hiring unqualified teachers to do emergency supply teaching.

Becoming an unqualified supply teacher is one way to do some teaching without needing to spend 4-6 years becoming a fully certified teacher.

However, teachers are more in demand in Canada now than ever – so if you do decide to go through the qualifications to become a teacher, then its likely that you will find work.

Before Pursuing Teaching as a Career

If you already know for sure that you want to be a teacher – then thats great! It’s a rewarding, and a career with generally good job security and benefits.

If you’re on the fence, I highly recommend doing your research on the pros and cons of teaching, as some people find the idea of being a teacher quite different from the reality.

Time it Takes to Become a Teacher FAQ

Here are some commonly asked questions about how long it takes to qualify as a teacher

How long is teachers College in Canada?

Teachers college in Canada is a 2-year program. It used to just be just one year, but this changed in 2015 when they added an extra year to the program. It now takes 5-6 years to become a licensed teacher in Canada (3-4 years for a bachelor’s degree, plus 2 years for you bachelor of education.)

What is the best age to become a teacher?

There is no ‘best age’ to become a teacher. If you’re thinking purely on years before retirement and pension, then its best to become a teacher in your 20s. However, there are many people who switch to teaching later in life and find it to be a rewarding career.

Final Thoughts on How Long it Takes to Become a Teacher

By now you have a clear picture of how long it takes to become a teacher. Regardless of where you want to teach, it takes somewhere between 4-6 years to become a licensed teacher.

It can take slightly less time to become a teacher in the US or UK, than it does in Canada. This is largely because of the Bachelor of Education (BEd) turning into a 2-year program in Canada.

If you’re thinking this may be too long, then you may want to consider education-related jobs that that aren’t (classroom) teaching. There are so many ways to contribute to education without being a teacher. Be sure to take my test on if you should become a teacher, too.

If you’re thinking of switching into teaching from another career, then you might want to consider reading some books on career change.