Three separate opportunities
A teaching appointment provides responsibilities in a course. A development seminar provides structured learning about teaching. A certificate records completion of specified program requirements. The three can support one another, but one does not automatically supply the others.
Sheridan's current certificate page identifies the Teaching Seminar, formerly Certificate I, as a prerequisite for its other certificate programs and notes that registration and limited enrollment apply. Applicants should therefore check the sequence rather than assuming any program can be entered immediately.
Compare by the work you want to practice
Suppose a fictional graduate student wants to improve assignment design. Another wants feedback on classroom discussion. The most useful opportunity may differ even though both are interested in teaching.
Questions for comparing options include: - What will participants actually produce or practice? - Is a current teaching assignment needed? - What meetings and work occur during the semester? - How is completion documented?
These questions focus on the learning conditions rather than the prestige of a certificate name.
How to describe the experience later
A future application can name the completed program and explain the work performed, such as developing course materials or reflecting on feedback, if those activities actually occurred. It should not imply a teaching license, a new degree, or an appointment that the program did not award.
An incomplete program can also be described accurately as participation, with its status clear.
Check the current sequence
This guide is independent of Brown and was checked against Sheridan information on October 25, 2026. Program names, offerings, and eligibility can change. The current program description is the place to confirm fit and availability. A useful development choice is one that supports the teaching work someone wants to understand or improve, rather than simply adding another line to a CV.
