Continuing & Professional Education

Information Access and Protection of Privacy

Earn a Certificate

Courses for everyone 8

“The IAPP cer­tifi­cate com­plete­ly changed my career path. It opened new pro­fes­sion­al oppor­tu­ni­ties and allowed me to be a part of an excit­ing and fast-devel­op­ing field. 

The pro­gram was very engag­ing, and instruc­tors were able to cre­ate a sense of com­mu­ni­ty even though stu­dents were inter­act­ing online from all over Cana­da. I felt encour­aged and sup­port­ed by all instruc­tors and staff. I am cer­tain that future stu­dents will also find that this cer­tifi­cate equips them to embark on a cap­ti­vat­ing new career path.”

Prab­h­jeet Kaur

Start by exploring connected careers: — get insights into Alberta salaries, job forecasts, and more

Computer and Information Systems Manager
356 positions open annually
employment snapshot
Computer Engineer (except Software Engineer and Designer)
67 positions open annually
employment snapshot
Information Systems Analyst and Consultant
1,662 positions open annually
employment snapshot
Database Analyst and Data Administrator
441 positions open annually
employment snapshot
Software Engineer and Designer
183 positions open annually
employment snapshot
Web Designer and Developer
300 positions open annually
employment snapshot
Computer Network Technician
370 positions open annually
employment snapshot
User Support Technician
469 positions open annually
employment snapshot

This award-win­n­ing, online pro­gram focus­es on the the­o­ries, con­cepts, prin­ci­ples, issues, and best prac­tices involved in the appro­pri­ate admin­is­tra­tion of access and pri­va­cy leg­is­la­tion such as FOIP, PIPE­DA, ATIA, and oth­ers. Com­plex leg­is­la­tion, prac­tices, and appli­ca­tion in the pub­lic and pri­vate sec­tors are also explored.

A bal­ance between pri­va­cy and trans­paren­cy is a cru­cial issue in a democ­ra­cy. Access and pri­va­cy leg­is­la­tion seeks to achieve this del­i­cate bal­ance. It is impor­tant as well as chal­leng­ing to clear­ly under­stand how access and pri­va­cy prin­ci­ples are applied.

The IAPP pro­gram has received numer­ous awards: 

  • Infor­ma­tion Rights Pio­neer Award (2015)
  • Robert C. Clark Award (2013)
  • Grace-Pépin Access to Infor­ma­tion Award (2011)
  • CAUCE/AÉPUC Pro­gram Award of Dis­tinc­tion for Aca­d­e­m­ic Excel­lence (2004)

This pro­gram will be of ben­e­fit for indi­vid­u­als inter­est­ed in pur­su­ing a career in access and pri­va­cy, as well as for professionals:

  • Fed­er­al, provin­cial, and munic­i­pal gov­ern­ment employees
  • Access and pri­va­cy admin­is­tra­tors in the pri­vate and pub­lic sectors
  • Human resources professionals
  • Audi­tors and man­age­ment consultants
  • Records man­age­ment professionals
  • Pub­lic­i­ty, mar­ket­ing, and tele­mar­ket­ing staff
  • Lawyers and legal professionals
                                                                                                                                       

The cours­es blend­ed with my cur­rent line of work and, at the same time, pro­vid­ed me with new insight into a broad­er range of pri­va­cy topics.

Infor­ma­tion Access and Pro­tec­tion of Pri­va­cy Certificate student

The cours­es gave me very prac­ti­cal infor­ma­tion that can be applied to my work and increased my knowl­edge in my field of interest.

Infor­ma­tion Access and Pro­tec­tion of Pri­va­cy Certificate student

The IAPP pro­gram was flex­i­ble enough to adapt to my work and life sched­ule. It was doable while work­ing full time and being a sin­gle par­ent to two kids.

Infor­ma­tion Access and Pro­tec­tion of Pri­va­cy Certificate student

Explore issues in privacy theories, best practices, and exercising sound judgment.

Develop the practical skills necessary to become effective information rights administrators.

Share information and network with information rights industry leaders and experts from across Canada as you learn and grow into this new profession.

Understand how access to information and protection of privacy impact information/records management, IT and security.

Earn a Certificate
in Information Access and Protection of Privacy
Apply Now
  • University of Alberta parchment in as little as 1 year
  • Pay as you go
  • Currently open for enrolment

Complete all four

Complete 40 hours of electives

5+ courses needed to graduate with this UAlberta Certificate and become a UAlberta Associate Alumni.

Only interested in taking a course? You can register for a course without applying and enrolling in the program – browse our Information Access and Protection of Privacy courses. If later you decide to apply for the full program, the course you’ve taken will be applied toward your Certificate as long as it is still part of the program plan at the time of your application. Please note, program requirements are subject to change over time.

Course planner schedule-at-a-glance

1. Download the Application for Program Admission form.

2. Submit your completed application, along with a $100 admission fee.

Enrolling in the pro­gram is a require­ment if you want to earn the cer­tifi­cate. You may apply for admis­sion as you start your stud­ies or, if you pre­fer, after you have tak­en one or more courses.

To enrol, you must have a high school diplo­ma or equiv­a­lent, four years of work expe­ri­ence, or a post-sec­ondary credential.

You are still invit­ed to apply if you do not meet the admis­sion require­ments. Your qual­i­fi­ca­tions will be reviewed, and con­di­tion­al entrance may be granted.

This program is comprised of four core courses and one elective, all of them offered online through eClass, the University of Alberta’s eLearning management tool. Each course is equivalent to 40 hours, for a total of 200 instructional hours.

Information Access and Protection of Privacy Foundations is a prerequisite to all other courses in the program. There is no specific order recommended for the remaining courses: as long as the prerequisite is met, students may choose the core courses or electives that best fit their schedule in any given term.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required to obtain the certificate.

Your program requirements

Once you are admitted, you can verify your program requirements by logging into the University of Alberta’s student portal, Bear Tracks, to view your Academic Advisement.

Applying for Graduation

Submit your request to graduate to obtain your credential, receive a parchment, and (optionally) attend the graduation ceremony. Apply for graduation between November 1 and February 1 via Bear Tracks.

  • If you haven’t previously completed a program application, you must do so in order to qualify for graduation.
  • You must apply for graduation even if you do not plan to attend the ceremony.

CIAPP Cer­ti­fied designation

Stu­dents who com­plete the Infor­ma­tion Access and Pro­tec­tion of Pri­va­cy Cer­tifi­cate will be grant­ed the CIAPP Cer­ti­fied des­ig­na­tion upon appli­ca­tion to the Cana­di­an Insti­tute of Access and Pri­va­cy Pro­fes­sion­als (CIAPP).

The CIAPP Cer­ti­fied des­ig­na­tion is the lead­ing cer­ti­fi­ca­tion pro­gram for pub­lic and pri­vate sec­tor access and pri­va­cy pro­fes­sion­als in Cana­da, and result­ed from a part­ner­ship between CIAPP and the Cana­di­an Access and Pri­va­cy Asso­ci­a­tion (CAPA), the old­est and largest orga­ni­za­tion of access to infor­ma­tion and pri­va­cy pro­fes­sion­als in Canada.

  • All course materials are provided within the password-protected eClass at no extra charge.

  • An appli­ca­tion fee of $100 is required for admis­sion into the program.
  • Tuition is paid on a course-by-course basis as you reg­is­ter for your classes.
  • Cours­es are GST-exempt.
  • Eli­gi­ble for the Cana­da-Alber­ta Job Grant.
Bursaries and funding opportunities
Funding source
Eligibility
Amount
Apply by
Canada-Alberta Job Grant 

Available for businesses in all sectors across Alberta

 Two-thirds of the training costs (up to 100% if hiring an unemployed Albertan)
any time
Canada Training Benefit 

Residents of Canada, 25-65 years old, who have $10,000-150,000 in earnings for work.

 $250+
income tax return
Skilled Immigrant Micro-Loan 

Whether you intend to work in the same field you trained in outside of Canada, or you wish to apply your transferable skills to a new career, this low-interest loan helps you cover the cost of education and related living expenses.

 Up to $15,000 loan
N/A
Alumni Professional Development Grant 

Any graduate of the University of Alberta

 Up to $500 anually
monthly deadline
HRDF 

Employed by the University of Alberta as Non-Academic Staff (NASA)

 $750 annually
Dec / Mar / Jun / Sep
Calytera Systems Award 

Students who have completed the Information Access and Protection of Privacy Certificate program.

 $500 annually
instructor nominated

Looking for something different?

Over 300 courses and 40 programs to help you build the skills you need.

Ready to start this program?

  • Questions: iappuofa@ualberta.ca
  • 780-492-4315
  • Course planner schedule-at-a-glance

You may also be interested in

Related courses and workshops — not for credit towards this program's requirements:
Related credentials:

Local Authority Administration (NACLAA I)
Certificate

This is a long-running and award-winning program that consists of two fully online certificates: NACLAA Level I and NACLAA Level II (primarily designed for municipal...

Open for enrollment

Certificate info

Data Privacy and Security
Microcredential

Learn about core issues related to data collection, data protection, and security. Be equipped with knowledge of privacy and data collection, understand various...

Open for enrollment

Microcredential info