Education | College of

Consistently ranked among the top 20 public education schools in the nation, the College of Education prepares students to serve and lead in a diverse field. The college offers pathways to professional teacher certification, promotes an understanding of learning systems, policies, and outcomes in traditional and non-traditional contexts, and prepares graduates for careers in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors.

Contact

1002 Norman Hall
P.O. Box 117042
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-7042
352.273.4376

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Established

1905

Accredited

The Florida Department of Education (DOE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Programs

Education Sciences, Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education 

Degrees

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE)

Academic Advising

Advising for undergraduate admission, critical tracking, bachelor’s degree requirements and the university’s General Education information is available in the Office of Student Services, EduGator Central, 1002 Norman Hall.
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For scheduling or course registration information, please refer to the appropriate department listed in the schedule of courses.
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Students who are interested in teaching at the middle or secondary level should contact the Office of Student Services, EduGator Central, 1002 Norman Hall or call 352.273.4376 for guidance.
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College Scholarships

The College of Education awards scholarships to graduate and undergraduate students through an annual selection process. Eligibility for individual awards is determined by the college based on a student's Fall-term classification.
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The Florida Department of Education also provides scholarships and loans for juniors and seniors in education.
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The federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant) is available to students enrolled in select degree programs leading to professional certification in critical shortage subjects.
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Information about the Florida Fund for Minority Teachers Scholarship is available online at ffmt.org.
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Higher Education Act | 1998

The US Department of Education's Higher Education Act addresses accountability requirements for teacher preparation programs. The act mandates that teacher preparation programs publish annually pertinent program information including but not limited to the following:

  • Program accreditation
  • Pass rates of graduates on state teacher certification assessments
  • Programs that have been designated as low performing by the state

Accordingly, information about the state- and CAEP-accredited teacher preparation programs at UF is available online and in print upon request.

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Admission Requirements

Freshman applicants will be admitted to the College of Education when they declare a major in education sciences, elementary education or early childhood education.  

Students who wish to change their major to education sciences are required to have a 2.0 GPA .  Students who wish to change their major to elementary or early childhood education must have a 2.3 GPA for freshmen and 2.6 GPA for sophomores and above.  

Elementary and early childhood education students remain in a pre-education status, as long as they meet the critical-tracking standards set by the college and UF, until formally admitted to the upper-division program for a Fall semester.  Students must be on track at the 60-credit level to continue in the elementary or early childhood education major and to be considered competitive for admission to the upper-division teacher preparation program for which there is an application and selection process.

Transfer Admission Requirements

Education sciences transfer applicants must meet the following requirements for admission:

  • 2.0 cumulative GPA
  • Completing the common course prerequisite, EDF1005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, as established by the state of Florida's Articulation Coordinating Committee. The common course prerequisite must be completed with a minimum grade of C.

Elementary and early childhood education are limited access programs. Transfer applicants must meet the following requirements for admission consideration on a space-available basis:

  • 2.6 cumulative GPA
  • Passing scores on all sections of the general knowledge portion of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE)
  • Completing the writing (24,000 words) requirement
  • Completing all General Education requirements
  • Completing the common course prerequisite, EDF 1005, as established by the state of Florida's Articulation Coordinating Committee. The common course prerequisite must be completed with a minimum grade of B.
  • A course in human growth and development is a degree requirement and recommended prior to transfer.

State college transfer students and state university transfer students must document award of the AA. Other transfer students are evaluated individually upon application for admission. A change of major will not be approved for transfer students admitted to another college at UF.

Critical-Tracking Program

All undergraduates are monitored for progress toward the bachelor’s degree by the critical-tracking program. Students who fall below the tracking requirements at any stage must see an academic advisor for approval to continue in the major.

Students must make satisfactory academic progress to continue to enroll in the College of Education.

Education sciences minimum requirements include:

  • Education core prerequisites completed with no grade below C and a 2.33 GPA; one repeat allowed:
    EDF 1005Introduction to Education3
    EDF 2085Teaching Diverse Populations3
    EME 2040Introduction to Educational Technology3
    Total Credits9
  • Completion of the common course prerequisite, EDF1005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, as established by the State of Florida Articulation Coordinating Committee; the common course prerequisite must be completed with a minimum grade of C.

Elementary and early childhood education are limited-access programs with competitive admission. Due to space limitations, meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee selection for admission. Minimum requirements for UF students and transfer students at the completion of 60 semester credits:

  • Complete the university's writing (24,000 words) requirement
  • Complete all General Education requirements
  • FTCE General Knowledge Requirement: Students must pass all sections of the general knowledge portion of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) before admission at the junior level.
  • Education core prerequisites completed with no grade below C and a 3.0 GPA; one repeat allowed:
    EDF 1005Introduction to Education3
    EDF 2085Teaching Diverse Populations3
    EME 2040Introduction to Educational Technology3
    Total Credits9
  • Completion of the common course prerequisite, EDF1005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, as established by the State of Florida Articulation Coordinating Committee; the common course prerequisite must be completed with a minimum grade of B.
  • Cumulative UF and transfer GPA of 2.6 

The college admissions committee will consider an applicant’s entire record, including educational objectives, quality of courses completed and test data.

College Requirements

Career Placement

The Career Connections Center offers a Careers in Education recruitment event annually (usually in March) where representatives from school districts in Florida and several other states meet with students who are completing teacher education programs and others interested in teaching.
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Criminal Background Check

Classroom field experience is a vital component to any teacher preparation program. To have access to classrooms, students in a teacher preparation program or UFTeach minor must submit to a Level 2 background screening. Individuals who are not cleared will not be permitted to continue in or graduate from a teacher preparation program. After clearance, it is the student's responsibility to report immediately any new criminal charges to the university's certification officer in 1002 Norman Hall.

Financial Responsibility

Students are responsible for all costs associated with the criminal background check, LiveText subscription, transportation to and from field placements and relevant examinations required for the program.

Overseas Study

Education sciences students are encouraged to participate in overseas study and may be approved to apply that toward the experiential learning component of the degree program.  Elementary and early childhood education students are encouraged to complete any overseas studies before reaching junior status or in a summer term.

Program Plan

Education sciences students must submit a plan that includes an approved specialization or general studies track before the end of the junior year. The program coordinator must approve all programs. Elementary and early childhood education students must sign a planned program of study for the degree during the first term of enrollment in the upper-division program. Each student is responsible for registering for the appropriate courses and fulfilling all requirements for the degree, including test requirements.

Satisfactory Progress

Students in the elementary and early childhood education programs are expected to maintain a minimum junior/senior-level 3.0 GPA. Education sciences majors must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Academic progress is reviewed each semester. If requirements are not met, the student must be approved for continuation by the program coordinator before further registration. Students are required to earn a minimum grade of C for all major courses for award of the bachelor’s degree.

Probation

The department and the college monitor students for academic progress. Students with unsatisfactory academic progress may be placed on probation. College probation may be removed if it is determined that satisfactory progress has been demonstrated.

Dismissal

If the department or the college determines that a student has not met probationary terms or is not progressing academically, the student may be prohibited from continuing in the their major and/or the College of Education. Students on probation, as well as students who are unable to meet degree requirements, are encouraged to investigate alternatives in other areas of study.

Students dismissed by the university may not register for courses. Courses taken at other institutions under these conditions will not count toward a UF degree.

Student Responsibility

Students are expected to review the information in the undergraduate catalog as a guide to planning their academic careers at UF. Failure to read, understand and follow the guidelines may cause significant delays in academic progress. Clarification of college requirements is available in the Office of Student Services, EduGator Central, 1002 Norman Hall.

Student Teaching Assignment

Student teaching assignments are in public school settings in Florida, in accordance with program objectives and the student's professional goals. Department approval is required for elementary placements outside Alachua County. In addition to regular tuition expenses, students are responsible for transportation to and/or housing in the community where student teaching is to occur. Fees imposed by the school district relating to requirements for personnel screening (e.g., fingerprinting, background checks and substance abuse testing) are also the student's responsibility.

S/U Option

The S/U option may be used for elective courses only. It does not apply to the university's writing requirement courses or to General Education course requirements. The deadline for declaring the S/U option is published in the academic calendars in this catalog.

Transient Student Status

With approval of the College of Education, students may take a limited number of credits at another accredited institution. Before registration as a transient student at another institution, the student must complete a transient student form and obtain approval from the college and university. No transient courses will be permitted during the last 30 credits of enrollment.
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Undergraduate Registration for Graduate Courses

With department approval, an undergraduate student with senior standing may enroll in 5000/6000-level elective courses. After a student has been admitted to the Graduate School, up to 15 credits of graduate-level courses with grades of A, A-, B+ or B may be applied toward a graduate degree at the university, provided the credit was not used toward an undergraduate degree.

Students who complete an approved undergraduate program in the College of Education are awarded the Bachelor of Arts (BA) for the education sciences major or the Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE) for an elementary education or early childhood education major.

Grades below C will not fulfill requirements for the major or the university’s General Education areas.

Before program completion, elementary and early childhood education students must demonstrate satisfactory performance on the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Students in early childhood education are required to provide proof of completion of up-to-date adult CPR and first aid training. All prospective teachers are encouraged to do the same.

Upon completion of the elementary or early childhood education program, a graduate will receive a statement on the transcript verifying completion of a Florida Department of Education (DOE) and Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) approved program.

All students in the elementary and early childhood education programs must document passing scores on the General Knowledge Test, corresponding subject area examination (Elementary K-6 or Prekindergarten/Primary), and the Professional Education Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) series to meet milestones for continuation and benchmarks for graduation.
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Residence

The last 30 semester credits applied toward a degree must be completed in residence at UF in the College of Education.

Graduating with Honors

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MAJORS

MINORS

UF ONLINE MAJORS

Preparation of Professional EDUCATORS

The College of Education prepares professional educators in elementary and early childhood education.

Students engage in early observation, supervised practice and a concluding internship in the public schools, as well as campus-based clinical experiences in micro-teaching, simulation and other controlled situations.

Students in elementary or early childhood education receive a Bachelor of Arts in Education upon successful completion of the teacher education program, including a prescribed set of courses and experiences, and successful internal and external assessments.

Secondary Teaching

Students who wish to teach at the middle and high school level should complete a bachelor’s degree with a major in an appropriate content discipline while pursuing a Professional Training Option (PTO) minor or before pursuing an Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) graduate certificate in secondary teaching in the College of Education. The recommended major and minor/certificate combinations for secondary teaching include:

  • English: recommended major in English, linguistics, journalism, or other humanities; minor in secondary English language arts education or Florida teaching; or graduate certificate in secondary English teaching preparation
  • science: recommended major in astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, entomology, geology, microbiology, physics, wildlife ecology or zoology; minor in UFTeach science; or graduate certificate in secondary teaching preparation
  • social science: recommended major in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology or other social science; minor in secondary social studies education or Florida teaching; or graduate certificate in secondary teaching preparation
  • mathematics: recommended major in mathematics; minor in UFTeach mathematics; or graduate certificate in secondary teaching preparation
  • computer science: recommended major in computer science; minor in UFTeach computer science
  • foreign languages: recommended major in Spanish, French or other world language; minor in Florida teaching

Cooperating College Teacher Education Programs

In collaboration with the College of Education, cooperating colleges offer undergraduate teacher preparation programs in agriculture, art, and music.

Please contact the individual colleges for additional information:

  • Agricultural Education and Communication (6-12), College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, 305 ROL
  • Art Education (K-12), College of the Arts, 302 FAC
  • Music Education (K-12), College of the Arts, 130 MUB

Program Planning

Program offerings and changes related to teacher certification requirements are possible. The curriculum of a state-approved teacher preparation program is subject to revision to accommodate legislative or Department of Education mandates. New rules may affect required courses in all teacher preparation programs.