Certificate Program in Secondary Teaching Preparation

The program is called an Educator Preparation Institute (EPI). It is fully approved by the Florida Department of Education as a route to Professional Certification in your content area. We have Certificate Programs in Social Studies Education, English Education, Science Education, and Math Education. The program is designed both for students who have not previously taught and want a Professional Certificate, and for practicing teachers seeking a Professional Certificate.

All coursework is online except for your student teaching, which must be completed during the Spring term for 10 weeks in a Florida public school classroom. For your student teaching, we will do video supervision of your classroom via GoReact technology. We are unable to accommodate out-of-state or international students who are unable to do student teaching in a Florida public school.

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (official transcripts required)
• Upper division undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher (last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework), and a GPA of 2.5 or higher in your selected content area
• Passing scores on the Florida Teacher Certification Examination’s General Knowledge Exam (note: this can be waived with acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Passing score on the Florida Teacher Certification Exam in your selected content area (Math, Science, Social Studies, English)
• Statement of purpose essay explaining why this certificate program is a good fit for you
• A Statement of Status of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Education

July 1. You can apply any time before then, because we have a rolling admissions process.

Two semesters. You would take 9 credit hours in the fall and 9 credit hours in the spring. The program runs on a fall-spring cycle. You would complete the program and obtain your certificate by the end of the spring semester, pending successful completion of all program requirements.

You would be granted a UF Graduate Certificate in Secondary Teaching Preparation, which is an approved Florida Department of Education (FDOE) pathway toward Professional Teaching Certificate in your chosen content area. This certificate is not a degree program.

Yes, in the spring semester of the program. If you are a pre-service teacher, we would arrange for you to have a school placement with a mentor teacher in the Florida school district where you live. If you are a practicing teacher in Florida, you would have a mentor teacher from your own school as agreed upon by your school principal. All placements will be in Florida public schools.

Follow this link to calculate the tuition for University of Florida College of Education online coursework: https://education.ufl.edu/coe-online/tuition-and-fees/. You will see tuition rates for in-state students on the top half of the page. If you intend to move to Florida for the program but are classified as an out-of-state student, scroll down to the bottom of that page to see those rates. Either way, you will see the bottom line for what you will pay per credit hour. This certification program comprises 18 credit hours, so multiply that number by 18 to get the total cost.

No, at this time we cannot accommodate out of state students, because Florida Department of Education guidelines specify that the student teaching experience be completed in a Florida public school.

First, you must follow UF requirements for all online students. Also, be aware that as a University of Florida Certificate Program student, you would be taking graduate-level coursework in a rigorous, time-intensive program of study. Students who are successful in the program maintain a focused, committed work ethic and are able to work independently to manage all program/course requirements and deadlines. In addition, because the program includes a field experience with mentor teachers who have strong relationships with the University of Florida, students are expected to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and performance in their mentor teachers’ classrooms.

• Maintaining a 3.0 GPA in all coursework
• Completion of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination Professional Education Exam
• A rating of “Accomplished” on the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices

Yes, you will have both a Secondary Education program coordinator (Dr. Elizabeth Washington) and a content-area adviser in your field of study.

The program starts every fall!

Yes, we have a Master of Arts in Education program in Science, Math, Social Studies, and English Education. If you think you want an MAE degree, we encourage you to apply for that first. As long as you are admitted by the spring term of your Certificate program, all 18 credits of your Certificate Program courses (with grades of B and higher) will count toward the MAE program of study. You would then be able to complete your MAE with 12 additional credit hours the following summer and/or fall semesters (depending on the program of study you and your adviser work out) following completion of your Certificate Program in the spring. However, if you are admitted to a Master’s program with us after the spring term of your certificate program, then only 15 credits will transfer in, due to a SACS accreditation requirement that half your credits in a Master’s degree must be earned AFTER admission to that program.

NOTE: The GRE is no longer a requirement for admission to our MAE programs in these subject areas.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Elizabeth Washington, via the contact form on this website, for additional information from our subject area faculty.