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Certification and Professional Development

Certification

Teacher Certification Pathways in Florida

There are various pathways to teacher certification in the state of Florida.

Visit Pathway Options Here

Steps to Certification

Please pick the criteria that relates to you.

Program Completers of State- and CAEP- Approved Teacher Preparation Program

  • Students who complete one of our State- and/or CAEP- accredited educator preparation programs work toward professional certification while completing their degree program.
  • For certification, students must:
    • graduate with the required professional education coursework.
    • get passing scores on ALL the required Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCEs).
    • complete the internship requirement of the program.
    • send their official transcripts to the Florida Department of Education through One.UF upon graduation.
  • The required FTCEs include the following:  
    • General Knowledge Exam,
    • Subject Area Exam(s) in one’s field of study, and the
    • Professional Education Exam.
      • All exam scores will be directly reported to the Florida Department of Education (DOE) upon completion. Students do not need to submit their scores to the FLDOE. Visit this website for more FTCE information.

Minors Awardees of Teacher Preparation Programs

  • Students who complete one of our teacher preparation minors (also known as PTOs) like UFTeach Mathematics or Science Minor, Florida Teaching Minor, Secondary Social Science Minor, or Secondary English Minor, have completed the professional education coursework portion needed toward earning a professional teacher certification.
  • While working on the remaining requirements needed for Professional Teacher Certification, PTO minor graduates can apply for a Temporary Teaching Certificate to be eligible to begin teaching right away. A temporary teaching certificate is valid for five years upon the date instated.
  • For a temporary teaching certificate, PTO minors must:
    • (a)Pass the Florida Teacher Certification (FTCE) Subject Area Exam relevant to subject area that they want to teach found here:Or,(b)Satisfy the subject area course requirements found here
    • Send their official transcripts to the Florida Department of Education through One.UF upon graduation 
      • please wait until the stamp appears on one’s transcript certifying graduation and completion of a PTO before sending it to the FLDOE.
    • apply for a temporary teaching certificate through the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), including any endorsements (if applicable) on this application.  APPLY HERE: https://www.fldoe.org/teaching/certification/on-line-application-status-lookup-site.stml 
  • Please note that all school districts have a Certification Specialist. If seeking employment in a district, it is advised that the graduate contact the Certification Specialist of district they are seeking employment for advice on employment and certification pathways. Certification Specialist in each district often know of current job openings and can guide graduates on any remaining steps needed for temporary teacher certification to get them employed.  
  • PTO graduates may pursue a professional certificate while teaching under a temporary certificate. Additional requirements for a professional certificate can be found on the Florida Department of Education website and through the guidance of district’s Certification Specialist that the graduate is employed.  

Career Changers/Out of Area Majors

  • There are various pathways to temporary or professional teacher certification in the state of Florida, depending on a graduate’s degree program of study. For pathway options, it is best to seek advice from the Florida Department of Education or from the Certification Specialist in one’s presiding local district that they are interested in seeking employment. Visit pathway options here.
  • The University of Florida has several degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) that lead to teacher certification. For information on these programs visit: (current link to programs here)

Advance Program Certification Pathways in Florida

The University of Florida’s College of Education offers various advance degree program such as Educational Leadership, School Counseling, etc. For information on the pathways to certification/licensure in the state of Florida upon completion of these programs, please consult with the degree program coordinator of the program completed.

Are you seeking certification Out-of-State?

Every state has a unique set of licensure/certification guidelines. Reciprocity is not always guaranteed between states. Please contact the department of education or other relevant agency in the state you are seeking employment to determine their criteria for certification/licensure. For the completion of program verification forms or related documents for certification/licensure, please contact Sarah Nassoiy at sarahmk@coe.ufl.edu

Professional Development/Certificate Renewal Courses

Here are the most common examples of why people take coursework outside of our traditional graduate degree or certificate programs:

  • Educator Certification/Recertification
  • Mental Health Counseling Certification/Licensure
  • Continuing Education/Professional Development
    The University of Florida College of Education offers several courses for those interested in the above areas.

    1. We have a sample list of standard courses for educator renewal.
    2. Please visit the University of Florida Registrar’s Office for a list of current course offerings.
    3. Course syllabi are available to view for the College of Education.
    4. Need additional guidance about educator recertification? Please contact Sarah Nassoiy at sarahmk@coe.ufl.edu.

    Just need a couple of classes (6 credit hours or less)? Apply as a Non-Degree seeking student.

    • Anyone interested in applying as a non-degree seeking student will need to obtain preapproval of coursework prior to submitting an application as many of our courses are restricted.
    • It is always recommended to request two(2) classes when applying non-degree in case one course is full or unavailable.
    • The non-degree application deadline is ten(10) days prior to the full semester begin date.

    Here is general information about the Employee Education Program (EEP) offered to full-time UF employees. Please note that pre-approval of coursework is required prior to submitting EEP paperwork. Not all EEP eligible courses are available to non-degree seeking students.

    For questions about the non-degree application process, please contact Chris Cook at cpcook@coe.ufl.edu for details and assistance.

    Need three or more classes (9+ credit hours)?
    Apply as a Post-Baccalaureate student.

    • Submit transcripts from all previous academic institutions and details about your Florida Residency Status.
    • Please also submit a Statement of Purpose that outlines why you are interested in applying to take courses with the University of Florida. There is no minimum or maximum word count. If you cannot submit this with your unofficial transcripts, please email it to GradAdmissions@coe.ufl.edu after you submit the application.

    UF Post Baccalaureate Application: https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/post-baccalaureate

    For questions about the post-baccalaureate application process, please contact EduGator Central Graduate Admissions at GradAdmissions@coe.ufl.edu.

    teacher sitting in a classroom with a group of student

    “The purpose of Florida educator certification is to support the academic achievement of our students by assuring that our educators are professionally qualified for highly effective instruction. Florida educators must be certified to teach in our public schools and in many of our private schools. Educators include classroom teachers, school administrators, and other support professionals, such as guidance counselors and media specialists.”

    Florida Educator Certification