Student Services Certification and Professional Development

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.

Completers of a 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.
  - Please wait until the accreditation stamp appears on one’s transcript before sending it to the FLDOE.
- Apply here for a professional teaching certificate through the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), including any endorsements (if applicable) on this application.
The required FTCEs include the following:
- General Knowledge Exam (or meet the alternative assessment test score requirements and guidelines listed on the FLDOE website),
- 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 (FLDOE) upon completion. Students do not need to submit their scores to the FLDOE. For more FTCE information, click here.

Awardees of a Minor from a Teacher Preparation Program

Students who complete one of our teacher preparation minors (also known as Professional Training Option (PTO) minors) like the UFTeach Mathematics, Science or Computer Science Minor; Florida Teaching Minor; Secondary Social Science Minor or Secondary English Minor have completed the professional education coursework portion needed toward earning 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 one wants 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
  - Before sending one’s transcript to the FLDOE, please wait until the stamp appears on one’s transcript certifying graduation and completion of a PTO minor before sending it to the FLDOE.
- Apply here for a temporary teaching certificate through the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), including any endorsements (if applicable) on this application.
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 employed.
PTO graduates may pursue a Professional Teaching Certificate while teaching under a Temporary Teaching Certificate. Additional requirements for a Professional Teaching Certification can be found on the Florida Department of Education website and through the guidance of the Certification Specialist where the graduate is employed.

Career Changers/Out of Area Majors

Depending on a graduate’s degree program of study, there are various pathways to temporary or professional teacher certification in the state of Florida. For pathway options, it is best to seek advice from the Florida Department of Education or from the Certification Specialist in the school district that one is 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 our Program Directory page.

Advanced Program Certification Pathways in Florida

The University of Florida’s College of Education offers several advanced degree programs, such as educational leadership, school psychology, school counseling, etc., which can lead to specialized certifications in the state of Florida.

Visit the Florida Department of Education’s Educator Certification webpage to access the administrative rules for each specialized certification area.

Information on Subject Area Examinations can also be found on the Florida Department of Education website.

Since the pathways to state certification vary from program to program, it is always best to consult with the program coordinator of your program of study for additional information. Visit our Program Directory for individualized program information.

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.

We have a sample list of standard courses for educator renewal.
Please visit the University of Florida Registrar’s Office for a list of current course offerings.
Course syllabi are available to view for the College of Education.
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.

Please find the UF Post Baccalaureate Application here.

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