University of West Florida

Degree:	Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Specializations:	Exceptional Student Education Certification Educational Studies
Minor:	Exceptional Student Education
Department:	Building 85, Room 196 (850) 857-6306 http://uwf.edu/education/
College:	Professional Studies

Semester Hours Required For Degree:

    NCATE/DOE: 120-129

    Educational Studies: 120 

The B.A. degree program in Exceptional Student Education is designed to prepare students who plan to teach children and youth with exceptionalities. Many aspects of the program provide the student with opportunities to work with exceptional children. The Exceptional Student Certification Specialization is an NCATE/DOE approved specialization that leads directly to Florida DOE certification in Exceptional Student Education with ESOL and Reading Endorsements. Students completing this specialization also may be eligible for certification in elementary education. Graduates of the Exceptional Student Certification Specialization will be certified as “highly qualified” based upon the No Child Left Behind Act. Students must successfully complete the Florida Teacher Certification Exam in Exceptional Student Education, Elementary Education, General Knowledge, and Professional Education.

The second specialization, Educational Studies, is available only to students with exceptional circumstances and the explicit approval of the Director, School of Education. It prepares students to work in private settings or agencies that do not require graduation from an initial certification program. Students graduating with this specialization are not eligible for certification under Florida Department of Education criteria but may subsequently earn certification as they become eligible in one of Florida’s alternative certification programs.

All students in this major are initially assigned to an Exceptional Student Education/Elementary Education pending major until they complete the requirements listed in Admission to Teacher Education.

Students interested in teaching at the secondary level will complete their baccalaureate degrees in the discipline and are encouraged to complete the Professional Education Minor. Prospective secondary education teachers will complete Florida certification requirements through alternative certification.

Responsibility for the teacher education programs at The University rests with the Dean of the College of Professional Studies, who is the head of the Professional Education Unit.

Requirements for teacher education programs may change due to legislative mandates. Therefore, the actual program requirements may differ from those listed in the catalog. Candidates must inquire with the Director or an advisor in the School of Education to obtain the most current program requirements.  Students seeking initial certification must be degree-seeking.

Fingerprinting is required for any placement in a school (including the field experience associated with EDF 1005). The Student Affidavit and Fingerprinting Application are required before any student can be placed in a school for Field Experiences or Student Teaching. Forms are available from the local school districts.

Admission to Teacher Education

Students entering UWF or declaring a major in Teacher Education will automatically be placed in a pending status until they meet the requirements for admission to teacher education. This pending status allows the unit to carefully monitor student progress though teacher education programs. Careful monitoring will ensure that knowledge, skills and/or dispositions deficits of pre-service teachers can be identified in a timely manner so that students can be provided additional support through the Response to Intervention (RtI) Process. 

Before the completion of 12 semester hours of upper division teacher education courses, students must successfully complete the following requirements: 

• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 in all previously attempted college work;
• Pass the General Knowledge Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam;
• Complete an Application for Admission to Teacher Education which includes a self-rating scale of their disposition towards teaching;
• Complete the orientation requirement; and
• Review of the items above by one of the faculty members in the School of Education and approval by the Director of the School of Education. 

Those who do not complete these requirements in that period may be denied further registration, and an enrollment hold may be placed preventing any future enrollment in education courses.

Prospective teachers are expected to adhere to the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida and national standards of conduct associated with professional, accreditation, and state agencies.  Teacher candidates who are struggling to meet content and/or disposition standards and/or competencies may be referred to the RtI process.  Any student who is referred for an RtI and does not successfully complete the intervention process may be denied continued enrollment in any professional education program. 

All approvals for admission to teacher candidacy are provisional and subject to reevaluation as students progress through the program.  Students denied admission or removed from the program may appeal the decision to the Dean, College of Professional Studies. 

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Readmission to Teacher Education

Readmission into a teacher education program requires the student to meet standards for National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) and the University.  Readmitted students will be required to complete the degree plan in effect at the time of readmission and to meet the requirements for admission to teacher education in effect at the time of readmission.

Course work completed prior to readmission will be reviewed for compliance with current NCATE, FDOE, and University requirements. Students will be required to retake courses not in compliance with these requirements.

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Admission to Student Teaching

The student teaching program, administered through the School of Education, consists of one semester of student teaching or two semesters of internship supervised by a highly qualified teacher who has completed Clinical Educator Training. The student teaching/internship experience is scheduled during the student’s senior year.

Requirements for admission to student teaching/internship include the following:

• Full admission to teacher education;
• A minimum GPA of 2.5 in all course work;
• A minimum GPA of 2.5 in teacher education (major) courses. A grade below “C-” cannot be used to satisfy a program requirement;
• Completion of specialization courses required in the major, if applicable, (see the section of this catalog related to the appropriate specialization for specific course requirements);
• Pass the general knowledge, professional, and subject area tests of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination; and
• Successful completion of the State of Florida Educator Accomplished Practices at the professional level.
• Recommendation of the student’s academic advisor and approval of the Director, School of Education.

During the time a student is engaged in student teaching, any outside employment or additional academic work except senior seminar must be approved by the Director, School of Education.

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Higher Education Act (1998) 

In accordance with this act, information about teacher education programs may be accessed at the College of Professional Studies - School of Education website.

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Program Requirements

Candidates for admission to the NCATE/DOE approved teacher education specialization must meet and complete admission requirements detailed above. In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the B.A. in Exceptional Student Education/Elementary Education must meet the following requirements.  

General Studies

In addition to the general studies requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Studies curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "Graduation and General Degree Requirements" section of this catalog.

General Studies Curriculum:

Communication	6
ENC 1101 English Composition I 3 ENC 1102 English Composition II 3
Mathematics	6
MAC 1105 College Algebra 3 MAC 1114 Trigonometry 3 MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra 3 MAC 2233 Calculus with Business Applications 3 MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I 4 MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II 4 MAC 2313 Analytic Geometry and Calculus III 4 MAD 3107 Discrete Mathematics and Applications 3 MGF 1106 Mathematics for Liberal Arts I 3 MGF 1107 Mathematics for Liberal Arts II 3 STA 2023 Elements of Statistics 3
Social Sciences	9
Choose one course from each of the following clusters of courses   Social Sciences: Historical Perspectives: 3 AMH 2010 United States to 1877   AMH 2020 United States since 1877   EUH 1000 Western Perspectives I   EUH 1001 Western Perspectives II   Social Sciences: Behavorial Perspectives: 3 ANT 2000 Introduction to Anthropology   ANT 2100 Introduction to Archaeology   CCJ 2002 Survey of Crime and Justice   DEP 2004 Human Development Across the Lifespan   PSY 2012 General Psychology   SOW 2192 Understanding Relationships in the 21st Century   Social Sciences: Socio-Political Perspectives: 3 ANT 2400 Current Cultural Issues   CPO 2002 Comparative Politics   ECO 2013 Principles of Economics Macro   GEA 2000 Nations and Regions of the World   GEB 1011 Introduction to Business   INR 2002 International Politics   MMC 2000 Principles of Mass Communication   PLA 2013 Survey of American Law   POS 2041 American Politics   SYG 2000 Introduction to Sociology   SYG 2010 Current Social Problems
Humanities	8-9
Choose one course from each of the following clusters of courses   Literature: 3 AML 2072 Sex, Money, and Power in American Literature   LIT 2030 Introduction to Poetry   LIT 2040 Introduction to Drama   LIT 1122 Great Books I   LIT 2100 Introduction to Literature   LIT 2110 Western Literature I   LIT 2120 Western Literature II   LIT 2931 Encountering Literature   Fine Arts: 3 ARH 1010 Introduction to Art History   ARH 2050 Western Survey I: Greek to Renaissance   ARH 2051 Western Survey II: Baroque to Contemporary   ART 1015C Exploring Artistic Vision   ART 2821 Art and Visual Culture Today   MUH 2930 The Music Experience: Special Topics   MUL 2110 Music in Western Civilization   THE 2000 The Theatre Experience   THE 2300 Survey of Dramatic Literature   Contemporary Values and Expressions: 3 PHI 2010 Introduction to Philosophy   PHI 2100 Introduction to Logic   PHI 2603 Ethics in Contemporary Society   REL 2000 Introduction to Religion   SPC 2608 Basic Communication Skills
Natural Sciences	7
Take two of the following courses, including at least one with lab:   ANT 2511+L Biological Anthropology (+Lab) 4 AST 3033 Modern Astronomy 3 BOT 1801 Introduction to Plant Science 3 BOT 2010+L General Botany (+Lab) 4 BSC 1005 General Biology for Non-Majors * 3 BSC 1005L General Biology Laboratory for Non-Majors 1 BSC 1050 Fundamentals of Ecology 3 BSC 1085 Anatomy and Physiology I * 3 BSC 1085L Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory 1 BSC 1086 Anatomy and Physiology II * 3 BSC 1086L Anatomy & Physiology II Laboratory 1 BSC 2311 Introduction to Oceanography and Marine Biology * 3 BSC 2311L Introduction to Oceanography and Marine Biology Laboratory 1 CGS 2060 Excursions in Computing 3 CHM 1020 Concepts in Chemistry * 3 CHM 1020L Concepts in Chemistry Lab 1 CHM 1032 Fundamentals of General Chemistry * 3 CHM 1032L Fundamentals of General Chemistry Laboratory 1 CHM 2045 General Chemistry I * 3 CHM 2045L General Chemistry I Laboratory 1 CHM 2046 General Chemistry II * 3 CHM 2046L General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 GEO 1200+L Physical Geography (+Lab) 4 GEO 2330 Environmental Science 3 GLY 2010 Physical Geology * 3 GLY 2010L Physical Geology Laboratory 1 MCB 1000 Fundamentals of Microbiology * 3 MCB 1000L Fundamentals of Microbiology Laboratory 1 PHY 1020 Introduction to Concepts in Physics * 3 PHY 1020L Introduction to Concepts in Physics Laboratory 1 PHY 2048 University Physics I ** 3 PHY 2048L University Physics I Lab 1 PHY 2049 University Physics II ** 3 PHY 2049L University Physics II LAB 1 PHY 2053 General Physics I ** 3 PHY 2053L General Physics I Laboratory 1 PHY 2054 General Physics II * 3 PHY 2054L General Physics II Laboratory 1 PHZ 1450 Exotic Physics 3 ZOO 1010+L General Zoology (+Lab) 4 * May be taken with or without lab. ** General Physics is non-calculus based and is usually recommended for non-science majors. University Physics is calculus based and is usually recommended for science majors.
Total Semester Hours:	36-37

Common Prerequisites

State mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.

In addition to EDF X085, a minimum of 6sh with an international or diversity focus is required. Eligible courses will be determined by the Florida public college or university where the student is currently earning the A.A. or B.S. foreign language courses may be used to meet this requirement.

EDF 1005	Introduction to Education	3
EDF 2085	Teaching Diverse Populations	3
EME 2040	Introduction to Educational Technology	3
Total Hours		9

Lower Division Electives

Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to satisfy at least 60 sh in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement.		15
Total Hours		15