Students enrolled in the teacher certification track will take various courses related to young children and their learning, development and family environment. Track 1 majors are working toward teacher certification in Pre-Kindergarten-Primary (PK-3) with ESOL Endorsement and Reading Endorsement; they take a series of core and specialization courses to prepare them to teach in schools and to demonstrate mastery of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Early and continuous field experiences are provided to enhance the students in this track by integrating theory and practice in school settings. This degree culminates in a semester-long internship.
Admission Requirements
- Complete the University General Education requirements or its equivalent, i.e. an AA degree from an approved Florida College System or State University System institution.
- Have a minimum 2.75 overall GPA, with provisional acceptance for one semester if GPA is 2.5 (GPA must be 2.75 by the second semester).
- Complete Child Development Common Program Prerequisite courses with a minimum letter grade of "C" (2.0) or better.
- Meet the Gordon Rule Requirement.
- Meet Foreign Language Admission Requirement.
Degree Requirements
- Students must seek advising through the Early Childhood Development and Education staff in the Education Complex, Suite 122 or by e-mail (ece@ucf.edu) prior to registering for classes.
- The courses designated in 1. (General Education) and 2. (Prerequisites) should be completed prior to admission to the major and upper division education courses.
- Students must earn a "C" (2.0) or better in each required Early Childhood Development and Education course. However, a minimum overall 2.75 GPA in all courses within the major is required.
This program prepares students for state-regulated professional licensure or certification. For more information on how this program may prepare you in that regard, please view the licensure disclosure for the Early Childhood Development and Education, Track 1: Education, Pre-Kindergarten - Primary (PK-3) (B.S.) program.
Students must take courses that include the state reading competencies in order to qualify for the Reading Endorsement.
Degree Requirements
Core Requirements: Basic Level: Other Program Prerequisites
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- A grade of "C" (2.0) or better is required. Note for EDF2130: Courses taken at Florida College System institutions may substitute for select courses in Other Program Requirements with the permission of the department
- Complete the following:
- EDF2130 - Child and Adolescent Development for Educators (3)
- EEC2732 - Health, Safety, and Nutrition for Young Children (3)
- MAE3310 - Elementary Mathematics for Teaching I (3)
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: Elective
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- ARE2000 - Early Childhood Art and Creativity (3)
- MUE2211 - Early Childhood Music and Movement (3)
Core Requirements: Advanced Level
0 Total Credits
- All methods/specialization/foundations courses must be completed with a letter grade of "C" (2.0) or better before registering for Internship. However, a minimum GPA of 2.75 is required in the education core/professional, specialization and overall for admission to Internship. A grade of "C" (2.0) or better is required.
Semester I
15 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- EEC3700 - Social and Emotional Development of Young Children (3)
- EEC4661 - Early Childhood Education Theory and Practice: (3)
- EEC4268 - Curriculum Activities in Early Childhood (3)
- RED3012 - Basic Foundations of Reading (3)
- TSL4080 - Theory and Practice of Teaching ESOL Students in Schools (3)
Semester II
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Passing score on the Professional Education Test portion of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) is strongly recommended to be taken prior to Semester III, and it is required to be taken and passed prior to graduation.
- Complete the following:
- EEX3450 - Young Children With Special Needs (3)
- RED3310 - Early Reading, Writing and Language Arts (3)
- RED4519 - Diagnostic and Corrective Reading Strategies (3)
- EEC4604 - Classroom Management and Guidance of Young Children (3)
- EEX4751 - Parent Involvement in Education (3)
Summer
3 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Passing scores on all sections [General Knowledge, Professional, and Subject Area (Pre-kindergarten/Primary PK -3)] of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) are required prior to graduation.
- Complete the following:
- EEC4303 - Planning Creative Activities in Early Childhood Education (3)
Semester III
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Based on recommendations below, the student should achieve a passing score on all applicable sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination prior to graduation. Students must apply and be approved for Internship. Deadline dates and placement application are available through the Office of Clinical & Field Experiences at https://ccie.ucf.edu/immersive-experiences/. A fee may be required as part of the placement application process
- Complete the following:
- MAE4300 - Math Curriculum and Assessment in Early Childhood (3)
- SCE4304 - Teaching Science and Technology to Young Children (3)
- EEC4235C - Early Childhood Education Seminar: Bridging Theory to Practice (3)
- RED4942 - Practicum for Assessment and Instruction of Reading (3)
- TSL4240 - Issues in Second Language Acquisition (3)
Semester IV
12 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Satisfactory completion of Internship requires the student to demonstrate proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.066. Deadline dates and placement application are available through the Office of Clinical & Field Experiences at https://ccie.ucf.edu/immersive-experiences/. A fee may be required as part of the placement application process. All certification exams need to be passed prior to graduation.
- Complete the following:
- EEC4943 - Student Teaching (12)
Grand Total Credits: 75
Restricted Electives
Capstone Requirements
Electives
Foreign Language Requirements
Admissions
- State University System foreign language admission requirement: Two years in high school or one year of college instruction in a single foreign language. (This requirement applies to those students admitted to the University without the required two units of foreign language in high school.)
Graduation
Additional Requirements
Required Minors
Departmental Exit Requirements
- Achieve a minimum overall 2.75 GPA in all courses within the major.
- Achieve a minimum 2.75 GPA in the specialization coursework.
- Achieve a minimum 2.75 GPA in the education core coursework.
- Achieve a minimum overall 2.75 GPA
- You must upload key assignments using the Watermark Student Learning & Licensure platform. Key assignments are assessed by faculty to provide evidence of candidate proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs).
- All Early Childhood Development and Education majors are required to complete Watermark Student Learning & Licensure requirements before being certified for graduation. See https://ccie.ucf.edu/explore-via/.
- Complete ESOL standards assessment tracking requirements in Watermark Student Learning & Licensure for the ESOL endorsement
- Pass all applicable sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination. See http://www.fldoe.org for test dates and test sites. Effective January 1, 2015, only examination results earned by educators within 10 years prior to the date of application for a new Florida Educator's Certificate with the Florida Department of Education may be acceptable for certification eligibility requirements (SBE Rule 6A-4.002)
University Minimum Exit Requirements
- A 2.0 UCF GPA
- 42 semester hours of upper division credit completed
- 60 semester hours earned after CLEP awarded
- 30 of the last 39 hours of course work must be completed in residency at UCF.
- A maximum of 45 hours of extension, correspondence, CLEP, Credit by Exam, and Armed Forces credits permitted.
- Complete the General Education Program, the Gordon Rule, and nine hours of Summer credit.
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours Required: 120Additional Information
Honors In Major
Related Programs
Certificates
Related Minors
Advising Notes
Transfer Notes
Acceptable Substitutes for Transfer Courses
Program Academic Learning Compacts
- Program Academic Learning Compacts (student learning outcomes) for undergraduate programs are located at: http://www.oeas.ucf.edu/alc/academic_learning_compacts.htm
