Program at a Glance

Program: Graduate Certificate
College(s): College of Community Innovation and Education
Department(s): Teacher Education, Schl of

The Graduate Certificate in Initial Teacher Professional Preparation (ITPP) is designed for students who have secured a teaching position, plan to obtain a teaching position, or have a temporary teaching certificate. The Initial Teacher Preparation Program graduate certificate is not a Florida Department of Education state-approved teacher education program. The certificate offers foundation courses that can supplement partial requirements toward teacher certification. The ITPP does not include content area courses, internship, or certification exams. Therefore, students seeking professional educator certification may wish to complete one of UCF's Teacher Education M.A.T. programs (link: https://ccie.ucf.edu/academics/masters/).

The professional core courses in the certificate include uploading key assignments using the ViaTM by Watermark platform and are assessed by faculty to provide evidence of candidate proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs). The goal of the certificate is to enable educators to have successful teaching experiences in grades 6-12 classrooms. Students may enroll in the Initial Teacher Professional Preparation certificate and apply to be accepted to the Teacher Education MAT program either concurrently or after earning the certificate.

For the Initial Teacher Professional Preparation graduate certificate, students complete six courses (18 credit hours total), including five required courses (15 credit hours) and at least one special methods course (3 credit hours).

All teacher education candidates are required to complete ViaTM by Watermark requirements before being certified for graduation. ViaTM by Watermark access is required for the portfolio. See https://ccie.ucf.edu/explore-via/.

Total Credit Hours Required: 18 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree

Please note: Initial Teacher Preparation Graduate Certificate may be completed fully online, although not all elective options or program prerequisites may be offered online. Newly admitted students choosing to complete this program exclusively via UCF online classes may enroll with a reduction in campus-based fees.

International students (F or J visa) are required to enroll in a full-time course load of 9 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters. Only 3 of the 9 credit hours may be taken in a completely online format. For a detailed listing of enrollment requirements for international students, please visit UCF Global. If you have questions, please consult UCF Global at (407) 823-2337.

UCF is not authorized to provide online courses or instruction to students in some states. Refer to State Restrictions for current information.