University of Central Florida College of Community Innovation and Education

Elementary Education MA

The Master of Arts in Elementary Education program is state-approved and provides initial teacher certification (Grades K-6) for individuals who have an undergraduate degree in a field other than Elementary Education and who wish to become certified to teach in this field. This program is committed to preparing highly qualified Elementary Education teachers with knowledge and skills aligned with research-based best practices. Additionally, graduates from this program will have state-approved ESOL Endorsement and Reading Endorsement upon graduation.

The Master of Arts in Elementary Education (Grades K-6) ESOL Endorsement/Reading Endorsement is a state-approved initial teacher preparation program that is subject to any change in the Florida Administrative Code (State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.066). Students enrolled in this program should remain in close contact with their adviser to keep informed of any program changes implemented to comply with new state requirements.

The Elementary Education MA requires a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. If the MA program will be providing a student’s initial certification, 80 clock hours of field experience must be completed before enrolling in the supervised internship.

Total Credit Hours Required: 48 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor’s Degree

The program requires a portfolio of both reflective practice/analysis of professional development and demonstration of attainment of the pre-professional level of performance for all of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. Multiple artifacts and reflective analyses are required for each of the accomplished practices. All portfolio entries are critical components of learning since they are the primary means of assessing the professional development of students as reflective practitioners. The program also requires an internship.

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

Students should plan to enroll in EDE 6933 during the first semester. Students should also plan to enroll in TSL 5085 early in the program to learn about infused English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) requirements including preparation of the TESOL notebook.