Program Description
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 program has potential ties to professional licensure or certification in the field. For more information on how this program may prepare you in that regard, please visit https://apq.ucf.edu/files/Licensure-Disclosure-CCIE-Elementary-Ed-MA-June2020.pdf.
Curriculum
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.
Contact the program coordinator before choosing classes for your first semester.
Co-requisite
Undergraduate courses are not counted in the 48 credit hours of graduate courses that are required for the degree.
- EEX 4070 Teaching Exceptional Students 3 Credit Hours
Required Courses: 48 Credit Hours
Specialization: 24 Credit Hours
Note: EDE 6933 is a prerequisite or co-requisite for the specialization courses below.
Internship: 6 Credit Hours
Satisfactory completion of graduate internship requires the student to demonstrate proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices at the pre-professional level in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.065.
- EDE 6946 Graduate Internship 6 Credit Hours
Students should ensure that they meet all requirements for Graduate Internship:
- Overall graduate GPA must be 3.0 or higher.
- Passing scores on the appropriate FTCE exams (GKT, Subject Area, and Professional Area Exams) are required prior to admission to the graduate internship.
- Students must apply and be approved for graduate internship. Deadline dates and applications are available through the Office of Clinical Experiences at: http://www.education.ucf.edu/clinicalexp/.
- Satisfactory completion of the Graduate Internship requires the student to demonstrate proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices at the beginning level in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.065.
Additional Program Requirements
- Complete a portfolio according to program guidelines. This portfolio requires demonstration of professional growth, reflection, and proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices.
- Complete a TESOL notebook to address Florida ESOL competencies.
- Pass all applicable sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination.
NOTE: 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 (SBR 6A-4.002).
Independent Learning
A portfolio is required that demonstrates professional growth, reflection, and proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. An internship is also required that demonstrates proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices.
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements , applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- Passing score on all four parts of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination/General Knowledge Test (FTCE/GKT) OR a competitive score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). This program does not require GRE for admission, but in accordance with Florida Statute 1004.4 and State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.066, admission to this graduate-level, state-approved initial teacher preparation program requires demonstrating mastery of general knowledge.
UPDATE: In order to demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, Graduate Record Exam test administrations conducted on or after July 1, 2015, may be used as an acceptable means of demonstrating a mastery of general knowledge. A minimum passing score on a GRE subtest in an applicable general knowledge content area, as defined in the table below, will satisfy the requirement of demonstrating a mastery of general knowledge for the applicable general knowledge content area.
| FTCE GKT SUBTEST |
GRE SUBTEST |
MINIMUM GRE SCORE REQUIRED TO SUBSTITUTE FOR GK SUBTEST |
| GK Writing Subtest (Essay) |
GRE Analytical Writing |
A combined score of 4 out of 6
|
| GK English Language Subtest Skills |
GRE Verbal Reasoning
|
A scaled score of 151
|
| GK Reading Subtest |
GRE Verbal Reasoning
|
A scaled score of 151
|
| GK Mathematics Subtest |
GRE Quantitative Reasoning
|
A scaled score of 147
|
Application Deadlines
| Elementary Education MA |
*Fall Priority |
Fall |
Spring |
Summer |
| Domestic Applicants |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Dec 1 |
Apr 1 |
| International Applicants |
Jan 15 |
Jan 15 |
Jul 1 |
Nov 1 |
| *Applicants who plan to enroll full time in a degree program and who wish to be considered for university fellowships or assistantships should apply by the Fall Priority date. |
Financials
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowships
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student’s graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
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