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Adult Undergraduate Elementary Education

An Elementary Education program that works best for working adults.

Tailored specifically for busy schedules, this program is designed for working adults who want to advance their careers through courses that build solid foundations in elementary education.

This Elementary Education degree has all the tools you need to make a positive impact as a highly effective educator. Our curriculum includes the latest pedagogies, research-based best practices, and full access to SMART technologies. As education majors are required to pass all parts of the Florida Teacher Certification Exams, you will be immediately eligible to apply for your Florida Professional Teaching Certificate upon graduation.

Upcoming Term Start Dates

5/13/2024

6/24/2024

Top Reasons

Connected

Florida Southern College has partnered with local Polk County schools as Professional Development School Partners designed to prepare future teachers.

Personalized Advising

Your academic advisor works with you from the moment you are accepted to create a roadmap to graduation, creating a custom schedule specific to your needs.

ESOL Certification

Through the infusion of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) techniques into the curriculum, you'll learn to work with students whose native language is not English, earning you a State of Florida ESOL endorsement upon graduation.

Affordable and Accelerated

A timely completion of your degree is critical to your total tuition cost, which is why we offer accelerated courses, providing you a quality education at a fraction of the cost.

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Extensive Preparation

As an adult elementary education student, you’ll put all this learning into practice in real-world classrooms by completing clinical experiences within the Polk County public school system including the final internship.

Be Prepared

You’ll be fully prepared for the 21st-century classroom through our extensive training in instructional technology, including SMART© technologies, preparing you to teach in today’s state-of-the-art classrooms. You will also be exposed to a wide variety of classroom field experiences, and lab school opportunities.

Meet Our Mocs

Jessica Gavin
Lana Allen
Victoria Salinas
Katherine Geoghegan
Brooke Veal, MATL

Featured Faculty

Brooke Veal

The Adult Elementary Education degree program at Florida Southern College provides a flexible schedule that allows students to earn their undergraduate degrees while maintaining a work-life balance. This Florida Department of Education approved teacher preparation program prepares future teachers, utilizing research-based instructional practices, to positively impact diverse populations of K-6 student learners.

Program Details

Admission Requirements

  • Personal interview
  • Academic interest inventory
  • Provide official transcripts of all academic work taken previously at other colleges, universities, or professional schools.
  • If fewer than 25 credit hours have been earned from a regionally accredited college or university, student should provide official high school transcript or GED scores.
  • If fewer than 25 credit hours have been earned from a regionally accredited college or university, student should provide official ACT or SAT exam scores, OR as an alternative, applicants should instead submit an updated resume and elect to apply through the test-optional policy.
  • Military service-connected, educational experiences may award transfer credits. Requests should be accompanied by documents describing the educational experience. (Seven semester hours of credit may be awarded.)
  • If admitted, Polk County School Board background clearance

International Student Requirements

  • Official Translated Transcripts With Course By Course Evaluation**
  • Bank Letter Verifying Funds of Sponsor***
  • Sponsor's Guarantee Form
  • Valid Passport
  • Official TOEFL/IELTS Score****

** SpanTran (discount available), Academic Evaluation Services, Inc., Josef Silny, or World Education Services or another similar approved transcript evaluation agency.

*** A bank letter is a written statement on bank letterhead and signed by a bank official.

**** Must have completed an English language training program or at least one year at an English speaking institution to waive the TOEFL/IELTS testing requirement.

Curriculum

A. General Education Requirements40 hours
B. Major Requirements68 hours
Course NumberCourse Name
EDU 1107Foundations of Education I
EDU 2200Field Study Level I
EDU 2203Foundations of Education II
EDU 2210Foundations in Special Education
EDU 2235Technology Infused Teaching and Educational Assessments and Measurements
EDU 2240Teaching Language Arts Level I
EDU 2241Clinical Experience in Literacy Instruction
EDU 3279Foundations of ESOL I
EDU 3323Field Study Level II
EDU 3333Foundations of Education III
EDU 3339Instructional Methods I
EDU 3343Children’s Literature
EDU 3347Teaching Language Arts II
EDU 3370Differentiated Instruction of Reading for Elementary Students
EDU 4400Field Study Level III
EDU 4407Instructional Methods II: Social Studies in the Elementary School
EDU 4409Instructional Methods III: Science in the Elementary School
EDU 4478Applied Linguistics – ESOL II
EDU 4887Reading Endorsement Practicum
EDU 4889Student Teacher Intern Seminar
EDU 4990Senior Internship
C. Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements68 hours
D. Electives4 hours
E. Total124 hours

External Scholarships

Greenhouse Project

PCPS non-instructional employees only

This tuition-reimbursement project focuses on recruiting quality teachers by helping Polk County Public School non-instructional employees with an interest in teaching earn their education degrees.

To Apply, Contact:
Caroline Giroux – Recruitment Coordinator at PCPS
Caroline.Giroux@polk-fl.net

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Minority Teacher Education Scholarship

Up to $4,000

Florida Fund for Minority Teachers offers an annual scholarship to approved Minority Teacher Education Scholars who are enrolled as upper-division undergraduate or graduate students in a teacher education program.

Learn More

Program Costs

2023-2024

Base Required FeesCost
Tuition Per Credit Hour$340
Technology fee per semester is based on credit hours enrolled$30 to $120

Additional Costs

Additional FeesCost
Chalk and Wire – ePortfolio$65.70 per year
Polk County School Board Background Clearance$79.85 estimated

Related Materials

FSC Adult, Graduate, and Doctoral Education Programs thumbnail
FSC Adult Undergraduate Programs thumbnail
Bachelor's of Science Elementary Education thumbnail

Do you have a financial assistance program for non-instructional employees who are employed by the Polk County School Board?

Florida Southern participates in the Greenhouse Program, a program created to assist Non-instructional employees of the Polk County School Board who are interested in completing their Bachelor’s Degree to go on and teach P-6, Physical Education, Exceptional Student Education, Middle School, and/or High School.

Which Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) do I need to complete?

All Elementary Education students must pass all sections on the General Knowledge Test (GKT), Professional Educator Test (PED), and Subject Area Exam (SAE) – Elementary K-6.

How long are the academic semesters?

The fall, spring, and summer semesters are 16 weeks long. However, each semester is divided into two 7-week terms (term A and term B).

Adult and Graduate Schedules

Is there an internship?

Yes, there is a 70-school day internship which is completed in Polk County Public Schools during the last semester of the program and once all program requirements are met. 

Is the program state-approved?

Yes, Florida Southern College’s Elementary Education program is fully approved by the Florida Department of Education. 

In-Person

Education Information Session

Adult & Grad Admissions

Education Information Session

Apr 27 10:00 AM

An on-campus information session for prospective students interested in adult undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs within the School of Education at Florida Southern College. This event is designed to present an overview of our education programs and to provide an opportunity to connect at Florida Southern with faculty.

Location: France Admissions Center

Program Contact

Kristen Pinner Kristen Pinner

Director of Adult and Graduate Admission

 863.680.4205

Lori Rakes Lori Rakes, Ph.D.

Dean of Education

Associate Professor of Education

Curry Building - 113

 863.680.4179

 863.680.4102