Whether your dream is to share your love of Wordsworth with budding poets or help a future engineer discover a love of calculus, FSC's Secondary Education program can help make that goal come true.
FSC's School of Education empowers you to become an inspiring middle or high school teacher through a blend of rigorous subject-area coursework, hands-on clinical experiences, and expert faculty guidance. Every Secondary Education track program is approved by the Florida Department of Education for initial teacher certification in Florida. You will graduate ready to step into a classroom, and find opportunities at traditional schools and charter, magnet, and private institutions locally, nationally, and abroad.
FSC's Secondary Education programs prepare graduates to step into classrooms at traditional, charter, magnet, and private schools locally, nationally, and abroad. Here is what goes into that result.
Florida Southern's School of Education has been recognized by Colleges of Distinction since 2008, honoring its commitment to practical experience, faculty mentorship, and preparing graduates who are classroom-ready from day one.
Choose from Biology, English Literature, English Writing, Mathematics, or Social Sciences — each combining deep discipline expertise with professional education coursework for grades 6-12.
Every course is taught by faculty, not teaching assistants, each with more than 20 years of classroom and administrative experience.
Earn your bachelor's and a Master of Education in Transformational Curriculum and Instruction in just five years — and enter the workforce at master's-level compensation.
Choose the secondary education program that matches your passion and the subject area you want to teach. Each combines deep expertise in your subject area with teaching methods, technology integration, and extensive clinical experience in real classrooms.
Prepare aspiring educators with a thorough understanding of biological concepts, instructional methodologies, and curriculum development tailored for middle and high school settings. Coursework includes general biology, chemistry, genetics, and ecology, alongside clinical experiences and classroom observations. Graduates are equipped to engage students in scientific inquiry, foster critical thinking, and instill a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.
Immerse yourself in an array of literary works spanning genres and historical periods. Future educators develop the analytical and interpretive skills essential for teaching middle and high school students, preparing them to inspire a love of literature and guide students in understanding various perspectives and themes. Graduates earn ESOL and Reading Endorsements.
Equip yourself to teach writing across middle and high school levels through a curriculum emphasizing composition, rhetoric, and creative writing techniques. Graduates are prepared to foster strong written communication skills, empower students to express their ideas confidently, and instill a lifelong appreciation for the art of writing. Graduates earn ESOL and Reading Endorsements.
Prepare to teach math at the middle and high school levels through rigorous coursework in algebra, calculus, geometry, and statistics. Future teachers gain the skills to engage students in problem-solving, logical reasoning, and quantitative analysis, fostering mathematical curiosity and a deep understanding of the subject.
Build a comprehensive foundation for teaching history, geography, economics, and civics in middle and high school classrooms. Through interdisciplinary coursework and hands-on teaching experiences, future teachers develop the skills to promote critical thinking and civic engagement, preparing the next generation for informed citizenship.
Approved by the Florida Department of Education to satisfy the educational requirements for the baccalaureate degree and initial teacher certification in Florida, FSC's Secondary Education programs prepare you to enter a professional teaching career in the 6-12 school setting. Each program is built around a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that combines deep subject-matter expertise with courses in teaching methods, technology, and clinical studies.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:
If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.
Learn More about transfer admissionsThere is a shared 12-course education foundation that all five tracks complete. Students in the Secondary Education major complete:
Students who wish to do a paid internship must complete EDU 4400 — Clinical Experiences III.
Each track builds on the shared Education Core with coursework from your subject-area major. Select your track below to view the major requirements:
English Education — Additional Requirements
In addition to the English major requirements and the shared Education Core, the English Education track includes five additional courses that generate the ESOL and Reading Endorsements upon graduation.
Secondary Education students at FSC are part of a close-knit community of future educators supported by both the School of Education and their subject-area department. Get involved with:
On campus, two schools provide additional hands-on opportunities right outside your classroom door. The Early Childhood Learning Lab has served the community for more than 50 years, and the Roberts Academy is a specialized school for children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. Both are located on the FSC campus, giving Secondary Education students a unique setting to observe, practice, and reflect alongside expert faculty before stepping into their own classroom.
From your first semester through your senior internship, you will gain hands-on teaching experience in a variety of real classrooms. FSC's partnership with Polk County Public Schools provides a wide array of clinical experiences at various grade levels and school settings, with experienced cooperating teachers guiding you in integrating educational theory and research into real-world middle and high school classrooms.
FSC Secondary Education graduates are in demand at schools of every type.
The direct career path from every FSC Secondary Education program, teaching your subject area in middle and high school classrooms across Florida and beyond. Graduates are certified by the Florida Department of Education and ready to teach from day one at traditional, charter, magnet, and private schools locally, nationally, and abroad.
Graduates in the English Literature and Writing tracks earn both ESOL and Reading Endorsements alongside their teaching certificate, opening additional career pathways in language support, literacy instruction, and specialized reading programs.
Experienced teachers frequently move into curriculum development, instructional coaching, and educational technology roles at school districts, educational publishers, and edtech companies. FSC's emphasis on curriculum development and technology integration provides a strong foundation for this pathway.
The 4+1 Master of Education in Transformational Curriculum and Instruction offers an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree, adding a master's credential in just one additional year, and opening the door to master's-level compensation and leadership roles from the start.
"What I like most about the English and Education program at Florida Southern College is how professors from the Education and English departments reinforce the essential need to understand people and be open to new ideas to attempt to better our communities, country, and world around us."
"I really appreciate how my professors care about my well-being and take the time to learn about my personal goals. I've especially enjoyed learning what goes into creating effective lesson plans for my future students. The professors who teach engaging instructional methods model those same techniques in class, making the learning experience even more meaningful. My education courses are truly a highlight of my week!
The Social Science Secondary Education program offers a unique blend of teaching methodology as well as a variety of courses on different aspects of history and more which allows us as social science educators to help students connect and understand the growing world around them.
"One of the things I love most about the Secondary Education program is the close-knit community. Balancing Education courses with your subject area can be a challenge, but the support from both faculty and peers makes it manageable — and even enjoyable!"
From your first-semester classroom observation at the Early Childhood Learning Lab to your full-time student teaching internship, FSC Secondary Education students are always in the work. Every clinical experience, every lesson plan, and every interaction with a real student builds the skills, the confidence, and the credentials that make FSC graduates some of the most sought-after teachers in Florida.
FSC's Education faculty bring decades of classroom and administrative experience into every course, guiding you the way only practitioners who have lived the work can.
Associate Professor of Education
Assistant Professor of Education
Associate Professor of Education
Florida requires a bachelor's degree from a state-approved teacher education program and passing scores on the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations. FSC's Secondary Education programs satisfy both requirements and qualify graduates for professional certification in their subject area for grades 6-12.
FSC offers five subject-area tracks: Biology, English Literature, English Writing, Mathematics, and Social Sciences. Each prepares you for Florida teacher certification in that subject area at the middle and high school level (grades 6-12).
Yes, a few. Beyond standard tuition, education students should budget for some program-specific items: a School of Education clinical experience polo shirt ($30), Education Technology fee ($75), a Polk County Public Schools background clearance and ID badge ($80), and the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE), which include the General Knowledge Test ($130), the Professional Educator Test ($150), and the Subject Area Exam ($150). Your advisor can walk you through the full list and the timing of each.
One hundred percent of FSC Secondary Education graduates pass Florida's state teacher certification exams — a result of rigorous academic preparation, expert faculty mentorship, and extensive clinical experience before graduation.
Clinical placements begin in your first semester and continue through your final student teaching internship. You will gain experience across multiple grade levels and school environments — including FSC's on-campus schools and local classrooms through the Polk County Public Schools partnership — before you ever step into your own classroom alone.
At FSC, every course is taught by faculty, not graduate assistants, each with extensive classroom and administrative experience. Small class sizes mean faculty know your strengths and your goals. You will graduate having practiced across multiple clinical settings, passed state certification exams, and earned your degree from a Florida DOE-approved program with a 100% certification pass rate.
Yes. FSC's 4+1 Master of Education in Transformational Curriculum and Instruction allows Secondary Education students to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in just five years — entering the workforce with advanced credentials and eligibility for master's-level teacher compensation.
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Read the latest from FSC's School of Education, from student teaching placements and certification achievements to faculty research and program updates.
At FSC, you are the focus. Our team loves connecting with prospective students to answer questions about FSC's Secondary Education programs and explore which track is the right fit for your goals.
Dean of Education, Nina B. Hollis Endowed Chair of Education, Associate Professor of Education
The next generation needs teachers who are passionate, prepared, and ready to lead. Take your next step toward a Secondary Education degree at Florida Southern College.
