College Level Requirements

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State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites

These prerequisites must be met by transfer students as well as USF students. A grade of "C-" is the minimum acceptable grade.

• EDF X005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession (3)
• EDF X085* Teaching Diversity for Educators (3)
• EME X040 Introduction to Technology for Educators (3)

*In addition to EDF X085, a minimum of 6 semester hours with an international or diversity focus is required. Eligible courses will be determined by the community college or university where the student is currently earning the Associate in Arts or baccalaureate degree. Foreign language courses may be used to meet this requirement.

Total Major Hours: 66 Hours

Major Core Courses - 66 Hours

Professional Education Core (27 credit hours):

• EEX 4941 Practicum in ESE
  • Level 1 (1 hour); Level 2 (1 hour);
  • Level 3 (1 hour); Level 4 (1 hour)
• EDF 3122 Learning and the Developing Child
• EDF 3604 Schools and Society (Exit-WRIN)
• EDF 4430 Measurement for Teachers
• FLE 4316 Language Principles and Acquisition
• FLE 4317 Teaching Students with Limited English Proficiency
• EEX 4944 Final Internship

Exceptional Student Education Core (39 credit hours):

Students seeking the B.S. degree with certification in Exceptional Student Education are required to take the following courses:

• EEX 4202 Context and Foundations
• EEX 4240 Beginning to Teach
• EEX 4241 Creating Effective Learning Environments
• EEX 4242 Enhancing Expertise in Teaching and Instructional Decision Making
• EEX 4244 Becoming a Special Education Teacher
• EEX 4742 Narrative Perspectives on Exceptionality: Cultural and Ethical Issues (Exit)
• LAE 4314 Teaching Writing in the Elementary School, Grades K-6
• MAE 4310 Teaching Elementary School (K-6) Mathematics I
• RED 4310 Reading and Learning to Read
• RED 4511 Linking Literature Assessment to Instruction

Additional Major Requirements

Major Requirements

The College of Education offers a full ESOL Endorsement for all Special Education major graduates. The special requirements for ESOL endorsement through infusion are as follows:

Successful completion of:

• FLE 4317 and FLE 4316 with a minimum grade of 70% or better on part one and part two of the ESOL Comprehensive Exam administered in the two ESOL courses;
  
• a 20-hour early ESOL field experience in FLE 4317;
  
• a late ESOL field experience where students plan, implement, and evaluate lessons for one or more ESOL students over a 10 days; and
  
• an ESOL binder, containing all ESOL-related assignments taken in the College of Education and an ESOL-performance Standards Checklist that documents the completion of the necessary number of standards.

The special education requirements for the Reading Endorsement through infusion are as follows:

• completion of specialized courses with a grade of C or S;
  
• completion of RED 4511, RED 4310, and LAE 4314 with a grade of C;
  
• a 60 hour field experience with a grade of S where students demonstrate application of all reading competencies, and
  
• a Reading Endorsement binder containing the Demonstration of Accomplishment Documentation Form and supporting artifacts.

Students are required to meet University and College of Education entrance requirements prior to enrollment in the Department. Upon admission, students affiliate with the campus on which they wish to take their program of studies. Students may not register for courses on other campuses without permission. For USF Tampa, students are assigned to cohorts. All courses are taken with the assigned cohort. The program sequence includes four semesters of part-time field experience and one semester of full-time internship. All part-time field experiences must be successfully completed as a member of a cohort concurrently enrolled in linked specified courses in designated local schools. Final internships are assigned only to designated school districts where partnerships exist. Field experiences begin during the first semester of a student’s enrollment with increasing involvement throughout the program. Students are responsible for providing transportation to their field-experience sites. Cohorts are seated in the fall semester of each year.

Major Grade Requirement

Students must complete all required courses with a grade of C or better and successfully complete program key assessments in order to progress to the next semester.

Major Foundations of Knowledge and Learning (FKL) Requirement

Foundations of Knowledge and Learning Core Curriculum courses (General Education) will be determined by the Florida College System institution or university where the student currently is earning the Associate in Arts or baccalaureate degree, and will be published in the institution's existing catalog or in the Counseling Manual. (For USF, see "Academic Policies and Procedures - Foundations of Knowledge and Learning Core Curriculum Requirements" section of the catalog.)

Major Foundations of Knowledge and Learning (FKL) Exit Requirement

• EDF 3604 Schools and Society (Writing Intensive)
• EEX 4944 Final Internship (Capstone)

Additional Major Information

Major Faculty

Chairperson: A. Cranston-Gingras; Professors: D. Allsopp, M. Churton, A. Cranston-Gingras, J. Kleinhammer-Tramill, B. Townsend-Walker; Associate Professors: P. Jones, B. Loeding, S.E. Shaunessy, D. Thomas; Assistant Professor: D. Hoppey. Instructors: C. Colucci, E. Doone.

Major Other Information

Please be advised that program and/or course requirements are subject to change, per state legislative mandates, Florida State Department of Education program approval standards, and accreditation criteria.