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Adult Undergraduate Elementary Education

An Elementary Education program that works best for working adults.

The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education equips future educators to design and implement classroom experiences for all K-6 learners. Graduates of the program are eligible for professional certification in Elementary Education (grades K-6), with endorsements in Reading and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Upcoming Term Start Dates

1/7/2025

Top Reasons

Clinical Experiences

Supervised clinical experiences are embedded throughout the program. These experiences are intentionally diverse, spanning different grade levels and school environments each semester.

On-Campus Lab Schools

You'll have ample opportunities to collaborate with teachers and students at our on-campus lab schools, the Early Childhood Learning Lab and the Roberts Academy, a school for children with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.

Specializations

Choices of education specializations include STEM education, social-emotional learning, and the Orton-Gillingham approach – an evidence-based reading instruction method recognized for its efficacy with students facing dyslexia and related reading challenges.

Meet Our Mocs

Jessica Gavin
Lana Allen
Victoria Salinas
Katherine Geoghegan

Special Education Minor

Through specialized courses students will explore child and adolescent development, equitable assessment methodologies, positive behavior approaches, and multisensory instructional strategies to address the unique needs of students with exceptionalities.
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.

Clubs And More

Kappa Delta Pi, Education Honor Society, Mocs and Mentors: sophomores, juniors, and seniors mentoring freshmen, Secondary Educators Association: Educators and those who have an interest in teaching, School of Education Executive Board: Leadership Council, Future Teachers of America.

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.
  • 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. WRIGHT Foundations Requirements34 hours
B. Major Requirements68 hours
Course NumberCourse Name
EDU 1000Professional Preparation for Education Majors
EDU 1107Foundations of Education I
EDU 2200Field Study Level I
EDU 2203Foundations of Education II
EDU 2210Foundations in Special Education
EDU 2235Methods of Assessment
EDU 2240Foundations of Reading Instruction
EDU 2241Clinical Experience in Literacy Instruction
EDU 3279Foundations of ESOL I
EDU 3323Field Study Level II
EDU 3333Foundations of Education III
EDU 3339Instructional Methods in Elementary Mathematics
EDU 3343Literacy and Literature in the Classroom
EDU 3347Diagnostic Assessment and Instruction in Literacy
EDU 3370Differentiated Instruction of Reading
EDU 4400Field Study Level III
EDU 4407Instructional Methods in Social Studies in the Elementary School
EDU 4409Instructional Methods in 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 Requirements12 hours
D. Electives2 - 10 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

Learn More

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

2024-2025

Base Required FeesCost
Tuition Per Credit Hour$375
Technology fee per semester is based on credit hours enrolled$30 to $120

Additional Costs

Additional FeesCost
Anthology Portfolio$70 per year estimated
Polk County Public Schools Background Clearance$80 estimated
Education Technology Fee$180 per year 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 Polk County schools?

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. 

Program Contact

Kristen Pinner Kristen Pinner

Director of Adult and Graduate Admission

 863.680.4205

Lori Rakes Lori Rakes, Ph.D.

Dean of Education

Nina B. Hollis Endowed Chair of Education

Associate Professor of Education

Carol J. Barnett / Curry Education Office - 113

 863.680.4172

Brooke Veal Brooke Veal, MATL

Director of Field Studies and Evening Education Programs

Carol J. Barnett / Curry Education Office - 106

 863.680.5004