Elementary Education (B.A.)
Program Overview
The B.A. in Elementary Education is designed to prepare students for teaching in Florida’s
elementary schools and for certification by the Florida Department of Education as
elementary school teachers (K through grade six), as well as ESOL endorsement, and
Reading endorsement. The program of study includes coursework and extensive experience
in elementary school settings throughout the FGCU five-county service area (Charlotte,
Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee) to enable students to integrate theory with teaching
practice.
Teacher candidates who graduate with a BA in Elementary education, also earn a Reading Endorsement and ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages Endorsement
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Program Requirements
Toggle More InfoProgram Requirements for the 2020-2021 Catalog Year
The General Education Program Website is located at http://www.fgcu.edu/general_education
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
Degree-seeking students are classified as pre-majors prior to formal transition into a COE major. In order to transition from a COE pre-major to a major, students must complete the following:
- An overall GPA of 2.5 on all hours attempted.
- Pass all subsections of the FTCE General Knowledge Test. No exemptions can be considered.
- Satisfy all General Education requirements.
- Satisfy College-Level Skills requirements.
- Satisfy common prerequisite requirements.
- Successfully complete a background check.
- Obtain liability insurance for field experiences in the PreK-12 schools.
Students must have passed the FTCE Subject Area Exam prior to beginning Level I Internship.
Students must complete all coursework and have passed the FTCE Professional Education Exam prior to beginning Level II Internship.
In addition to the program requirements, students must complete:
- Pass the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE), including the subject area examination and the Professional Education examination.
- A minimum of 48 upper division credits (courses numbered 3000 and higher).
- Complete 30 of the last 60 credits at FGCU.
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy College-Level skills and foreign language admission requirements.
- Satisfy Service Learning requirement. https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/servicelearning/
- Satisfy Civic Literacy requirement.
Program Requirements
- FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major. - Common Prerequisites
A minimum grade of C is required in each course
FGCU Course: EDF 2005 Intro to Teach Prof
Acceptable Substitute: EDFX005 - Courses in the Major
A minimum grade of C is required in each course and an overall GPA of 2.5 is required.
Required Courses (54 credits)
EDE 4940 Internship: Elementary Ed (9)
EDE 4942 Integrated Field Exp; Elem. Ed (3)
EDF 3253 Learning Mgmt Inclusive Class (3)
EDF 4112 Child Growth and Development (3)
EDF 4470 Classroom Assessment (3)
EDG 3323 Professional Teaching Practice (3)
EDG 4937 Sr Seminar-Initial Teach Prep (3)
EEX 4070 Integrat Except Stud in Gen Ed (3)
MAE 4310 Math Content & Processes (3)
RED 4310 Early Literacy Learning (3)
RED 4350 Literacy Content and Processes (3)
SCE 4310 Science Methods (3)
SSE 4343 Social Sciences and Humanities (3)
TSL 3080 Foundations of ESOL (3)
TSL 4340 Methods, Cur, & Instr Effect (3)
TSL 4520 Sec Lang Acquis Comm& Culture (3)
Restricted Electives (3 credits)
EEC 3268 Play Development & Assessment (3)
EEC 4307 Cognitive Exp for Yng Children (3)
LAE 4416 Children’s Literature (3) - University Requirements (3 credits)
IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3) - Additional Electives - as needed to reach total credits required for the degree
Total Credits Required: 120
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Curriculum Map
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Learning Outcomes
Toggle More InfoAcademic Learning Compact
Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.Content/Discipline Knowledge and SkillsCandidates will be able to:
- Demonstrate application of theories and research in human development, pedagogy, diversity, and elementary curriculum content.
- Demonstrate the ability to create an inclusive classroom environment and advocate for equity and inclusion for all learners in the classroom community.
- Develop knowledge and skills to implement best practice to support the needs of all learners in a diverse society, and to enable all learners to develop a deep understanding of content areas and their connections and to build skills to apply knowledge meaningfully.
Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the program level through pre- and post-tests, papers, self-evaluations and/or targeted professional reflections, courses critical tasks, and internship experiences in the following: SCE 4310 Science Methods-- Subject Matter Knowledge, RED 4350 Literacy Content and Processes--Thematic Reading Strategy Application Project, EDG 3323 Professional Teaching Practice -- Lesson Plan, TSL 4520 Second Language Acquisition, Communication, and Culture---Field experience Log, TSL 4340 Methods, Curriculum, and Instructional Effectiveness in ESOL-- Assessment, Lesson Plan, ESL Teaching Strategy, & Reflection, EDE 4942 Integrated Field Experience Level I Clinical Experience-- Teaching Video, EDG 4937 Senior Seminar/ Data Driven Assessment/Instructional Improvement Plan.
Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the program level through pre- and post-tests, papers, self-evaluations and/or targeted professional reflections, courses critical tasks, and internship experiences in the following: LAE 4416 Children’s Literature -- Annotated Bibliography, SCE 4310 Science Methods-- Subject Matter Knowledge, RED 4350 Literacy Content and Processes--Thematic Reading Strategy Application Project, EDG 3201 Professional Studies --Professional Studies Lesson Plan, TSL 4520 Second Language Acquisition, Communication, and Culture---Field experience Log, TSL 4340 Methods, Curriculum, and Instructional Effectiveness in ESOL-- Assessment, Lesson Plan, ESL Teaching Strategy, & Reflection, EDE 4942 Integrated Field Experience Level I Clinical Experience-- Teaching Video, EDG 4937 Senior Seminar/ Data Driven Assessment/Instructional Improvement Plan.
Communication SkillsCandidates will be able to:
- Demonstrate skills in effective communication and professional collaboration.
- Demonstrate the ability to use technology to enhance effective teaching.
Communication skills are assessed at the program level through pre- and post-tests, papers, self-evaluations and/or targeted professional reflections, courses critical tasks, and internship experiences in the following: TSL 3080 Foundations of ESOL Analysis of Student and Family Learning Environment, RED 4310 Early Literacy-- Early Literacy Field Experience Log, SSE 4343 Social Sciences & Humanities-- Instructional Strategies in Social Studies, EDF 4470 Traditional Testing and Alternative Assessments-- Assessment & Action Research, EDG 4937 Senior Seminar---Data Driven Assessment/Instructional Improvement Plan.
Critical Thinking SkillsCandidates will be able to:
- Demonstrate high standards and goal-setting abilities to enable people to achieve high standards.
- Use learner data to make data-driven decisions to improve instruction to help all learners reach high standards.
- Demonstrate critical reflection on practice and experience, leading to development of professional goals for continuous improvement in effective instruction and lifelong learning.
Critical thinking skills are assessed at the program level through pre- and post-tests, papers, self-evaluations and/or targeted professional reflections, courses critical tasks, and internship experiences in the following: MAE 4310 Math Content & Processes-- Mathematics Lesson Plan, EDF 4470 Traditional Testing and Alternative Assessments-- Assessment & Action Research, EEC 4307 Cognitive Exp for Yng Children—Assessment paper OR EEC 3268 Play Development & Assessment-- Individual Child Case Study, EDE 4942 Integrated Field Experience – Level I Clinical Experience--- Professional Development Plan for Classroom Management, EDG 4937 Senior Seminar --- Driven Assessment/Instructional Improvement Plan---Role of Teacher.
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Accreditation
Toggle More InfoInstitutional Accreditation
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Admissions Information
Toggle More InfoAdmissions Information for the 2020-2021 Catalog Year
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website
If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.
Admission Deadlines
Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.
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Course Description
Toggle More InfoOfficial Course Descriptions
Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.
Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
- Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
- Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
- Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
- Press Search
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Course Schedule
Toggle More InfoGetting started with the Course Schedule Search
Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.
Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
- Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
- Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSEATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
- Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.
**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
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Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
Toggle More InfoTuition and Fees
Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.
Financial Aid Opportunities
Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.

Getting Started
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit FGCU's Admissions Office Website.
If you are already an FGCU student, and are interested in applying for this program, visit the College of Education's Admission page to find out more information on how to apply.