EducationMinor

The Department of Teaching and Learning offers two minors. A minor in education requires a total of 12 credits in the School of Education with at least 2 courses taken at the 300 level or above.
The Professional Training Option minor in the School of Education and Human Development is a Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) approved alternative certification program, which prepares students for teacher certification in Florida, after they complete a full year of teaching in an accredited school. The PTO program allows students who are majoring in a variety of subjects to complete the professional education coursework necessary for certification in the state of Florida.
A major in education is a traditional four-year program. In addition, education students are required to choose a major field of study in the College of Arts and Sciences. The program enables graduates to pursue career opportunities related to their Arts and Sciences major as well as those directly related to education. Students can also elect to take a minor in education.
The PTO minor requires completion of coursework in the professional preparation areas of social and psychological foundations of education, classroom and behavior management, content area literacy instruction, and instructional methods for teaching in the chosen content area. Students will be placed in a variety of educational settings during their coursework to provide them with hands-on classroom experiences.
Admission to the minor requires a minimum 2.5 CGPA and a grade of C or higher in TAL courses. A student pursuing the PTO minor is required to complete the Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) prior to degree conferral in order to have his/her transcript stamped with the official FLDOE endorsement as a completer of a Florida teacher preparation program.
Education Minor
(not for certification)
- 12 credit hours.
- TAL 103 is required.
- Two courses must be taken at the 300 level or higher.
- All courses must be passed with a C or high with a minimum of 2.5 GPA for the minor.
- It is strongly recommended that students enroll in courses for this minor which do not include Field Experience. Please see an advisor for a list of those courses.
- This minor does not lead to teaching credentials.
Professional Training
Option Minor
The Professional Training Option (PTO) is a Florida Department of Education approved pathway for non-education majors to complete the Professional Education component, one of the requirements to become a certified teacher in the State of Florida. Please be advised that students seeking the PTO must be majoring or minoring in a teachable subject.
- Fingerprinting and Background check completed with the MDC-PS Office
- 18 credit hours.
- All courses must be passed with a C or high with a minimum of 2.5 GPA for the minor.
- Students must pass the specified tests of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam. These tests include the General Knowledge Test (all four sections) and the Subject Area Exam of the student's discipline area (Biology, English, Math etc...). These tests must be passed prior to graduation in order to be eligible for the State of Florida Stamp applied to transcripts.
- Students must pass all 4 sections of the General Knowledge Exam (GKT), part of the FTCE, in order to be eligible for 400 level courses or higher.

Required Coursework
TAL 103 Psychological Foundations of Education
Two TAL courses 300 level or higher
TAL Course
TAL 103 Psychological Foundations of Education
TAL 305 Classroom and Behavior Management
TAL 330 Introduction to the Education of Exceptional Individuals
TAL 404 Content Area Literacy in the Secondary Classroom
TAL 506 Issues and Strategies for ESOL
Select one course from the following list as appropriate for the subject area
TAL 524 Education and the Arts
TAL 541 Instruction and Assessment in Secondary English Language Arts
TAL 542 Instruction and Assessment in Secondary Mathematics
TAL 543 Instruction and Assessment in Secondary Science
TAL 544 Instruction and Assessment In Secondary Social Studies
