Elementary Education: ESOL and Reading Endorsement B.S.

University Admissions

Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:

• Freshman: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admission-information/requirements-deadlines.aspx
• Transfer: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/transfer/admission-information/index.aspx
• International: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/international/admission-information/index.aspx

Program Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to this program must meet the following Department of Education’s Teacher Educator Certification requirements:​

• Earn a 2.5 overall GPA;
• Complete all general education and state mandated common prerequisite courses with a C- or higher in each;
• Pass all sections of the General Knowledge Test; 
  • Information may be found at by visiting the following url: http://www.usf.edu/education/academics/teacher-certification/general-knowledge-test.aspx.
• Submit an application; 
• Students must present documentation of service-related experience with youth from approved agencies prior to acceptance into the program (see Student Academic Services for community service requirements).

State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites

Students wishing to transfer to USF should complete an A.A. degree at a Florida College System institution. Some courses required for the major may also meet General Education requirements thereby transferring maximum hours to the university.

If a student wishes to transfer without an A.A. degree and has fewer than 60 semester hours of acceptable credit, the student must meet the university’s entering freshman requirements including ACT or SAT test scores, GPA, and course requirements.

Transfer students are also required to comply with the immunization, foreign language, and continuous enrollment policies of the university.

Students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted.

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.

• EDF X005 Introduction to Education - 3 credit hours

A minimum of 6 semester hours with an international or diversity focus is required. Eligible courses will be determined by the Florida College System institution 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.

FOR EDUCATION MAJORS: General education courses will be determined by the college 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 and delineated in the Statewide Course Numbering System.

Graduation Requirements

Satisfactory completion of the following requirements: 

• General Education Program, including State Core General Education Requirements; State Computation and State Communication (36 credit hours);
• Minimum of 120 unduplicated credit hours;
• A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at USF and an overall 2.0 GPA average on all college-level coursework;
• Major and college requirements in a chosen degree program;
• Nine credit hours of coursework taken during the summer term(s) (if entered USF with less than 60 credit hours); 
• Registration and successful completion of at least thirty (30) of the last sixty (60) credit hours;
• 42 credit hours of upper-level coursework;
• Civics Literacy;
• Foreign language admissions coursework.

Required Courses: (76 credit hours)

Optional: Elementary Education with ESOL Endorsement

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

• Successful completion of the following coursework:
  • TSL 4080 - ESOL 1 - Curriculum and Pedagogy of ESOL  Credit(s): 3 
  • TSL 4081 - ESOL 2 - Literacy Development in English Language Learners   Credit(s): 3 
  • TSL 4251 - ESOL 3 - Applying Linguistics to ESOL Teaching and Testing  Credit(s): 3  
• A minimum grade of 70 percent or better on all three sections of the ESOL Comprehensive Exam administered in the three ESOL courses;
• Successful completion of a 20-hour early ESOL field experience in TSL 4080 ;
• Successful completion of a late ESOL field experience where students plan, implement, and evaluate lessons for one or more ESOL students over 10 days; and
• Successful completion of all Chalk and Wire assignments as required, including from the three ESOL courses and the ESOL-infused classes.

GPA Requirements

Maintain at least a 2.50 GPA in professional education and specialization coursework. If a student falls below 2.50 GPA he/she may be dismissed and/or may be required to meet with the departmental Professional Standards Committee.

Grading Requirements

Receive a grade of C- or higher in all required courses to progress to the following semester or he/she may be dismissed and/or required to meet with departmental Professional Standards Committee. 

A minimum “C-” grade or “S” in required major courses.

Other Requirements

• Elementary Education with ESOL Endorsement/Reading Endorsement: Students may complete a state-approved program to be eligible for certification in Elementary Education (Grades K-6). ​
• Degree and certification requirements are subject to change in accordance with state mandates. 
• Passing scores on all sections of the General Knowledge Test (GKT). 
• Completion of all General Education requirements and all other program prerequisites. 
• Pay for costs in addition to tuition, fees, and books such as: Chalk and Wire access codes.
• Transportation to and from school sites required in courses and internships.
• Criminal background checks and fingerprinting for internships, as required by the school district in which the student is placed.
• Assignments in some classes (e.g., printing/binding of group project reports, academic and professional portfolio, digital recording equipment, etc.).

Internship Opportunities

Transportation to and from school sites required in courses and internships.

Criminal background checks and fingerprinting for internships, as required by the school district in which the student is placed.

The current program of study includes both coursework and extensive field experience in elementary school settings to enable students to integrate theory with teaching practice. 

All elementary education students are required to demonstrate the Accomplished Practices (APs) through core assignments in courses and internships that are submitted to the Chalk and Wire electronic portfolio system. Students must pass all Chalk and Wire assignments and upload every assignment to their Chalk and Wire account in order to graduate from the program.

Research Opportunities

Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914  course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of Undergraduate Research is able to assist with further inquiries.

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Advising Information

Please contact an academic advisor at sar-advising@usf.edu.

For prospective and current College of Education students with a home campus of Tampa, please select the following link for information about scheduling an  advising appointment:  https://www.usf.edu/education/about-us/advising.aspx

For prospective and current College of Education students with a home campus of Sarasota-Manatee, please select the following link for information about scheduling an advising appointment: https://www.sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/academics/academic-resources/academic-advising/

For prospective and current College of Education students with a home campus of St. Pete, please select the following link for information about scheduling an advising appointment: https://www.stpetersburg.usf.edu/academics/academic-resources/academic-advising/advisor/index.aspx

4 Year Plan of Study - Elementary Education B.S.

NOTES:

• SCIV - Civics Literacy  needs to be completed prior to graduation. For more information, see https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/students/civics-literacy.aspx or talk with your academic advisor.
• Items that are critical are marked with a ✳️ and are included in the plan for a student to stay on track.

Potential Entry Level Job Titles:

• School Teacher
• Director, Preschool
• Director, Child Care

Potential Entry Level Salary Range:

$25,000 - $40,000

2 Year Plan of Study - Elementary Education B.S.

NOTES:

• SCIV - Civics Literacy  needs to be completed prior to graduation. For more information, see https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/students/civics-literacy.aspx or talk with your academic advisor.
• Items that are critical are marked with a ✳️ and are included in the plan for a student to stay on track.