Social Studies 

Teacher Certification in the State of Florida

A degree is awarded by the University.  Certification to teach is determined by the Florida State Department of Education.  There are two ways to become certified in the State of Florida, complete:

A)  an “Approved Program” like the B.S. in Social Studies Education or Alternate (Modified) Masters in Social Studies Education programs at Florida International University (which include certification coursework requirements); or

Certification by the State of Florida/School Districts.  The State of Florida will grant to holders of bachelor’s  or higher degrees in an “acceptable major” (Economics, Geography, History, International Relations, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, etc.) a non-renewable three-year, temporary certificate during which they must complete a set of courses and tests prescribed by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) to be certified.  Students should submit to FDOE their official transcripts and $56.00 and FDOE will issue an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility informing individuals as to the courses that must be taken for the temporary certificate to be issued.  

You can seek certification at the middle school level (grades 5-9) or secondary level (6-12) and in the following "Specializations"   
    1.     Broad Social Science (History & the Social Sciences)
    2.   Economics
    3.     Geography
    4.     History 
    5.     Political Science
    6.     Psychology or
    7.     Sociology. 

It is highly recommended that you seek certification to teach Broad Field Social Science at the middle and secondary level because this provides you the most attractive credential to prospective employers.  

If you qualify for a temporary certificate by meeting the Specialization Requirements, you may apply for teaching positions by approaching school districts and finding one that is willing to request the three-year non-renewable, temporary certificate for you. 

Students pursuing this approach may also enroll in the Alternate (Modified) Masters program at FIU.  You can take the graduate equivalents, whenever possible, of the Professional Requirement courses required by the FDOE and use them to also complete the Masters. 

Process

Step 1: You apply to FDOE for the evaluation of your transcripts.  FDOE will  send you an Official Statement of Status of Eligibility stating what courses and experiences you need to receive a temporary certificate. With this document you are eligible to obtain a teaching position and a Three-Year Nonrenewable Temporary Certificate.  A three-year nonrenewable certificate can be issued to individuals who meet these minimum requirements:

• Submit an application and $56.00 fee for each subject requested.
• Hold an acceptable bachelor's or higher degree.
• Meet specialization (subject content) requirements in a subject in which Florida offers certification. If the Statement reflects deficiencies in the area of specialization, these requirements must be satisfied prior to issuance of the Temporary Certificate.
• Obtain a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the "initial certification" subject to be shown on a certificate.

FDOE Social Studies Specialization Requirements

(Specialization Courses are offered in the College of Arts and Sciences)

(1)  Specialization requirements for the broad field of social science (Grades 6-12).

Step 2: A three-year nonrenewable temporary certificate is issued by the State of Florida once you meet the following requirements:

• Hold a valid Official Statement of Status of Eligibility which reflects no deficiencies in subject requirements.
• Obtain employment in an instructional or administrative position in a Florida public, state-supported, or nonpublic school which has an approved system for demonstration of Professional Education Competence.
• Submit fingerprints to employing district or school. Fingerprint report must be submitted by the employer to the Bureau of Educator Certification.

 You will have three years to complete the following Professional Preparation course work which is about 15 college credits and either a Supervised Student Teaching Internship (6 semester hours) or Two Years of  Teaching Experience.** 

Step 3: Five-Year Professional Certificate
A five-year professional certificate can be issued to individuals who meet these minimum requirements:

• Submit an application and $56.00 fee.
• Meet requirements for the three-year nonrenewable Temporary Certificate.
• Satisfy the recency of college credit or teaching experience requirement.
• Satisfy the professional preparation (education courses) requirement.
• Satisfy Florida's testing requirements by presenting a passing score on each of the following tests or an approved alternative:
  • Florida Professional Education Test
  • College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST)
  • Subject Test for each subject shown on the certificate
• Successfully complete an approved system for demonstration of Professional Education Competence.

 Students who complete the Alternate (Modified) Masters in Social Studies Education are eligible for certification because the degree program is an "Approved Program" by the State of Florida.   

Masters Degree Program students should take graduate courses in the area of Specialization rather than the undergraduate courses.  In some cases, the difference in credit hours between pursuing only certification or the Masters degree may be minimal.  If you pursue certification and take the graduate level Professional Preparation courses, as opposed to the undergraduate, you can apply all the graduate credits to the Masters program.   

Students may contact the Florida Department of Education (see hyperlinks below) to obtain information about an evaluation (Official Statement of Status of Eligibility) of their transcript for just certification.   In addition, the College of Education Certification Office (ZEB 231B) assists students with certification issues and may be reached at 305-348-2768.  

The information on this web site is based on Florida's Department of Education (FDOE) documents.   Contacting FDOE is the only definitive way to determine the courses that must be taken for certification or that may be used from another state or university toward certification, if certification is the only goal of the student.