Master of Science: Elementary Education

(For Those Seeking Certification, Revised 11/13/06*)

The following program is a program that is effective for students entering in the Fall of 2002 or later:

Purpose:

This degree program is designed for the student who has already completed a B. A. or B. S. in a field outside Elementary Education and now wishes to use his or her experiences to enrich the elementary classroom. The program provides course work and field experience leading to certification and the M. S. in Elementary Education. (The Florida Department of Education program has approved the following for the initial certification of its graduates.)

Applicants to the program are required to submit 1) a University Application (850) 644-3420, 2) a Department Application (850) 644-4880, 3) an official transcript (850) 644-1050, and 4) verification of the GRE score (850) 644-3017. The requirement for the entrance to the program is based on comparing scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and grade point average (GPA). A score of 1000 on the GRE is recommended, but if the score is lower, then GPA will be considered. All students (including graduate students) seeking initial certification must have one of the following:

1. An overall GPA of 2.5 minimum, or a minimum 3.0 GPA on the last two years of undergraduate study
2. Must have a 3.0 GPA or a GRE score of 1000 or above.  If the GRE score is less than 1000, passing scores for CLAST must be submitted or a passing score for the General Knowledge Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Testing (FTCE) (see http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/mast_gen.asp).

Required Courses:

(Endnotes refer to Section E on following page.)

A.	Teaching Field Specialization Requirements	Course	S.H.	Offered1
	Classroom Organization and Management	EDE 5511	3	Fall
	Differentiated Instruction	EDE 5327	3	Spring
	The Elementary School	EDE 5225	3	Fall
	Teaching Oral and Written Expression	LAE 53192	3	Spring
	Investigation in Children's Literature	LAE 54152	3	Fa, Su
	Emergent Reading	RED 5109	3
	Foundations of Developmental Reading	RED 51472	3	Fa,Sp,Su
	Problems in Teaching Elementary Social Studies	SSE 56152	3	Fall
	Conceptual Learning in Elementary Science	SCE 5715	3	Spring
	Topics and Teaching of Elementary Mathematics	MAE 5318	4	Fa,Su
	Supervised Teaching	EDE 59403	3	Fa,Sp
	Student Teaching and General Methods	EDE 49434,5,7	10	Fa,Sp
B.	Educational Foundations
	Psychological Foundations
	Theories of Teaching and Learning	EDP 5216	3	Fa,Sp,Su
	Educational Assessment
	Classroom Assessment	EDF 5431	3
C.	Technology (One of the following):6
	Technology for Elementary/Middle School	EDE 5346	3
	Educational Technology: Theory & Practice	EME 5054	3
D.	English for Speakers of Other Languages Introduction to Teaching ESL/EFL	TSL 5005	4
E.	Examination
	Master's Comprehensive Examination	EDE 8966	0	Fa,Sp,Su
	Total Credits to Complete Program		54-57

 

Endnotes

1. The offered column indicates the term when a course is typically offered in Tallahassee. The School of Teacher Education and Florida State University make no commitment to continue course offerings on this schedule. Most courses are also taught periodically in summer. For specific course offerings for each semester, check with department.
2. Each student must have at least 26 semester hours of credit at the 5000 level (or above) excluding Student Teaching for the M. S. in Elementary Education. All coursework in the program of study must be approved by the committee
3. Students without extensive experience in the elementary classroom will be required to complete three semester hours of Supervised Teaching (EDE 5940) prior to Student Teaching. This requirement should be met in a variety of elementary grade classrooms. Students are advised to take at least one hour of EDE 5940 each semester of course work. Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of classroom participation for each credit in EDE 5940. The student will be required to submit a log documenting their participation activities and an evaluation completed by the classroom teacher. See http://www.coe.fsu.edu/ste/programs/ElementaryEd/EECE-SupervisedTeaching.htm for description of Supervised Teaching.
4. Students seeking initial certification may take Student Teaching only at the undergraduate level and the credits may not be counted towards the M. S. degree requirements. A prerequisite to Student Teaching is a minimum of 120 hours of public school classroom experience. Students who are seeking certification in elementary education, but have completed a supervised, classroom student teaching experience for certification in another curricular area, will not be required to repeat student teaching; however, they will be required to complete the EDE 5940 requirement.
5. Students must attend a Student Teaching meeting and submit their Student Teaching application forms by the Department by the due date during the early Spring or Fall semester which precedes the student teaching experience.
6. Students who can demonstrate competency in the use of technology in the classroom may have the option of waiving this requirement with permission of supervisory committee.
7. While taking student teaching students are urged to attend EDE 4421.

General Notes

No more than twelve semester hours of course work may be taken as a special student or six hours transferred from another university and counted for the degree requirements. Such credits will be counted towards the degree requirements only after the student's supervisory committee approves them.

The Supervisory Committee

Before the completion of 12 semester hours of course work, each student must request a major advisor and supervisory committee, plan a program of study which meets the requirements outlined above, and file paperwork with the Office of Student Services, 108 Stone.

The student's supervisory committee is composed of three graduate faculty members, two of whom are members of the Elementary Education program faculty. The major professor and one other committee member must be chosen from the Elementary Education program faculty, listed below.

Robert Clark	Angie Davis	James Fetterly
Diana Rice	Barbara Eubanks*	Marion Fesmire*

*Co-directive

For Application:

Download from the website: http://www.coe.fsu.edu/STE  or call or write the School of Teacher Education, G107 Stone Building. Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4459, (850) 644-4880, for questions e-mail:  Diana Rice at rice@coe.fsu.edu.

* Prior to completing this program students must provide evidence that they have successfully passed the Florida Teacher Competency Tests in the following: General Knowledge, Professional Knowledge, and K-6 Content Test.