Welcome to the School of Education!

The School of Education Master's Student Handbook will guide you, providing essential information, as you progress through your program of study.  This handbook is intended to supplement the University of West Florida's Catalog and Student Handbook, which contain essential information about university policies and procedures.

The Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership offers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educational degree programs that prepare graduates to be teachers, principals and educational leaders who make a difference in the lives of those they touch.

College of Education and Professional Studies

The SOE is housed within the College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) at the University of West Florida. CEPS offers programs that prepare our students to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century by developing important skills that prepare them to enter the workforce or graduate school. Through innovative curriculum and challenging courses taught by high quality faculty and experienced practitioners, we provide our students with the foundation for a successful career. To keep up with college news, sign up for the CEPS Weekly Newsletter!

CEPS Advising Center

The CEPS Advising Center assists all CEPS students with course selection, registration and degree planning. We strongly recommend our students to have ongoing communication and meetings with an advisor to ensure all of our students are on the right track toward their degree.  Our advisors provide students with the opportunity to discuss academic programs, career objectives, scholarship and internship possibilities, and other topics vital to overall academic development.

Check here for a list of CEPS advisors. Students may also check the Navigate app in MyUWF to find contact information for their assigned advisor and schedule an appointment. Contact the CEPS Advising Center at cepsadvising@uwf.edu or 850-857-6306 with questions.

Master’s Degree Programs Offered by the School of Education

Curriculum & Instruction, M.Ed.

This 33-semester-hour comprehensive program is designed to enhance the professional skills and knowledge of educators. Applicants will choose one of three specializations: Elementary; Middle-level; or Secondary Education. The Curriculum and Instruction Comprehensive Master's Program is not an initial certification program. Students who are seeking certification are responsible for referring to the appropriate school district or state Department of Education to determine the specific requirements for teacher certification. The program is offered entirely online.

Educational Leadership, M.Ed.

The Educational Leadership Certification Program, approved by the Florida Department of Education, is designed for students who have a minimum of three years of teaching experience and wish to prepare for administrative and supervisory positions such as principal, assistant principal, district supervisor, in-service director, curriculum developer, or dean in public and private elementary and secondary schools.  The specialization covers the ten Florida Principal Leadership Standards and associated competencies and seeks to prepare students for the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE). Passing scores on the FELE are required prior to graduation.

The Educational Leadership Certification Program has a field experience in each course.  Students must have access to and work with an administrator in a school or educational setting. This program is offered entirely online.

Exceptional Student Education, M.A.

This 30-33-semester-hour comprehensive program is designed to enhance the professional skills and knowledge of special educators in the classroom as well as help them advance their careers in agencies and private settings. Each student will select a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis or Special & Alternative Education. The special education and alternative education cognates are designed to develop master teachers who will be prepared for instructional and leadership roles in special education, while the ABA cognate is designed to prepare students to meet the requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam. The M.A. in Exceptional Student Education is not an initial teacher certification program. Students who are seeking certification are responsible for referring to the appropriate school district or state Department of Education to determine the specific requirements for teacher certification. The program is offered entirely online.

Reading Education, M.Ed.

The Reading Education master’s degree program is an innovative, educational program that links literacy research to practical classroom practices. This 36-semester-hour program is offered online as an advanced degree program for credentialed teachers. The curriculum for the program is based on the International Reading Association standards which also encompass the Florida Department of Education K-12 Reading Endorsement and Reading Certification requirements.

This advanced program requires several field experiences which may be arranged through the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership placement coordinator. The program is approved for both the K-12 Reading Endorsement and Reading Certification by the Florida Department of Education. The M.Ed. in Reading Education is designed to prepare educators as reading teachers, reading coaches, district-level literacy specialists, and publishing industry consultants. New cohorts begin in the summer and fall of each year. This program is offered entirely online.

Online Learning

Online learning offers a unique opportunity for students to pursue a degree.  UWF holds our online students to the same level of rigor and commitment as those students who are attending classes on campus.

It is important to understand that these programs are not self-paced. The courses in these programs require your participation in weekly assignments and discussions as outlined in your course syllabi. Online students are expected to spend several hours each week completing lessons and course requirements. 

Students should review the following information prior to the start of the semester:

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate from the program, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • Submit an application for graduation via MyUWF at the start of the semester in which you plan to graduate
  • Successfully complete all required coursework with a grade of “C” or higher (unless otherwise noted on degree plan)
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0
  • Students enrolled in the Reading Education and Educational Leadership programs must complete a second and final Professional Education Applicant Disposition Self-rating Scale
  • Students enrolled in the Reading Education program must pass the Florida Subject Area Exam in Reading Education*
  • Students enrolled in the Educational Leadership program must pass the Florida Educational Leadership Exam (FELE)*
  • Students enrolled in the Educational Leadership program who do not hold current teacher certification must meet the following requirements:
    • ESOL/ELL Requirement. Options for satisfying this requirement include:
      • Sixty hours of ESOL district in-service points; or
      • Three credit hours in a survey course, which can be satisfied by completing TSL 5085 ESOL Principles and Practices
    • Florida Reading Competency 2. Options for satisfying this requirement include:
      • Completion of RED 6060 Foundations of Middle and Secondary Literacy;
      • Northeast Florida Education Consortium (NEFEC);
      • BEACON Educator; or
      • School district in-service

 *Note: Students required to submit passing scores on certification examinations should take the required examinations in the second-to-last semester of coursework to avoid delays in graduation.

 See the Graduation Guide for more information about university requirements and procedures. Find information about commencement here.

Transition Points

Students are monitored throughout the program via performance on key assessments at predetermined transition points. Students cannot move on to a transition point prior to meeting all requirements for the previous transition point. Students may view transition points and their progress in the departmental assessment system.


Required Certification Exams

Students enrolled in the Educational Leadership, M.Ed., or the Reading Education, M.Ed., are required to submit official passing scores on appropriate certification exams prior to graduation.

Educational Leadership, M.Ed. 

Official passing scores on all three subtests of the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) are required prior to graduation. The third subtest portion of the exam includes a written performance assessment which can take some time to be graded. Thus, it is important that students plan to pass the FELE during the second-to-last semester of the program to ensure UWF receives official scores prior to graduation deadlines. If a student’s official passing scores for all three subtests are not received prior to the end of the semester, the student must delay graduation until the end of the semester in which the official passing scores are received and all coursework is complete. For information about registration, test sites, test information guides, and other important information, see http://www.fl.nesinc.com/.  

Reading Education, M.Ed. 

Official passing scores on the Florida Reading K-12 certification examination are required prior to graduation.  It is important that students plan to pass the exam during the second-to-last semester of the program to ensure UWF receives official scores prior to graduation deadlines. If a student’s official passing scores are not received prior to the end of the semester, the student must delay graduation until the end of the semester in which the official passing scores are received and all coursework is complete. For information about registration, test sites, test information guides, and other important information, see http://www.fl.nesinc.com/. 


Academic Advising & Registration

Academic Advising

Students must meet with their assigned academic advisor prior to each semester in order to receive an advising PIN and register for coursework. It is important to schedule advising appointments ahead of the registration period for each upcoming semester to ensure you are able to register for the courses you need. Students may view availability and schedule a phone or face-to-face appointment with an advisor via the Navigate app in MyUWF. When scheduling the appointment, leave a comment regarding meeting preference (phone vs. in person). Note that all times are listed in Central Time.  

Students may also elect to receive advising via email if that is preferable. For email advising, simply email your advisor from your UWF email account with your questions.

Students may find their academic advisor's contact information in the Navigate app or by contacting the CEPS Advising Center at cepsadvising@uwf.edu or 850-857-6306. 

Registration

Registration may be accomplished online via MyUWF. Students are encouraged to register early and to consult with an advisor and their official degree audits as necessary to ensure they enroll in the appropriate courses each semester. To ensure students consult with an advisor regularly, an advisor will be required to release an advising PIN each semester in order for students to register. After the PIN has been released, students may view it by following the instructions here. Refer to the Academic Calendar for registration deadlines and other important dates. Registration instructions may be found here.

Degree Works Audit

Degree Works audits display degree requirements and progress toward completing those degree requirements. Students may access their audits by searching "Degree Works" in MyUWF.

Classmate App

Classmate includes access to students' Class Schedule, Detailed Course Information (including location), Syllabus (if available), eLearning (if available), Textbooks (if available), and viewing the final exam schedule. The Classmate app may be accessed from a mobile device, as well as a personal computer. Students may also view their schedule via the Registration Menu app in MyUWF.

Important Information

Minimum Grade Requirement

In addition to maintaining a 3.0 GPA, students must earn a “C” or higher in all coursework. Should a student earn a “C-” or below in a required course, he or she must retake the course and earn at least a “C” in order to use the course toward his or her program. In addition, students enrolled in the Curriculum & Instruction and/or the Exceptional Student Education program must earn a minimum grade of “B” in EDG 6918 in order to progress within the educational investigative sequence of courses. Likewise, students enrolled in the Exceptional Student Education program who are completing the ABA cognate are required to earn a minimum grade of “B” in each ABA course in order to move on to the next ABA course.

ArgoNet and MyUWF

ArgoNet accounts provide access to UWF online services including MyUWF, email, eLearning, eDesktop virtual lab, computer labs, wireless, and much more. All current UWF students receive an ArgoNet username and password. Activation instructions: 1) Go to MyUWF (my.uwf.edu); 2) In the Home Items list, click Activate Your Account - New to UWF; 3) Follow the on-screen instructions. You can change your password from My Account in MyUWF. 

Email

Activating your ArgoNet account automatically activates your Google Apps account for email, calendar, and collaboration tools. Log into Google Apps at http://gmail.students.uwf.edu. Your email address is your ArgoNet username followed by "@students.uwf.edu". Learn more about Google Apps. Students should utilize their UWF-issued email address as their official means of communication with university representatives and refrain from utilizing personal email addresses when communicating with the university.

Official communication from UWF (instructors, advisors, campus offices, etc.) will be sent to your UWF student email account. Please check this account often to ensure you are getting notifications and information that is sent to you. 

Assessment

Students enrolled in the M.Ed. programs in Reading and Educational Leadership are required to purchase and activate a subscription to the departmental assessment system during the first semester of coursework. Students will be provided the purchase information upon admission. 

The assessment system is utilized in the submission of key assignments, completion of the Professional Education Applicant Rating Scale, monitoring of student progress on transition points and toward degree completion, data collection and management, communication of school news, announcement of events, and many other critical functions. 

Students should complete the Professional Education Applicant Disposition Self-rating Scale by the fifth week of the first semester. Note that the Professional Education Applicant Disposition Self-rating Scale cannot be accessed and completed until the student has purchased and activated a subscription to the departmental assessment system

Attendance Confirmation and Financial Aid Refunds

In compliance with federal regulations, financial aid can only be disbursed to students who have 'confirmed attendance' during their first week of the classes. Confirmed attendance is conducted by the students' instructors verifying classroom attendance. Students will be able to see if their instructor has confirmed their attendance using the "My Classes" app within MyUWF. Read more about attendance confirmation for financial aid disbursement.

It is important to note that financial aid refunds will not be disbursed each semester until the student has begun the minimum number of hours required for the award and attendance has been confirmed by the instructor. Thus, if your financial aid award is contingent upon enrollment in six semester hours of coursework for the semester and your second course begins during Part of Term 3, you will not receive any refund due to you until after Part of Term 3 has begun and your instructor has confirmed attendance. It is important to plan for this if you are enrolled in a program that utilizes eight-week courses.

Time to Degree

All coursework (including transferred credit) must be completed within six years from the date the UWF degree is awarded. The department may recommend that UWF and transferred courses which are older than six years be included in the student’s program of study if the department validates that the student has current knowledge related to the course subject matter.

Plagiarism

Many students do not understand what plagiarism is. The ease of accessing information in electronic form via the Internet and the convenience of word processing applications make plagiarism even easier than in the past. Students raised in the age of widespread computer use, in particular, are often not aware that they are doing anything wrong. Other students intentionally plagiarize on occasion for a variety of reasons, including not taking proper notes when conducting research in order to properly cite or their difficulty meeting an assignment's deadline by completing it properly.

Yet, regardless of why a student plagiarizes, whether through ignorance or intention, the consequences can be severe. This tutorial will teach users how to recognize and avoid plagiarism, and to understand why plagiarism is academically unethical. A plagiarism tutorial may be reviewed here.   

Tuition and Fee Payment

Students should view their account balance and fee payment deadlines in MyUWF. Payment methods and other important information can be found here. 

Resources

Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships

Read about scholarships offered by the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership here. The Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership also offers a limited number of graduate assistantships; some are available to distance learning students. Contact the Department of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership (teel@uwf.edu) with questions about assistantships.

Student Accessibility Resources

Student Accessibility Resources works with students and faculty to help make UWF an accessible learning environment in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. UWF provides individualized support services to encourage full participation for students with disabilities. 

Military & Veterans Resource Center

The UWF Military & Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) serves as a leading campus advocate for military, dependents and veteran students, working to ensure the needs of these individuals are met through coordinating with multiple university offices and services. The center provides assistance with the following: 

  • VA education benefits
  • Active duty tuition assistance
  • Out of state fee waiver
  • Coordinating academic advising
  • Tutoring
  • Counseling
  • Disability accommodations
  • Referral to state and federal resources and services

Out-of-State Tuition Waivers

Degree-seeking students enrolled in online programs may be eligible for the out-of-state tuition waiver. The student must apply for the waiver each semester after registering for courses. Find more details about the waiver and eligibility here.

Payment Plan

The University of West Florida provides eligible students with an alternative to paying the full amount of tuition, housing and meal plans at the beginning of each term.  The UWF Payment Plan replaces the Tuition Installment Plan. Read more here.

Professional Studies Library

The staff of the Professional Studies Library (850-474-2438) – located in Building 86 (the College of Education and Professional Studies building), Room 105 – supports the College of Education and Professional Studies students with services such as library instruction, research assistance, and more. 

John C. Pace Library

Many resources, such as electronic databases, journals and ebooks may be accessed online at the University Libraries by students using the MyUWF login account. Through the library home page you may submit reference questions; access discipline-specific research guides and full-text journals and books; and consult full-text reference sources, e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks and almanacs. Services available to graduate students may be reviewed here.  

Online Learners Library Guide

Writing Lab

The Writing Lab, housed in The Writing Center, offers excellent services to both on-campus and online UWF students. Services such as paper reading/critiquing as well as tutoring in grammar and usage, mechanics, and sentence structure are available. Please contact us and take advantage of the services whether you are in a composition class or need assistance with any other writing assignment. Learn more here. 

Accreditation

More information about university and departmental accreditation may be found here.

Academic Standing

Academic Probation

Graduate students will be placed on probation by the academic department with oversight by the college dean at the completion of the semester during which the cumulative GPA falls below 3.0. A grade of “S” (satisfactory) is not considered in the evaluation of academic standing. Students will be notified of any change to their academic status by their department.

Graduate students on probation are required to attain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 upon completing the next academic semester, following the date which the student was placed on academic probation. Students not achieving this requirement may be suspended from the program. The academic department and college dean have the prerogative to continue a student on probation as determined by the student’s individual circumstances.

With the approval of the department chairperson and college dean, a student on probation in a graduate program may apply for admission to another graduate program provided requirements for admission to that program are met. Applications must be processed through the Graduate School.

Academic Suspension

Graduate students not achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within the probationary semester may be suspended from the program. Written notification will be mailed by the department to the student. With the approval of the department chairperson and college dean, a student suspended from a graduate program may apply for admission to another graduate program provided requirements for admission to that program are met. Applications must be processed through the Graduate School.

Students suspended from a graduate program may petition for reinstatement after the lapse of one academic semester during which the students are not enrolled at UWF. Find more information related to the College of Education and Professional Studies’ requirements and procedures for reinstatement here.

  • No labels