Frequently Asked Questions
B.S. Early Childhood Education: ADVISING
Q. How do I apply to the Early Childhood Education Program?
A. When you apply to the University of Central Florida and choose your major as Early Childhood Education, you are a “pending” Early Childhood Education major until the following criteria have been met:
- Completed the University’s General Education Program Requirements
- Completed the Common Program Prerequisites
- Completed the Early Childhood Education Program Prerequisites
- Have a minimum overall GPA = 2.75
- Pass all four parts of the General Knowledge Test
- Meet the Gordon Rule Requirement
Once the above criteria have been met, you will need to complete an Undergraduate Change of Major Form at the Office of Student Services, ED 110 in order to move from “pending” to Early Childhood Education major.
Q. If I want to minor in Early Childhood Education, how do I apply?
A. If you are declaring a minor in Early Childhood Education:
- Make sure your Major program accepts this Early Childhood Minor
- Make sure you have met ALL of the criteria listed in the catalog
- Complete an application for an Early Childhood Education minor at the Office of Student Services, ED 110.
Once Admitted, registering for classes:
Please contact Dr. Judith Levin ECE program Coordinator in ED 122L or Ms. Lana Smeir, Admin. Assist. ED 209 to help you since you will need an override into the education classes.
Q. How do I know which advisor is assigned to me?
A. You are assigned an advisor as soon as you are admitted into the Early Childhood Education program. Your degree audit will indicate your advisor’s name and contact information. If your admittance into the program is pending, you should contact the Student Services Office for academic advising. Area campus students should meet with their area campus coordinator.
Q. When should I meet with my advisor?
A. Contact your advisor as soon as you are admitted into the Early Childhood Education Program to
plan your course of study. Area campus students should meet with their area campus coordinator. If your admittance into the program is “pending”, you should contact the Office of Student Services for academic advising.
COURSEWORK
Q. Which UCF campuses offer the Early Childhood Education program?
A. The Early Childhood Education program is offered on the Orlando (main) campus, Palm Bay campus, Daytona campus, and South Lake (Clermont) campus. Listed below are the coordinators for each campus:
Orlando Campus (main): Dr. Judith Levin, Program Coordinator, jlevin@mail.ucf.edu
Palm Bay Campus: Ms. Nancy Brasel, nbrasel@mail.ucf.edu
Daytona Campus: Dr. Dierdre Englehart, dengleha@mail.ucf.edu
South Lake/Clermont Campus: Ms. Junie Albers-Biddle, jalbers@mail.ucf.edu
Q. Are on-line classes available?
A. Many of the courses in the Early Childhood Education program have been formatted as a mixed medium class (M) where a portion of the class is face to face and the other portion is web based. A few content courses are formatted completely online and these are web (W) format. Check the POLARIS schedule for the class formats available.
Please note: the B.S. in Early Childhood Education is not an online degree.
Q. If a course is full, can I get an override? If so, how?
A. If registration for a course has been closed, contact the program area liaison to request permission for an override. If this request is granted, then complete the form and submit to the program area liaison for processing. To contact the program area liaison, email your request to ece@mail.ucf.edu.
Q. Can I take courses out of sequence?
A. The Early Childhood Education B.S. program is structured to follow a specific course sequence. Therefore, students must follow the designated course sequence as listed in the UCF undergraduate catalog.
Q. What is the course hours limit each semester?
A. In the Fall and Spring Semesters, the limit is 17 hours.
In Summer Semesters, the limit is 14 hours.
Q. If I want to obtain permission to take additional credit hours, what is the procedure?
A. Complete a “Permission to Take Additional Hours” form found on the Office of Student Services website. The form needs to be completed and then signed by those designated on the form. Visit studentservices.education.ucf.edu.
Q. How do I manage/organize the requirements for the B.S in early childhood program?
A. The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Informational Handbook contains checklists for program requirements and a course sequence outline to assist you in planning your program of study.
B.S. Early Childhood Education Handbook
CERTIFICATION EXAMS
Q. Which tests do I need to take/pass in order to get my Early Childhood Education degree?
A. The Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE):
- General Knowledge Test (GKT)-Taken prior to admittance into the ECE Program
- Subject Area Exam: Prekindergarten/Primary PK-3, (SAE)
- Professional Education Test (PEd)
The GKT must be passed as a prerequisite for acceptance into the Early Childhood Education program. It is highly recommended you take and pass the SAE and PEd prior to your senior internship. For more information regarding test dates and test sites, please visit:
www.fldoe.org or www.fl.nesinc.com
Q. Are there study guides available for the Certification Exams?
A. Yes, study guides can be purchased at the following website: www.fl.nesinc.com/FL_testprep.asp
Q.When should I take the Certification Exams?
A. It is highly recommended to take the SAE and PEd exams during Seminar (EEC 3930C). Seminar coursework will prepare you for the exams.
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SEMINAR
Q.What is Seminar?
A. The EEC 3930C (“Early Childhood Education Seminar – Bridging Theory to Practice”) course will be taken in lieu of Internship I and prior to Senior Internship. ECE Faculty will select the schools and teachers for in-school placement experiences. You will be in your school settings during weeks when class is not meeting face to face. Before entering Seminar (EEC 3930C), there will be a student orientation in which semester requirements will be outlined.
Q.Where do I sign up for Seminar?
A.An application will be provided during the orientation meeting prior to the start of EEC 3930C. Prior to enrolling in the course, a degree audit and completed Course Application will be submitted to an ECE Faculty Member for review.
Q.Are there certain courses that I take during Seminar?
A. Three courses are required along with EEC 3930C (SCE 4304, RED 4311, MAE 4300). These courses have assignments to be completed in the seminar setting.
SENIOR INTERNSHIPS
Q. When do I sign up for my Senior Internship placement?
A. Applying for Senior Internship is completed the semester prior to the placement (Apply Fall Semester for Spring Placement, apply Spring Semester for Fall Placement). Deadlines for these applications can be found on the Office of Clinical Experiences website located at clinicalexperiences.education.ucf.edu
Q. Where do I sign up for my Senior Internship placement?
A. Applications for Senior Internship placements can be found at the Office of Clinical Experiences or on the website located at: clinicalexperiences.education.ucf.edu
Q. What coursework needs to be completed prior to Senior Internship?
A. All coursework must be successfully completed prior to placement in Internship II with a minimum overall GPA of 2.75.
Q. Can I take other courses during my Senior Internship course?
A. No. Senior Internship is a full-time experience. You will be assigned to a school where you will be in attendance daily during your supervising teacher’s scheduled hours.
EARLY CHILDHOOD PORTFOLIOS: LIVETEXT and TESOL NOTEBOOK
Q. What is LiveText?
A. LiveText is an electronic professional portfolio system where you will upload specific “LiveText” assignments as a part of your professional educational portfolio. Each course containing LiveText assignments will include these assignments in the syllabus. It is the responsibility of the student to upload these assignments into their personal LiveText portfolio. For more information go to: livetext.education.ucf.edu
Q. What is a TESOL Notebook?
A. A TESOL Notebook is part of the Florida Department of Education’s requirements for receiving ESOL Endorsement. It is organized with artifacts of ESOL assignments from your coursework. For more information go to: reach.ucf.edu/~studtesol
GRADUATION
Q. What do I need to prepare for graduation?
A.
- All degree requirements must be met – check your SAS audit
- Complete an “Intent to Graduate” form, available from Student Services
- Early Childhood Portfolio (LiveText) must be complete and uploaded onto your LiveText file
- Complete your TESOL Portfolio
- Pass all Florida Teacher Certification Exams (GKT, SAE, and PEd )
Q. Where do I find commencement information?
A. Commencement information including dates, times, location, and available tickets can be located at: www.registrar.ucf.edu
AFTER GRADUATION
Q. Once I have successfully completed Internship II, how do I apply for my:
- Teacher’s Certificate (Pre K-3)
- ESOL Endorsement
A. You will apply to the Florida Department of Education for both the ESOL Endorsement and your Teacher’s Certificate. The advisors in the Office of Student Services can guide you in this process. You may also visit the Florida Department of Education website located at: www.fldoe.org
CHAIN OF COMMAND
Q. Who do I contact if I have questions or concerns?
A. If you have a concern, follow the chain of command to work through the process.
- Office of Student Services- ED 110 407-823-3723 or studentservices.education.ucf.edu
- Program Area Liaison – Tami Lorne – ece@mail.ucf.edu or 407-823-0045
- Your Advisor – see your degree audit for you listed advisor and their contact information
- Program Coordinator – Dr. Judith Levin – jlevin@mail.ucf.edu
- CFCS Assistant to the Department Chair – Dr. Roanne Brice - robrice@mail.ucf.edu
- CFCS Department Chair – Dr. Anne Culp – aculp@mail.ucf.edu
UCF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CAMPUS CONTACTS
Orlando Campus (main): Dr. Judith Levin, Program Coordinator, jlevin@mail.ucf.edu
Palm Bay Campus: Ms. Nancy Brasel, nbrasel@mail.ucf.edu
Daytona Campus: Ms. Dierdre Englehart, dengleha@mail.ucf.edu
South Lake/Clermont Campus: Ms. Junie Albers-Biddle, jalbers@mail.ucf.edu
LINKS
(Add these to your “Favorites” on your web browser):
Office of Clinical Experiences- clinicalexperiences.education.ucf.edu
Office of Student Services- studentservices.education.ucf.edu
Florida Department of Education- www.fldoe.org
Florida Teacher Certification Exams- www.fl.nesinc.com
Early Childhood Education- pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~eceucf
LiveText- livetext.education.ucf.edu
TESOL - reach.ucf.edu/~studtesol
ACRONYMS
CFCS-The Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences
CLAST-College Level Academic Skills Test
ECE-Early Childhood Education
FLDOE-Florida Department of Education
FTCE-Florida Teacher Certification Exams
GKT-General Knowledge Test
SAE-Subject Area Exam
PEd-Professional Education Test
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