Prekindergarten/Primary Education

Faculty:  W. Evans (Chairperson), B. Dixon, C. Jones, A. Solarski

The B.A. program in Prekindergarten and Primary Education will prepare graduates to teach preschool through third grade. This program offers opportunities for the student to recognize the child as the central figure in education, provide for exceptions among learners, and plan multicultural educational experiences. It includes a sequence of school-based observations and teaching experiences designed to develop skills in planning and managing instruction and working as a member of an overall instructional team. In addition, the program provides knowledge, background, and experiences that make our graduates "first choice" for a variety of early childhood programs. The challenges and intrinsic rewards, together with the NCATE professional endorsement quality, make primary education a uniquely satisfying career.

The Excellence in Teaching Children Program combines the Elementary or Pre-K/Primary programs with a graduate program in special education. Students must enter this program at the beginning of their junior year. Upon completion, they earn both a B.A. and M.Ed. degree. For further information, contact the Teacher Education Division.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the Bachelor of Arts in Prekindergarten/Primary Education must meet the requirements listed below.

Candidates for admission to UWF's NCATE/DOE approved teacher education programs must meet admission requirements detailed under Admission to Teacher Education. In addition to the program requirements noted below, teacher education students must also complete requirements specified under Teacher Education.

Requirements for teacher education programs may change due to legislative mandates. Therefore, the actual program requirements may differ from those listed in the catalog. Candidates must inquire with the Chair of the Division of Teacher Education or with Teacher Education Student Services to obtain the most current program requirements.

Consult with your academic advisor for courses which may satisfy both the General Studies requirements and common prerequisites. 

Prekindergarten/Primary Education majors must include in the lower division requirements at least 9 sh of course work with international or diversity focus. Courses meeting this requirement are indicated below with an "*."

Course descriptions are listed alphabetically by prefix in the back of this catalog.

Lower Division Requirements (60 sh)
The State of Florida mandates specified courses for the Pre-Kindergarten/Primary Education program. These common prerequisites, when combined with the University's general studies program requirements, comprise 60 hours of lower division courses. In addition to three specified education courses (EDF 1005, EDG 2701, and EME 2040), 51 hours must be chosen from the following liberal arts and sciences areas: (a) communications, (b) mathematics, (c) natural and/or physical sciences, (d) fine arts and/or humanities, and (e) social sciences. The hours must include at a minimum:

In addition to EDG 2701, a minimum of 6 hours with an international or diversity focus is required. UWF courses meeting these requirement are indicated below with an "*".

UWF Students majoring in Pre-Kindergarten/Primary Education should take the following courses to meet UWF's General Studies requirement and the state mandated common prerequisites.

Transfer students from Florida Community/Junior Colleges or State University System institutions with an Associate of Arts degree should complete the state mandated requirements as part of their degree program. Students transferring prior to completion of the A.A. degree or transferring from non-Florida public institutions should contact Teacher Education Student Services.

Upper Division Electives (0 sh)