Education Programs Offered by the University of West Florida
The University of West Florida is also featured in our ranking of the Top 20 Best Master’s in Reading and Literacy Online.
The College of Education and Professional Studies at the University of West Florida offers programs that prepare future teachers and programs for current teachers. At the undergraduate level, there is a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education that includes two fieldwork components. Each component requires that students spend 100 hours working in a K-6 setting with children under the supervision of a licensed teacher. Students can also apply for an internship that allows them to work in a local public school and get paid for that work. The university only accepts a small number of students into this program each year.
Another Bachelor of Arts program is available in exceptional student education. It focuses on the education of students with special needs such as mental issues and physical handicaps. Students in this program will also do two fieldwork experiences and can apply to the special internship program too. The fieldwork they do must take place in a local school and involve direct contact with special needs students. In addition to a Senior Seminar, students must take more than 70 credits of courses. Those courses include Classroom Management, Teaching Math in the Elementary School, Methods of Inclusion and Collaboration and Literacy for the Emergent Learner.
Several graduate degrees in education are also available, though not all programs are open to students in all states. The administration program features concentrations in acquisition and contract administration, leadership and non-profit administration and leadership administration. In the curriculum and instruction program, students can select from concentrations in elementary, middle level or secondary education. This program looks at the ways in which educators teach and the resources that they use. The exceptional student education program includes concentrations in applied behavior analysis and special and alternative education. Students can also major in reading education or instructional design and technology, which is available as a general program or with a concentration in technology leadership.
About the University of West Florida
The University of West Florida is a public university that is part of the State University System of Florida. Established in 1963 after the Board of Education received authorization to construct a new public university, it did not actually open until 1967 because it took several years for construction to finish on its new campus. The university would also build new residence halls to increase its capacity from 500 students to several thousand. Also known as West Florida and UWF, the university offers classes online and on its campus in Pensacola. It also acquired a historic village in the city and allows students to work with their professors to restore the buildings in the village and to learn more about the area’s history. Ranked among the best colleges in Florida, UWF has an enrollment of nearly 10,000 undergrads and more than 3,000 graduate and post-graduate students.
University of West Florida Accreditation Details
West Florida has accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), which covers both its graduate and undergraduate programs in education. It also covers the programs designed for those who want to teach in elementary and secondary schools. The main accreditation held by UWF comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC). This accreditation is what allows transfer students to attend the university and what lets students seek financial aid.
University of West Florida Application Requirements
The first deadline that West Florida has for undergraduate applications is November 10, which is also the priority deadline for students seeking scholarships. UWF will accept applications from future undergrads up through the first of June. It puts up information regarding housing and the contracts that students need to sign in the middle of December. Those who apply early have a better chance of receiving the housing that they want and of getting scholarships. UWF asks that students submit their test scores and a high school transcript too. Students also need to go online and fill out a form to show that they live in either Florida or Alabama to receive the university’s tuition discount.
Students have until the first of June to submit an application to one of the UWF graduate education programs. There is also a deadline of October first for the spring semester and March first for the summer session. They will need to submit the graduate school application and pay a $30 fee. The university requires both a score from a graduate entrance exam such as the GRE and college transcripts too. Students applying to an online program who live outside of Florida need to download the State Authorization Form and submit it after filling out and signing the bottom. This form shows that the student lives in a state that allows online study through the university. Most of the education graduate programs require a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and ask that students either have a teaching license or be working towards getting a license.
Tuition and Financial Aid
At West Florida, undergrads pay the resident, nonresident or Alabama resident rate. Residents pay $219 per credit hour, while nonresidents pay $648 per credit hour. Undergrads who live in Alabama receive a discount and pay only 75% of the nonresident rate, which comes to $342 per credit hour. Graduate students pay $385 per credit hour as Florida residents, $1,044 per credit hour as nonresidents and $479 per credit hour as Alabama residents. To qualify for the resident or Alabama resident rate, a student must complete and submit a special form. Online students pay the same rates as other students based on where they live. UWF offers room and board packages for undergrads too.
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at West Florida creates financial aid packages as it receives the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that students submit. Both merit and need scholarships go to undergrads and graduate students, and some students will also qualify for university grants. The Argo 30 Guarantee Program is a new one introduced by the university that covers the total cost of tuition and fees for students from low-income homes. Students can also work for the University of West Florida and get other types of financial aid when they enroll in any of the UWF degree programs.
