FGCU College of Education

MA/MEd Special Education

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Information Regarding Admission to the College of Education
for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Admission to the College of Education: UNDERGRADUATE

Admission to the College of Education Admission to the College of Education and to its upper division teacher education programs is separate from admission to the university and is contingent upon meeting all general university admission requirements and the following college requirements:

  • Admission to the university.
  • Satisfactory completion of all general education requirements.
  • Satisfactory completion of Gordon Rule computation and writing requirements.
  • Attainment of an overall GPA of 2.5 on all attempted hours.
  • Passing all subsections of the CLAST. No exemptions can be considered.
  • Satisfactory completion of all applicable common prerequisites and completion of the following common prerequisites with a minimum grade of C: EDF 2005 Introduction to Education, EME 2040 Educational Technology (or equivalent), and EDG 2701 Teaching Diverse Populations.

The College of Education limits the transfer of coursework into its undergraduate programs. To be considered, courses must have been completed with a minimum grade of C and no more than five years prior to the date of entry into the College of Education undergraduate program.

Students who have not achieved admissions standards may, under special circumstances, be considered for admission into the college. See the college advisor for more information.

General Education

Students are expected to complete 36 hours of approved general education coursework during the first two years of attendance (see the General Education section). Some coursework can be used to satisfy both general education and common prerequisite requirements.

Common Prerequisites

Common prerequisite coursework is dependent upon year of matriculation into a Florida public community college or university and, in the case of transfer students, the term of admittance into an upper division major. Students are urged to consult with an academic advisor to determine common prerequisite requirements. (Also see Common Prerequisites in the Registration and Records section of this catalog.)

Requirements for 2001-02:
EDF 2005* Introduction to Education (3)
EME 2040* Educational Technology (or equivalent) (3)
EDG 2701* Teaching Diverse Populations (3)

*Must be completed with a minimum grade of C.

In addition to EDG 2701, an additional 6 hours must be taken with an international or diversity focus. In addition to these three education courses, 45 semester credit hours must be chosen from the following liberal arts and sciences areas: (a) communication; (b) mathematics; (c) natural and/or physical sciences; (d) fine arts and/or humanities; and (e) social sciences. These hours must include:

  • Nine (9) hours in writing, literature, and speech.
  • Nine (9) hours in science to include earth, life & physical science, with a minimum of one associated lab.
  • Nine (9) hours in mathematics to include college algebra or above, and geometry. (Only courses with MGF, MFT, MAC, and STA prefixes qualify. MGT 1106 meets the geometry requirement.)
  • Twelve (12) hours in social sciences to include American history and general psychology.
  • Six (6) hours in humanities to include philosophy and fine arts.

Admission to the College of Education: GRADUATE

The following are minimum requirements for admission into a graduate program in the College of Education:

  • Baccalaureate degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited university.
  • Any one of the following:
    1. a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester hours attempted accruing to the undergraduate degree; or
    2. a combined score of 1000 or higher on the quantitative and verbal sections of the GRE exam; or
    3. a 50 or higher on the MAT; or
    4. a graduate degree from a regionally accredited instititon. Note: All applicants must submit GPA and graduate admission (GRE or MAT) test scores regardless of which criteria are met for admissions. Some programs may have additional admissions criteria (refer to program information). Students may be required to take specific undergraduate course(s) if they do not have the necessary prerequisites for the graduate level course or program.
  • Submission of three favorable recommendations from professionals in the field.
  • Students who are entering an initial education certification program without prior teacher certification or eligibility must also have passed all CLAST subsections for admission. Applicants may subsitute a score of 1000 or higher on the GRE for CLAST.

The College of Education limits the transfer of courswork into its graduate programs. To be considered, courses must have been completed with a minimum grade of B and no more than seven years prior to the date entry into the graduate program and no more than ten years prior to graduation from the graduate program. Decisions concerning the transfer of coursework are made at the time of admission. An approved plan of study will be developed in coordination with program advisors and/or faculty.

If the number of applicants to a program exceeds the capacity, preference will be given to students who, after review of the entire graduate application, demonstrate the strongest potential for success in the chosen field.

Students who have not achieved minimum test scores or the minimum GPA but who meet all other requirements may, under special circumstances, be considered for admission into a program.


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