About The UF College Of Education
The University of Florida College of Education, founded in 1906, consistently ranks in the top 25 among public education schools in the elite Association of American Universities. The college’s national reputation for innovation–forged through pioneering initiatives such as Head Start, the community college system and the middle school movement–endures today. By partnering with public schools and communities across the state, UF education faculty and students engage in novel scholarship and research activities that enhance school improvement, student achievement, teacher preparation and leadership growth in all education disciplines.
Teaching is one of several career paths offered. Nearly 1,900 students are enrolled in 20 bachelor’s and advanced degree programs in teacher education and other disciplines ranging from special education and educational leadership to counselor education and research and evaluation methods. Online enrollment for e-learning courses and education degree programs tops 1,700. To sustain the college’s innovative edge deep into the 21st century, heightened emphasis on emerging technology, advanced graduate studies, public scholarship and interdisciplinary research will effectively prepare tomorrow’s leaders in all education professions.
U.S. NEWS RANKINGS. The College ranks 25th nationally among public education institutions in the elite Association of American Universities, and 53rd overall. The college has two nationally ranked academic programs in their respective specialties: counselor education (No. 3) and special education (No. 4).
ACCREDITATION. The college’s educator preparation programs have been continuously accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954.
KEY INITIATIVES. The College, with more than 27,000 living alumni, has broadened its concept of scholarship in the 21st century to reflect the issues and concerns of society at large as a way of contributing to the public good. Key initiatives include:
- A $5 million grant is helping UF and partnering community groups launch a statewide school-readiness program for at-risk pre-schoolers, starting in Miami-Dade County;
- UF’s new UFTeach and Science for Life programs, buoyed by some $6 million in combined grant support, will help close the critical gap in mathematics and science education;
- Special education researchers, under a $1.6 million federal grant, are field-testing new strategies for helping students deal with anger management issues in the classroom;
- New job-embedded degree programs let Florida teachers earn master’s in education degrees online from UF while honing and applying their new teaching skills in their own classrooms.
- Complementing our traditional teacher preparation programs, two alternative certification programs and three new education minors, all geared for non-education majors, are helping to boost the ranks of qualified teachers in high-need subjects and high-poverty schools.
- Faculty scholars and doctoral students in Higher Education Administration collectively serve as a think tank in helping community college leaders weigh the pros and cons of conversion to four-year state colleges.
