Professional Training Option Minor

Overview

The Professional Training Option (PTO) is a Florida Department of Education approved pathway for non-education majors to complete the Professional Education component, one of the requirements to become a certified teacher in the State of Florida. Please be advised that students seeking the PTO must be majoring in a teachable subject area in order to participate in the program. See the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) website for the list of Subject Area Examinations in teachable areas: http://www.fl.nesinc.com/tests.asp

The PTO minor consists of 18 credit hours passed with a C or higher with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher. To declare the PTO minor, students must first meet with their home School or College academic advisor. Upon successful completion of the coursework and passing the required Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) students’ UM transcripts will indicate their completion of a Florida State-approved PTO program. Students will then be eligible to apply for a Temporary Teaching Certificate in the State of Florida. The State requires that the graduate complete one-year of successful teaching in an accredited school in Florida in order to apply for a Professional Teaching Certificate. Since state Departments of Education vary their requirements for teaching licensure, students are advised to check reciprocity of the Florida Temporary and Professional Teaching Certificates with the state Department of Education where they plan to teach.

Please note: To be eligible for the Florida Department of Education PTO Accreditation Stamp on the final transcript, students must have earned passing scores on the FTCE prior to graduation in their final semester. 

Curriculum Requirements