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 area in order to participate in the program. (See the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations 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. Upon successful completion of the coursework and passing the required Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) student's UM transcripts will indicate that the student has completed a Florida State-approved PTO program. Students will then be eligible to apply for a 3-year 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. Please note: Students must have passing scores on the FTCE prior to graduation in order to be eligible for the PTO Stamp.

Curriculum Requirements 

TAL 103Psychological Foundations of Education3
TAL 330Introduction to the Education of Exceptional Individuals3
TAL 305Classroom and Behavior Management3
TAL 404Content Area Literacy in the Secondary Classroom3
TAL 506Issues and Strategies for ESOL3
TAL 540Instruction and Assessment in the Secondary School.3
Select one of the following as appropriate for the subject area and approved by the advisor:
TAL 540
Instruction and Assessment in the Secondary School.
TAL 541
Instruction and Assessment in Secondary English Language Arts
TAL 542
Instruction and Assessment in Secondary Mathematics
TAL 543
Instruction and Assessment in Secondary Science
TAL 544
Instruction and Assessment in Secondary Social Studies
Total Credit Hours18