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Admission

The School of Education welcomes students at every stage — whether you are completing your Associate in Arts degree on the way to a teaching career, applying to a Bachelor of Science in Education program, or returning to earn or renew a Florida teaching certificate. Choose the path below that fits you.

Applying to a Bachelor’s program?

For the B.S. in Elementary Education, English Education, Exceptional Student Education, Science Education, or Math Education.

See the Bachelor’s application steps

Already have a bachelor’s degree, or already teaching?

For earning your Florida teaching certificate through the FLDOE Alternative Certification route, or renewing a certificate you already hold.

See the certification steps

Working toward your A.A. before the Bachelor’s program? You only need the standard and your high school or college transcripts, submitted to the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Admissions Office. The steps below are for the Bachelor’s program only.

How to Apply — Bachelor of Science in Education

Applying takes two applications: first to Â鶹ֱ²¥, then to the School of Education. The School of Education application is completed entirely online — you will upload your documents and request your recommendations inside it, and you can track your status from your applicant dashboard after you submit.

Before you begin: what admission requires

Full admission to the Bachelor’s program requires all of the following:

  • An Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree from a regionally accredited college, or at least 60 semester credit hours of college coursework that includes the general studies requirement.
  • The state-required prerequisite courses for education programs, including EDF 1005 (Introduction to Education). Not sure if your courses count? Contact Dr. Gina McAllister at mcallisterg@chipola.edu for advising before you apply.
  • A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in your previous coursework.
  • All four parts of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge Test taken, with passing scores on all four parts. If you have taken all four parts but have not yet passed every one, you may be considered for contingent admission. Contact Dr. McAllister for further information.
  • A satisfactory background check through the school district where you will complete your field experience.
  • A brief narrative and three recommendations, both submitted inside the online application (Step 2 explains how to prepare these).

  1. Apply to Â鶹ֱ²¥

    If you are not already a Chipola student — or were not enrolled last semester — complete the free first.

    Then have your official transcripts sent to the Â鶹ֱ²¥ Admissions Office: your high school transcript showing graduation, and a transcript from every college you have attended.

    Heads up: the School of Education application will ask you to list the colleges you attended, but listing them is not the same as sending transcripts. Your transcripts must arrive separately from each school.

  2. Get four things ready

    You will upload the first three inside the online application, so save each one as a file (PDF is best) before you start:

    • Your brief narrative. A short written statement that covers: your request for admission to the program, why you want to teach, your philosophy of education, and any teaching or related experience that shows your potential as an educator.
    • Your FTCE score report. Your score report showing you have taken all four parts of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge Test. Passing all four parts is required for full admission — if you have taken every part but not yet passed them all, you may be considered for contingent admission (contact Dr. McAllister for further information). Haven’t taken it yet? Register online at , and contact the School of Education about tutoring and test preparation help.
    • Your background check clearance. A satisfactory background check completed through the school district where you will do your field experience (classroom time in a real school). When the district processes it, ask for “contractor or vendor” clearance — that exact wording matters.
    • Contact information for three recommenders. Choose three people who know your academic work, your character, or your ability to work with children or youth. You will enter their names and email addresses in the application — you do not collect letters yourself.
    Talk to your recommenders first. When you submit, each recommender automatically receives an email from Â鶹ֱ²¥ with a recommendation form. Ask them ahead of time, and tell them to watch for the email — including in their spam folder. Your application is not complete until all three respond.

  3. Complete the online School of Education application

    The application walks you through five short steps: admission procedures, your contact information, your personal information, the colleges you previously attended, and your document uploads. You can complete it on any device.

  4. Submit and track your status

    After you submit, sign in to your applicant dashboard any time to see exactly where your application stands — including which recommendations have come in. Your application shows as complete once all three recommenders have responded.

  5. Meet with Dr. McAllister

    Once your application is complete, contact Dr. Gina McAllister at mcallisterg@chipola.edu or (850) 718‑2326 to schedule a meeting about program acceptance and registering for your first classes.

Alternative Certification or Certificate Renewal

If you are earning your teaching certificate through the Florida Department of Education’s (FLDOE) Alternative Certification route, or renewing a current certificate, you do not complete the Bachelor’s application above. Instead:

  1. Complete the as a “Non-degree Seeking Teacher Certification” student. You do not need to submit transcripts. If you were not enrolled last semester, submit a new application.
  2. Send a copy of your Statement of Eligibility from FLDOE (for alternative certification) or your certificate renewal requirements from FLDOE to both the Admissions Office and Dr. Gina McAllister at mcallisterg@chipola.edu.
  3. Contact Dr. McAllister to set up a meeting and register for the courses you need.

Paying for Your Degree

Apply for financial aid as early as you can. To receive any federal financial aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at , or pick up a paper copy from the Chipola Financial Aid Office in Building A, Room 157. Call (850) 718‑2366 or visit Financial Aid to learn more.

The $10K Guarantee. Students in Math Education, Science Education, or Exceptional Student Education will not pay more than $10,000 out of pocket for their four-year degree. These are critical teacher-shortage fields in Florida. For details, contact Dr. Gina McAllister (mcallisterg@chipola.edu) or Shawn Keihn (keihns@chipola.edu).

Questions? Start Here

Interested in the B.S. programs in Elementary Education, English Education, Exceptional Student Education, Science Education, or Math Education but not ready to apply? Tell us a little about yourself and we will follow up.

Request More Information

For advising, contact Dr. Gina McAllister at (850) 718‑2326 or mcallisterg@chipola.edu.