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Types of Florida Teacher Certificates
There are two types of Florida educator's certificates. The standard (or highest certificate) in Florida is the Professional Certificate, which is valid for five school years and may be renewed. Florida also issues a nonrenewable Temporary Certificate, valid for three school years, to an individual who does not qualify for the Professional Certificate, but meets certain criteria to demonstrate mastery of subject content knowledge.

Traditional Routes to Florida Teacher Certification
• Complete a Bachelor's Degree in Education from an accredited or approved institution and pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE).
• Transfer certification from another state.
• Learn more about Certification and FTCE.

Alternative Routes to Certification
School District of Hillsborough County Alternative Certification Program (ACP)
Anyone who holds a degree from an accredited institution in a subject area for which Florida offers teacher certification or has passed the subject area portion of the FTCE is eligible for temporary certification. Anyone hired by the school district on a temporary certificate is eligible to participant in the ACP. Participants may teach for up to three school years on a temporary certificate while preparing for the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE). ACP science teachers may also be eligible for a subject-specific MOSTI mentor to assist with their transition to teaching during these three years. Learn more about the ACP.

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Science or Mathematics
Anyone who holds a degree in mathematics, science, or engineering can qualify for the University of South Florida's MAT programs. MAT is an accelerated program leading to a Master's degree in teaching science or mathematics. Learn more about MAT science and MAT mathematics. Contact Angela Walters at (813) 987-6365 or AngelaW@mosi.org to learn more about the MOSTI program and alternative certification opportunities.

Other Certification Assistance
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence: Passport to Teaching--a commerical program especially designed for career change professionals who want to become teachers. To find out more, go to www.abcte.org

Hillsborough Community College Educator Preparation Institute: a 21-credit hour program for bacculaureate degree holders who want to become certified teachers. Learn more by contacting the program office (813) 253-7980 or email epi@hccfl.edu



MOSTI (Marketing Science Teachers and Induction) is a collaboration of three partners: The Coalition for Science Literacy at USF, MOSI, and the School District of Hillsborough County. The goal of the partnership is to increase the number of quality teachers of Science in the School District of Hillsborough County. (Partial funding provided by U.S. Dept. of Education, Fund for Improvement Post-Secondary Education, 84.116B.)