Florida Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in Florida, and Which Exams Does It Use?

Florida licenses teachers through Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Certification, and the exams it requires are the FTCE, the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Florida are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get a Florida Teaching License With an Online Master's?

An online master's can lead to a Florida teaching license through the Temporary Certificate, because Florida accepts approved teacher preparation programs from other states when the program area is a subject Florida certifies and the training sits at the degree level Florida requires for it. Such graduates will likely qualify for the Temporary Certificate and teach full-time while they pass the exams.

Florida calls its license a certificate. Both the Temporary and the Professional Certificate last five school years, but only the Professional one renews. Weigh an online master's in elementary education or secondary education against the approved-program condition above.

Which Exams Does Florida Require for Teacher Certification?

Florida requires the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations for teacher certification: candidates take one of 39 subject area examinations, plus the General Knowledge Test and the Professional Education Test. Administrators sit the Florida Educational Leadership Examination in addition to those two tests, and registration runs through the FTCE site.

Florida runs its own examinations in place of Praxis. Passing scores count if earned no more than ten years before you apply, so a score from an early attempt can lapse while you finish a degree.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Florida From Another State?

Transferring a teaching license to Florida from another state works through two reciprocity routes that lead to a Professional Certificate. Route 1 takes a currently valid standard certificate comparable to Florida's, in a comparable subject, requiring the same or higher level of training. Route 2 takes a currently valid National Board certificate.

Someone who no longer holds either applies for a Temporary Certificate in the major or program subject. The 2020 comparison by the Education Commission of the States recorded full reciprocity for Florida, and the department's conditions today make it a matching test of subject and training level rather than an automatic swap.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Certification for Florida Online Master's Students?

Florida's NC-SARA membership, approved in October 2017, covers whether a school may serve you online and stops short of teacher certification for Florida online master's students, because SARA does not address professional licensing board approval in fields like teacher education. The Bureau of Educator Certification decides who is certified.

Where SARA helps is disclosure: participating schools state whether a program meets licensure requirements where you live. Florida's subject list tells you what to test that notice against: Reading, Educational Leadership and School Counseling are each marked as requiring a master's degree.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Florida?

Ask the online program for its written determination on Florida before you enroll. Under 34 CFR 668.43, a school advertising licensure preparation must state which states' requirements its curriculum meets and which it does not, with notice ahead of enrollment where yours is a shortfall or an unknown.

Florida specifics come next: is it a state-approved program where it sits, is the degree level the one Florida requires for your subject, which FTCE tests does it prepare you for, and will it help you arrange a placement in a Florida school?

Which Certificate Do Florida Principals and School Counselors Need?

Florida principals and school counselors each need a master's degree, since the department's subject list marks School Principal, Educational Leadership and School Counseling as master's degree required. Reading for grades K to 12 carries the same mark.

An administrator candidate also passes the leadership examination named above. Choose an online master's in educational leadership, school counseling or reading and literacy only after checking that its content courses match the state rule for that subject.

Does Florida Require a Master's Degree for a Professional Teaching Certificate?

Florida does not require a master's degree for a Professional Certificate, which asks for at least a bachelor's degree, but a master's can settle one requirement outright: documentation of a master's or higher degree on an official transcript satisfies General Knowledge under a rule effective July 1, 2021.

The degree settles General Knowledge only. The department's certificate page lists Subject Area Knowledge and Professional Preparation and Education Competence as separate requirements, so a master's does not replace them.