Program Admission

Admission Requirements

Admission to the BS in Early Childhood Education program requires:

  • Completion of an online application here for acceptance as a degree-seeking student at Polk State College.
  • Online Bachelor of Science in Education Admission Packet. After completing the online application for the degree-seeking bachelor’s student (above), please complete the online admission packet for the BS in Early Childhood Education program found here.
  • Associate of Arts degree or an Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Management, or the equivalent, from a regionally-accredited school or college with a minimum 2.5-grade point average(GPA) on a 4.0 scale.
    • If the student’s associate’s degree is from a non-regionally accredited institution but is nationally accredited, the degree qualifies for admission, but a course-by-course evaluation is done according to Polk State College’s transfer practices and policies.  More information can be found here.
  • Completion of EDF1005 (Introduction to the Teaching Profession)with a grade of “C” or higher. (Please note: EDF1005 is the only required lower-division education course required to be taken by the state of Florida. However, other lower-division courses listed below are important for providing a strong base before moving into the bachelor’s level and are highly recommended.)
    • EDF1005 – Introduction to the Teaching Profession – Required
    • EDF2085 – Introduction to Diversity for Educators – Recommended, not required
    • EME2040 – Introduction to Technology for Educators – Recommended, not required
    • EDF1250 – Introduction to Classroom Management – Recommended, not required
  • Passing score on the General Knowledge Test (GKT) of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). 
    • Register at FTCE/FELE.
    • When registering, please identify Polk State as the institution to receive a copy of your official scores. (We recommend you take the GKT 3 to 6 months ahead of your anticipated start in the program.)
    • The four General Knowledge Test sections you need to take are: Essay Subtest, English Language Skills (ELS) Subtest, Reading Subtest, and Mathematics Subtest.
  • Fingerprint-based background check. After you have been officially admitted to the program, you will need an appointment with Polk County Public Schools for a background check. Your program coordinator will guide you through these steps at the proper time.