FAU College of Education

The College of Education is the fourth largest college at FAU with a fall 2012 enrollment of 3,934 undergraduate and graduate students. Nearly one third of our students are over the age of 30, a reflection of our service to individuals seeking a second career in education, practicing educators pursing advanced degrees or certification, as well as students
working toward a degree in education or an allied health field. Most of our students are Florida residents and 32% represent ethnic minorities.

The college opened its doors in 1964 when FAU became the state’s fifth public university, and welcomed lower division students in 1984 when FAU became a four year institution.

Through the efforts of many, the College of Education at Florida Atlantic University offers a variety of excellent and accredited undergraduate and graduate programs from the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders; Counselor Education; Curriculum, Culture and Educational Inquiry; Educational Leadership and Research Methodology; Exceptional Student Education; Exercise Science and Health Promotion; and Teaching and Learning.

Also housed under the College of Education are A.D Henderson University School, FAU High School, Karen Slattery Educational Research Center, Palm Pointe Educational Research School, and Pine Jog Environmental Educational Center. These schools and centers provide educational opportunities for those not yet in college, as well as, university-wide research and hands-on experience for College of Education students.

The college is proud of its programs that recruit, prepare, and support quality educators. The College of Education was named the grant administrator by the U.S. Department of Defense for the State of Florida’s Troops to Teachers program.

Troops to Teachers is a nationwide program authorized by Congress to recruit and provide support services to veterans who enter the teaching field. Those eligible can receive a stipend to pay for certification costs or a bonus if they teach for three years in a high-need or a high-poverty school.

The college has joined forces with the School Board of Broward County to meet the challenge of attracting, developing, and retaining qualified, competent educators for local schools by establishing the Teaching and Leadership Center on the FAU Davie campus. The center’s efforts include recruitment and training mid-career professionals, procuring grant funds for professional development, and developing programs that encourage school students to choose education as a profession.

The college provides opportunities for students to earn income while learning to become effective teachers in three programs collectively known as the Florida Institute for the Advancement of Teaching (FIAT). Project Good FIT (First Introduction into Teaching) places students during their freshman or sophomore year in college in a local school as a paid instructional intern under the supervision of a mentor teacher; Project SMaRT (Substituting with Mentors and Realistic Teaching) places juniors and seniors into schools as paid substitute teachers under the supervision of a university mentor; Project AIT (Accelerated Induction Into Teaching) places highly qualified student teachers in their own classrooms for one semester under the supervision of a university mentor.

Although the College is a state institution, its funded allotment is not sufficient to cover all of our operational costs. We must rely on grants and the generosity of our alumni and donors to supplement funding.