EFSC Offers New Bachelor Track to Address Teacher Shortage

Eastern Florida State College is starting a new Bachelor's Degree track in Education to tackle a critical shortage of science teachers in grades 6-12 in Brevard Public Schools.

Classes in the Bachelor of Science Degree in Science Teacher Education - Biology Teacher specialization will begin in the Fall Term this August. Interested students should apply by the July 28 priority deadline.

The program is the result of a close partnership between the college and BPS to create a steady stream of new teachers to replace growing numbers who are retiring or leaving the profession.

The college hopes to expand the science teacher program in the coming years to include Bachelor's Degree specializations in chemistry, physics, Earth and space sciences, plus a track for middle school science teachers.

Districtwide, BPS officials say they need dozens of new science teachers annually.

"With two teaching academies in our high schools, BPS knows the importance of training the next generation of teachers," said Dr. Mark Mullins, BPS Superintendent.

"We consistently look for local candidates to add to our experienced teaching staff, and this new degree from EFSC will make it easier to go from being a college student to a high school teacher. When those students graduate from EFSC, they will have a job offer from BPS."

Dr. Jim Richey, EFSC's President, said the degree is another in a wide range of new and expanding programs to meet specific local workforce needs, including healthcare, aerospace, high tech and advanced manufacturing.

"The college and BPS are deeply committed to providing a high-quality education to members of our community. This new degree is especially important and we're eager to get it started," said Dr. Richey.

The Biology teacher degree coursework includes an internship and other hands-on teaching opportunities in middle or high school classrooms, which require passing a BPS background check.

Applicants must meet several requirements as part of the admissions process. They include:

• Earned an Associate Degree from a regionally accredited college and all required general education courses and common program prerequisite requirements.

• Have an achieved a Grade Point Average of 2.5 or higher on a 4-point scale as reflected on the official degree transcript.

A complete list of requirements and the steps to apply can be found at easternflorida.edu/go/science.

The program is the 25th Bachelor's Degree track at EFSC since the college began offering four-year degrees in 2013. The other tracks are in Business, Healthcare and Computer Technologies.

To learn more about all the Bachelor programs, visit easternflorida.edu/go/bachelors.

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