Program Details

The Teacher Immersion Program (TIP) is designed to prepare teachers for grades K-12.   Participating candidates will have opportunities to develop their own best practices and classroom management and instructional strategies; study reading, writing and child development theory and research; and serve an internship.  Some courses will require field experiences in addition to the required formal internship.

Please visit the Course Schedule page for updated information on the proposed courses for the Spring 2012 TIP cohort.

FGCU Graduate Admissions Application (small fee).  For more information, call 239-590-7988 or 590-7408 (Ana Hill).

FTCE Exams:  General Knowledge Test; Subject Area Exam; and Professional Education Test.  The fees for these FTCE exams will be posted at the exam registration site:  www.fl.nesinc.com

TIP students are required to purchase LiveText access at www.livetext.com.

Official Statement of Status of Eligibility from FL DOE – check this site for the current application fee:    www.fldoe.org/edcert

See the FGCU Bursar’s website for tuition and fees costs per graduate credit for TIP graduate courses.  At this time (Fall 2011), the graduate courses total $1,036.08 each for FL  residents.

TIP students must get their fingerprints processed and must purchase professional liability insurance (about $20) prior to beginning the internship (last semester in TIP).  Check with Lee County Schools or Collier County Schools for the cost of fingerprinting.  Further, all TIP students must satisfactorily complete the final supervised internship in order to successfully complete TIP.

See TIP Application Checklist

1)  Apply to FGCU as a Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Student ($30 fee).  This can be done at this FGCU website www.fgcu.edu/graduate/nondegree.html or an application may be picked up in Graduate Studies (2300 Lutgert Hall).   You must provide proof of residency and immunization status.  Phone numbers for Graduate Admissions are 590-7988 or 590-7881.  Indicate “Teacher Immersion Program” on the form.  To contact Student Health Services, call 239-590-1254; FAX 590-7968.

2)  Apply to the Florida Department of Education at www.fldoe.org/edcert for an Official Statement of Status Eligibility:   Click on “Apply Here” (top left) ($75.00).  You will complete a form, pay $75, and send all official transcripts to FL DOE.  A copy of this Statement of Eligibility must be provided to Graduate Studies prior to admission.

3)  Have your official college transcripts (from accredited institutions) sent to the Graduate Studies at the address below.  Your overall GPA must be at least a 2.75 to enter TIP.

4)  Submit evidence of passing scores on all sections of the General Knowledge Test to the Office of Graduate Studies.  You may submit official bar-coded results or have your scores sent electronically to FGCU.

5)  Have three current letters of reference sent to the Office of Graduate Studies at the address below.  Letters must be signed and dated, with complete contact information.  The letters should attest to your character and to your ability to handle challenging coursework.  (Letters from family members are not accepted.)

Applicants who do not comply with the above requirements will not be accepted into the TIP program.  Register to take the FTCE exams at www.fl.nesinc.com.  NCLB prohibits schools from hiring teachers who are not “highly qualified” in their subject areas.  To obtain a study guide, I would recommend that you visit your local bookstore, library or go to www.Amazon.com and type in “FTCE Study Guides.”  Many study guides are available for purchase.

  If you would like to pursue the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, then you will need to satisfy all program entry requirements.  Apply to the program after you complete the first five core courses listed at the Resources page.  You will need to pass either the GRE or the Miller’s Analogy Test in order to be admitted into the graduate program, plus satisfy all other application requirements as listed in the current FGCU academic catalogue for the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.

Students receiving (TIP) EPI Certificates of Completion will have completed the following:

• pass all TIP courses with a satisfactory grade (B- or above),
• satisfactorily complete the TIP internship,
• attend all required seminars and specialized workshops
• demonstrate teaching competency based on the Preprofessional: Competencies for Teachers of the Twenty First Century published by the Florida Education Standards Commission,
• pass the FTCE General Knowledge Test,
• pass the FTCE Subject Area Exam for their area(s) of certification,
• pass the FTCE Professional Education Test –  www.fl.nesinc.com.
• Hold a valid Official Statement of Status of Eligibility for their subject area