Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Embry Riddle, Miami Dade College, State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota, and Edison.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Carlos Albizu, Florida International, Embry Riddle, and Nova Southeastern.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Carlos Albizu.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Florida A&M, Miami Dade College, Florida International, and Saint Thomas University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Nova Southeastern, Barry, Warner University, and Indian River State College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Embry Riddle, Hobe Sound Bible College, The University of Tampa, and Florida Institute of Technology.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Clearwater Christian, Hobe Sound Bible College, Stetson University, and Trinity Baptist College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Miami, University of Florida, Florida State, and Central Florida.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Edward Waters, Florida International, Florida Memorial University, and University of South Florida-Main Campus.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Stetson University, Hobe Sound Bible College, University of Miami, and Florida A&M.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Nova Southeastern University • Las Vegas, FL
Studying Educational Leadership (completion in 2008)
• 4/29/2011
"I will be paying for this degree for the rest of my life. I obtained the degree thinking I would land a good paying job in school administration. With the current economy, I will be stagnant for years to come."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | There are no jobs currently in educational leadership. Teachers are being laid off and our educational system is in ruins. The future looks bleak to say the least and I would not recommend anyone getting a degree in educational leadership. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The local reputation is pretty good. There are not many schools offering degrees in educational leadership in my area. In fact, UNLV closed their educational leadership department because of the budget crisis. |
| Program Quality | 8 | There were some flaws with the degree. Some of the professors were pompous jerks. The school was very expensive and the degree is not cost effective as I thought. |
| Instruction | 9 | Beside having obvious careless professors; some of my professors were amazing and inspiring. Obviously, they cared about what they do. Sometimes, this is rare in the educational field. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The load was a lot. I had to work full-time as well as go to school full-time. This was my second Masters Degree in the education field. I am no stranger to hard work. But, as you get older, the work wears on you. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I had a variety of experiences including online classes, internships, and book classes. It was a nice mix. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The classes were designed to work for working adults like myself. The flexibility of classes was good. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The Las Vegas campus is a satellite office from the main campus in Florida. The building is like an office building. However, the facility is nice and clean and the rooms and computer labs are adequate for learning. |
| Social Life | 5 | One of my classmates was a grade A jerk. She was extremely liberal and often got on my nerves. The social experiences were only related to the classes I took. I did not participate in anything outside of the classes I took. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Job placement? There is no job placement program that I am aware of. There are no jobs for educational administrators in my local area. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni network is not strong at all. I never receive correspondence in any form. |
UW: Whitewater • Whitewater, FL
Studying Education/Math (completion in 2008)
• 10/28/2011
"I received a great education. I got the degrees that I needed in order to succeed in my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They will get the education that is needed in order to succeed. The staff is very helpful. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It is regarded as one of the best programs in the state of Wisconsin. Staff are very willing to help make a great learning environment. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Knowing the math was very important to me. The education classes did not seem to cover the basics of how to teach and how to manage a classroom. |
| Instruction | 8 | Teachers for the most part were fantastic. They had very important real world experience to help us. |
| How Difficult | 6 | There were some classes that needed a lot of time outside of the classroom in order to stay on top of things. Other classes did not require me to think much outside of the classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They tried to do a lot of hands on work but it is hard to get a lot of students into the same classroom at a school. The math classes tended to be more book work than anything else. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They had a great selection of class meeting times for the lower level classes. As the classes became more focused the time slots diminished. They did a good job scheduling classes that are normally taken together at different times, which helped a lot. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school had one of the largest libraries that I have ever been too. It was nice because I could get lost and find a corner upstairs and not see anyone for 3 hours while working. |
| Social Life | 4 | 80% of the students left campus on the weekends. Options for a social life were limited. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Most job placement was done on my own. I moved about 2 hours away from the school so they did not have connections out there. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | The only thing that they want from me is money. |
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Studying Business (completion in 2008)
• 10/27/2011
"If I had to go back again, I would because of distance. I also would say that many of the professors were helpful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The flexibility of the schedule is great. Anyone pursuing teaching can finish most of the program during the summer. This provides your fall and spring semester free for your internship. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | To my knowledge the business department is second in the state of Florida. Second to the University of Florida. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school did not provide help for employment once I completed my degree. |
| Instruction | 2 | Many of my professors taught theory rather than practical real world concepts. This did not help me with any job I held after graduating. It also did not help me get hired. The Subject Area Reading course was the only course that helped me teach concepts to a given age. |
| How Difficult | 3 | Now in the real world, I find that I used nothing that I was taught. The program was very easy and I got "A's." |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most classes were based solely on the book. There were a few classes that involved a project. When teaching high school, I feel that the more hands on experience the students receive the more likely they are to retain the information/concepts they are being taught. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | The school offered very flexible hours. They took into account that students work during the day and offer day or night classes. While undergoing my teaching certificate courses, the school offered an accelerated program over the summer due to most teachers not working during that time. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | There is a large library with many resources. Unfortunately all the resources are not user friendly. |
| Social Life | 3 | School spirit is not like it was when I was in high school. At the college many people went to class and left. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The school provided absolutely no support in getting a job. The only support I received was to get unpaid internships. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Although it is strong I never participate in any events. I find that I get a lot of emails about events though. |
University Of Tampa • Tampa, FL
Studying History (completion in 2003)
• 11/2/2011
"I loved the University of Tampa. Great teachers, small classes and a fun student body."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | UT provides a ton of majors and minors. It has master's and PhD programs. The professors are great and easy to work with. Fantastic university. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The University of Tampa is recognized as a great school overall and has a fine reputation in the Tampa Bay area for their history department. I can say it did me justice when I interviewed for my current job. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The University of Tampa was fantastic. It's a private college that has a very good student-to-teacher ratio. Every professor knows you by name. The History department was outstanding. It was a small department, but almost a family atmosphere. Professors would work with me and my job schedule. I am still friends with many of them to this day. |
| Instruction | 10 | One professor stands out. Dr. Farnum took a real interest in all of his students. He often asked us questions as to what our intentions were after college and suggested things we could do while at UT, to better our chances at landing a teaching job. He even set up a workshop on how to handle the interview process. On top of this, he was a great teacher. He served 2 tours in Vietnam and loved history. Sadly, he passed a few years back. My overall schooling in United States history was top notch. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I did not find the workload too difficult. I love history and never minded the reading or writing. It's something I always loved learning about. It just came easy to me, I guess. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There are not a ton of hands-on things you can do with the study of history. We spent much of our time reading and writing. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | UT has plenty of evening and summer options. I do recall taking an evening course while I was there as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Plant Hall at UT is a historical landmark. Actually, much of the Spanish-American War was planned there. The US Army and Navy departed for Cuba from the Port of Tampa right by UT. Needless to say, some of the classrooms are outdated. |
| Social Life | 6 | Not a big party school. We did have a great baseball and basketball team while I was there. The baseball team actually won the D2 college world series, and that produced some good times. School spirit was pretty good. |
| Placement Services | 8 | UT does a great job in working with their seniors and placing them in careers. On top of each department working with their students, the school and student unions set up workshops for producing quality resumes and interview tips. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Many of the students that attend UT are from all over the country, which provides for a small local alumni population. I can't speak for the whole school, but as far as History, you don't see too much networking in my field. |
University Of Florida • Gainesville, FL
Studying English (completion in 2010)
• 10/31/2011
"I loved my years there and would go back in a heartbeat. Campus is beautiful and you can't beat the atmosphere."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school has a good English program and an entire college devoted to Education. It also has an amazing variety of spirited activities. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school isn't famous for the program, but it is solid. I couldn't have asked for anything more. |
| Program Quality | 10 | There were a variety of classes that interested me. We had absolutely fabulous professors. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned many different writing techniques that I still use, and I am passing these on to my students. I also got great feedback from professors that made me better. |
| How Difficult | 5 | English has always been my easiest subject. I worked hard, but it wasn't difficult for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was an English major, so of course a lot of it was book learning! The chemistry classes I took were very hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I rated it average, because some classes were special offerings and there would only be one section. Those were hard to get into and had limited hours. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had lovely libraries. My professors were always willing to meet with me and go the extra mile if I needed help. There was also a tutoring center. |
| Social Life | 10 | The school has amazing spirit and great teams. All you see all around town is the school colors and happy people. |
| Placement Services | I did not use any assistance from the school's career services to locate a job. I also did not attend any of the college's career fairs. | |
| Alumni Network | 8 | We have a big alumni network and association. I am not a part of any groups at this time, but I know a bit about them. |
University Of Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Secondary Education (completion in 2010)
• 11/6/2011
"I felt that I gained everything that I needed to gain from college. However, it could've used more hands-on schooling."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Depending on how you learn, it could be a good school for you. If you like learning from a book, then I recommend it. However, if you wish to learn in the field, I would recommend considering another school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school was considered to have one of the better programs in Florida. There are schools that are known to be better, however. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The teachers were very good. The hands-on programs were a little lacking and I felt a little unprepared. |
| Instruction | 6 | I felt the hands-on area could've been better. However, the teachers did a good job teaching. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I passed the courses without any difficulty. However, other students had some problems, it seemed. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The hands-on area of the study was a little lacking. But the teachers were very good at teaching from a book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I was more or less able to create my own schedule. There were some classes that had to be taken at a particular time, though. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They had a very good system of support facilities. They were, however, in the progress of being updated when I was there. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was not very social of a person. It did seem that other people had no problem finding things to do. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The school did not offer to help me find employment in the least. It didn't have any sort of way to do so that I was aware of either. |
| Alumni Network | I've received invitations to become an alum. However, I never found myself interested in it. |
Pensacola Christian College • Pensacola, FL
Studying Speech Communication/Education (completion in 2011)
• 12/6/2011
"I really did enjoy going there. I love my teachers and I loved all that I was taught. There were things like rules and such that I didn't always agree with, but it was very good overall."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They are so good at teaching you how to be the best teacher that you can be. They want you to be able to succeed in your career, so they equip you with a lot. I think their speech department is one of the best. I learned so much! |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It really is one the greatest programs. It is intimidating, but you really are trained well in Speech and Education. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved going there! The speech department is small, so you get a lot of one-on-one time with the teachers. We also got awesome opportunities to use our skills in many different ways. |
| Instruction | 8 | The Speech and Education teachers are so knowledgeable. I have learned so much from them. I feel better equipped because of them. They always took the time to make sure I understood everything. |
| How Difficult | 9 | It is a hard program. In a lot of my upper-level speech classes, I would be memorizing chapters of books for performances. Good training, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think it was a good mix. The basic classes were very much book learning, but the Speech and Education classes were very hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I think this is an area that needs work. They don't offer online classes right now; only DVD correspondence classes. I think they need to update those types of things better. It would make it easier to take classes during the summer. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I think this is one thing that they did very well. I never felt like I was lost and didn't have help or didn't have any resources. I was always well equipped because of the library, and my teachers were always available to help. |
| Social Life | 9 | I was the vice president of my collegian, so I got to do a lot of events. There is always something going on, whether it's sports or fine arts. I loved that part of college! |
| Placement Services | 7 | Senior year they had a job fair, and that helped to be able to meet with a lot of schools needing teachers. I think the college could assist even more, though. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I'm not really impressed with it. However, I don't really have too much to complain about. Wish maybe they had more events for alumni. |
Florida State University • Tallahassee, FL
Studying Rehabilitation Counseling (MS), Secondary Ed Social Science (BS) (completion in 2006)
• 12/1/2011
"I loved both of my schools. The instructors were friendly, educated and available to help students."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would and have recommended my schools to others. I tell others that the schools provide quality education, as well as great housing and dining options. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | For my BS, I think the University of Georgia is very well respected. I have not heard any adverse comments made. |
| Program Quality | 6 | My school worked with me as a person with a disability, to adapt classroom materials and locate an accessible school for my internships. Of course, the work was challenging and prepared me for the situations that I have faced. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instruction was wonderful. The instructors went way beyond mere academics, exploring areas of dealing with students experiencing homelessness, abuse, psychosocial issues and so on. This information has be invaluable, especially when working with teens who have so much more than academics to consume their thinking. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I think the program was no more or less difficult than any other. The workload seemed appropriate to the courses, with few exceptions; for instance, some of the distance learning courses seemed a little more reading intensive than was needed. Many of the same skills could have been acquired through more practicum hours in the classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would have liked more time in the classroom. I would have also liked time in the classroom sooner than the last two semesters. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There were not weekend classes. We did, however, have evening and online options, which were wonderful, since I was working full time and going to school for my last year. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | I did not use tutors during college. The library had branches at multiple locations and made many publications available for download through their databases that could be accessed from home. |
| Social Life | I was not involved socially. I was married through most of my college career and we had children early on. I did not have time for social parties. | |
| Placement Services | 2 | I have found my jobs on my own. Career services seems to just want you to file a resume and look on job boards, and I can do that without their help. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I find that they contact me more with donation requests than to offer any real assistance. I get regular mailings asking me to buy something or donate. |
University Of South Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Educational Leadership (completion in 2011)
• 12/17/2011
"I was very satisfied with USF. I feel they prepared me well and developed my leadership skills. I also met many people high in the district and made some great connections."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this program for many reasons, including the rigor, experience, professors, schedule and perception. Mainly, I would recommend it because the state test was very easy after this program, while others struggle with the test. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Considering the other programs in the area, USF is on top. There are not many other schools that have the reputation USF does. |
| Program Quality | 9 | USF's program was great and gave me hands-on experiences. It also prepared us for the FELE (state test) and developed my leadership abilities. |
| Instruction | 7 | USF's professors were very good at giving information and applying it to real life. They also were very helpful when writing papers and doing research. |
| How Difficult | 5 | USF's program was a lot of work; many papers, many projects and a ton of reading. The program was difficult, but it prepared me well and they helped all along the way. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were many books to read and part of the classes were academically focused. A large portion of the program was in-school observation. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There was a specific program to follow; however, they offered nights and weekends. You could also take more classes if you wanted. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The staff was great and supported the professors. There were tons of resources to use. Professors and advisors were always available for any questions. |
| Social Life | 10 | I was in a program for working adults, so this didn't really apply to me. I did see a lot of activities for the students and there was always something going on. I also am a season ticket holder, so I have lots of school spirit. |
| Placement Services | I really don't know about job placement, because I already had a job going into the program. With Educational Leadership, there is a specific path, so the school doesn't have much to do with that. | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I have had only minimal contact with the school's support. I do have many alumni I went to school with, who I could contact and get support. |
Saint Leo University • Saint Leo, FL
Studying Middle School Mathematics Education (completion in 2012)
• 12/17/2011
"Saint Leo offers a very flexible and condensed program, catering to the needs of those already in the profession. The materials introduced and discussed are realistic and correlate very well with the needs of teachers in the classrooms of today."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Most universities do not allow for the flexibility needed to schedule an advanced education to achieve a teaching certificate in Florida. Saint Leo does this and also does not overcharge for the required credit hours to achieve the results wanted. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | The program is not very well known, because it is very small. The university is currently working to slowly increase the size of the program, and it is working with the military to increase enrollment of both injured and discharged veterans. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Saint Leo is an excellent school with a very good program for middle school mathematics majors; however, it does not offer the same degree for high school teachers, and we therefore have to take additional classes and certifications through the state to qualify to teach at the level we want to. The education part of the program is highly superior and intensely focused on internships and experience. |
| Instruction | 10 | All professors are required to have advanced degrees and to continue to work at improving their knowledge in the field they are teaching. Most of the professors have also taught at the high school and middle school levels. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The amount of time dedicated to internships is high and spread over the entire two-year program, after achieving an associate’s degree. The class work and the internships are designed to mirror each other in such a way as to provide ample opportunity to experience a true classroom setting prior to being alone in the classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All classes have a large and detailed syllabus following a specific set of class texts. However, most of the projects and graded papers depend largely on real experiences within the internships, on class role play, and other real-life experiences. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | All classes are offered either online or after 6 pm, to allow for time to complete the internships and for those of us who have been hired as teachers already. Any time the high school has a scheduled event, we are told it takes precedence over our need to attend our evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Classrooms are designed to be adjustable, to mimic those of the actual rooms in the high school, and they have very similar technologies available to use as practice in our studies. Professors are trained on their uses and provide instruction to increase our knowledge during internships and to support our teaching experiences. |
| Social Life | 4 | Almost no interaction occurs outside of class, except with the small group of students who attend the same classes, due to the time and minimal interaction with others. We are not regularly on campus at the same time others are attending classes, and we do not attend many of the school functions, because of schedule conflicts. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Nearly all of those in my current program have either already been offered and accepted positions, such as myself, or they know of openings in the school where they have interned, which they have applied for prior to completion of the program. Saint Leo works very closely with several school districts, to keep a very high hiring rate for its graduates of the education programs. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Many of the alumni are professors or are involved in providing mentoring to those currently in the programs. I have had contact with at least three alumni in the past two semesters alone. |
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Studying Education (completion in 1993)
• 12/31/2011
"I am extremely satisfied with my school. They offer a lot of information in many ways for research. The social events are informative and entertaining. The classes all help you to learn and grow."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This schools is excellent in so many ways. It will help you grow and learn in your area of interest. It will also help you be top in your area. The schools has many varied services where you can perform all your duties online or in class. I recommend this school highly! |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Informative, diverse and covered all the subjects needed to be successful. I highly recommend them. |
| Program Quality | 10 | This school has a great program of study. The school has many resources and service to help you succeed in all areas of my field. I recommend them highly. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was excellent. Diverse and informative. |
| How Difficult | 10 | It was very difficult to meet the demands. We were given hundreds of pages of weekly reading, and a host of other assignments. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Excellent book selections and many books were required per class. Books were affordable being offered used and new or digital. Some were free offered digitally through the library. All books had to be read to pass all the classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Classes are offered nights, days, weekends and online. They also have several locations to attend. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library and service in computers, microfilm is wonderful. You have access to the library both on and offline. They have many location to access information. The main library is ten floors with study rooms. The have five separate libraries located throughout the city and in both counties. |
| Social Life | 10 | Very social friendly and informative. Diverse and interesting. I really liked the social gatherings, which varied from museum opening to games to music festivals - to just mention a few. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Excellent placement services are very helpful and there is always someone to assist with your needs and questions. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Network support is excellent. You have access to help 24/7 both on campus and off campus and in more than one language. |
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 1/16/2012
"Overall, I am very satisfied with my education from FIU. My education from FIU has opened up many doors for me professionally."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Teaching is a very rewarding career. Teaching children will give you so much pleasure. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Florida International University is very well known for its computer science program. The computer science program at FIU ranks among some of the top in the nation. |
| Program Quality | 10 | During my college years, I had some very amazing professors who really taught me a lot about the tech industry, and about myself. Although I loved Florida International University itself, I wasn't so fond of the city that it was in, Miami, FL, because it was crime-filled. |
| Instruction | 10 | Through my professors, I learned very quickly how to handle teaching middle grades. My professors provided mock classroom settings to help us adjust to teaching at the middle/high school levels. |
| How Difficult | 7 | My program of study was of great difficulty. I remember getting very low grades on some exams, mostly due to lack of study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of the classes that I attended at FIU were very hands on. One of the chemistry courses that I had to take was very involved. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Florida International University has a very flexible course scheduling system. Most of FIU's professors were available for both afternoon and evening classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | FIU had very good academic resources for its students. Tutoring and other vital academic services were placed very easily within reach. |
| Social Life | 10 | FIU was established in a very large city, which gave me the opportunity to build an amazing social life. I very much enjoyed visiting South Beach on the weekends. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I have heard that FIU's job placement rates are about average. I have not had the opportunity to use FIU's job placement services. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | My school's alumni pool for computer science appears to be very small. Most of the students who attended my old college were business majors, so the business alumni pool is naturally much larger. |
University Of Florida • Gainesville, FL
Studying Science Education (completion in 1995)
• 1/8/2012
"I would recommend the University of Florida's College of Education to anyone who wanted to become a good secondary teacher. They prepared me to be a professional."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would recommend the school, because they did a wonderful job preparing me. |
| Program Reputation | I do not know how the College of Education is rated in relation to others now; I graduated 18 years ago. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | The ProTeach program at UF made me an excellent science teacher. I would not be nearly as good if I had started teaching with just my bachelor's in physics. |
| Instruction | 9 | The program was well rounded, and you got feedback and sort of a roadmap on how to improve. |
| How Difficult | 3 | There was no dissertation or thesis to do for this master's degree. It was professional training and not nearly as academically challenging as my physics courses. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Much of our work was performance-based. We would be introduced to theory, but then have to utilize it. We had micro-teach sessions, as well as a 9-week practicum. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The course schedule was set and there wasn't any flexibility. The program I was in only had 10 students. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Resources were adequate. There was no tutor or study group organization. |
| Social Life | 10 | The bunch I graduated with all bonded well. We kept getting together every year for the next decade. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There was help, networking, and referral assistance given by the university. All those I graduated with found jobs before the next fall semester began. |
| Alumni Network | I am really unfamiliar with UF's alumni program. I haven't interacted with them. |
University Of Florida • Gainesville, FL
Studying Double Major In Journalism And English (completion in 2007)
• 1/7/2012
"I think I got a very good education at my school. I personally wish I had taken more advantage of the tools at my disposal, such as internships and contacts; however, that is my fault and not the school's fault."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Unfortunately, my major has very little to do with my current job. I'm not too sure about UF's Education programs and courses. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | UF is well known for their journalism school. It's accredited and it's an excellent program. I'm not sure about the English department's ranking. |
| Program Quality | 9 | UF has a great program for journalism. There are some very accomplished professors teaching in the journalism department, and the classes are very practical. My English classes were also very interesting. There was a wide variety of topics that were covered. |
| Instruction | 10 | My journalism professors were excellent. They were great lecturers with plenty of experience in their fields. Some of my English teachers were not as great; however, there were definitely some excellent professors who were allowed to teach interesting courses in fields they were very knowledgeable about. Our children's literature professors have all published books within their fields. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The English and journalism courses were both about average in terms of difficulty. There was a fair amount of work, but it was always doable and never too much. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In my journalism classes, we always had to write our own articles outside of class. We also had to create our own magazine for the alumni association at the end of the year. Photojournalism classes required weekly photography challenges as well. Most journalism classes had labs included. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I never took weekend options, but classes run all day, and there are plenty of online or TV options. There's also a good amount of classes in the summer, and classes run all throughout the morning and night. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The journalism computer labs were always great; very nice printers. There were also very nice cameras available for the photojournalism students to use. There were lots of academic advisors who made themselves very available. In my English classes, I focused in Children's Literature, and our campus actually had a special library for Children's Lit classes. |
| Social Life | 10 | UF has a lot of school spirit! There are plenty of chances to get involved in clubs, athletics, and Greek life. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I've never used this service, because I've never heard of it. Since I've never heard of it, I'm ranking it as average, as the service should be more advertised. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni network is very extensive. Unfortunately, the membership to it is pricey, so I do not have access to a lot of the tools available. |
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Studying Education (completion in 1993)
• 1/15/2012
"I wish I could have remained a professional student."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I recommend them highly! They helped me survive teaching in inner-city schools that do not have supplies, and still my students excel. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | My university is known to be good in education. FIU students are usually hired before other colleges in education. |
| Program Quality | 10 | FIU was diverse and excellent! |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was very good. |
| How Difficult | 10 | FIU was a strong, demanding university. They prepared me for all situations. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The instruction was diverse and included both hands on and book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Extremely flexible. Classes are offered at all times of the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Research facilities are wonderful. Diverse and vast! |
| Social Life | 10 | Social experience was great. They have many festivals and events on campus. |
| Placement Services | 1 | They didn't have job placement assistance when I was there. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Wonderful alumni network. I have access to many books and supplies that I can check out for free. I check out books to use with my students. |
University Of Central Florida • Orlando, FL
Studying English Education (completion in 2006)
• 2/6/2012
"Overall, it was a positive experience. I am glad I chose UCF, as it prepared me well for my career as a teacher."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, because it has a good reputation in Florida. I feel it prepared me well for my teaching career. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | In Florida, it has a growing reputation. Not many people earn my degree, so it has a good reputation as being exclusive. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The professors were very good. The facilities were in fine condition. |
| Instruction | 9 | They were enthusiastic and helpful. They had experience in my field and I trusted them. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The classes did not have hard tests. I had to read a great deal and complete big projects, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The classes included a great deal of discussion. I also used the online materials through the university library. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They have several campuses and they offer several online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | They have many new buildings and facilities. They have wifi throughout the campus. |
| Social Life | I did not take part, as I was a part-time student. Also, I did not live there, so I am not sure. | |
| Placement Services | 6 | I did not need the university much for this. They were helpful when I needed help after I graduated, though. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't take part in alumni activities. I don't want to send them money. |
Embry Riddle University • Daytona, FL
Studying (completion in 1996)
• 2/11/2012
"It provided me with the skills to have a career. I would make the same decision to attend, even in hindsight."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There are less expensive options. The quality of education is invaluable, though. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The program is highly regarded. The cost of the education is high, which can be a detractor to the reputation. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The curriculum was challenging yet practical. I am able to draw from my academic program and apply it to a real world job. |
| Instruction | 10 | The curriculum was very practical and prepared students thoroughly. Very relevant information. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The faculty was excellent at challenging the students to learn how to be self sufficient. While the workload was high, it was manageable. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Good balance of hands on learning and classroom experience. I was very happy with the ratio. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Besides the traditional classroom environment, the school has several online and even extended campus options throughout the country. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Not only were the facilities and resources excellent, they are continually being improved. The professors had experience in the fields they taught. |
| Social Life | 9 | Not many sports teams. Male to female ratio was approx 12:1. Even with these detractors, one can still have an enjoyable experience. |
| Placement Services | 6 | I have been contacted once regarding a potential job. The job placement department is very small. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | A large number of graduates work in various professional fields. This aids the official alumni network as well. |
Florida International University • Miami, FL
Studying Social Studies Education (completion in 1992)
• 2/24/2012
"I was happy with my experience at the university."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I highly recommend my university! |
| Program Reputation | 10 | FIU has a high reputation for education. In my area of Miami, they usually hire graduates from this university. |
| Program Quality | 10 | FIU was a great school. Very diverse. |
| Instruction | 10 | It was a very diverse education that covered regular, gifted and special needs. |
| How Difficult | 10 | It was very difficult. Many people do not finish the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was mostly book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Schedule is flexible and they offer classes late at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Library consists of 11 floors and they have private study rooms. Library collection is diverse and you can request materials from libraries around the world. |
| Social Life | 10 | They have many social events and many places to eat and meet people. It's a nice environment. |
| Placement Services | 1 | They have no job placement services at this school. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I have a lot of access to their books, which help me teach. They offer a lot of variety of sources. |
Florida State University • Tallahassee, FL
Studying Mathematics (completion in 2000)
• 3/25/2012
"There is not really anything bad I can say about my college. I would like to see the building upgraded, but the material and the way it is taught is on par with any school in the nation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The material and instructors are on par with any in the nation. Having the high school on campus is a really nice feature of this school. I think FSU and the University of Florida are the only two colleges to have a real high school on their campus that you can visit. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Florida State is no Ivy League school, but I think within the area of mathematics, their reputation is on par with some of the best schools. The College of Education is widely regarded as one of the best in Florida. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My college did a great job preparing me to teach. I am very satisfied with the results of my education. |
| Instruction | 9 | I feel that FSU prepared me for the reality of teaching. The program is a great tool for new teachers. They have a high school on campus that students can visit anytime. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Not everyone can handle the mathematics workload. This program is very difficult to master. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The ratio is around 50/50. In the beginning, it was mostly bookwork, but as you progress through your degree, you get more hands on. There is a local high school on campus that we get to visit often. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They are flexible as they can be. I really wish they had offered more weekend classes, but if you are flexible, you will be able to graduate on time. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | This is one area where I would like to see some improvement. They have the appropriate classrooms and labs, but the building needs to be updated. |
| Social Life | 10 | Florida State University is one of the best "social" schools in the world. They have everything from great football to great social scenes. I went to this school mainly for the social activities. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They do a very good job of placing or helping to place you once you have graduated. They start preparing for graduation a couple of semesters before, so when you do graduate, they have a plan in place. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They are in constant contact with each new alum to see how we are doing. They also provide support and outreach if needed. |
University Of West Florida • Pensacola, FL
Studying Literature (completion in 2011)
• 3/21/2012
"The faculty and curriculum are wonderful. However, I was not too satisfied with the school, especially since they cut funding to the department, upped parking costs, and made budget cuts for a football team that wasn't in demand. "
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Majoring in literature is a labor of love--so go for the professors, but put up with the politics. That's how I've managed to enjoy it so much! |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Financially, the school isn't in the best standing. The department has had to sacrifice due to cuts. Humanities are being lost. I think the literature program is assimilating to the dynamic demands. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The professors and curriculum are well rounded in the literary aspect. The class sizes are smaller, so the professors are able to work with each student. |
| Instruction | 10 | The English and Foreign Languages program at UWF is diverse, creative, and passionate. They also train you for what to expect in the limited job market. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I'm presently working on my M.A. The curriculum is more stringent, but with good reason! I enjoy the challenges, whether they are coming up with a prospectus, grant writing, or peer reviewing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It really depends on the professor. None of them purely utilize a lecture technique. The work is either interactive with technology or with the book. They try to reach everyone's learning techniques. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I'd like to see weekend classes. The grad schedule works, if you work nights. Most students are teaching in the daytime. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library and computer labs are great. However, the school is now using WEPA, which has slowed everything down. Classroom space is comfortable, the technology available is great, and the professors are eager to help. |
| Social Life | 5 | The social events cater to more of a "just out of high school" crowd, which is expected. I enjoy attending the writers in the gallery, though. It's always nice to talk with colleagues and authors. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The career service area seems to lean more on technology. I believe integration is important (e.g., technology and humanities). The jobs offered are limited. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I've worked with them, and they could offer more options to alumni (e.g., parking passes, financial programs). The information is limited. |
University Of Central Florida • Orlando, FL
Studying Criminal Justice (completion in 2012)
• 4/3/2012
"The course availability and learning matched my personal goals. I believe the degree with help further my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It has a large selection of classes. The campus is beautiful. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is a large school with a well known reputation. I took a primarily online course load. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was very repetitive. The professors were not necessarily interesting. |
| Instruction | 7 | When I attended the EPI program for teaching, the classroom experience was extremely helpful. The Kagan cooperation was not as useful for my classroom situation. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work reflected the learning objectives. The assignments required higher order thinking and application. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Very book oriented due to being an online program. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | It has a large selection of online course options. It had more than one campus to choose from. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The buildings and resources were numerous. I did not take advantage of the resources besides the online library due to distance learning. |
| Social Life | I took online classes. I did not attend campus. | |
| Placement Services | I took online courses. I am not aware of these services. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I'm not entirely sure of the Alumni availability. The website is extremely thorough. |
University Of West Florida • Pensacola, FL
Studying Special Education (completion in 1994)
• 4/4/2012
"I felt that I was well prepared to began my career as a teacher. There were a few things that I just had to learn by experience and that should be expected with Education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I received a well rounded education. I felt well prepared to enter the work force as a teacher. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | UWF puts out a lot of very good Education graduates. This is evident by the large number of candidates for Education jobs in that area. |
| Program Quality | 7 | We had a large portion of the campus for education majors. My classes didn't have a large number of students. |
| Instruction | 7 | I felt there were some things I could have been better prepared for. My student teaching could have been more helpful in preparing me for teaching. |
| How Difficult | 5 | There wasn't anything too difficult in my studies. I did have to do a lot of presentations in front of my peers which was difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Many classes spent time on public school campuses allowing students to get hands on experiences. We also had many guest speakers in classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were some evening classes available when I attended the university. I don't remember there be any weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | We had a nice sized "Education only" library with materials available for us to check out. We also had a large computer lab, with a large number of computers. |
| Social Life | 4 | I didn't participate in any social activities at the university. I did see some things posted on the marquee on some occasions. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I got a little instruction in my senior year about how to interview. Other then that, I didn't get any career assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I get about one letter in the mail a month from the alumni. Other then that, I don't know anything about the network. |
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