Program Description
The Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education (BSESE) degree at Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) provides a high-quality education for students in preparation for teacher certification in Exceptional Student Education (Grades K-12) with endorsements in Reading (K-12) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL, K-12). Through impactful, school-based experiences embedded throughout related coursework, LSSC prepares teacher candidates for the realistic demands of today’s classrooms while meeting the needs of school districts throughout Central Florida. Program graduates are eligible to obtain Exceptional Student Education (Grades K-12) Certification through application to the Florida Department of Education.
Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes
The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs) serve as Florida’s expectations for effective educators, providing guidance on what educators are expected to know and be able to do. These practices form the foundation for instructional personnel evaluation and professional learning systems, educator preparation programs and educator certification requirements. The FEAPs are based on these four essential principles.
- The effective educator creates a culture of high expectations for all students by promoting the importance of education and each student’s capacity for academic achievement.
- The effective educator demonstrates deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject taught.
- The effective educator exemplifies the standards of the profession.
- The effective educator acknowledges that all persons are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, and provides instruction that is consistent with the principles of individual freedom as outlined in section 1003.42(3), F.S.
Program Outcomes
Program Completion Rate: Benchmark: 85% of students will finish the Exceptional Student Education BS program within 100% of the program length or five semesters.
Job placement rate: Benchmark: 95% of Exceptional Student Education BS program graduates will be employed full-time or part-time in a teaching position within six months of graduation.
Academic Advising
Career Development Services
Program Contact Information
Marni Kay-Martinez, Program Director, ELA & Reading Education, KayM@lssc.edu, 352-435-6441
*8/13/2026
Exceptional Student Education Baccalaureate Degree Program Requirements (120 Credit Hours)
The following 60 hours of upper division courses are required with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or better.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| RED 3012 | Basic Foundations of Reading | 3 |
| EEX 3302 | Instructional Strategies in Exceptional Student Education | 4 |
| TSL 4240 | ESOL Foundations: Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
| EEX 3601 | Behavior Management Combined with Classroom Management in Exceptional Student Education | 4 |
| RED 4519 | Diagnostic and Corrective Reading Strategies | 3 |
| EEX 3520 | Legal and Ethical Considerations in Exceptional Student Education | 4 |
| TSL 4080 | ESOL Methods, Curriculum, and Assessment | 3 |
| LAE 4314 | Language Arts in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EEX 4472 | Serving Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities | 4 |
| RED 4942 | Practicum for Assessment and Instruction of Reading | 4 |
| MAE 4326 | Practicum for Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School | 4 |
| EDF 4467 | Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment in Education | 3 |
| EEX 4094 | Autism Spectrum Disorder and Related Disabilities | 3 |
| EDF 4945 | Internship in Education 1 | 12 |
| EEX 4607 | Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| Total Hours | 60 |
Completion of all program requirements, including a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, comprised of:
- 36 semester credit hours as designated in the LSSC General Education requirements. (Students who enter the baccalaureate program with a completed AA or baccalaureate degree or with official transcripts documenting “General Education Requirements Met” from a Florida College System or State University System institution shall be considered to have satisfied LSSC’s General Education requirements.)
- 24 semester credit hours of transferable associate degree electives.
- 60 semester credit hours of upper-division coursework in the major.
Satisfactory completion of Internship requires the student to demonstrate proficiency in all Florida Educator Accomplished Practices at the pre-professional level in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.066.
Civic Literacy Requirement
As per the amended Florida Rule 6A-10.02413, prior to the award of a specialized associate in arts transfer degree, associate in arts, associate in science, or baccalaureate degree, LSSC students under the 2022-2023 Catalog and thereafter must demonstrate competency in civic literacy through one of the following options prior to graduation:
- successfully passing POS 2041 American National Government or AMH 2020 U.S. History Since 1877, or AMH 2010 U.S. History to 1877 (beginning Fall 2024 forward), or AMS 2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order and achieving a 60% or higher on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam , or
- successfully passing a prescribed assessment:
- AP Government & Politics Test: United States (passing score of 3), or
- AP U.S. History Test (passing score of 4), or
- CLEP: American Government (passing score of 50)
- CLEP: History of the United States I (passing score of 50)
To verify your Civic Literacy Requirement, please visit Degree Works
Fulfill the Florida Foreign Language Competence requirement for bachelor’s degrees, even if this requires the student to exceed 120 total semester credit hours. Students may fulfill this requirement by successfully completing one of the following options:
- Completion of two (2) credits at the secondary (high school) level in the same language
- Complete and pass the elementary 2 level or higher of one foreign language at the college level
Passing scores on all sections [General Knowledge Test (GKT), Professional, and Subject Area (Exceptional Student Education K-12)] of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) are required for graduation.
