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Preparing future faculty
& CIRTL

Professional Development for Graduate Students & Postdocs

Preparing Future Faculty

Open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from all departments at the University of Florida, the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program helps participants explore academic career paths across a wide range of institutional contexts. Offered in person in the Fall and online in the Spring, the program provides structured opportunities to learn about faculty life at different types of institutions, develop evidence-based teaching skills, and expand a supportive mentoring network. Upon completion, participants earn a Preparing Future Faculty Certificate from the UF Graduate School and, beginning in Fall 2026, earn a CIRTL Associate Certificate from the CIRTL Network, issued through the UF Center for Teaching Excellence. 

Expected Time Commitment 

PFF is a semester-long program that meets weekly for 13 weeks. Participants should expect to commit approximately 40–50 hours over the course of the semester to successfully complete the program.  Selection for the program is competitive, and submission of an application does not guarantee selection. Selected applicants are required to obtain advisor approval prior to participation. Participants are expected to attend each meeting. Participants who have missed more than three sessions are ineligible to receive the certificate at the end of the program. 

Registration 

Visit the Graduate School website to learn more and register for this activity 

CIRTL

UF has joined the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL) network as a partner institution. The CIRTL network was founded in 2003 to help develop faculty committed to implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices that benefit all learners. Program participants may earn three levels of CIRTL certification: Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar. 

Process

  1. If you don’t have a Passport Portal account, create one.
  2. Register for one of the CIRTL Passport to Great Teaching Certificates on the Passport page.
  3. Register for CIRTL events through the CIRTL events webpage.
  4. After attending the core and elective activities below, you will receive a certificate of completion. Go to the Passport Portal, click Submit a Reflection, select the corresponding activity in the drop-down list, and attach your certificate.
  5. To stay up-to-date on CIRTL news, subscribe to the CIRTL newsletter.
  6. To stay up-to-date on CTE news, subscribe to the CTE listserv.

Certificates

Overview

Through the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) Associate Certificate, graduate students will define and recognize the value of the Teaching-as-Research process, and how it can be used for ongoing enhancement of learning.

Miles Required: 1000

Core Activities | Choose 1 out of the 3 required core activities. Each is worth 700 miles each.

  1. Preparing Future Faculty 
    • Visit the Graduate School website to learn more and register for this activity
    • Attend at least 11 sessions
    • Select Preparing Future Faculty in the drop-down list in the Passport Portal (linked above in the process) to attach your certificate.
  2. CIRTL Self-Paced Teaching & Learning Courses
    • Visit the CIRTL website to learn more and register for one of these activities:
      • An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching 
      • OR
      • Advancing Learning through Evidence-Based STEM Teaching
    • After receiving your certificate of completion, go to the Passport Portal (linked above in the process) to attach your certificate.
  3. The College Classroom
    • Visit the CIRTL website to learn more and register for this activity
    • Select The College Classroom in the drop-down list in the Passport Portal (linked above in the process) to attach your certificate.
  4. CALS Teacher’s College
    • Note: This activity is only available to students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
    • Visit the CALS website to learn more and register for this activity
    • Select CALS Teacher’s College in the drop-down list in the Passport Portal (linked above in the process) to attach your certificate.

Elective Activities | Choose 1 activity from each numbered list below to complete your remaining 300 miles.

  1. Teaching as Research | 100 miles
  2. Holistic Teaching | 100 miles
  3. Evidence-Based Teaching | 100 miles
    • Visit the CTE Events page to register for workshops. 
      • Be sure to select Teaching as Research, Holistic Teaching, or Evidence-Based category when registering through the Passport Portal.
    • If registering through CIRTL, be sure to submit a reflection in the Passport Portal after completing the workshop.
      • Be sure to select Teaching as Research, Holistic Teaching, or Evidence-Based category when submitting your reflection.

Note: CIRTL activities change semester-to-semester, and some activities will only be offered once during each semester. Qualifying workshops will be updated at the beginning of each semester.

Overview

The goal of the CIRTL Practitioner Certificate is to receive advanced pedagogical instruction and complete a teaching-as-research project. As part of a cohort you will develop and execute a teaching-as-research project that contributes novel insights to one of the following areas: Evidence-Based Teaching, Learning Communities, Learning-through-Diversity.

Prerequisites

1 out of the 2 prerequisites are required.

  1. Preparing Future Faculty 
    • Visit the Graduate School website to learn more and register for this activity
    • Attend at least 11 sessions
    • Select Preparing Future Faculty in the drop-down list in the Passport Portal (linked above in the process) to attach your certificate.
  2. CIRTL Associate Certificate
    • Complete the requirements for the CIRTL Associate Certificate.

Requirements

  1. Apply for the CIRTL Practitioner cohort, see RiTL FLC.

To complete the CIRTL Scholar certificate, you must publish or present your CIRTL Practitioner project in a regional, national, or international journal or conference. The Center for Teaching Excellence at UF offers opportunities to share your findings in a session or as a poster at its annual Interface Teaching Conference.