1600 Undergraduate Educator Preparation

The university offers a wide range of educator preparation programs for students who wish to become public school teachers. These programs are administered within the College of the Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, or the College of Education and Human Development, depending on the program. All undergraduate educator preparation programs are overseen by the Professional Education Faculty, which has membership from the three colleges and is advised by Atlanta-area schools.

The Professional Education Faculty governs all educator preparation programs leading to licensure by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The GaPSC approval process covers all initial teacher preparation programs, programs leading to service and educational leadership certificates, and endorsements in teaching or service fields offered at Georgia State University.

The following undergraduate programs are offered by the College of Education and Human Development, the College of Arts and Sciences, or the College of the Arts:

The College of Education and Human Development offers initial certification graduate programs in communications sciences and disorders (speech-language pathology), elementary education, educational leadership, English education, English to speakers of other Languages, foreign language education, health and physical education, mathematics education, middle level education, reading specialist, school counseling, school psychology, science education, social studies education and special education.

Educator preparation programs at Georgia State University are field-based; that is, much of the coursework requires structured participation in school settings. Therefore, students must be available for coursework that will be scheduled during elementary, middle, and secondary school hours, typically 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students will find it necessary to be free of other obligations during the term of student teaching and will find it highly desirable to have few other commitments during the term in which blocks of coursework must be taken. Blocks are comprised of 6 or 12 hours of coursework, which are taken in the same academic term (i.e., fall semester only) and are field-based. Exit requirements for teacher education are satisfied by successful completion of student teaching. Additional requirements exist for specific programs.

Preparation for Prospective Teachers at the Middle Level (4-8) or Secondary Level (6-12) or of ESOL Students (P-12)

Students interested in applying to a Master of Arts in Teaching program in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education or who wish to explore the possibility of teaching in a content area (gr. 4-8 or 6-12) or in English as a Second Language classrooms (ESOL, preschool -12) are encouraged to take pre-education courses such as the following as part of their undergraduate preparation: EDCI 3250 - Introduction to Teaching in Secondary Schools ; EDLA 3200 - Topics in Middle Grades Language Arts ; EDMT 3350 - Topics in Middle Grades Mathematics ; EDMT 3420 - Special Topics in the Middle Level Mathematics Curriculum ; EDSC 3250 - Topics in Middle Grades Science ; EDSS 3400 - Topics in Middle Grades Social Science/History ; EXC 4020 - Characteristics and Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities ; or LT 3210 - Teaching, Learning, and Technology Integration .

General information for preparing to teach in these areas can be found below. For more information on specific program admission requirements for the various M.A.T. programs in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education, see those program descriptions in the Georgia State University Graduate Catalog.

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education (P-12)

Prospective teachers of ESOL students in Georgia may choose any major but should complete at least two sequential semesters of a foreign language. Courses in applied linguistics and English grammar are also encouraged. Upon completion of an undergraduate degree, students should apply for the M.A.T. in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Education which leads to certification as an ESOL teacher (P-12) and a reading endorsement.

Middle Level Education (4-8)

Prospective teachers of middle level education (MLE) level should focus on two content areas, either Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies as part of their undergraduate preparation.

• For language arts education, students should complete 12 hours of English courses with at least 6 hours of upper division coursework. Within their undergraduate program, students should address the following areas: children’s literature, grammar, composition, and literature or folklore.
• For mathematics education, students should complete 12 hours of mathematics courses with at least 6 hours of upper division coursework. Within their undergraduate program, students should address the following areas: geometry, algebra, number theory, and probability/statistics.
• For science education, students should complete 12 hours of science courses with at least 6 hours of upper division coursework. Within their undergraduate program, students should address the following areas: biology, physical science, and earth/space sciences.
• For social studies education, students should complete 12 hours of social studies courses with at least 6 hours of upper division coursework. Within their undergraduate program, students should address the following areas: geography, world history, Georgia history and U.S. history.
• Upon completion of an undergraduate degree, students should apply for the M.A.T in Middle Level Education which leads to certification in grades 4-8 in two areas of concentration (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and/or Social Studies).
• Students who do not follow the suggested preparation for Middle Level Education may be able to enroll in the M.A.T program, but additional coursework will be necessary prior to completion of the program and recommendation for certification.

Secondary Education (6-12)

Students interested in teaching English, Mathematics, Science (biology, chemistry, earth/space science, or physics), or Social Studies (economics, geography, history, or political science) at the middle and secondary level should major in Arts and Sciences in the concentration in which they would like to teach. Certification in physics is available within the B.S. in Physics program in the College of Arts and Sciences. For all other fields students should apply to the appropriate Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program in the College of Education and Human Development upon completion of an undergraduate degree.