Return to: 4130 Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education
This initial certification and Master’s degree program for the major in Elementary Education prepares teachers of young children (Pre-K through 5th grade) to teach in an urban environment. The program is designed for people who already hold a baccalaureate or higher degree and want to teach in an urban elementary school.
Program Admission
In addition to the College of Education and Human Development graduate degree admission requirements, applicants for this program must have earned a minimum of 2.75 grade-point average calculated on all work attempted. Students must present passing scores on the GACE Program Admission Assessment or demonstrate an exemption upon application to the program and complete the Georgia Educator Ethics (360) Assessment. Completion of this assessment is required for admission, though there is no “Pass/Fail” grade assigned. Applicants must also participate in oral and written interviews conducted by program faculty and school-based personnel. The Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education reserves the right to specify additional criteria for applicants.
Program Academic Regulations
Upon admission to a teacher education program, students will be contacted by the Office of Field Placements and Certification with instructions to claim enrollment in their program and submit a GaPSC Pre-Service Certificate Application. The pre-service certificate is required for placement in required field experiences or clinical practice.
This M.A.T. program is a carefully sequenced program that offers optional endorsements for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and STEM.
Certification
Candidates in this program will be eligible to be recommended for Georgia initial certification after earning passing scores on the GACE Content Assessment for Early Childhood Education, Georgia Educator Ethics (360) Assessment, and successfully completing:
- all certification core courses and assessments with a grade-point average of no less than 3.00;
- EXC 4020, EPY 7090, ECE 6360, ECE 6370, ECE 6380, ECE 6375, ECE 6385, ECE 6390, ECE 6391, ECE 4650, ECE 6387, ECE 6392, ECE 6406, ECE 6407, ECE 6655, ECE 6656;
- For Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) certification requirements, students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in EXC 4020; and
- Student teaching with a grade of “B” or higher.
