Graduate Catalog 2012-2013

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Certification Programs

All certification programs at the John H. Lounsbury College of Education are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The College of Education is a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), and accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). All degree programs at Georgia College are accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

All applicants for initial State of Georgia Certification must attain satisfactory scores on both the GACE Basic Skills Assessment and the GACE Content Assessment. Applicants who are adding areas to a current State of Georgia Certification must pass GACE Content Assessment in the field to be added. Endorsement programs do not require GACE testing.

All applicants for initial State of Georgia Certification must submit to a background check and receive acceptable results.

Applicants pursuing initial certification must complete a program at GC and be recommended by the GC certification officer.

Certification recommendation is not required for applicants pursuing advanced certification. Certification recommendation is required for endorsement programs.

Initial Certification

(while completing a graduate degree program)

The John H. Lounsbury College of Education offers degree programs that lead to initial certification at the graduate level in the following areas:

Master of Arts in Teaching - Middle Grades Education in Science or Mathematics (grades 4-8) T-5

Master of Arts in Teaching—Secondary Education (T-5)

  • Biology, Business Education, Chemistry, English, History, Math, Physics, and Political Science (grades 6-12)
  • Art, Health Education, French, Spanish (grades P-12)

Master of Arts in Teaching—Special Education grades (grades P-12) T-5

Master of Education—Educational Technology (S-5)

Library Media—only students completing the Library Media program are eligible for a State of Georgia Service Certificate (S-5)

Master of Education--Educational Leadership

Students who complete an approved certification program from GC may be recommended to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for initial certification. Pre-service teachers applying for initial certification must:

  1. Take and pass (or exempt) all sections of the GACE Basic Skills Assessment before enrolling in a program.
  2. Have a 2.50 cumulative GPA on all course work taken prior to enrollment.
  3. Submit to a criminal background and receive acceptable results.
  4. Verify immunization.
  5. Successfully meet all initial certification degree requirements.
  6. Pass the appropriate section of the GACE Content Assessment for the certification area sought.
  7. Complete the PSC certification application and file the completed form with all the necessary documentation intact with Certification Officer.
  8. Be recommended by the College of Education Certification Officer.

The final recommendation for initial certification is a responsibility of the College of Education. The Certification Officer of the College of Education provides students information regarding the appropriate process for seeking certification in the State of Georgia. The College Recommendation Form, found in the application packet (http://www.gcsu.edu/certification/Application%20for%20Certification%20GA.pdf), is completed by the student and returned to the Certification Officer with a copy of the GACE Basic Skills, the GACE Content Assessment test scores, and official transcripts of all college coursework. The Certification Officer verifies for the Professional Standards Commission that the applicant has met the requirements for certification. Please note that the collection and submission of all documentation for teacher certification is the responsibility of the individual student. The Certification Officer will assist and support the student during the collection of required information and upon submission of that information will file the certification application with the Professional Standards Commission. If certification is requested 12 months or more after the program is completed, the chairperson of the department will make a decision whether or not to recommend certification.

All teacher certification programs are subject to change in response to new requirements from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Students will be given appropriate notice of changes, and teacher education programs will be modified or adapted to meet the required changes.