Degree Requirements: 36 Credit Hours

Certificate Upgrade Information: The educator will qualify for a level 5 Georgia certificate upgrade with a new Field program upon successful completion of all program requirements, achieving a passing score on the required GACE Content Assessment for Reading Education, and applying for and successfully adding the Reading Education Program to the educator’s GaPSC certificate.

Candidates entering the program with a level 4 certificate in Elementary Education or Middle Grades Reading Education will receive a level 5 in-field certificate upgrade upon successful completion of all program requirements.  If these students wish to add Reading Education as a new field to their certificate, they must successfully complete all program requirements, achieve a passing score on the required GACE Content Assessment for Reading Education, and apply for and successfully add the Reading Education Program to the educator’s GaPSC certificate. 

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

1. Complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an appropriate institutional accreditor.
2. Possess or be eligible for a Georgia level four or higher Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate in an eligible concentration area, or possess an equivalent out-of-state teaching certificate in the concentration area. Candidates who have completed all requirements for the Georgia level four teaching certificate have until the end of the first semester to obtain certificate. Candidates with an out-of-state certificate will not receive Georgia certification upon program completion.
3. Present a cumulative 2.50 (4.0 scale) grade point average or higher on all undergraduate and graduate work combined.
4. Submit a personal statement of purpose, not to exceed 200 words, that identifies the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate study and how admission into the program relates to the applicant’s professional aspirations.
5. Submit a completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance.

Provisional Admission

Applicants may be approved for provisional admission based on the quality of the admission material presented. Provisional students must earn grades of “B” or higher in their first nine (9) credit hours of course work after admission and meet any other stipulations outlined by the department to be converted to regular status.

Program of Study