2025-2026 Academic Catalog 
    
    Jul 21, 2025  
2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Gifted In-field Graduate Endorsement (Online)

Location(s): Fully Online


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The Gifted In-field Graduate Endorsement is fully online. The endorsement is designed for candidates to participate in field experiences, providing them with opportunities to observe, practice, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions delineated in state and national standards to teach gifted learners at the grade levels of their intended certification. The program is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC). The endorsement courses begin in the fall semester; courses must be taken in order and can be completed in one academic year. A 20-hour field experience is required for each course. The Gifted In-field Graduate Endorsement is cross-listed with the Gifted In-field Undergraduate Endorsement, and graduate students can expect additional reading, assignments, and intensive writing projects.

Gifted In-field Endorsement Requirements: 12 Credit Hours


Purpose

Gifted In-field Endorsement: The four courses for the gifted in-field endorsement have purposely been planned for candidates to participate in systematically designed field experiences in settings that provide them with opportunities to observe, practice, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions delineated in institutional, state, and national standards to teach gifted learners at the grade levels of their intended certification. The program is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC).

Candidates in the Gifted In-field Endorsement Program will understand how gifted learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually including the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and cultural aspects of gifted learners in order to design and teach developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences. In addition, candidates will plan instruction that supports every gifted learner in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of the nature and needs of gifted learners, content areas, differentiated curriculum, and pedagogy and use multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making. Candidates will also learn the significance of the learning context in order to ensure academically challenging learning environments that enable gifted learners to meet high standards and to interact with other high ability learners.

Requirements

  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 renewable Georgia level four Induction certificate or higher. Certification must be in one of the following: Elementary Education, Middle Grades Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education.
  3. Present a cumulative 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average or higher on all undergraduate and graduate work combined.
  4. Submit a completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance.

Additional Requirements:

  1. Courses must be taken in order.
  2. Candidates must complete 20 hours in the field with each course.

Program of Study


Total Credit Hours: 12


Advisement

Graduate students are advised by their program. Graduate students should reach out to their graduate program director for information regarding the structures in place to facilitate advisement. For more information visit Graduate Academic Advisement .

Graduate students can also contact the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies for more information about their program director.
 

Phone: 912-478-COGS (2647)
Email: gradschool@georgiasouthern.edu

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