Middle Grades Education (Grades 4-8), M.Ed. (Online)

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Degree Requirements: 36 Credit Hours

Concentrations

Candidates must select one area of concentration from the areas in which they are currently certified.

Middle Grades Language Arts Education
Middle Grades Mathematics Education
Middle Grades Science Education
Middle Grades Social Studies Education

Certificate Upgrade Information: An educator who holds a level four Georgia certificate in Middle Grades Education will qualify for a level five certificate upgrade upon successful completion of all program requirements.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

Complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Possess or be eligible for a renewable Georgia level four teaching certificate in Middle Grades Education, or possess an equivalent out-of-state certificate. The certificate must be in one or more of the following concentration areas: Middle Grades Language Arts Education, Middle Grades Mathematics Education, Middle Grades Science Education, or Middle Grades Social Studies Education. Candidates who have completed all requirements for the Georgia level four teaching certificate have until the end of the first semester to obtain the certificate. Candidates with an out-of-state certification will not receive Georgia certification upon program completion.
Present a cumulative 2.50 (4.0 scale) grade point average or higher on all undergraduate and graduate work combined.
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.
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) credits of course work after admission and meet any other stipulations outlined by the department to be converted to regular status.

Program of Study

Professional Education Core Requirements Credit Hours: 9

Content-Specific Requirements Credit Hours: 9

Plus the advanced pedagogy course in one’s area of certification:

Additional Requirements Credit Hours: 12

Electives Credit Hours: 6

Electives toward endorsement or certificate (Complete 6 hours toward one of the listed endorsements or certificate below). ²

Total Credit Hours: 36

¹This is the capstone course for the program. It must be taken in the final spring semester of the course of study. Educational Research (EDUR 7130 ) is a prerequisite for this course.
²Recommended electives would include courses that lead to specific endorsements or toward certificates:
Electives English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement: Applied Linguistics for ESOL/TCLD (TCLD 6233 ), Cultural Diversity and ESOL/TCLD (TCLD 6231 ), and Methods for Teaching ESOL/TCLD (TCLD 6235 )
Online Teaching and Learning Endorsement: Theories and Models of Instructional Design (ITEC 8134 ), Pedagogy of Online Learning (ITEC 8135 ), and Field Experience in Online Teaching and Learning (ITEC 8136 )
Reading Endorsement: Approaches to Literacy Instruction (READ 7131 ), Linking Literacy Assessment with Instruction (READ 7132 ), and Literacy in the Content Areas (READ 7330 )
Curriculum and Pedagogy for Social Justice Certificate: Foundations for Social Justice Education (EDUF 8631 ), Multicultural Education (EDUF 7235 ) , Curriculum Design and Evaluation (EDUC 8230 ) , Curriculum and Pedagogy for Social Justice (EDUC 8632 ) , Social Justice Inquiry (EDUC 8633 ), and either Critical Readings in Reading/Literacy Education (READ 8630 ) or Understanding Diverse Students through Case Study (EDUF 7230 )

Other Program Requirements

Successfully complete assessments identified at each program transition point.
Maintain an active account with the COE electronic data management system.
Claim Georgia Southern University as your program provider in your My PSC Account during your first term of enrollment.

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