Education Specialist in Middle Grades Education

A fully online program, the Specialist in Middle Grades Education (MGED) is designed for teachers in grades 4-8 as they pursue graduate preparation beyond the Master's degree. In the program, you will complete content specific requirements in your concentration areas. The program requires 33 semester hours and provides opportunities for you to: 1) collaborate with others across disciplines 2) explore teacher leadership opportunities and develop leadership skills 3) apply and extend content knowledge and pedagogical skills through the examination of curriculum and instruction issues and research 4) continue development of technology skills and develop skills in using technology to impact and asses student learning. 5) conduct action research related to early childhood education.

"1. Complete requirements for a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. 2. Possess or be eligible for a Georgia level five certificate in Middle Grades Education or a Certificate of Eligibility for a level five Induction certificate in Middle Grades Education. Certification must be in one of the following concentration areas: Middle Grades Language Arts, Middle Grades Mathematics, Middle Grades Reading, Middle Grades Science, and Middle Grades Social Studies. Candidates who have completed all requirements for the Certificate of Eligibility for a level five Induction certificate have until the end of the first semester to obtain the certificate. 3. Present a 3.25 or higher GPA on all graduate work attempted. 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. Complete ‘Disclosure and Affirmation questions’ that address misconduct disclosure, criminal background check, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance. 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) hours of course work after admission and meet any other stipulations outlined by the department to be converted to regular status. *International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation service and must be a course by course evaluation and include a GPA.(www.naces.org)"