Certification-only Middle Grades Education
Individuals who hold a degree but do not wish to pursue a master’s degree may elect to pursue a sequence of studies that will enable them to be eligible for recommendation for teacher certification.
Certification Only is an option (not a degree program) which may be requested by a prospective candidate who holds a Bachelor’s and/or Master's degree from an accredited institution and prefers not to pursue a Master’s degree while seeking initial certification for grades 4-8 in one of the fields offered at Piedmont College. The Department Chair evaluates a candidate’s transcript and outlines a program of study necessary for the candidate to be recommended for MG certification in the applicant’s intended field of certification. A proposed program of study is designed to ensure depth in the content field, as well as meeting all requirements prescribed in the field of education, including Internship II. The proposed program is reviewed by the Department Chair and, if approved, serves as the advisement sheet for that candidate. All other procedures and requirements of the School of Education and Piedmont College apply.
The candidate must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in all coursework completed for certification. In order for Piedmont College to recommend certification, at least 27 semester hours must be taken at Piedmont College. The candidate must also pass the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Program Admission Assessments (or file exemption) and the middle grades appropriate content-area GACE test(s) prior to Internship II. When appropriate, Piedmont College will accept a teaching internship and/or other experiences in lieu of similar college credit courses for post-baccalaureate candidates. Transfer credits 10 years or older are not accepted. Completion of requirements for certification-only does not lead to a degree. Completion of the program leads to recommendation for a Georgia certificate in middle grades education.
Course requirements:
(Certification-only candidates may take graduate or undergraduate courses.)
Content Courses: 12 hours of content courses
These courses must be taken as a block and constitute the professional semester.
Program Completion Requirements:
- Pass appropriate GACE content test(s);
- Minimum course hours completed with 3.0 GPA or better: Variable, depending on track
- Successful completion of required field experiences
- A practicum will be required unless the Dean of the School of Education grants experiential credit.