M.Ed. Degrees - Overview | Graduate Programs | College of Education

M.Ed. Degrees - Overview

School Improvement Emphasis

The M.Ed. programs at GC emphasize school improvement. Educators focus on issues central to school improvement while also learning about best practices in their field (early childhood, middle grades, secondary, special education, leadership, and educational technology). Based on data gathered in their own schools, educators begin to examine questions such as "What is school improvement? How does change occur? What changes need to be made at my school to best facilitate student learning?" Participants have the opportunity to enroll in classes with other teachers from their school, thus creating a cluster of individuals ready to address school improvement as a team. This school improvement work is negotiated between teachers, their administration, and college professors. Through this experience, teachers examine their school, create an action plan for investigating a problem and developing new practices, and produce a final product.

The John H. Lounsbury College of Education offers the M.Ed. in the following areas:

M.Ed. with a major in Early Childhood Education
M.Ed. with a major in Middle Grades Education
M.Ed. with a major in Special Education
M.Ed. with a major in Educational Leadership
M.Ed. with a major in Secondary Education
M.Ed. with a major in Educational Technology with a concentration in Library Media
M.Ed. with a major in Educational Technology with a concentration in Instructional Technology

Core courses will be available in Macon; they will also be offered in Milledgeville if there is sufficient enrollment. For the M.Ed. in School Improvement Core Course Rotation, please see this link. The core is comprised of selected courses that meet some Saturdays with online components and other courses that are offered in a blended format (on-line and face-to-face). The remaining courses are held face-to-face.

Other non-core courses will be offered in Milledgeville, Macon, or through distance learning.

Prerequisites

Pass an on-site writing assessment
Meet minimal Grade Point Average (Most M.Ed. Programs = 2.25; Early Childhood and Middle Grades M.Ed. = 2.75)
Hold or be eligible for a clear renewable, level four (4) Georgia Teacher Certificate-except Educational Technology Programs

Application Process

All application materials should be sent to: Office of Graduate Admissions:

Georgia College & State University
Campus Box 107
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478) 445-6289
Toll Free in Georgia: 800-342-0471
E-mail: grad-admit@gcsu.edu Included in the admission's process are the following:

Submit a University Admissions Form including application fee, if applicable
Submit two professional recommendations (pdf) using the College of Education format
Submit official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended (except GC)
Submit verification of immunization (pdf)

See specific programs for additional requirements. The contact person for questions concerning all College of Education graduate admissions is:

Graduate Admissions Advisor
Ms. Shanda Brand
shanda.brand@gcsu.edu
CBX 70, Kilpatrick Hall, Room 220
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478) 445-1383
Phone toll free in Georgia: 800-342-0471 Ext. 1383

Graduate Assistantships

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available for qualified graduate students. For more information, please see the graduate assistantship page.

Advisement

The departmental Coordinators of Graduate Programs (Departmental Chairpersons), in cooperation with the program coordinators, assign each regularly admitted student to an advisor in the chosen area of study. A signed program of study must be filed with the departmental Coordinators of Graduate Programs in order to register for classes. It is the responsibility of the student to meet with the assigned advisor to develop an individualized program of study that meets the program requirements.

Scholarships

The COE has several scholarships available. Please see the COE scholarship page for more information. Many graduate students are eligible for the HOPE Teacher Scholarship for Graduate Study in Critical Shortage Fields. These are service-cancelable loans for graduate students." If you love teaching and want to earn an advanced degree, or if you have an undergraduate degree and would like to become a teacher, Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program may be able to help you pay for your education.

The HOPE Teacher Scholarship Program - a component of the lottery-funded HOPE Program - provides forgivable loans to individuals seeking advanced education degrees in critical shortage fields of study. You simply repay your loan by teaching in a Georgia public school after earning your advanced degree, saving you money and helping fill the need for qualified professionals in these teaching fields. It's a program that benefits Georgia teachers and every student in their classrooms."

Please find out more about the HOPE Teacher Scholarship for Graduate Study in Critical Shortage from the Georgia Student Finance Authority at (404) 493-5453. The GC contact person for the HOPE Teacher Scholarship is:

Mr. David Ladd
david.ladd@gcsu.edu
Kilpatrick Hall, Room 220
CBX Box 70 GCSU
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478) 445-2514
Phone toll free in Georgia: 800-342-0471 Ext. 2514

Exit Requirements

In the College of Education M.Ed. students must:

Pass a comprehensive departmental exit requirement
Earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 on all work attempted. Courses in which the student has earned less than a C cannot be counted for degree credit.
Submit an application for graduation at least one semester before the anticipated graduation date
Complete the graduate program within six years of the date of the initial course work listed on the Program of Graduate Study

Transfer of Courses
Nine semester hours may be transferred from other institutions, if prior approval is given by the advisor and if the course work is no more than six years old at the time of completion of the graduate degree.

Certification
If students already have an initial certification by type (T, S or L), they apply for upgrades through their school systems or directly to the Professional Standards Commission. No recommendation from Georgia College is necessary. For example, if candidates have a T4 certificate and are upgrading to a T5, no recommendation is necessary.

The following degrees do require recommendation by the certification officer:
1. Educational Technology degree in Library Media leading to an S5 certification.
2. Educational Leadership degree leading to an L5 certification.

For more information about certification, see the certification page or contact:

David Ladd, Certification Officer
david.ladd@gcsu.edu
CBX 70, Kilpatrick 220
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(478) 445-2514
Phone toll free in Georgia: 800-342-0471 Ext. 2514