DEPARTMENT OF MIDDLE GRADES AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

Middle Grades Education

Middle Schools serve a student population undergoing physical, intellectual, and psychological changes. Teachers prepared to meet the developmental needs of young adolescents are at the heart of the Middle School. The School of Education's Middle Grades program prepares teachers who understand the nature of the learner, create meaningful learning environments, empower students, collaborate with other teachers, and know the value of caring. The Middle Grades program prepares students to become responsive, knowledgeable, and capable teachers of adolescents.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION WITH A MAJOR IN MIDDLE GRADES

Core Curriculum Requirements: Core curriculum requirements should be completed during the first two years of college study. Students must meet the General Core Curriculum requirements as established by the University and the School of Education.

Admission to Teacher Education. Admission to Teacher Education is required for a student to enroll in all 3000-4000 level program courses. A grade of C or higher is required in each professional and teaching field course, and an institution grade point average of 2.50 is required for both Student Teaching and graduation.

Professional Sequence. The Middle Grades Education professional sequence enables students to develop understanding and competencies essential for teaching pupils in grades 4-8.
Required Teaching Field Courses. Teaching field requirements are established by the School of Education. Major teaching field courses should be taken during the junior and senior year and must be completed prior to Student Teaching.

Concentration Areas: Students in Middle Grades must complete two concentration areas each requiring  a total of 15 semester hours of course work. The concentrations must be selected from the areas of Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, or Mathematics.

The following courses marked with an asterisk (*) are required when a student chooses that specific area  for Concentration I or Concentration II. A grade of C or higher is required in each teaching field course. Major teaching field courses should be taken during the junior and senior years.

Language Arts: EDRG 3030*, ENGL 3210, ENGL 3220, ENGL 4010, 3 hrs English or Reading elective.

Social Science: EDMG 4050*, and at least one course from each of the following areas: Regional Perspectives (HIST 3510, 3770, 3780 3810), World Perspectives (HIST 4110, 4770, 4800, POLS 3210), US Government Perspective (POLS 3110, 4460, 4470, 4570), 3 hrs. of Social Studies elective.

Science: EDMG 3060*, 4-hr science elective* (must be Chemistry or Physical Science if not taken in Core Area D), and at least two additional courses from the following:
BIOL 3300, BIOL 3600, BIOL 3710, BIOL 4050, BIOL 4350, BIOL 4500, BIOL 4800, GEOL 3111, GEOL 3121, GEOL 3311, OR GEOL 3411.

Mathematics: EDMG 3100*, MATH 3001, 3002, 4490, 3 hrs Mathematics elective.

NOTE: Other courses in concentration may be approved where appropriate at the discretion of the advisor and the Department Chair.

Click HERE for Curriculum Sheet and Requirements.

 Secondary Education

Georgia Southwestern State University offers programs leading to certification in secondary education in English, History, and Mathematics. These programs complement a strong academic background in the teaching field with providing the knowledge, skills, and experiences that are prerequisite to effective instruction. Students who plan to teach grades 6-12 must enroll in the appropriate program. Requirements for each program are established jointly by the School of Education and the School of Arts and Sciences and respective departments. Students are assigned academic advisors from within the respective academic school or department and the School of Education. The School of Education plans and schedules courses in the professional sequence. All programs are designed to lead to eligibility for the initial teaching certificate in Georgia.

Students should be familiar with the BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL UNDERGRADUATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS listed previously, denoting requirements specifically for Teacher Education students. Changes in major program requirements must be approved in writing by the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and the Dean of the School of Education.

Core Curriculum Requirements. Students must meet the General Core Curriculum requirements as established by the University for each Teacher Education program. A GPA of 2.5 or higher is required for courses used to meet General Core Curriculum requirements. This applies to course work taken at other institutions as well as at Georgia Southwestern State University. Transfer students must meet the same core GPA requirements. Because of the several options in Teacher Education programs, the specific courses required in Area F of the core will vary from program to program. Students should take such courses only with the approval of the appropriate academic area advisor. COMM 1110, THEA 1110 or demonstrated competence in Speech is a requirement in all Teacher Education programs. COMM 1110 or THEA 1110 may be taken in Area B to satisfy this requirement.

Professional Sequence. The professional sequence consists of twenty-six semester hours of professional education courses. Admission to Teacher Education is required for a student to enroll in all 3000-4000 level education courses including EDRG 3060, EDUC 3200, EDUC 3400, EDSC 4060, EDSC 4080, EDSC 4100, EDSC 4960, EDSC 4970, EDSC 4980, and EDSC 4990.

Required Teaching Field Courses. Teaching field requirements are established by the academic departments and the School of Education. A grade of C or higher is required in each course applied to a teaching field. , and an institution grade point average of 2.5 is required for both Student Teaching and graduation. All teaching field courses in addition to required General Core Curriculum courses, Certification Core courses, and the professional sequence courses must be completed prior to Student Teaching.