Find a Degrees For Teaching in Georgia, GA

Once the decision has been made to become a teacher, the level of education completed determines the next steps.

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If You Have a High School Diploma or a GED …

Having a high school diploma or a GED opens doors to institutions of higher learning that can lead you to a teaching career in Georgia. Colleges and universities typically require applicants to have a high school diploma or a GED.

Learn about accredited schools that offer Associate degrees or Bachelor’s degrees focusing on education, specific academic content areas or student populations.
Decide what grade level and subject area you are interested in teaching.
Contact colleges that fit your needs, and request information to help you make a decision about what school to attend and what degree program to pursue.
To earn a degree and a certificate, enroll in a state-approved college program for the degree and certificate field you have decided on.

If You Have Completed Some College or Earned an Associate’s Degree …

A Bachelor’s degree is required prior to applying for any regular teaching certificate. Attending a two-year institution, such as a community college, and earning an Associate degree, can be a valuable step toward becoming a teacher in Georgia. Taking certain college courses before entering a Bachelor’s degree program may provide necessary prerequisites for mandatory courses.

If you have taken college courses at a two-year college, you may be able to transfer some credits when enrolling in a four-year university.
Investigate various state-approved Bachelor’s degree programs to find out which ones will accept transfer credits from the college you attended. Contact the schools that interest you to request more information and applications.
If you complete an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education or earn an Early Childhood Certificate at a Georgia community college, you may qualify to enter certain four-year colleges as a Junior. Pursuing and earning a Bachelor’s in Education degree may eventually lead to a Georgia teacher’s license.
If you want to work with children and are not planning to pursue a Bachelor’s degree, Georgia’s Early Childhood Care and Education Associate Degree program prepares students for a variety of careers in the early childhood education field. Graduates satisfy qualifications necessary to be employed in early care and education settings including childcare centers, Head Start, Georgia Pre-K programs and elementary school paraprofessional positions.

If You Have a Bachelor’s Degree …

A Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is essential to applying for and obtaining a Teaching Certificate in Georgia. If you want to teach in Georgia and already have a Bachelor’s degree, the next steps toward teacher certification will often depend on your undergraduate major.

If you have earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education that included a Teacher Preparation Program, you have already fulfilled important academic and teacher preparation requirements. Student teaching is another crucial aspect of any Bachelor’s in Education program. Successful completion of all degree and teacher preparation requirements will qualify you to apply for a Georgia Teaching Certificate.
The Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) is used to test the knowledge of candidates who are attempting to become educators in Georgia’s public school system. GACE exams must be taken by anyone applying for a teaching certificate. The GACE assessments for teacher certification include Basic Skills, Professional Pedagogy and Content. All prospective teachers are required to take and pass the appropriate GACE exams.
Majoring in Liberal Arts and receiving a Bachelor’s degree is a valuable step toward certification as an Elementary level teacher. Many certification programs recommend the Liberal Arts major, because it prepares educators to teach in the many different subject areas taught in Elementary schools.
If you received a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in the specific subject you wish to teach, the academic coursework recommended by many Teacher Preparation programs may have already been satisfied. Majoring in a specific subject that is commonly taught at the secondary school level (high school and middle school) prepares individuals to become endorsed or qualified to teach classes in that content area.
Georgia teaching candidates who have earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major other than Education, or who have not finished a Teacher Preparation requirement, must complete a Teacher Preparation Program at a regionally accredited institution. Some of these are Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation programs and some are combined with Master’s in Education programs. Gather pertinent information and decide which route works best for you.
Once all academic and experiential requirements have been completed, the next step is the application process that will lead to your certification as a Georgia educator.

If You Have a Master’s Degree or are in a Master’s Degree program

If you have a Master’s degree in Education, your major coursework probably included the Teacher Preparation program and exams required prior to applying for an Alabama Teaching Certificate. You can move forward in a few different directions once you have your Master’s degree.

Some Georgia universities offer Master of Arts in Teaching programs, which can lead to certification in secondary education and post-secondary education. Master of Education programs are available in areas such as: Early Childhood Education, a wide range of academic subjects, and Reading, Language, and Literacy Education, and these may lead to a variety of careers for licensed teachers. Master of Science degrees for educators include Educational Psychology and Urban Teacher Leadership.
If you want to begin your teaching career shortly after you complete all of the coursework, testing and student teaching needed for your Master’s degree, the next step is to apply for your teaching certificate. Contact the Georgia Department of Education to request information and an application.
Some prospective teachers, who have earned a Master’s degree in Education that included Teacher Preparation, may decide to continue on an academic path and pursue a doctorate degree with an educational focus, such as Education of Students with Exceptionalities, Teaching and Learning or Early Childhood Education.