Academic Programs

The computer science endorsement program is 100% online and designed for teachers who are interested in adding computer science to a current, renewable teaching certificate held in another content area. Candidates who successfully complete the program are prepared to effectively teach computer science courses at the pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade level.

The program has four courses:

•  Digital literacy, information literacy and cybersecurity
• Computational thinking and human-computer interaction
• Programming concepts for teachers
• Computer science teaching methods

The programming and methods courses are offered over the seven-week summer semester in partially synchronous courses. These courses typically meet online once a week with other coursework completed between meetings.
The other two courses can be completed during the fall and spring semesters in traditional courses or they can be completed by earning badges through self-paced courses hosted by Georgia Virtual School.

The self-paced courses do not include instructor or peer support, but they require only a nominal fee to evaluate assessments and can be traded for course credit for free. We recommend these self-paced courses to teachers who

1. 1) need to complete the program quicker,
2. 2) need a lower-cost alternative to the traditional program, or
3. 3) have prior knowledge of computing.

Applicant’s certificate level must be level SRT4 or higher and at any grade level pre-kindergarten through 12th grade or another eligible field.

Review the Pathways to Computer Science Endorsement at Georgia State document for more information.

Graduate courses in bilingual/English as a second language give teachers additional training to work with non-English speaking or limited English speaking students at the early childhood, middle childhood and secondary school levels.

ESOL endorsement

Successful completion of the coursework and portfolio demonstrating competencies established for English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers by Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) results in candidates being endorsed to teach ESOL in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Students must be admitted as graduate students to the College of Education & Human Development. Students who do not hold an initial certification in a teaching field may apply to the M.A.T. degree in reading, language and literacy education to receive initial certification in ESOL and a reading endorsement.

View the In-Person Course Information

Online ESOL endorsement

Successful completion of the non-degree online ESOL endorsement coursework and a portfolio qualifies a person to teach ESOL in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Students seeking only the non-degree online ESOL endorsement must be admitted to the College of Education & Human Development as a non-degree student. All courses in the non-degree online ESOL endorsement must be completed online. No other courses may apply.

View the Online Course Information

The Reading Endorsement qualifies an individual to be considered “in field” in reading at the level of the base certificate. Teachers pursuing the reading endorsement may be enrolled as non-degree students or may be enrolled in specific programs.

We offer graduate courses in literacy, which apply to Georgia’s Reading Endorsement for classroom teachers. These courses focus on three areas (a) understanding readers and the reading process, (b) linking assessment and instruction and (c) using instructional strategies in specific content areas.

Successful completion of the three courses and the portfolio qualifies a person for the bachelor’s, master’s or specialist endorsement, depending on the level of certification.

*We also offer a Reading Endorsement Online course of nine semester hours.

In our Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, courses in Reading Recovery and literacy are also offered.

To learn details about this program, visit the Urban Literacy Clinic.

Georgia State’s Urban Education Endorsement is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate level to provide you with specialized preparation for teaching in urban settings regardless of where you are in your teaching career. You will develop a broad understanding of urban schools and communities, emphasizing the social, economic, political and historical factors that shape urban schooling. You’ll learn culturally responsive teaching strategies that intellectually, socially and emotionally empower students. Teachers pursuing this endorsement may be enrolled as non-degree students or in specific programs.

This multidisciplinary online teaching endorsement is offered through the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, the Department of Middle and Secondary Education and the Department of Educational Policy Studies. You will learn to create connections between theory and practice, moving beyond stories of school failure to identify and cultivate educational assets within urban schools and communities to empower learners.

The undergraduate-level endorsement can be added by undergraduates admitted to a teacher education program with a 2.5 undergraduate GPA and a pre-service teacher certificate. View the tab below or the undergraduate catalog for admissions requirements.

The graduate-level endorsement is offered to certified teachers or those admitted to a Georgia State initial teacher preparation program who hold a pre-service certificate. View the tab below or the graduate catalog for admissions requirements.