The B.S.Ed. program in birth through five (B-5) prepares teachers and other early care and education professionals to work in varied settings with young children and their families. Age ranges from infancy through kindergarten, including children who are typically developing and those with disabilities.

Our program:

• Offers evening and online classes
• Allows students to complete clinical field experience in their work-based settings
• Prepares students to be innovative, creative and high-quality early childhood educators
• Offers certification and non-certification options

There are two concentrations:

• Teacher certification
• Non-teacher certification

Teacher Certification leads you toward completing all requirements for a certification in this field. The non-certification program is not eligible for certification.

Education programs leading to professional licensure or certification (nursing, education, social work, counseling, accounting, allied health professions, etc.) may require additional approval from separate licensing boards, depending on the state. Students who live or plan to live outside Georgia and are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency prior to beginning a course of study. To help students find the best-known contact information for the appropriate state licensing board and for a list of Georgia State program contacts, visit the Student Consumer Information website.

The elementary education bachelor’s degree program prepares teachers to work with children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The program reflects research and evidence-based practice in the field of early childhood education, elementary education and teacher education.

We offer two concentrations:

• Elementary Education certification (pre-K – 5)
• Elementary Education and Special Education general curriculum (pre-K – 5) dual certification

Our students receive content and pedagogy in all academic disciplines taught in elementary classrooms. There are also opportunities for teacher preparation in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), as well as in urban education and dual immersion settings.

The program provides integration of the visual, theatrical and musical arts in the context of digital technology. The broad and extensive field-based experiences effectively develop your knowledge and ability to select and implement developmentally appropriate technology, resources and activities for teaching and learning in diverse settings across grade levels.

Education programs leading to professional licensure or certification (nursing, education, social work, counseling, accounting, allied health professions, etc.) may require additional approval from separate licensing boards, depending on the state. Students who live or plan to live outside Georgia and are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency prior to beginning a course of study. To help students find the best-known contact information for the appropriate state licensing board and for a list of Georgia State program contacts, visit the Student Consumer Information website.

Click the “View Catalog Button” below to see the program breakdown for the dual certification concentration program. For the early childhood education (pre-kindergarten through 5th grade) certification program, visit the program description page.

The minor in urban education provides undergraduate students with knowledge and experiences in urban education. Students select from course experiences offered from across departments in the College of Education & Human Development.

The M.A. program in creative and innovative education (MACIE) is designed for people who wish to further their knowledge about children as creative thinkers and innovative makers. Our graduates work in diverse fields, such as business, nonprofits, the creative arts, kindergarten through 12th grade education and community outreach organizations.

• Education courses provide students with a background in child development theories, learning strategies, critical and creative thinking skills and examinations of children’s lives in contemporary society, all through the lens of creative education
• Additional coursework in business, policy, education or the arts allows students to focus on content that will prepare them for their specific goals
• Apprenticeships connect students with organizations and businesses in the metro-Atlanta area to expand their knowledge and skills in areas such as nonprofit organizations, start-up companies, after-school programs and teacher leadership

Note: This program does not prepare students to earn a Georgia teaching credential.

The Georgia State University M.A.T. in elementary education is an exciting alternative teaching certification and master’s degree program that celebrates urban education of elementary school students (pre-kindergarten through 5th grades). Each year, up to 25 master’s degree students are accepted into a new cohort.

This program promotes the success of elementary students taught in urban schools through the development of competent, equity-oriented, caring, empowered teachers who are change agents inside and outside the classroom. We believe teaching is a profession and our team of experienced and dedicated faculty guide our candidates to become experts in the field of teaching and learning.

For more information about this program and the Urban Accelerated Certification and Master’s Program (UACM), visit our website.

Education programs leading to professional licensure or certification (nursing, education, social work, counseling, accounting, allied health professions, etc.) may require additional approval from separate licensing boards, depending on the state. Students who live or plan to live outside Georgia and are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency prior to beginning a course of study. To help students find the best-known contact information for the appropriate state licensing board and for a list of Georgia State program contacts, visit the Student Consumer Information website.

Our online M.Ed. in Elementary Education program is designed for teachers looking for an advanced degree with a concentrated study in a specific area through an endorsement. You complete your chosen endorsement as a part of the M.Ed. program, with no additional courses required. Program experiences provide you with instructional capabilities, pedagogical content knowledge and the mindsets needed to serve as effective and equitable teachers and teacher leaders in your schools and communities.

Open Endorsements

• Kindergarten through 5th-grade mathematics endorsement
• Dual language endorsement (only for M.Ed. applicants who hold a Foreign Language Education Certificate from the state of Georgia, otherwise M.Ed. applicants cannot choose this as a concentration)
• Reading endorsement

Find our cohort-based endorsements

Our early childhood and elementary education program will prepare you to be researchers and teacher educators in areas such as applied research, curriculum development, teacher education, literacy/digital literacy, multicultural education, science education, math education and more.

Our doctorate degree prepares you to move into various roles and content areas in the early childhood and elementary education fields.

You will learn to be active scholars informed in the historical, political, developmental and theoretical paradigms that shape education in today’s rapidly changing world. Through coursework, research and teaching apprenticeships and individual mentoring, you can become inquisitive researchers and reflective teacher educators equipped to affect the lives of children, their families and the larger society.

Meet the doctoral students in our Ph.D. program.

The Birth Through Five Graduate Certificate is an online program for professionals who currently work in early care and learning settings and individuals interested in pursuing careers within the diverse professional field of early care and childhood education.

This certificate program was designed with three specific objectives:

1. Provide a flexible professional development format for the early childhood workforce
2. Offer a quality, student-centered online teaching and learning approach to early childhood teachers’ preparation
3. Introduce students to the Early Childhood and Elementary Education Master of Arts in Creative and Innovative Education degree program

Our cost calculator can help you get an idea of the costs associated with attending the university.

In response to the growing number of Georgia schools with Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs, the College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University offers a fully online endorsement in Dual Language Immersion. A valuable asset in a world of global connections, bilingualism is an advantage that parents want for their children regardless of their home language.

This online endorsement program is designed to prepare teachers like you to meet this need, to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of dual language learners and to be advocates for DLI in a variety of educational settings. Coursework is designed to address effective learning environments for bilingual students and methods and materials for engaging DLI students in challenging educational experiences.

The program develops highly prepared teachers who understand DLI education and are teacher-leaders in establishing learner-centered classrooms consistent with the standards of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and other organizations. It is open to students who are enrolled in a world language certification program at Georgia State University and to current educators who hold a Level 4 or higher induction or professional world language education certificate from the state of Georgia. The endorsement qualifies successful candidates to teach in kindergarten through fifth-grade dual immersion classrooms (in the language corresponding to their certification).

Credits earned in this program can be applied to the online Master of Education in Elementary Education with a concentration in Dual Language Immersion education.

Credits earned in this program can be applied to the online Master of Education in Elementary Education with a concentration in Dual Language Education.

The 15-hour online kindergarten through 5th-grade mathematics endorsement program prepares you to hold the Georgia Professional Standards Commission endorsement and may qualify you for salary incentives in your district when available.  The courses will develop your pedagogical content knowledge, mindset and instructional capabilities as an effective and equitable elementary mathematics teacher.

You will take four courses that focus on elementary mathematics content and pedagogy and one course that serves as a field placement where you will apply in your classroom the concepts covered with supportive feedback. All required courses are completed online. The K-5 mathematics endorsement can be completed as a stand-alone program or embedded in a graduate degree such as an M.Ed., Ed.D. or Ph.D.

You must hold a clear, renewable teaching certificate, level 4 or higher in one of the following areas: early childhood education, middle grades – mathematics or special education general curriculum/early childhood education. One year of teaching experience is required.

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.

The minor in urban education provides undergraduate students with knowledge and experiences in urban education. Students select from course experiences offered from across departments in the College of Education & Human Development.