Secondary Education Concentration
Welcome to your career as a teacher of English!
This track will help you satisfy the requirements of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to obtain Initial Teacher Certification after graduation. See here for more information: https://www.gapsc.com/
Due to the nature of your concentration, there are a few additional step. The requirements and recommendations below, along with guidance from your advisor, can help you stay on track.
- Aim to complete 30 hours of core requirements (over Fall, Spring, and/or Summer).
- Aim at an overall 2.5 or better GPA over the course of the year
- Choose a campus. Many courses can be taken online, but English Secondary education concentration students must eventually choose either Macon or Cochran as their home campus.
Why do I have to choose a campus? Once students enter the Teacher Preparation program in their junior year, they will begin field work and observation in the public school system (which requires physical presence and cannot be completed virtually). Additionally, they will complete their student teaching in person during the final semester of their senior year. - Make a habit of checking in with your advisor each semester to ensure you are reaching the milestones you need to enter the Teacher Preparation Program.
- Aim to complete 30 more hours of core requirements to satisfy you General Education IMPACTS core, including Major area (over Fall, Spring and/or Summer)
Why is completing the core important? Completing your core allows you to start the required upper-level EDUC and ENGL courses on a schedule that allows you to take them in a specific order to ensure a 4-year graduation.What if I get off track? Sometimes circumstances do not allow you to fully complete your core in 2 years. You can still remain in the Secondary Education concentration, but you may have a delay in acceptance to an Education Program cohort (see more in #3). This delay might change availability of your EDUC courses and result in a different graduation date. You will still be able to continue with your ENGL classes.
- Aim to maintain an overall GPA of 2.5 or better. Work to bring up GPA in Fall if it fell below this mark in your first year.
- Complete the GA Ethics 360 Assessment during your second year. You can find information about the assessment and a link to registration here: GA Ethics Assessment: Completing the Assessment
How do I register for and complete this Assessment?
- Create or update your MyPSC account at gapsc.com using your legal name as shown on a driver's license or other ID document.
- Once account is created, select testing Reason #7, “I am taking the Georgia Educator Ethics assessment.”; then select Middle Georgia State University on the Program tab, and select GACE 360 on the Assessment tab.
- ETS sends you an email with a link to the Educator Ethics system
- Access the Educator Ethics 360 assessment system, select "Test Takers" under Registration, create your account, and register and pay the $30 fee online, indicating Middle Georgia State University as a score recipient.
- Complete the eight modules in 2.5-3 hours and save the Certificate of Completion.
What do I do with the Certificate of Completion? You will need to include the certificate of completion for the GA Ethics 360 Assessment in your application packet (see #4)
- Apply to the Teacher Preparation Program to be admitted to a cohort (a “cohort” is a group of students taking their education classes together). Besides your major requirements in the English department, you need admission to the Fall Day Track cohort to complete this concentration.
Timing: Applying in your second year will, upon acceptance, confirm your ability to begin your EDUC classes in your third year. You will not be able to take upper-level EDUC classes until you officially join your cohort in the Fall term of your junior year.
Application Packet due date: You can submit your application packet as early as the priority deadline in the fall (usually in November) and no later than the final deadline in the spring (often at the end of March). For specific deadlines for the application packet, as well as instructions for completing it, can be found here: Applying to Secondary Education Program
Some details to know before you apply:
- You must be core complete BEFORE entering the Fall teacher certification cohort. However, you do not need to be core complete before applying to the program. For more information about the core, see: Core Curriculum details (2023-24)
- TRANSFER STUDENTS will need to send all final official non-MGA transcripts for college work to the office of the Registrar.
Create your application and submit application packet:
- Fill out and submit online the Student Information Sheet: Student Information Sheet.
- Following directions on Student Information Sheet, assemble the documents for the application packet. These documents are required for completion:
- Copy of completed and signed Application Packet Checklist: Teachers Education Application Checklist
- GACE Georgia Educator Exit Ethics (360)– Program Certificate
- Three Recommendation Forms (Academic or Professional). Email the form link https://forms.gle/Naqww22mFKCSHHBt8 to the people providing your references.(See tips below)
- Transfer Students Only: Copy of Official Transcripts from ALL previous higher education institutions (technical schools, colleges, or universities).
- Submit the documents in ONE email containing all documents to education@mga.edu, using the following subject line: your name _Program_Application Packet (ex: Jane Doe_ENGL_Secondary Education_Application Packet)
Note: Incomplete Application Packets will not be processed. Make sure your subject line is correct before sending to education@mga.edu
How do I get my recommendations? Your references should come from people who know you in an academic or professional context. For instance, recent MGA professors are good people to ask, but so might be a professional supervisor or colleague. They will follow the link you send to submit a confidential google document directly to the application portal.
Pro Tip: it is good academic etiquette to ask a potential recommender if they would be willing to serve as a reference for you before sending them the link. A polite email that does the following is a good way to start: give your name (and remind professor of class or classes you took with him or her, including semester and year); tell them you are applying to the MGA Teacher Education program; and ask if they would be willing to serve as a reference. If they say “no,” don’t take it personally, thank them, and ask a different person who may have a stronger connection with you. If they say “yes,” follow up with thanks, a copy of the link, and a reminder of any deadline.
- Your application process is complete: wait to hear the decision.
- You will receive email notification of your acceptance to the Teacher Preparation Program. Please take immediate measures to complete the steps required for your complete admission into the program
- In Spring, register for classes in Year 3. Meet with advisors in both English and Education to ensure your course schedule. You can find a course registration plan for years 3 and 4 here:
Course Plan