Teacher Leadership Ed.S. (Online)

Program Description

Georgia College offers a fully online Education Specialist degree in Teacher Leadership. The program is 30 hours and takes four semesters to complete. The program of study consists of 6 four-credit-hour core courses and 6 hours of content courses. Content courses are also online and will be chosen in consultation with the candidate’s advisor. The program is administered using a cohort model in that students all begin the program as a group in the summer and finish the next summer. Despite being a fully online program, candidates still develop positive relationships with their professors and fellow candidates through group work and online discussion forums. The program is devised to equip experienced educators with the knowledge, skills and dispositions in the high needs areas of developing job-embedded professional development based on identified student and teacher needs, through coaching, and building collaborative learning communities. The Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership is considered a new field K-12 certification, and candidates must pass a GACE test to become certified. This degree program equips candidates as teacher leadership specialists and also fulfills one of the requirements to move up within Georgia’s new Tiered Certification for educators.

Ed.S. Admission

Educators interested in applying to the program must submit:

• Letter of support from his or her administrator

• Application for admission to Georgia College & State University Graduate School

• Valid Georgia teaching certificate at level T5 or higher, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate, or leadership certificate, service field certificate, or Life certificate. Three years of certified teaching is required.

• Two letters of recommendation

• Overall graduate GPA of 3.0

• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution to be eligible for admission into a graduate program at Georgia College.

Special Program Prerequisites

All degree candidates must be accepted into the graduate program at Georgia College. Candidates must have a master’s degree in an education field and employed at a level 4 for 3 or more years. This degree is not content specific; for example, educators with degrees in Art, Early Childhood, Mathematics, Physical Education or Special Education, to name a few, are all welcome in the program.

Ed.S. Advisement

Each candidate admitted to the cohort has a program of study listing the timeline for all courses. Only those courses listed in the Program of Graduate Study fulfill degree requirements. Grades below a B do not fulfill degree requirements. There are no substitutes or electives and all courses are taken at the same time during the program with other members of the cohort.  Candidates are assigned to the cohort professor for advisement and are encouraged to initiate communication on a regular basis with the professor who will also serve as facilitator and performance coach.

Ed.S. Graduate Assistantships

Limited Graduate Assistantships are available. Details and an application can be found at https://www.gcsu.edu/graduate-studies-graduate%20assistants-the-graduate-school

Ed.S. Exit Requirements

All students must pass a comprehensive departmental exit requirement and fulfill degree requirements to graduate including an electronic portfolio presentation and submit formal application for graduation. Students should check with their assigned program advisor for specifics.

Ed.S. Transient Credit

No transient hours are accepted in the Teacher Leadership Program.  Candidates must enroll in all courses in the program of study at Georgia College.

Dismissal Policy

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA during the program.  Students must earn a grade of B or higher in each class for it to count toward graduation requirements. If a student earns a C or lower in any course, they must conference with their advisor and retake the course before moving on in the program. Any student who plagiarizes work will fail that course (receive an F) and be referred to the Judicial Council for a violation of Georgia College's Honor Code.

Certification

Successful completion of the Ed.S. program and passing the GACE Teacher Leadership exam enables the graduate to be recommended for certification with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Total Credit Hours: 30

Further Information

Prospective students desiring further information on graduate programs may contact Shanda Brand, Graduate Director, at Georgia College, Campus Box 70, Milledgeville, GA 31061.

Email: Shanda.Brand@gcsu.edu

Phone: 478-445-1383.  (Toll free in Georgia at 1-800-342-0471, extension 1383.)