Traditional Routes to Teacher Certification
"Traditional" routes to teacher certification are usually formal programs offered through colleges or universities. These programs are either certification-only (meaning they do not include earning an additional degree) or are master’s degree programs that include all of the requirements for initial certification. For a list of state-approved teacher certification programs, go to the Professional Standards Commission site at http://www.gapsc.com/ApprovedPrograms/EducationProgram.asp.
Graduate degrees
There are advantages to earning a master’s degree with initial certification: teachers who have master’s degrees earn approximately $5000 more per year than their colleagues who only have bachelor’s degrees, and the graduate degree can also provide more opportunities for leadership and professional development. There are two main categories of master’s degree programs in education: the M.Ed. and the MAT. As a rule, the MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) is the master’s degree that includes all requirements for initial certification. M.Ed. (Master of Education) programs usually do not include certification requirements and are more often designed for people who are already fully-certified teachers; there are some M.Ed. programs that are appropriate for initial certification, so it is important to become familiar with program options.
Many MAT programs are designed to allow a full-time student to complete all requirements within 4 semesters, and they often begin in the summer. Therefore a student can complete the program by the end of the next summer, and get hired at T-5 level, meaning that the teacher is fully certified and has a completed master’s degree. It is often possible to pursue these programs on a part-time basis while teaching on a provisional certificate. Some programs are designed so that students complete the certification requirements first, thus allowing you to get hired with full certification while completing the master’s degree requirements part time.
In addition to GACE testing requirements, students planning on applying to graduate programs should plan to take either the GRE or, in some cases, the Miller Analogies Test, in time to meet application deadlines. Some graduate programs also require applicants to have taken and passed the GACE Content Assessment tests in their teaching fields.
Post-Baccalaureate Certification-Only Programs
Prospective teachers who have already earned a bachelor's degree can enter post-baccalaureate certification-only programs. These are often attractive to people who already have a graduate degree, who wish to postpone beginning a graduate degree-seeking program, or who do not live near an institution that offers master’s degree programs in their teaching field. Many certification-only programs credits can be applied to future master’s degrees. Students applying to certification-only programs usually apply to the institution's graduate school as non-degree students.