GSC to establish Bachelor of Science in Education With Major in Middle Grades Education
Gordon State College was authorized by the Board of Regents on Tuesday to establish a Bachelor of Science in Education with a major in middle grades education.
The program will begin admitting students Spring Semester 2016 after approval by the Professional Standards Commission of the State of Georgia.
The new Bachelor of Science in Education major in Middle Grades Education will include options in all five areas of middle grades certification - language arts, mathematics, reading, science, and social science.
"There is a shortage of teachers in the immediate region served by Gordon which includes Lamar, Spalding, Henry, Butts, Fayette, Pike, Upson, Newton, and Monroe counties," said Mike Mahan, dean of the School of Education. "Many middle grades teachers were trained as elementary teachers and are serving out their career as middle grades teachers. With retirement and replacement, the state now mandates that middle grades teachers hold a clear and renewable middle grades teaching certificate. This new degree will help Gordon address those needs in the immediate region as well as state-wide."
The degree program will require 124 total credit hours including the 120 minimum needed for a bachelor's degree plus four additional physical education hours required by Gordon.
Gordon currently offers a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Special Education degree as well as Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and biology. There are also Bachelor of Arts degrees in English and history with Secondary Teaching Certification.