Program of Study
B.S.E. Middle Level Education
Students must complete 42 semester hours in Areas A-E of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum with the recommendations listed in this section. Courses in Area A must be completed with “C” or higher grades.
Semester hours are shown in parentheses following an entry.
Area A. Essential Skills
Students who choose mathematics or science as one of their areas of concentration should select pre-calculus or a more advanced mathematics course) to fulfill the mathematics requirement.
Area C. Humanities and Fine Arts
Students who choose language arts as one of their areas of concentration should select ENGL 2110 World Literature 3), ENGL 2120 British Literature (3), or ENGL 2130 American Literature (3) to fulfill three semester hours of the Humanities and Fine Arts requirements.
Area D. Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Students who choose mathematics as one of their areas of concentration should select calculus of one variable (or a more advanced mathematics course) to fulfill three semester hours of the Science, Mathematics, and Technology requirements. Students who choose science as one of their concentration areas are encouraged to choose CHEM 1101K and CHEM 1102k or BIOL 1103K and BIOL 1104K. Students who choose Social Studies as an area of concentration are encouraged to choose GEOG 1112 and GEOG 1113.
Area E. Social Science
Students who choose social studies as one of their areas of concentration should select either AAS 1140 Introduction to African and African-American History and Culture (3), AAS 2010 Introduction to African-American Studies (3), ANTH 1102 Introduction to Anthropology (3), ECON 2105 Principles of Macroeconomics (3), ECON 2106 Principles of Microeconomics (3), GEOG 1101 Introduction to Human Geography (3), or HIST 1140 Introduction to African and African-American History (3) to complete the Social Science Foundations requirement.
Area F. Preparation for a Major (18 semester hours)
Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in each course used to fulfill Area F requirements.
Required (9):
- EDUC 2110 Investigating Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education (3)
- EDUC 2120 Exploring Socio Cultural Perspectives on Diversity (3)
- EDUC 2130 Exploring Teaching and Learning (3)
Select three (9):
With advisor approval, students select two additional 1000- or 2000-level courses for a minimum of six semester hours in one concentration area and one course for three semester hours in a second concentration area.
- Language Arts: ENGL 2110 World Literature, ENGL 2120 British Literature, or ENGL 2130 American Literature
- Mathematics: MATH 2008 Foundations of Numbers and Operations (prerequisite for 3 required Area G.1 math courses) (3), MATH 2211 Calculus of One Variable I (prerequisite for 1 Area G.1 math course) (4), MATH 2212 Calculus of One Variable II (4) or MATH 2420 Discrete Mathematics (3)
- Sciences: CHEM 1101K and/or CHEM 1102, or BIOL 1103K and/or BIOL 1104K are recommended if not taken in Area D.
- Social Studies: GEOG 1101 Introduction to Human Geography, GEOG 1112 Introduction to Weather and Climate or GEOG 1113 Introduction to Landforms recommended if not taken in Area D
Area G. Major/Teaching Field (48-57 semester hours)
Students who have completed the above criteria and are ready to apply for the program must choose two content concentrations within Area G.1 from the following list: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. In addition to fulfilling requirements for content concentrations, students may also choose to add a concentration in Special Education which leads to certification in P-12 Special Education General Curriculum or in ESOL which leads to an ESOL Endorsement for teaching English Language learners in grades 4-8.
G.1 Content Concentrations for Middle Level Education (24 hours)
In consultation with their advisors, students select TWO areas of concentration from among language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Each area of content concentration consists of 12 semester hours of coursework, at least 6 of which must be numbered 3000 or higher. Students are expected to have completed all prerequisites prior to enrolling in any of the following courses requiring prerequisites. Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in each course used to fulfill Area G.1 requirements.
Language Arts Concentration (12)
Required (3):
- EDLA 3200 Topics in Middle Childhood Language Arts (3)
Literature/Folklore
Select one course (3):
- ENGL 3040 Introduction to Literary Studies (3)
- ENGL 3290 English Fiction before 1800 (3)
- ENGL 3850 American Poetry (3)
- ENGL 3860 American Drama (3)
- ENGL 3870 American Fiction (3)
- ENGL 3910 The Tradition of Children’s and Young Adults’ Literature (3)
- ENGL 3920 Southern Literature (3)
- ENGL 3950 African-American Literature (3)
- ENGL 3960 African-American Literature by Women (3)
- ENGL 3970 Caribbean Literature (3)
- ENGL 4130 Shakespeare, Earlier Works (3)
- ENGL 4140 Shakespeare, Later Works (3)
- FOLK 3000 American Folklore (3)
- FOLK 4000 Georgia Folklore (3)
- EDLA 3230 Special Topics in the Middle Level Literature Curriculum (3)
- Another course may be selected with consent of advisor.
Composition
Select one course (3):
- ENGL 3080 Persuasion: History, Theory, Practice (3)
- ENGL 3090 Exposition: History, Theory, Practice (3)
- ENGL 3100 Composition Studies, History, Theory, Practice (3)
- ENGL 3150A Introduction to Creative Writing – Poetry (3)
- ENGL 3150B Introduction to Creative Writing – Fiction (3)
- EDLA 3240 Special Topics in the Middle Level Composition Curriculum (3)
- Another course may be selected with consent of advisor.
Language
Select one course (3):
- AL 3021 Introduction to Linguistics (3)
- ENGL 3105 Practical Grammar (3)
- ENGL 3220 History of the English Language (3)
- ENGL 3955 Language in the African-American Community (3)
- SCOM 2900 Intercultural Communication (3)
- SCOM 4500 Visual Communication (3)
- Another course may be selected with consent of advisor.
Mathematics Concentration (12)
Required (9):
Choose One Course (3):
- EDMT 3420 Topics in Middle Level Mathematics Curriculum (3)
- MATH 3070 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (3)
Science Concentration (12)
Required (12):
- EDSC 3250 Topics in Middle Grades Science (3)
- NSCI 3001 Integrated Science I: Physics and Astronomy (3)
- NSCI 3002 Integrated Science II: Chemistry and Geology (3)
- NSCI 3003 Integrated Science III: Geology and Biology (3)
Social Studies Concentration (13-15)
Required (7):
Select two courses (6-8):
North American or World Studies
- HIST 3200 North America before 1800 (4)
- HIST 3210 United States in the Nineteenth Century (4)
- HIST 3220 United States in the Twentieth Century (4)
- HIST 3520 Early Modern Europe, 1500-1789 (4)
- HIST 3530 Europe since 1789 (4)
- HIST 3660 20th Century World (3)
- HIST 3700 China and Japan to 1600 (4)
- HIST 3710 China and Japan since 1600 (4)
- HIST 3720 Colonial Latin America (4)
- HIST 3730 Latin America since 1810 (4)
- HIST 3780 The Middle East, 600-1800 (4)
- HIST 3790 The Middle East since 1800 (4)
- HIST 3800 History of India from the Indus Civilization to the Present (3)
- HIST 4750 East Africa and the Horn of Africa (4)
- HIST 4760 Central and South Africa (4)
- Another course may be selected with consent of advisor.
Political Science
- HIST 4470 The Founders’ Constitution (4)
- POLS 3110 State Government (3)
- POLS 3170 American Legislative Process (3)
- POLS 3200 Comparative Politics (3)
- POLS 3400 International Politics (3)
- POLS 3800 Introduction to Political Research-CTW (3)
- POLS 4130 American Constitutional Law (3)
- POLS 4131 Civil Liberties and Rights (3)
- POLS 4180 American Chief Executives (3)
- Another course may be selected with consent of advisor
G.2 Core Knowledge for Middle Level Education (12-15)
Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in each course used to fulfill Area G.2 requirements.
Required (12):
- EDCI 3200 Organization and Instruction of the Middle Grades Curriculum (3)
- EDCI 3220 Understanding and Supporting Middle School Learners (3)
- EXC 4020 Characteristics and Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities (3)
- LT 3210 Teaching, Learning, and Technology Integration (3)
Students adding the Special Education Concentration are also required to complete (3):
- EXC 4570 Individual and Classroom Management (3)
Students adding the ESOL Concentration are also required to complete (3):
- TSLE 4250 Language and Discourse in Global and Professional Contexts (3)
G.3 Pedagogical Knowledge (12-18)
Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in each course used to fulfill Area G.3 requirements.
Students must complete all Area G.1 and Area G.2 courses prior to enrolling in Area G.3. Area G.3 courses must be taken concurrently.
Required (6):
Select two courses to correspond to your areas of content concentrations (6):
- EDLA 4400 Concepts and Methods in Language Arts for Middle Childhood Education (3)
- EDMT 4460 Concepts and Methods in Middle Childhood Mathematics (3)
- EDSC 4470 Concepts and Methods in Middle Childhood Science (3)
- EDSS 4480 Concepts and Methods in Middle Childhood Social Studies (3)
Students adding the Special Education Concentration are also required to complete (6):
- EXC 4560 Educational Evaluation of Students with Disabilities (3)
- EXC 4580 Instructional Methods for Students with Behavior Learning Disabilities (3)
Students adding the ESOL Concentration are also required to complete (6):
- TSLE 4260 Global and Local Intercultural Relations and Development (3)
- TSLE 4440 Working with Multilingual Populations (3)
Area H: Student Teaching (12 semester hours)
Students must successfully complete all courses in Area G.3 to be authorized to enroll in Area H courses.
Students should not enroll in other courses while completing Area H requirements.
Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in each course used to fulfill Area H requirements.
Required for students NOT adding the Special Education or ESOL Concentrations (12):
- EDCI 4640 Critical Issues in Middle Grades Education-CTW (3)
- EDCI 4700 Student Teaching in Middle Grades (9)
Required for students adding the Special Education Concentration (12):
- EDCI 4640 Critical Issues in Middle Grades Education-CTW (3)
- EDCI 4700 Student Teaching in Middle Grades (6)
- EXC 4671 Student Teaching in Special Education (3)
Required for students adding the ESOL Concentration (12);
- EDCI 4640 Critical Issues in Middle Grades Education-CTW (3)
- EDCI 4700 Student Teaching in Middle Grades (9)
Exit Criteria:
Successful completion of all program coursework.
Successful completion of professional portfolio.
Students must post passing scores on the GACE Content Assessments, Georgia Educator Ethics – Program Exit (360) Assessment, and edTPA in order to be recommended by Georgia State University for clear, renewable certification.
Total Program: minimum of 120 semester hours
Total Program for the ESOL Concentration: minimum of 129 hours
Total Program for the Special Education Concentration: minimum of 129 hours
