COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

About the Certificate

Temple University's Graduate Certificate in Middle Grades Education provides a non-degree pathway to initial teacher certification for individuals who want to teach students in grades 4 through 8. Designed for career changers or individuals teaching on emergency permits, this program prepares future educators to teach upper elementary and middle grades students across one or more academic content areas.

Time Limit for Certificate Completion: 4 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The graduate certificate can be completed on a part-time basis.

NOTE: International students may not be eligible to apply for a student visa based on admission to the certificate program. Please contact the Office of Enrollment Management for more information.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Summer II: March 1

Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive priority consideration for admission and financial support.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference: 
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. References from college/university faculty are recommended.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Significant coursework (i.e., the equivalent of a minor or better) and/or professional experience related to the intended certification area are preferred.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.

Transcripts: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.

International applicants must also submit an official document, including a course-by-course evaluation conducted by a NACES-accredited organization, that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.

Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, outline your interest in seeking a master’s degree with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 79
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53

Resume: Current resume required.

Transfer Credit: Courses may be transferred from an accredited institution provided they were completed less than five years ago and are relevant to the program. The academic advisor makes the decision about the relevancy of the courses that the student desires to transfer. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.

Clearances: All admitted students must submit copies of the required Pennsylvania criminal background check, FBI criminal history, Child Abuse check, and TB test to the College of Education and Human Development's Office of Field Placement prior to enrolling in their first term. These clearances are required by law prior to entering pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms to complete field experience requirements, starting with the first term and continuing throughout the program.

Pennsylvania clearances are not required for application completion. All new students who possess required Pennsylvania clearances more than one year old must submit updated clearances to the Office of Field Placement. Please note that obtaining these clearances may take up to six weeks. For instructions, please visit the Office of Field Placement's website at https://education.temple.edu/ofp/clearances.

Certificate Requirements

Number of Credits Required to Complete the Certificate: 22

Required Courses:

Plan of Study Grid

Year 1
Fall		Credit Hours
MGSE 5404	Teaching Math in the Middle Grades	3
MGSE 5405	Teaching Science in the Middle Grades	3
	Credit Hours	6
Spring
MGSE 5196	Reading and Writing in the Middle Grades	3
MGSE 5296	Citizenship, Cultures, and Social Studies Education	3
EDUC 5888	Supervised Teaching	4
	Credit Hours	10
Summer
SPED 5106	Literacy Instruction for Students with Disabilities	3
TESL 5631	Foundations of Language Teaching: Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners	3
	Credit Hours	6
	Total Credit Hours	22

Contacts

Department Contacts: