If you have a college degree (baccalaureate degree or higher) but are not certified to teach,  the Urban Accelerated Certificate and Master’s program (UACM)  at Georgia State University might be the right program for you!

It’s an urban accelerated certification and master’s program where you will earn a master of arts in teaching (M.A.T.) in elementary education.

What makes the UACM program special?

The Urban Accelerated Certification and Master’s (UACM) program is an exciting initial certification and English speaker of other languages endorsement program, which prepares teachers (pre-kindergarten through fifth grade) to teach in an urban environment.

We believe that teaching is a profession, and our team of experienced and dedicated faculty guides our candidates to become experts in the field of teaching and learning. Each year we accept a cohort of candidates into the program.

Our program links theory to practice through rigorous coursework and intense field experiences. Our cornerstone course, culturally responsive pedagogy, lays the foundation for preparing teachers to promote the success of elementary students schooled in urban contexts. This course’s tenets are then interwoven throughout the rest of the program.

Program Structure

• Candidates in our program spend the first phase of the program as full-time students taking courses and completing field experiences in schools in the metro-Atlanta area.
• Candidates who have successfully met all requirements will be recommended to the state for certification in elementary education (pre-k through fifth grade) with an English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) endorsement.
• During the second phase of the program, candidates obtain paid full-time teaching positions in high-needs urban elementary schools in the metro-Atlanta area and participate in built-in teacher induction through field mentorship and capstone experience in order to earn their master of arts in teaching.

Become a Teacher, Earn a Master’s Degree, Touch a Child’s Life, Change the World!

The UACM is a rigorous program that seeks to promote the success of elementary students schooled in urban contexts through the development of pedagogically competent, equity-oriented, caring, empowered teachers who are change agents inside and outside the classroom.

We believe that:

• Teachers have the ability and power to provide experiences in which children succeed, which subsequently provides the confidence and competence for children to continue creating their own success;
• In order to foster these successful experiences, teachers must engage and connect with the children in their classrooms by treating them with respect, by having high standards for them, and by possessing the ability to pass on to the children a fervent belief that they can achieve;
• In order to foster successful experiences, teachers must be knowledgeable about the child’s culture and must actively integrate this knowledge into the best practices of teaching and learning;
• The teacher must create purposeful, structured environments in which children are free to explore, experiment, and learn;
• Teachers must establish an environment in their classrooms where children are respectful of each other, their environment, and the adults in their lives; and
• Teachers must respect the language of their children and have knowledge of its background and principles and must model and expect a mastery of mainstream American English from their students.