Bachelor of Science in Education
Paraprofessional to Teacher
Online
120 credit hours
*
4 years
Program Highlights & Benefits
Flexibility
Practical Focus
Supportive Environment
Work experience credit offered to qualified paraprofessionals
For
- Paraprofessionals or school personnel who do not hold a bachelor’s degree
- Career-changing professionals who do not hold a bachelor’s degree
What You Learn
The Bachelor of Science in Education leads to Georgia certification (T4) and provides both knowledge of the content and instructional strategies required of the preferred certification area.
How You Learn
Students coming into this program may be working full-time in schools or another career, so we understand that our program must be both high-quality as well as flexible.
Lower Division General Education Coursework:
Students at Thomas University are required to complete specific groups of courses from a variety of fields to ensure exposure to different ideas and ways of thinking. The General Education curriculum must be completed during the freshman and sophomore years and include courses designated in the categories of Core Skills, Knowledge Foundations, Creativity, and Inquiry. Courses are delivered asynchronous online.
Upper Division Major Coursework:
Because highly experienced faculty deliver courses in the Bachelor of Science in Education Program synchronously and asynchronously online, students will be part of an educational program tailored to meet their personal and professional needs. We employ a cohort model with Spring and Fall semester courses meeting for 16 weeks every other week on Saturdays, with independent online coursework in the off weeks. In the Summer semester, courses will meet each Saturday for 8 weeks. Field experiences will be offered in localities where students live.
Career Outcomes
Completion of the BS program curriculum and passing the appropriate Georgia Certification Exams leads to a Bachelor’s degree and will result in the student being eligible for Georgia certification (T4). Content areas include Elementary Education, Special Education Elementary Education, Special Education General Curriculum, Middle Grades (content specializations in Math, English, Social Studies, Reading), Secondary Math/English/Science, and Computer Science.
*If you are a school employee assigned in a self-contained Special Education classroom, this setting does not meet the certification criteria for our program and applicants will not be accepted.
Degree Requirements
Computer Science
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| CSC 301 | Computer Science Systems | 3 |
| CSC 310 | Introduction to Programming | 3 |
| CSC 320 | Data Management Concepts | 3 |
| CSC 330 | Technology in a Global Society | 3 |
| CSC 401 | Computer Architecture | 3 |
| CSC 410 | Network/Cloud | 3 |
| CSC 420 | Introduction to Cyber Security | 3 |
| CSC 430 | Project Management | 3 |
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educating Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDU 490 | Special Topics | 3 |
| MTH 140 | College Algebra | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
Elementary Education
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| ECE 326 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Pre-K and Kindergarten | 3 |
| EDU 460 | Social Studies Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 470 | Mathematics Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 480 | Science Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educating Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDU 641 | SPED Ethics, Policies, & Procedures | 3 |
| EDU 642 | Curriculum Design and Adaptation in SPED | 3 |
| EDU 643 | Methods of Teaching Students with Special Needs | 3 |
| RDE 452 | Teaching Reading | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Children’s Literature | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
Special Education with Elementary Education
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| ECE 326 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Pre-K and Kindergarten | 3 |
| EDU 460 | Social Studies Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 470 | Mathematics Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 480 | Science Curriculum Development | 3 |
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educating Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDU 641 | SPED Ethics, Policies, & Procedures | 3 |
| EDU 642 | Curriculum Design and Adaptation in SPED | 3 |
| RDE 452 | Teaching Reading | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Children’s Literature | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
Special Education General Curriculum
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educational Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDU 641 | SPED Ethics, Policies, & Procedures | 3 |
| EDU 642 | Curriculum Design and Adaptation in SPED | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 452 | Teaching Reading | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Child and Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Content Specialization | 15 |
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Middle Grades Language Arts (15 Credit Hours) | ||
| Only offered through the School of Arts and Sciences effective Fall 2023 | ||
| ENG 303 | Argumentative and Persuasive Writing | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Child and Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| RDE 401 | Academic Discourse Applications | 3 |
| Choose two of the following: | ||
| ENG 311 | American Literature Survey I | 3 |
| ENG 313 | American Literature Survey II | 3 |
| ENG 412 | British Literature Survey I | 3 |
| ENG 414 | British Literature Survey II | 3 |
| Middle Grades Mathematics (21 Credit Hours) | ||
| MTH 150 | Pre-Calculus | 3 |
| MTH 250 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| MTH 340 | Set Theory | 3 |
| MTH 350 | Intro to Probability Theory | 3 |
| MTH 360 | Geometry | 3 |
| MTH 374 | Developing Algebraic Concepts | 3 |
| MTH 475 | Mathematics Problem Solving, Error Analysis and Financial Literacy | 3 |
| Middle Grades Reading (15 Credit Hours) | ||
| RDE 401 | Academic Discourse Applications | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 452 | Teaching Reading | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Child and Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Middle Grades History (15 Credit Hours) | ||
| HIS 201 | United States History and Government I | 3 |
| HIS 221 | World History I | 3 |
| HIS 300 | -or higher Topical Course- | 3 |
| HIS 401 | Encounters with Asia and Africa | 3 |
| HIS 451 | Georgia History | 3 |
Middle Grades Education
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educational Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Content Specialization (Pick TWO) | 30 |
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Middle Grades Language Arts (15 Credit Hours) | ||
| Only offered through the School of Arts and Sciences effective Fall 2023 | ||
| ENG 303 | Argumentative and Persuasive Writing | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Child and Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| RDE 401 | Academic Discourse Applications | 3 |
| Choose two of the following: | ||
| ENG 311 | American Literature Survey I | 3 |
| ENG 313 | American Literature Survey II | 3 |
| ENG 412 | British Literature Survey I | 3 |
| ENG 414 | British Literature Survey II | 3 |
| Middle Grades Mathematics (21 Credit Hours) | ||
| MTH 150 | Pre-Calculus | 3 |
| MTH 250 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| MTH 340 | Set Theory | 3 |
| MTH 350 | Intro to Probability Theory | 3 |
| MTH 360 | Geometry | 3 |
| MTH 374 | Developing Algebraic Concepts | 3 |
| MTH 475 | Mathematics Problem Solving, Error Analysis and Financial Literacy | 3 |
| Middle Grades Reading (15 Credit Hours) | ||
| RDE 401 | Academic Discourse Applications | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 452 | Teaching Reading | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Child and Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Middle Grades History (15 Credit Hours) | ||
| HIS 201 | United States History and Government I | 3 |
| HIS 221 | World History I | 3 |
| HIS 300 | -or higher Topical Course- | 3 |
| HIS 401 | Encounters with Asia and Africa | 3 |
| HIS 451 | Georgia History | 3 |
Secondary Education English
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educational Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Content Specialization | 27 |
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| ENG 211 | World Literature I | 3 |
| ENG 212 | World Literature II | 3 |
| ENG 303 | Argumentative and Persuasive Writing | 3 |
| RDE 401 | Academic Discourse Applications | 3 |
| RDE 454 | Child and Adolescent Literature | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| ENG 302 | Creative Nonfiction Writing | 3 |
| ENG 304 | Creative Writing | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| ENG 311 | American Literature Survey I | 3 |
| ENG 313 | American Literature Survey II | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| ENG 412 | British Literature Survey I | 3 |
| ENG 414 | British Literature Survey II | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| ENG 339 | Film and Literature | 3 |
| ENG 425 | Shakespeare | 3 |
| ENG 604 | Poetry (Genre Study) | 3 |
| ENG 625 | Studies in Shakespeare | 3 |
Secondary Education Mathematics
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 3 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educational Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Content Specialization | 30 |
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| MTH 150 | Pre-Calculus (taken at lower division) | 3 |
| MTH 250 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| MTH 270 | Calculus I | 3 |
| MTH 280 | Calculus II | 3 |
| MTH 320 | Introduction to Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MTH 340 | Set Theory | 3 |
| MTH 350 | Introduction to Probability Theory | 3 |
| MTH 360 | Geometry | 3 |
| MTH 370 | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| MTH 374 | Developing Algebraic Concepts | 3 |
| MTH 475 | Mathematics Problem Solving, Error Analysis and Financial Literacy | 3 |
Secondary Education Science
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| Lower Division Coursework | ||
| University Studies (Exempted with 24 transfer hours) | 3 | |
| English Composition | 6 | |
| Speech Communication | 3 | |
| Mathematics | 3-6 | |
| Cultural Foundations | 6 | |
| Creativity | 6 | |
| Inquiry | 9-12 | |
| Open Electives | 20 | |
| Upper Division Major Courses | ||
| EDU 301 | Teacher Candidate Orientation | 1 |
| EDU 316 | Teaching Methods and Strategies I | 3 |
| EDU 327 | Teaching Methods and Strategies II | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Assessment Strategies to Improve PK-12 Learning | 3 |
| EDU 428 | Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge | 3 |
| EDU 431 | Student Teaching | 15 |
| EDU 468 | Educational Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| RDE 450 | Reading in the Content Area | 3 |
| RDE 455 | Diagnosing & Remediation Reading Difficulties | 3 |
| Content Specialization | 22 |
| Course # | Title | Hours |
| BIO 101 | Principles of Biology I | 4 |
| BIO 102 | Principles of Biology II | 4 |
| BIO 308 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 312 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIO 401 | Evolution | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| BIO 311 | Conservation Science | 3 |
| BIO 315 | Zoology | 4 |
| BIO 323 | Botany | 4 |
| BIO 351 | Environmental Science | 4 |
| BIO 410/310 | Cell and Molecular | 4 |
Admission to Teacher Education
Admission requirements to all Bachelor of Science programs includes:
- Be admitted to Thomas University.
- Complete the lower division coursework requirements (minimum of 60 semester hours) and program specific requirements (listed with each program).
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on required lower division coursework.
- Submit three professional letters of recommendation which address the applicant’s potential to become a PK-12 teacher.
- Obtain professional liability insurance.
- Complete the GaPSC Educator Ethics Assessment.
- Upon admission, there are additional tasks for teacher candidates to complete in their MyPSC account before they will be eligible to register for classes. They are: 1) claiming program enrollment, 2) answering Personal Affirmation Questions (PAQs), 3) submitting the Pre-Service Certificate Application and Verification of Lawful Presence with a picture ID, and 4) having official transcripts from ALL colleges/universities previously attended submitted to the GaPSC.
- Required program of study courses submitted for transfer credit older than 5 years will be reviewed by the Program Director or Division Chair for acceptance of transfer credit.
- Readmission Policy: Any student readmitted to the program after three (3) or more years of non-attendance will be required to follow the program requirements as published in the current University Catalog, including but not limited to additional or repeated coursework as well as additional all standards implemented by the State. Program course prerequisites must have been completed within three (3) years of re enrollment for students who were academically dismissed or took a voluntary break from their studies.
Admission to Professional Core IV
To be admitted to Professional Core IV, a teacher candidate must:
- Complete all required program coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Earn an acceptable rating on the Core Professional Dispositions Student Assessment.
- Maintain current professional liability insurance.
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"I chose to get my Ed.S. degree in teacher leadership from Thomas University because it provided a convenient and cost-effective degree program. Also, I wanted to complete my degree within a two-year time frame and increase my yearly salary."
"Prior to earning my degree in curriculum and instruction, I opposed using technology in my classroom. The curriculum and instruction program at Thomas University helped me see the benefit technology adds to a classroom environment."
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