If you already have a bachelor’s degree, you may be able to qualify for a Provisional certificate. This certificate is for individuals who wish to transition into a career in education. These individuals meet entry-requirements and are hired to teach in a Georgia school before completing an educator preparation program.
 

The qualifications for the Provisional certificate in a teaching field include:

• A bachelor's degree or higher.
• A passing score on the appropriate GACE content assessment. These scores are transmitted electronically to the GaPSC.
  • If no GACE or other GaPSC-approved content assessment is available for the certification field requested, the individual is exempt from this requirement;
  • For Special Education certificates, the content assessment is not required up front, but must be passed before conversion. Issuance of special education academic content concentration(s) requires the appropriate GACE content assessment(s) for the concentration area(s) for the Provisional Certificate.
• A passing score on the Georgia Ethics for Teachers Assessment (Test Code 351). This score is also transmitted electronically to the GaPSC.

In order to qualify for an alternative program, you must be hired as an educator by a Georgia LUA. You must also meet all qualifications for the Provisional certificate. After meeting these requirements, you may apply for admission to the GaTAPP or another provider that works with your employing LUA. Upon completion of the program and any other certification requirements, you will be eligible to convert your Provisional certificate to an Induction or Professional certificate.

Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP) is Georgia’s only alternative route to initial teacher certification. Designed for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher but have not yet completed a teacher preparation program, these programs can be a good fit for career-changers as well as recent graduates from bachelor’s degree programs. GaTAPP programs provide opportunities for candidates to develop and demonstrate competence in the professional roles for which they are preparing while supported by their own Candidate Support Team. These preparation programs are designed to lead to an Educator Preparation Provider’s recommendation for certification but not a degree. 

MAT (Masters in the Art of Teaching) is an education preparation program that leads to teacher certification in addition to a master's degree.  Programs typically take 2 years to complete.  At the completion of the program, you will be eligible for professional certification and salary at the master's level.  This program is ideal for those wanting to add certification through an advanced degree.  You can check Approved Programs Leading to Certification by visiting the GaPSC approved programs section on their website. 

In order to convert to an Induction or Professional certificate, educators must complete all the requirements of a state-approved educator preparation program and all applicable Special Georgia Requirements.

To view qualification for a Provisional Certificate, please visit the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education section of the GaPSC website.

Provisional certificates are issued in the following service fields:

• School Counseling
• School Librarian
• School Nutrition Director

The requirements for a Provisional certificate in each of these fields may be found on the Service Field section of the GaPSC website.

The Provisional certificate is valid for three (3) years with the following exceptions:

• Provisional certificates will be issued for one (1) year pending verification of enrollment in a GaPSC-accepted educator preparation program leading to certification in the certification field held by the individual. Once enrolled in a GaPSC-accepted program, the certificate will be extended for two additional years.
  • Individuals who are not enrolled in a GaPSC-accepted program after the initial one-year validity period may be issued a certificate for an additional year upon the request of the employing LUA. In order to qualify for the remaining year of eligibility, an individual must be enrolled in an approved program.
• Valid from one (1) to three (3) years if an individual has previously held a Non-Renewable, Non-Professional, Induction Pathway 4, or GaTAPP (Clinical Practice, Core Academic, Intern and One-Year Supervised Practicum) certificate in any field. In these circumstances, the Provisional certificate will be issued for the number of full years for which the individual can document that the previous certificate was unused.