Q. If my Overall Grade Point Average is below 2.7, what are my options?
A. If your GPA does not meet the above standard, and is between 2.6 to 2.7, you may go through an appeal process. The appeals committee will review the required documents and determine your eligibility.

Q. If I had low grades several years ago, and I returned to college and now have a 2.7 GPA or above in current classes, but my overall GPA is less than 2.7, what do I do?
A. If you have an overall GPA below 2.6 and this was a result of courses taken more than 5 years ago, please call the Division of Education.

Q. If I have to take summer classes to complete the core, how will it affect the application deadline?
A. You must have all your documents completed and submitted by the deadline date, EXCEPT for the transcript of summer classes. Your file will be held for final review after the summer classes are completed. You will not be notified of your acceptance until AFTER the College has received your summer transcript.

Q. What grades will I be certified to teach?
A. Pre Kindergarten through Grade 5. You also will receive an ESOL endorsement if you complete the 3 required courses, which are part of the curriculum.

Q. Why do I have to obtain a national criminal background check report?
A. As students in the education program you will be assigned to local elementary schools where you will work with children. The local schools require their employees to obtain a criminal background check report and Dalton State College is now requiring the same.

Q. Why do I need liability insurance?
A. As students in the education program you will be assigned to local schools and Dalton State College feels it is necessary, and a protection for each student to acquire liability insurance. There are several organizations which offer the insurance to students. Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) www.pageinc.org or Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) www.gae.org are just two. Others can be found on the internet. Students will not be allowed to be in public school classrooms without proof of liability insurance. The cost is less that $10 per year. See the websites.

Q. Do I have to complete all core area work (A – F) before starting the program?
A. Yes, all courses in the core areas must be completed. Area F courses are pre-requisites for entry into the education program.

Q. Is there a night or part-time option to receive the B.S. in Early Childhood?
A. No. The national and state accrediting agencies and Board of Regents of Georgia require each teacher candidate to spend a significant number of hours during their professional program in field work, in schools. Over 900 hours of field work in classrooms are required. There are no accommodations for field experiences in the evening.

Q. Can I choose the school in which I do my field experiences?
A. No. These schools are assigned to you through the Division of Education.

Q. Do you have a Middle Grades Education program?
A. No. However, in the Early Childhood Education Program you will get several math and science courses that will allow you to take the state exams to receive an “add on” in middle grades, AFTER you have completed your requirements for and receive your Early Childhood certificate to teach.

Q. Do you have a Secondary (High School) Program?
A. No. The courses required for Secondary Certification are highly specialized. At this time, Dalton State College does not have the required courses for secondary certification.

Q. What if I have a Bachelor’s degree from another institution or state?
A. The courses you have taken at another institution, whether in Georgia or another state will have to be evaluated for transfer credit with a Dalton State Education Division advisor or the Registrar.

Q. What if I have a degree from another country?
A. The transcript must be evaluated by a national agency. Contact Lorie Stennett, lstennett@daltonstate.edu at Dalton State College for a list of agencies.

Q. If I already have a 4-year degree in another field of study, what are my options?
A. Your transcript would need to be evaluated by the Division of Education. You also must meet the pre-requisites for entering the Professional Education Program. Call OR email the Division of Education for an appointment.

Q. How much does it cost?
A. See Dalton State College Bachelor’s Degree Fee Schedule. In addition to the tuition, student activity fee, technology fee and parking, a Student Teacher fee of $250 total will be assessed over a period of four semesters. The fee schedule can be found at http://www.daltonstate.edu/fiscal/tuitionfees.htm

Q. Can I start the program anytime? Any semester?
A. No. Students enter the program in Fall, as a member of a cohort group. At this time, there are no plans to have cohort groups enter in the spring.

Q. What is meant by a “cohort block schedule”?
A. Students enter the Professional Education Program (last two years) as a member of a cohort. This means that students move through the program together as a group. The block program means that each student in the cohort registers for 15 semester hours (see curriculum). Each student will take 5 classes per semester, and work in the schools two days per week.

Q. If I receive an AAT or AAS degree from a Technical School in ECED, how many hours will transfer?
A. The only hours that will transfer are General Education hours, and only if the technical college is COC (Committee on Colleges) accredited.

Q. When will I know if I am accepted into the program?
A. After May 15 of each year, your file will be reviewed and a letter will be sent to you notifying you of your status.