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School of Education - George Mason University

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In this non-degree series of courses, students will explore the forms and manifestations of giftedness across student populations, focusing on culturally diverse, multilingual, twice exceptional, and traditionally defined gifted students.

Mason’s Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning (ASTL) endorsement courses in gifted education provide advanced professional development for teachers of gifted students. They meet graduate standards set by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

This four-course standalone series (12 credits) is 100% online and is approved for application to a Virginia Department of Education Add-on Endorsement in Gifted Education.

Why Is Gifted Education Unique?

Gifted learners need content relevant to their lives, activities requiring them to process important ideas at a high level, and products that cause them to grapple with meaningful problems and pose defensible solutions.

Our gifted education endorsement courses prepare educators to:

  • Enact challenging, differentiated pedagogical practices
  • Address the social and emotional needs of gifted learners
  • Critique and compare gifted identification and assessment methods
  • Advocate for students who have traditionally been under-identified as gifted

Who Will Benefit from this Course Series?

This course series is for teachers and other educators interested in gifted education who are interested in pursuing a Virginia Department of Education add-on endorsement in gifted education, but who are not interested in pursuing a Masters degree at this time.

Note: This non-degree option is a great option for teachers who only need one or two of the courses or for district cohorts. If you are interested in the entire four-course series for endorsement, we suggest applying to the Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education. Contact us for more information.

Are These Courses Offered for District Cohorts?

Yes! If you are a district gifted programming leader and are interested in helping your teachers obtain their VDOE add-on endorsement in gifted education, we have special contract cohort rates available. Contact us for details.