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Graduate Certificates | Education | Gifted

Certificate in Gifted Education

Create environments that challenge advanced, curious learners and help them thrive. The University of Mississippi’s online Certificate in Gifted Education equips you with the knowledge to introduce, expand, and evaluate gifted and talented programs, develop engaging curriculum plans, and identify students who could benefit from more rigorous academic, artistic, or creative instruction.

This online graduate certificate builds off your initial teaching license, helping you design inclusive, equitable classrooms. Earn it alone as a credential to broaden your skills, as part of a graduate education program at Ole Miss, or to apply your credits toward a Master of Education (M.Ed.) or Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree.

Completion of the program makes you eligible for the Mississippi Supplementary Certificate in Gifted Education. Students pursuing certification in other states must check with their State Department of Education for certification requirements.

Why Earn a Certificate in Gifted Education?

Teachers, curriculum developers, and administrators often think about how they’ll uplift all students—from those requiring additional academic or socioemotional support to individuals eager to absorb and apply new information to those who express themselves in more creative forms.

The Ole Miss School of Education continues to lead the way. Across all graduate programs, we prepare individuals to guide change through equity in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Through this lens, you’ll understand how to champion diversity and communicate with all learners, develop relevant lessons for students at all levels, and refine your problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Quick Facts

FORMAT
Online coursework
In-field practicum

TOTAL CREDITS
12

ADMISSIONS DEADLINE
April 30

TEACHER CERTIFICATION
Required

Program Objectives

The online Certificate in Gifted Education trains you to spot, evaluate, and instruct inquisitive, creative learners across all student backgrounds, plan gifted and talented programs, and introduce dynamic concepts. You’ll:

  • Understand how to create a learning environment that supports and engages more advanced students
  • Explore the specific learning and cognitive characteristics of high-performing and creative K-12 students
  • Be prepared to identify students who could benefit from more specialized, detailed, or accelerated instruction
  • Learn how to get gifted and talented programs off the ground and evaluate existing efforts in relation to student, school, and community needs
  • Get exposed to techniques for creating gifted and talented curriculum plans, including for strengthening problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills

Curriculum

The online Certificate in Gifted Education requires 12 credit hours, including:

  • EDSP 685: Characteristics of Gifted Learners (Summer 1 Online)
  • EDSP 689: Inst. Methods and Materials in Gifted Educ. (Summer 1 Online)
  • EDSP 695: Differentiated Instruction for Atypical Gifted Learners (Summer 2 Online)
  • EDSP 690: Curriculum, Program Development and Prac. For Gifted Learners (Summer 2 Online)

Courses must be taken in order. Summer 2 courses cannot be taken unless the Summer 1 courses have been successfully completed.

This sequence introduces you to:

  • Educational solutions, assessment strategies, and resources for creating gifted and talented curricula
  • Instructional strategies for elevating gifted learners, including where and how they apply their knowledge
  • Identifying and assessing gifted students among school populations, including from traditionally underrepresented groups
  • Current issues in gifted and talented education

Research and applied learning are central to graduating instructors and curriculum developers who are ready to lead. This online certificate involves an in-field practicum assignment.

Learn More About the Online Certificate in Gifted Education

Continue learning how to serve and engage your classroom with the Ole Miss online Certificate in Gifted Education. To learn more about the program, please contact:
Diane Lowry
302 Guyton Hall
(662) 915-7618
dlowry@olemiss.edu

Apply