Graduate Certificate in Gifted, Creative & Talented

Developing a Student’s Unique Talents

In today’s increasingly complex classrooms, teachers are confronted daily with their students’ unique needs. To meet these challenges, teachers need to be prepared to manage, deliver and differentiate instruction for the cognitive, social, and psychological differences of students.

Educators with a background in gifted, creative and talented education are leaders in their field. Graduates not only provide direct services to gifted children, they take leadership roles in state organizations for gifted educators and parents, and publish articles in professional journals about their own work and research.

The St. Thomas Difference

The Certificate in Gifted, Creative and Talented Education program is designed for classroom teachers who want to understand their students’ diverse learning needs or for educators who want to provide services in gifted education and talent development programs. Taught by nationally renowned instructors and seasoned professionals, this practical, competency-based program is based on solid research and theory.

The University of St. Thomas is one of a few institutions in the U.S. that offers a comprehensive master’s program in gifted, creative and talented education. The certificate program, composed of the foundation courses for the Master of Arts degree, is designed specifically for regular classroom teachers, gifted education specialists and building administrators. The certificate program credits can be then transferred to the master’s program.

The focus of this 12-credit program is to prepare educators and administrators to provide differentiated educational opportunities for gifted, creative and talented (GCT) learners. Educators are trained in the following competencies:

• GCT instruction design
• GCT curriculum development
• Differentiated GCT teaching strategies
• Identifying and assessing gifted students
• Implementing and evaluating GCT programs
• Providing staff development
• Understanding and evaluating research