Georgia Teacher Certification Levels: Degrees and How to Upgrade

Georgia teacher certification levels run from Level 4 to Level 7, and each number reflects the highest qualifying degree you hold: bachelor’s for Level 4, master’s for Level 5, education specialist (or substantial doctoral coursework) for Level 6, and a doctorate for Level 7. Your level sets where you land on the state salary schedule, so moving up a level means higher pay for the same teaching job.1Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Georgia Code 505-2-.02 – Classification

The Four Certificate Levels

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) uses one number per certificate, and that number tracks your degree.

  • Level 4 is issued to educators with a bachelor’s degree. It is the minimum degree required for a teaching certificate in most fields.
  • Level 5 is issued after you complete a master’s degree. Service fields such as school counseling and non-performance-based leadership positions require at least Level 5.
  • Level 6 is issued for an education specialist degree, or for at least 36 semester hours of doctoral coursework combined with written or oral comprehensive exams. Performance-based leadership certification requires at least Level 6.
  • Level 7 is issued for a Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent doctoral degree.
1Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Georgia Code 505-2-.02 – Classification

Levels Are Not the Same as Tiers

Georgia also assigns a tier to every certificate: Pre-Service, Induction, Professional, or Advanced Professional. Tiers mark your career stage and classroom experience, not your degree. You can upgrade your level and stay on the same tier, and you can advance a tier without changing your level. Confusing the two is one of the most common mistakes teachers make when planning a next step, because the paperwork for each is different.

Which Degrees Actually Qualify

Two things have to line up before a degree earns you a new level: where it came from, and what it covered.

On accreditation, the GaPSC does not restrict acceptable credentials to regionally accredited programs. It recognizes accrediting organizations approved by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education, which brings national, specialized, and professional accreditors into scope alongside the regional ones.2Legal Information Institute. Georgia Compiled Rules and Regulations R 505-2-.31 – GaPSC-Accepted Accreditation for Certification Purposes

On content, the degree program has to align with your certification field. An advanced degree by itself is not enough if its content does not correspond to an upgrade-eligible area the GaPSC recognizes. A master’s in an unrelated subject will not move a Level 4 to a Level 5 on its own.

How to Upgrade Your Level

A level upgrade changes the number on your certificate, for example moving from Level 4 to Level 5 after you finish a master’s in your field. Before you start the application, gather the following.

  • Official transcripts. Your degree-granting institution sends them directly to the GaPSC. Student-issued copies are not accepted.
  • GACE content assessment scores, if your path involves adding a new certification field. A straightforward level-only upgrade based on an advanced degree in the field you already teach does not always require a new GACE assessment.3Georgia Professional Standards Commission. GaPSC Common Documents Required for Each Certification Transaction Type
  • Program completion verification, when applicable. Your institution provides written confirmation that you completed a GaPSC-approved or accepted program.
  • Personal Affirmation responses, answered through the MyPSC portal. These stay valid for the current academic year and can be updated if your circumstances change.4Georgia Professional Standards Commission. FAQs – MyPSC

The Personal Affirmation Questions

The Personal Affirmation is not a simple background check box. It asks specifically about adverse actions against any professional license (not just teaching), ongoing investigations into ethical or sexual misconduct, less-than-honorable military discharges, felony convictions, drug offenses, and whether you left a position while under investigation. Minor traffic violations and juvenile offenses before age 17 do not need to be reported. A “yes” answer requires a written explanation and court documents. If the GaPSC previously issued a “no probable cause” finding on the same conduct, you do not have to report that specific incident again.

Background Check and Clearance Certificate

Georgia requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check as part of the Clearance Certificate process. Your employing school district issues the Clearance Certificate and reports the results to the GaPSC. If you move to a different district before your Clearance Certificate expires, the new district may still require fingerprinting for employment purposes even though a new Clearance Certificate is not needed until the existing one runs out.5Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Georgia Code 505-2-.42 – Clearance Certificate

Submitting the Upgrade Through MyPSC

Every certification transaction goes through the MyPSC online portal. You log in, open the Applications/Documentation/Status tab, and click Start to begin. The system walks you through uploading documents and completing the required fields. Your application is not considered complete until all documentation, fees, and forms have been received, so submitting the online portion by itself is not enough.6Legal Information Institute. Georgia Compiled Rules and Regulations R 505-2-.27 – Certification Application, MyPSC and Test Eligibility Procedures

The processing fee for a certification transaction is $20, paid through MyPSC. If you are employed by a Georgia local unit of administration (a public school district), you are exempt from the $20 fee for several common transactions, including upgrading to a higher certificate level, moving from one tier to another, adding a field, and renewing any certificate.7Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Georgia Code 505-2-.28 – Certification Fees In practice, many working Georgia teachers pay nothing to upgrade.

Processing time depends on application volume. As of early 2026, the GaPSC reports processing complete application packages with about a two-to-four-week backlog from the date of receipt. You can watch your application status through the MyPSC portal, and the commission sends electronic notifications if additional documentation is needed. Once approved, your updated certificate is issued digitally.

What the Level Upgrade Actually Buys You

Because level maps to the state salary schedule, a Level 4 to Level 5 move (or any step up) shows up in your paycheck without your teaching assignment changing. Some roles also gate on level: service fields like school counseling and non-performance-based leadership sit at Level 5 or above, and performance-based leadership certification starts at Level 6.1Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Georgia Code 505-2-.02 – Classification If your goal is a specific role rather than a raise, check the level floor for that role before enrolling in a degree program, and make sure the program’s content aligns with the certification field you plan to hold.