Teacher Licensure
To be eligible for a Tennessee teaching license, an individual must:
- Have an undergraduate or graduate degree with a major, or equivalent, in the subject he/she chooses to teach.
- Complete the appropriate professional education courses and a two-semester, year-long school-based internship experience.
- Meet general education guidelines as set by the Tennessee Department of Education for all teachers. This includes, but is not limited to, nine (9) semester hours in communications, eight (8) semester hours in the natural sciences, six (6) to nine (9) semester hours in the humanities, and three (3) semester hours in cultural studies. General education semester credit requirements vary depending on the teaching field chosen by the applicant. Therefore, the number of semester credits required to complete a post-baccalaureate program depends on the applicant's prior academic course work and the chosen teaching field.
Students may enter the Teacher Education Program as undergraduates and take professional education courses to earn a minor in elementary education, middle school education, or secondary education. Post-baccalaureate students who have not taken education courses may apply as undergraduates and, once admitted, take the required professional education courses and complete the one-year internship. An post-baccalaureate program is available for those whose academic background is assessed and who are deemed eligible for admittance to the Teacher Education Program and participation in a two-semester internship.
The Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education offers teacher licensure programs in the following areas:
__ Art Education
__ Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
__ Elementary Teaching
__ Special Education: Modified
and Early Childhood
__ Secondary Teaching (English
Education, ESL, Foreign
Language, Mathematics Education, Science
Education, Social Science Education)
A complete list of initial teacher licensure programs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville is compiled and maintained by the Office of Teacher Education and Professional Licensure.
Post-Baccalaureate Program
The Post-baccalaureate program allows applicants to complete the required coursework and internship experiences on a customized schedule that meets the needs of the individual.
The Post-baccalaureate program is a post-graduate professional teacher education program designed to provide an opportunity for post-baccalaureate students to prepare for a career in teaching. An undergraduate or graduate major in the appropriate academic area is required. If the student does not have the appropriate major, courses will be recommended to make up the deficiency. General education requirements must also be met. The program requires a two-semester, year-long, school-based internship experience. Completion of the internship earns twenty-four graduate semester credits. Twelve additional graduate semester credits are required for completion of a master's degree.
Admission Process for the
Post-baccalaureate Program
Office
of Teacher Education and Professional Licensure
Teacher
Licensure and Professional Education Programs
Requirements
for a Tennessee teaching license
Contact CEHHS
335 Claxton Complex
1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
Phone: 865-974-2201
Fax: 865-974-8718