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    • Master's Degree + Teacher Licensure
      • Elementary Education Teacher Licensure Coursework
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      • Secondary Education Teacher Licensure (English) Coursework
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      • Secondary Ed Licensure Scheduling (English)
      • Office of Teacher Licensure
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Master's Degree + Teacher Licensure

If you are seeking a career in education after obtaining a four-year liberal arts degree that did not include teacher licensure, you may complete requirements for teacher licensure in elementary education or secondary education at the same time you are attaining your master of education degree in one of those areas. Applications are being accepted for either a summer or fall start.

One-semester Teaching Internship
This track offers course work and practica in a variety of school settings culminating in a one-semester student teaching experience. Depending on when a student starts the master's program, the course work and one-semester teaching experience may be completed is as few as fourteen months. Check program area options. The one-semester internship is available for students seeking the master of education degree and licensure in elementary or secondary education.

Professional education courses required for licensure will be included in your master's degree. We will conduct an audit of your transcript to determine if you are lacking any liberal arts courses that are necessary for licensure in addition to the master's program requirements. A typical deficiency is the lack of an American history course.

You may seek teacher licensure in the following areas:

• elementary education (grades K-6)
• secondary education (grades 7-12) with endorsement in English, math,  biology, chemistry, physics, earth/space science, history, and political science

The one-semester teaching program provides opportunity for prospective teachers who already have a bachelor's degree without licensure to complete a master of education degree and requirements for initial licensure in elementary education, or secondary education. This track offers course work and practica in a variety of school settings culminating in a one-semester student teaching (internship) experience.

One-semester Student Teaching Program Details

• The program attracts those who change careers to go into teaching and also is available to recent graduates with bachelor's degrees.
• In addition to coursework, master's students become acquainted with partner schools through a minimum of fifty hours of field experiences prior to student teaching.
• According to the State of Tennessee guidelines, student teaching is a fifteen-week semester experience, with each student teacher working in two different student teaching placements during the semester. Teacher candidates spend between 650 and 820 hours in diverse classrooms in Davidson and Williamson counties.
• Students seeking licensure are required to go through a screening process whereby they are recommended for student teaching by their program faculty. The semester prior to the one in which a student plans to student teach, he/she must apply for student teaching (Screening II).
• Students are evaluated on their academic performance in their course work and on their teaching dispositions as evidenced in their fieldwork performance. Teaching candidates must meet grade point requirements and PRAXIS-National Teacher Examinations.
• Students also must pass the departmental capstone experience that is required for the master of education degree.

For assistance or answers to questions about licensure, students are invited to use the services of the Office of Teacher Licensure.