Admission to the Education Program
All education candidates who desire a bachelor’s degree with licensure in any program, including the alternative route in elementary education, are required to apply for admission to the appropriate program during the second semester of the sophomore year. Full admission to the program must be attained no later than the semester prior to clinical practice or no later than the final semester for those students choosing to take the elementary education alternative route. An application must be submitted to the office of the appropriate program coordinator. The application contains the specific requirements for admission to the desired program and will be processed and acted upon by the Teacher Education Committee.
EDU 101, Education as a Profession; EDU 101L, Education as a Profession Lab; PSY/EDU 308, Psychology of Learning & Cognition; EDU/SOW 360, Multicultural Education; and EDU/HPPE 321 Physical Education for Elementary Teachers are the only education courses students may take at UTS prior to admission to the education program.
Before beginning any field experiences required in some of the methods and professional education courses, membership in Student Tennessee Education Association (STEA) is required to further familiarize the candidate with professional commitment and involvement responsibilities as well as for insurance liability purposes.
The following are desirable dispositions, from the Educator Disposition Assessment by Almerico, Johnston, and Wilson (2017), that candidates will be expected to demonstrate by the completion of their program to:
- Demonstrate effective oral communication skills
- Demonstrate effective written communication skills
- Demonstrate professionalism
- Demonstrate a positive and enthusiastic attitude
- Demonstrate preparedness in teaching and learning
- Exhibit an appreciation of and value for cultural and academic diversity
- Collaborate effectively with stakeholders
- Demonstrate self-regulated learner behaviors/take initiative
According to the requirements as noted on the application, in addition to a satisfactorily completed application, all education candidates seeking admission to a program shall have:
- a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75
- completed at least thirty (30) semester hours
- at least a “C” in the appropriate math course listed for that program (see application for specific program requirements)
- made or surpassed state required scores on one of the following standardized tests:
1. a required composite score of 21 on the ACT, or
2. a required combined reading, math, and writing score of 1080 on the new SAT, or Core Academic Skills for Educators (English, math, reading, and science) and ACT of 19 (or new SAT of 1010).
3. a satisfactory rating on three copies of the Educator Disposition Assessment completed by the applicant, a University of Tennessee Southern professor, and a UTS education professor
- submitted a satisfactory writing sample (essay)
- passed a TBI/FBI background check paid for by the candidate
- satisfactorily completed an admission interview with members of the Teacher Education Committee
- submitted official complete college transcripts
- valid membership in STEA which will be continued until completion of the clinical practice semester
- submitted a signed copy of the Student’s Rights and Responsibilities form
- submitted a Program Admission Portfolio
Formal application for admittance to the education program must be completed and submitted to the office of the program coordinator by March 1 of the spring semester and October 1 of the fall semester prior to the semester in which the education candidates is to be admitted.
The applicant will be notified in writing as to the decision of the Teacher Education Committee. Applicants who are denied admission because of certain deficiencies in their program of study must re-apply for admission once the deficiencies are removed. An appeals process enables education candidates to re-apply to the committee for admission. Any education candidate denied admission a second time may then appeal to the Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee through the Provost.