Robert A. Rider, Dean
David F. Cihak, Associate Dean, Professioal Licensure and Director, David T. Bailey, Graduate School of Education
Jeffrey T. Fairbrother, Associate Dean, Academic and Faculty Affairs
Hollie Raynor, Assistant Dean Research
Jana Spitzer, Director of Student Services
https://cehhs.utk.edu/
The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences is a vibrant and diverse college that seeks to enhance quality of life through research, outreach and practice. Our mission is to promote a healthy, educated, and civil society; to encourage life-long learning; and to enhance the quality of life within the diverse, global community by preparing professionals to lead and serve through research and engagement in outreach activities. In alignment with that mission our vision is “to be nationally and internationally recognized for our rich academic programs, highly qualified faculty and staff, and diverse and academically talented student population.” The college aspires to build on its already strong reputation in ways that enhances student learning, creates new knowledge through research, and positively impacts our world on local-to-global levels.
Our core values are:
- An appreciation of individuals regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability or socioeconomic status.
- A recognition of the challenge of teaching, learning and practice and a commitment to high quality instruction and academic integrity.
- A commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, the respectful exchange of ideas, and academic freedom.
- An understanding of the rich rewards that come through intercultural and international engagement.
- A commitment to making a positive impact through outreach and engagement.
- A resolution to act according to high ethical and professional standards.
- An obligation to create a college culture that is respectful and appreciative of all members of our community.
The college, with its disciplines located at the intersection of many of society’s greatest challenges, is positioned to make a significant difference through its programs of study, research, and outreach. Recognizing that the strength of the college is greater than the sum of its parts, the college is subdivided into the following academic departments – Child and Family Studies; Educational Leadership and Policy Studies; Educational Psychology and Counseling; Nutrition; Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport Studies; Public Health; Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management; and Theory and Practice in Teacher Education.
The Graduate School of Education, comprised of the four departments within CEHHS that offer programs in professional education, promotes our education research community and its engagement in the generation and sharing of knowledge designed to improve student opportunity, achievement, and success. Further, it strives to foster a deep understanding of education throughout the local, regional, national, and international community. The School serves to build and strengthen collaborations across departments, programs, and services in education.
Degrees and Majors
Bachelor of Science in Audiology and Speech Pathology
Bachelor of Science in Education – special education major (concentrations in education of the deaf and hard of hearing, educational interpreting, interventionist and comprehensive special education with elementary education, and interventionist and comprehensive special education with secondary education); kinesiology major; and recreation and sport management major (concentrations in sport management and therapeutic recreation).
Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Sciences – child and family studies major and nutrition major (concentrations in basic science and dietetics).
Bachelor of Science in Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management – hotel, restaurant, and tourism major and retail and consumer sciences major.
Minors
The academic departments within the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences offer minors in American Sign Language, art education, child and family studies, elementary education (for Arts and Sciences students only), English as a second language education, leadership studies, mathematics education grades 6-8 and science education grades 6-8 (for Arts and Sciences students only), nutrition, public health, restaurant and food service management, retail and consumer sciences, retail technology, secondary education (for Arts and Sciences students only), tourism and hospitality management, VolsTeach Mathematics, VolsTeach Science, and world language education.
Students pursuing a minor must complete at least one-half of the required classes at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and all courses must be taken for a letter grade unless otherwise specified.
Admission to the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Entering freshmen and transfer freshmen students (i.e., with fewer than 30 credit hours and a minimum 2.0 GPA) are eligible for admission to the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Transfer students, with 30 or more credit hours completed and a minimum 2.3 GPA are eligible for admission to the college.
Typically, students who are admitted to the college are expected to have attained the minimum GPA (ranging from 2.0-3.0) necessary for admission/progression to the major, concentration, or program by the completion of 59 credit hours or the completion of lower division coursework (i.e., 100- and 200-level).
College advisors will assist students who fail to progress to identify other academic alternatives and, if necessary, to facilitate the transfer of those students to other academic units.
Readmission
Students who return in good standing are eligible for readmission to the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. College advisors are available at A332 Bailey Education Complex (865-974-8194) to meet with students interested in EHHS academic programs and to discuss GPA and progression requirements.
Students on probation with more than 30 hours and less than a 2.3 GPA will be readmitted as College Exploratory and assisted by college advisors in identifying a major. In order for students on probation to return to their original intended major, all requirements including improved GPA must be achieved.
Students dismissed from the university will be readmitted into College Exploratory and assisted by college advisors. In order for academically dismissed students to return to their original intended major, all requirements including improved GPA must be achieved.
uTrack Requirements (for students entering Fall 2013 or later)
Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester known as milestones. Milestones may include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who enter prior to Fall 2015.
Progression to a Major, Concentration, or Program
Progression refers to the process during which a student demonstrates an aptitude to complete an academic major, concentration, or academic program. Typically, progression requirements include completion of prerequisite courses and attainment of a minimum grade point average. Some majors, concentrations, and programs also require applicants to attain certain minimum performance levels on standardized aptitude or achievement tests and a favorable recommendation from an interview panel. Academic majors, concentrations, and programs involving teaching or other interaction with children require applicants to submit to security checks. Upon successful progression (i.e., admission) to a major, concentration, or program, students must meet additional criteria in order to maintain good standing and to graduate or complete a program.
Complete progression requirements for each major or concentration are located in the following sections of this catalog. Progression requirements for the Teacher Education Program appear in the section entitled, Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
VolsTeach
Students pursuing a major in selected programs in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible to participate in the University’s VolsTeach program (https://volsteach.utk.edu/), which permits students to simultaneously complete a major in mathematics or science and receive secondary education teaching licensure within this 4-year undergraduate program. For more information about VolsTeach, including advising associated with teaching licensure requirements, contact the Office of Advising & Student Services in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (332 Bailey Education Complex).
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Honors Program
The College of Education, Health and Human Sciences provides a unique opportunity for its best and brightest students to use classroom learning in solving practical problems. Through the college’s honors program students have an opportunity to apply knowledge and skills specific to their academic majors to their work with individuals and/or groups in the community.
The goal of the CEHHS honors program is to provide students with an experiential educational model that is based on reciprocal learning including practical application of their classroom studies; service activities that emerge from and inform classroom context; and structured reflection linking service experiences back to specific learning goals. The honors program provides students with a rigorous and relevant curriculum to teach civic responsibility and enrich the overall learning experiences.
Admission to the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences Honors Program is competitive and applicants should be aware that meeting the minimum admission criteria does not assure entry into the program. In addition to fulfillment of the minimum requirements shown below, applicants should note that an individual’s personal objectives, type of field setting desired, availability of adequate faculty supervision, as well as total number of applicants are determinants in the selection process. Applicants should also note that participation in this particular honors program does not preclude participation in other honors programs.
Admission Requirements
- Admitted to one of the college’s undergraduate majors.
- Attainment of a minimum cumulative 3.50 GPA (based on the completion of at least 15 semester credit hours).
- Submission of a CEHHS Honors Program application. Applications are available in the CEHHS Office of Advising and Student Services, A332 Bailey Education Complex.
- Individual meeting with departmental coordinator.
Program Requirements
- Two lower-division honors courses. Examples include but are not limited to PSYC 117 *; SOCI 127 *; SPAN 217 *, SPAN 218 *; UNHO 257 *, UNHO 267 *, UNHO 277 *, UNHO 287 *. It is also possible to satisfy this requirement through lower-division honors coursework in the major and/or through Honors-by-Contract*.
- One 3 credit hour course with a service learning component as approved by the department. This requirement may be met through Honors-by-Contract*.
- One upper-division 3 credit hour honors course in the student’s academic major (e.g., CFS 497 , KNS 497 , RCS 497 , etc.) through which the student will develop and present a capstone project at the university’s annual Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement or at an approved similar professional venue. This requirement may be met through Honors-by-Contract*.
*Honors-by-Contract requires completion of a written contract (available in the CEHHS Office of Advising and Student Services, BEC A332) delineating additional effort and is submitted to the College’s honors coordinator/director by the third week of the semester.
Program Completion
Students who successfully complete the program requirements and maintain a minimum cumulative 3.50 GPA will be recognized during commencement and have their participation in the CEHHS Honors Program so noted on their official transcript.
Further Information
Students interested in obtaining an application or further information regarding the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences’ Honors Program should contact the CEHHS Office of Advising and Student Services in A332 Bailey Education Complex (865-974-8194).
Departmental faculty contacts:
Advising
The CEHHS Office of Advising & Student Services houses the Advising Center, providing academic program planning and related services to students in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. The center, located in the Jane and David Bailey Education Complex A332, maintains a full-time staff of academic advisors to respond to students’ concerns regarding progression to academic programs, uTrack milestones, courses of study, academic petitions (e.g., course substitutions, etc.), and referrals to other campus services.
Course Load
Undergraduate students may enroll in a maximum of 19 credit hours during fall and spring semesters and for no more than 12 credit hours during summer term. Appeals to exceed these maximums should be directed to the college’s Office of Advising & Student Services; decisions to approve overloads are based on a review of each student’s academic record but, typically, will not be granted to students with less than a 3.0 GPA.
Students who are granted permission by the university’s Dean of the Graduate School to earn graduate credits (see Seniors Eligible for Graduate Credit) prior to earning a bachelor’s degree may enroll in no more than 15 credit hours during either fall or spring semesters or a maximum of 12 credit hours during summer term.
Course Credit
With permission of the instructor, an undergraduate student who has a minimum 3.0 GPA may enroll in a 500-level course for undergraduate credit. Exclusions include courses numbered 500, 502, and independent or directed study courses for which there are appropriate undergraduate course alternatives.
Grading
Students enrolled in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences may take courses graded on a Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC) basis when letter grading (i.e., A-F) is not an option or in non-specified (i.e., unrestricted electives) courses. Additionally, students must earn at least a C in major prefix courses and in any other course so identified by the major area faculty (see departmental sections for specific progression requirements for each major).
General Education Test for Seniors
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) requires each public institution of higher education to evaluate the general education skills of the senior class. The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences requires each of its senior students to take this general education test prior to graduation. The test results enable the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to evaluate its general education program and to qualify for needed funding from the State of Tennessee. Students enrolled in programs that are scheduled to take a major field test are exempt from the general education testing.
Major Field Test for Seniors
The Tennessee Higher Education (THEC) requires that each public institution for higher education assess the knowledge and expertise of students within each major area of study. Each year, a subset of all major fields of study on campus is required to test all graduating seniors from those respective fields. The results from these tests enable the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to evaluate and, where necessary, improve the quality of major fields of study. Students are informed in their senior year if they are required to take a major field test. Students enrolled in a major field of study that is scheduled to test majors are exempt from the general education testing that particular year.
Seniors Eligible for Graduate Credit
Subject to approval by the Dean of the Graduate School, a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who needs fewer than 30 semester hours to complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree and has at least a B average (3.0) may enroll in graduate courses for graduate credit, provided the combined total of undergraduate and graduate coursework does not exceed 15 credit hours per semester (12 credits during summer semester).
- Only students working toward a first bachelor’s degree are eligible.
- Students who have met all requirements for graduation are not eligible for senior privilege.
- Approval must be obtained each semester at the Graduate School, Rm 111 Student Services Bldg.; (865) 974-2475. Form available online at: https://gradschool.utk.edu/forms-central/senior-requesting-graduate-credit/
- A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit at the 400- and 500-level can be obtained in this status.
- Some departments do not permit seniors to register for graduate courses without prior permission.
- Courses taken for graduate credit may not be used toward both the baccalaureate and a graduate degree program except in the case of approved dual bachelor’s/master’s programs.
Teacher Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences is the administrative base for the university’s preparation programs for educators. As such the college has oversight responsibilities for licensure programs attached to other academic units. The Teacher Education Program at the University of Tennessee is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), www.ncate.org. This accreditation covers the initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs; however, the accreditation does not include individual education courses that the institution offers to P-12 educators for professional development, licensure renewal, or other purposes.
Admission to Teacher Education
A student desiring to become a teacher, regardless of college affiliation or academic major must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Admission to Teacher Education allows a student to enroll in upper-division professional education courses. Admission requirements include, but are not limited to the following:
- Academic achievement – minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA including transfer courses.
- Minimum number of hours completed and required courses for Admissions Board Interviews:
- 45 credit hours for agriculture education, art education, music education, special education, and VolsTeach math and science secondary education; 60 credit hours for PreK-K education, early childhood education, and elementary education; 75 credit hours for secondary education (English, social sciences), English as a Second Language education, and world language education.
- completion of specific courses prior to admission to the following teaching areas: mathematics education grades 6-8 – MATH 141 *-MATH 142 *, plus at least six hours 200-level mathematics; science education grades 6-8 – at least eight hours of laboratory natural science; music education – MUTH 210 and at least one semester 200-level (applied) music; English education, English as a second language education, and world language education – minimum nine hours 300-level in respective fields with minimum 3.0 GPA (to include all courses in the target subject); and early childhood education – CFS 350 completed or currently enrolled.
- Standardized test performance – minimum 21 ACT (enhanced version) composite score; 1020 SAT (revised version) total score; or State Board of Education determined passing scores on PRAXIS Core (contact the college’s Student Services Center for current PRAXIS Core score requirements).
- Speech and hearing screening – prospective teachers must perform within normal limits on measures of speech and hearing proficiency or participate in remedial therapy through the university’s Hearing and Speech Center. Hearing impaired applicants are exempt from this screening, but must inform the college’s Office of Teacher Education Admissions of their impairment before an Admissions Board interview can be scheduled.
- Tennessee state law (TCA 49-5-5610) requires that students wishing to enter an approved higher education educator preparation program must submit to a criminal history background check. Admission to the program is dependent on clearance of any conviction(s) as referenced to a list of crimes that would prohibit a person from being licensed in Tennessee.
Boards of Admission in Teacher Education
Applicants who meet the above criteria will be invited by the Office of Teacher Education Admissions to interview with a Board of Admissions. Admission decisions will be based on the above admission criteria, as well as each applicant’s written application, oral expression, appropriate experience working with children and youth, and expressed interest in teaching. Admission decisions are based on a comprehensive review of candidates’ credentials, and results from the Admissions Board interviews. Admissions decisions are made by faculty who are responsible for the application review process and who sit on Admissions Boards.
Admission is competitive and certain teaching fields have more qualified applicants than space available. Interviews are conducted during fall and spring semesters; each board is comprised of content and pedagogy specialists, as well as a practitioner and an advanced student. All licensure programs have received State of Tennessee approval, and must comply with state licensing requirements. Prospective applicants should request appointments with teacher licensure academic advisors to thoroughly discuss licensure program requirements. Appointments may be made by calling the Office of Advising & Student Services at 865-974-8194.
Admission into the Teacher Education Program through VolsTeach (Secondary Math and Sciences)
VolsTeach applicants will be reviewed by VolsTeach faculty from their academic discipline and teacher education as well as master teachers. Admission to Teacher Education through VolsTeach is based upon performance throughout the VolsTeach courses, performance in content-area courses, and demonstration of skills and dispositions needed to be an effective teacher. VolsTeach applicants must meet all other progression requirements associated with admission into Teacher Education. For more information about VolsTeach, including advising associated with teaching licensure requirements, contact the Office of Advising & Student Services in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (332 Bailey Education Complex).
Maintaining Good Academic Standing in Teacher Education
To maintain good standing in the Teacher Education Program and to qualify for a degree and/or licensure as a teacher, students must perform adequately both in the university classroom and in the school(s). Students must maintain a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA, establish and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA in their major, and maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA (course grade C or higher required) in professional education courses.
Complete information on the teacher licensure program is available through the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences’ website (https://cehhs.utk.edu/), the college’s Office of Advising & Student Services – Bailey Education Complex, A332, or from teaching area faculty.
University-Wide Involvement in Teacher Education
The faculty in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences assume primary responsibility for preparing school personnel. The College of Arts and Sciences faculty have major responsibility for providing the general education background required of all teachers and for providing the specialized content knowledge needed by teachers.
Information regarding specific teaching fields and educational specialties is available at the following campus locations.
- Agriculture Education – 325 Morgan Hall
- Art Education – 213 Art and Architecture Building
- Library Information Specialist – 451-K Communications Building
- Music Education – 211 Music Building
- School Counseling – A535 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
- School Psychology – A535 Jane and David Bailey Education Complex
- Audiology and Speech Pathology – 578 South Stadium Hall
- College of Social Work – 308 Henson Hall
- VolsTeach – 101 Greve Hall
Information regarding general teacher preparation is described in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences section of this catalog and is available through the college’s Student Services Center, A332 Bailey Education Complex.
Academic Programs
