Concentrations (Required) and Options Available
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) — Course Only with Comprehensive Exams
- Educational Studies (with specializations) — Thesis, Course Only with Comprehensive Exams
- Professional Internship Concentrations are for Initial Licensure — Thesis, Course Only with Comprehensive Exams
- Art Education Professional Internship Concentration
- ASL Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Professional Internship Concentration
- Elementary Education Professional Internship Concentration
- English Education and English as a Second Language Professional Internship Concentration
- Mathematics Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Mathematics Grades 6-8 Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Science Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Science Grades 6-8 Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Social Sciences Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Special Education Professional Internship Concentration
- World Language Education Professional Internship Concentration
- Practitioner (with specializations) — Course Only without Comprehensive Exams [Distance Education Program]
Campus Code
Knoxville Campus — all concentrations except for the ones listed under Distance Education
Distance Education
- Educational Studies Concentration with the specialization in STEM—Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Technology—with an optional endorsement in Gifted Education)
- Practitioner Concentration
Admissions Standards/Procedures
- For all programs, students must meet all current graduate school admission requirements and departmental requirements in addition to submitting a graduate school and departmental application.
- Three letters of recommendation are also required for the Educational Studies concentration.
- Admission to the ABA concentration will be based on applicant GRE scores, grade point average at all collegiate levels, written goal statement, example of professional writing, background check clearance, professional references, and admission board interview.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Concentration — Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
The Teacher Education, MS; Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) concentration is designed to prepare practitioners to use behavior analytic techniques and treatment approaches to prevent and reduce problem behaviors and to increase appropriate behaviors and skills targeted to improve overall quality of life. The ABA concentration coursework is comprised of courses in Special Education and School Psychology programs. Content in this program of studies is primarily focused on treatment approaches for children and adults with learning or behavioral difficulties and their teachers and caregivers.
Credit Hours Required
30 graduate credit hours
Required Courses (21 credit hours)
- EDPY 636
- EDPY 515
- EDPY 517
- SPED 530
- SPED 555
- SPED 501
- In consultation with advisor, select one of the following courses:
- Additional Courses (9 credit hours)
- In consultation with advisor, select from the following courses and/or other relevant graduate-level course(s) approved by advisor:
- Note: To complete the coursework required for board certification in applied behavior analysis, students must complete EDPY 515 , EDPY 517 , EDPY 636 , SPED 555 , SPED 530 , SPED 501 , and either EDPY 505 or SPED 603 . An international certifying board specifies and updates additional requirements (e.g., completing supervised internship experience, completing exam) for board certification which are outside of coursework included in the Teacher Education, MS; ABA concentration.
Educational Studies Concentration — Thesis or Course Only with Comprehensive Exam
The Educational Studies concentration does not lead to initial teacher licensure but, depending on the student’s program of study, may lead to an additional endorsement area for an already licensed teacher. It is for students seeking to enhance their professional knowledge and expertise, for those preparing to teach on the post-secondary level, or for those preparing for careers that do not require teacher licensure.
The Educational Studies concentration encompasses specializations in American Sign Language (ASL) Education, Art Education, Cultural Studies of Educational Foundations, Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Elementary Education, English Education, Literacy Education, Mathematics Education, Science Education, Social Science Education, Special Education, Teaching and Learning, and World Language/ESL.
The Educational Studies concentration also offers a Distance Education option with the specialization in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with an optional endorsement in Gifted Education.
Credit Hours Required
Thesis Option: 33 graduate credit hours
Course Only with Examination Option: minimum 33 graduate credit hours
Required Courses
- TPTE 517 (3 credit hours)
- Approved Research course (suggested: EDPY 505 , EDPY 506 , EDPY 550 , EDPY 577 , EDPY 583 ) (3 credit hours)
- ETEC 586 or ETEC 587 (or other approved technology course) (3 credit hours)
- 12 credit hours in a specialization area, selected in consultation with and approved by the student’s advisor
Additional Course Requirements
- For Thesis Option:
- 6 credit hours of related studies, selected in consultation with and approved by the student’s advisor
- 6 credit hours of TPTE 500
- For Course only with Examination Option:
- 12 credit hours of related studies, selected in consultation with and approved by the student’s advisor
- For Both Options:
- Two-thirds of total credit hours for MS degree must be 500-level or above
Non-Course Requirements
- Thesis Option: Satisfactory completion of written thesis and oral defense of thesis
- Course Only with Comprehensive Exam Option: Students to submit a written comprehensive examination.
Professional Internship Concentrations — Thesis or Course Only With Comprehensive Exam
The Professional Internship concentrations are intended for individuals seeking initial teacher licensure. Applicants to any of the professional internship concentrations must first interview with a teacher education admissions board and be admitted to teacher education. Individuals are encouraged to contact the college’s Student Services Center, A332 Bailey Education Complex, for a diagnostic interview and to develop a tentative course of study and time line. Note that several of the concentrations have dual or triple pathway options that lead to additional licensure in English as a Second Language and/or Special Education. Program contact information can be found at the Theory and Practice in Teacher Education webpage: https://tpte.utk.edu/msprograms/. Note that several of the concentrations have dual or triple pathway options that lead to additional licensure in English as a Second Language and/or Special Education. Program contact information can be found at the Theory and Practice in Teacher Education webpage: https://tpte.utk.edu/msprograms/.
Credit Hours Required
42 graduate credit hours for the Thesis Option
36 graduate credit hours for the Course Only with Comprehensive Exam Option
Required Courses
- Professional Internship Year Common Core Courses (24 credit hours)
- TPTE 574 (2-3 credit hours)
- TPTE 575 (12 credit hours)
- TPTE 591 (3-4 credit hours)
- Concentration specific courses as approved by advisor (6 credit hours)
- Thesis Option: TPTE 500 (6 credit hours)
Additional Course Requirements
- Art Education Professional Internship
- ASL Education Professional Internship
- Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Professional Internship
- Research elective, 3 credit hours, chosen in consultation with advisor
- Non-specified electives, 9 credit hours, chosen in consultation with advisor
- Elementary Education Professional Internship
- 6 credit hours chosen from MEDU 530 , REED 530 , SCED 531 , or SSCE 521
- 6 credit hours of educational electives chosen from historical, philosophical, or social foundations; educational technology; reading education; language arts education; science education; social science education; elementary education; or issues in teacher education, selected in consultation with advisor
- English Education and English as a Second Language Professional Internship
- TPTE 517
- 9 credit hours of electives selected in consultation with advisor
- Mathematics Education Professional Internship
- TPTE 517
- 9 credit hours of specialty area electives selected in consultation with advisor
- Mathematics Grades 6-8 Education Professional Internship
- TPTE 517
- REED 543
- 6 credit hours of electives selected in consultation with advisor
- Science Education Professional Internship
- TPTE 517
- 9 credit hours of specialty area electives selected in consultation with advisor
- Science Grades 6-8 Education Professional Internship
- TPTE 517
- REED 543
- 6 credit hours of electives selected in consultation with advisor
- Social Sciences Education Professional Internship
- TPTE 517
- 9 credit hours of specialty area electives selected in consultation with advisor
- Special Education Professional Internship
- SPED 553
- SPED 530
- 6 credit hours of electives selected in consultation with advisor
- World Language Education Professional Internship
Non-Course Requirements
- Thesis Option: Successful defense of the thesis
- ASL Education Professional Internship: Candidates need a minimum score of Advanced level on SLPI or 4 on ASLPI.
- Course Only with Comprehensive Exam Option: Successful completion of a comprehensive exam with a grade of Pass is required.
- ASL Education Professional Internship: Candidates need a minimum score of Advanced level on SLPI or 4 on ASLPI.
Practitioner Concentration — Course Only without Comprehensive Exams
The Practitioner concentration in Teacher Education is offered only as a Distance Education program.
The Practitioner concentration leads to licensure in high needs content areas, math education, science education, special education, world languages, and English as a second language. It is designed for students who are earning an initial teaching credential while serving as an instructor of record in a school. In areas of teacher shortage, state licensure requirements allow a partnership school system (or private school) to employ an individual as “instructor of record,” provided content/subject knowledge has been met, and the candidate has been admitted to an approved educator preparation program (EPP). The student would enter a graduate-level teacher EPP, while carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a first-year teacher, with school system and UT faculty as mentors, and has three years to complete licensure requirements. The Tennessee Department of Education’s Office of Educator Licensing will issue the license only at the recommendation of the approved educator preparation program.
The Practitioner concentration is designed for students who are earning an initial teaching credential while serving as an instructor of record in a school (i.e. as a “Job-Embedded Practitioner”). State licensure requirements allow a partnership school system (or private school) to employ an individual as “instructor of record,” provided content/subject knowledge has been met, and the candidate has been admitted to an approved educator preparation program (EPP). The student would enter a graduate-level teacher EPP, while carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a first-year teacher, with school system and UT faculty as mentors, and has three years to complete licensure requirements. The Tennessee Department of Education’s Office of Educator Licensing will issue the license only at the recommendation of the approved educator preparation program.
Credit Hours Required
30 to 38 graduate credit hours
Required Courses
- EDPY 401 (3 credit hours)
- ETEC 586 (3 credit hours)
- SPED 402 (3 credit hours)
- EDUC 576 (6- 8 credit hours). Students must be continuously enrolled in a minimum of 1 hour of EDUC 576 for the duration of their program of study; in at least one semester the student must enroll in 3 hours of EDUC 576 .
- Specialization courses
- American Sign Language
- Art Education
- Math Education
- Science Education
- Special Education
- World Languages
- English as a Second Language
Non-Course Requirements
- The student must complete licensure requirements within three years.
- Students in the World Language specialization must have completed a minimum of 24 credit hours in the world language (WL) with at least 18 upper division hours in the WL with a 3.00 average or above.
