Sep 17, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

STEM Leadership Graduate Certificate


The STEM Leadership Graduate Certificate is designed for graduate students interested in advancing their knowledge in the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Teacher Leadership. The certificate objectives include:

  • Develop leadership capacity to lead reform efforts in STEM programming within schools or districts.
  • Develop capacity to identify of problems of practice in STEM within school or a district and develop solutions to these problems through evidence-based research findings.
  • Develop capacity to lead STEM education reform efforts in schools and school districts to improve teacher practice, student achievement and interest in STEM.
  • Develop pedagogical content knowledge in relevant STEM disciplines, tailored to students’ interest.
  • Develop capacity to design, implement and evaluate a teacher professional development project.
  • Acquire a robust knowledge of data science and statistical skills through project-based learning.
  • Develop grant writing skills through an applied capstone project.
  • Develop capacity to design, lead and evaluate online professional development programs in STEM.

Home department: Theory and Practice in Teacher Education .

Campus Code


  • Knoxville Campus
  • Distance Education

Graduate Certificate Type


  • Add-On
  • Stand-Alone

Admissions Standards/Procedures


  • Applicants can be currently admitted to a degree program at UTK or can apply solely for the STEM Leadership Certificate in STEM through the Graduate Admissions Office.
  • All 12 credit hours of graduate coursework must be completed at the University of Tennessee within five years of applying for a certificate.

Academic Standards


Students must maintain a 3.50 graduate GPA in all certificate courses in the program and complete the requirements within five years of applying for a certificate.

Credit Hours Required


12 graduate credit hours

Required Courses


A total of 4 graduate courses and a capstone project are required for the certificate. The STEM Leadership Certificate program students will take the following three required courses:

Non-Course Requirements


To receive the certificate, students must:

  1. complete the Graduate Certificate Course Verification Form and
  2. through MyUTK, apply to graduate from the certificate program.