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Apr 11, 2025
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2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog
Special Education Major, BS in Education - Teacher Education (Graduate Internship Program)
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 Return to: Undergraduate Degrees, Majors, Concentrations, Minors, and Certificates
This major prepares students seeking licensure to teach students with disabilities who are served through special education in the State of Tennessee. Students who want a disability -related major who are not interested in teaching should apply for the Special Education Major, BS in Education - Non-licensure program. The strength of the program includes a series of special education field experiences that happen “early and often,” through which candidates benefit from hands-on practical experiences across the K-12 grade span and in a variety of settings serving students with mild to severe disabilities. In this graduate internship program, students complete practical teaching experiences during the senior year (terms 7 and 8) and spend a graduate year completing their year-long teaching internship under the guidance and supervision of a professional team that has knowledge of special education principles and instructional practices. Internship placements begin when the assigned school system requires teachers to report (pre-planning) and end when the school system concludes for teachers (post-planning). Students are recommended for licensure only after completion of the internship year and all state requirements (e.g., passing Praxis exams and edTPA.) This program results in a Bachelor of Science degree, Master of Science degree, and teaching endorsements in Interventionist K-8, Interventionist 6-12, and Comprehensive K-12.
Progression Requirements
Students desiring entry into this program must meet admission requirements including, but not limited to the following:
- Academic achievement - minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA.
- 12 credit hours completed
- 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.
Students admitted to the program must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 while in the program. Students must earn a grade of C or better in all undergraduate Teacher Education courses. Students with less than a 2.75 GPA for two consecutive semesters will be dropped from the program. Students who fail to meet the standards for professional conduct during courses and/or fieldwork will not be retained in the major.
After accruing 90 credit hours of undergraduate study, students are eligible to apply for admission to the MS in Teacher Education (see the Graduate Catalog for details). Acceptance into the graduate portion of the Special Education Professional Internship Concentration teacher licensure program is contingent upon acceptance into the department’s master’s program. Students interested in this option should work closely with their advisor to ensure that they understand and meet the Teacher Education program requirements and the requirements for graduate study and that they strictly follow the application process.
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uTrack Requirements
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 include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students. Term 7
- 11 Professional Support Elective 3 Credit Hours
Term 8
- 11 Professional Support Elective 3 Credit Hours
Total Undergraduate Credit Hours 120
Post-Baccalaureate Professional Year
Students must apply to and be admitted by the Graduate School prior to registration. Term 9 (Summer)
- Graduate Elective 3 Credit Hours
- Graduate Elective 3 Credit Hours
- SPED 530 - Applied Behavior Analysis in School Settings 3 Credit Hours
- SPED 555 - Methods of Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders 3 Credit Hours
Term 10 (Internship Fall)
MEDU 530 - Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School 3 Credit Hours SPED 535 - Applied Research in Special Education 1-3 Credit Hours (2 hours) SPED 577 - Special Education Internship Seminar 1-3 Credit Hours (1 hour) SPED 576 - Internship in Teaching Special Education 6 Credit Hours
Term 11 (Internship Spring)
Internship Year Total Credit Hours 36
Footnotes
+Candidates must complete background checks and purchase professional liability insurance for all field experience / service learning courses that involve working with children and/or individuals who have disabilities. - Three courses from the Written Communication * (WC): First-year composition sequence (2 courses, 3 credit hours each) and one additional Written Communication * course (SPED 416 *).
- One course from approved Arts and Humanities * (AH) courses.
- Two 3-hour courses from approved Quantitative Reasoning * (QR) courses. Please note that students must select a math and/or statistics course.
- Two courses (minimum 3 hours each) from approved Natural Sciences * (NS) courses, one must have a laboratory.
- One course (minimum 1 hour) from approved Oral Communication * (OC) courses.
- One course (minimum 3 hours) from approved Social Sciences * (SS) courses.
- One course (minimum 3 hours) from Global Citizenship - International * (GCI) courses (CSE 200 * recommended).
- One course (minimum 3 hours) from approved Global Citizenship - US * (GCUS) courses.
- Two courses (at least 6 credit hours) from Expanded Perspectives Electives (select from Arts and Humanities *, Social Sciences *, Global Citizenship - International *, Global Citizenship - US *, or Applied Arts and Humanities *).
- At least 9 credit hours (minimum 2 courses; at least two different subject areas) from Engaged Inquiries * (EI) courses.
- Professional support electives chosen from AUSP 320 , ASL 211 , ASL 212 , ASL 311 , ASL 421 , COUN 220 , COUN 310 , COUN 333 *, ELED 322 *, EDDE 415 , EDDE 416 , EDDE 419 , EDDE 425 , EDDE 426 , EDDE 429 , HDFS 210 *, HDFS 213 , HDFS 220 *, HDFS 240 , HDFS 320 *, HDFS 345 , HDFS 360 , HDFS 385 , IEC 205 , IEC 335 , IEC 353 , IEC 430 , PHIL 383 , PSYC 432 , REED 230 , REED 428 , REED 430 , RSM 326 *, SCED 430 , SSCE 421 , SPED 200S , SOCI 311 *, WLEL 470 .
- One course from approved Applied Oral Communication * (AOC) courses.
* Meets Volunteer Core Requirements . |
Return to: Undergraduate Degrees, Majors, Concentrations, Minors, and Certificates
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