Undergraduate Programs
The College of Education's undergraduate programs are housed in the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership>. Our majors are for people who wish to work with students and youth either inside or outside of the classroom. We also have minors for non-education majors.
Those wanting to teach in a preK-5, special education, or secondary math setting should visit our Office of Teacher Education and Clinical Practice (OTECP)> to learn more about teaching licensure. Current undergraduate students needing more information can contact their advisor.
In the Classroom: Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd)
The Teaching All Learners (TALN) major prepares you to teach in Elementary schools and in Special Education programs. Courses focus on essentials for teaching all grade levels' general curriculum, promoting equity and social justice and specialized professional knowledge unique to teaching students with disabilities. The program includes real-world field experiences in local classrooms where students are able to teach and co-teach under the supervision of dedicated, caring mentor teachers. The TALN Program leads to dual licensure in Special Education Interventionist (K-8) OR Interventionist (6-12) AND Elementary Education (K-5) classroom teacher.
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Our Integrated Early Childhood Education program prepares early childhood educators to develop culturally responsive, anti-bias and anti-racist teaching practices in order to become an advocate for educational equity in the primary grades (Pre-K-3rd grade) and beyond. Through coursework, field experiences and student teaching, undergraduate students gain knowledge, skills, dispositions and strategies needed to advance equity and support young children’s learning across developmental stages (birth to age eight) within diverse contexts, leading to initial Pre-K-3 Tennessee State Teacher Certification.
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The ICL Department offers an Integrative Studies, Secondary Math Concentration degree. The objectives for a B.S.Ed. in Integrative Studies/Secondary Math are: (a) to understand how learning occurs, how students construct knowledge and acquire skills, and knows how to provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development; (b) preparing, through intensive clinical experiences, highly qualified math teachers grades for 6-12.
In this program, you will:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the mathematics you will teach
- Work collaboratively with mathematics and education faculty
- Learn how to teach effectively in urban schools
- Spend a full year “in residence” in a local school (observing, tutoring, and teaching)
- Earn a teaching license upon successful completion of the program
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Outside the Classroom: Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd)
The Integrative Studies: Youth Development concentration was designed collaboratively with our non-profit partners. This non-licensure program provides a dedicated course of study, practicum, internship and path to a career for students who are interested in serving in non-profits and educational support structures. Students in this concentration will take specialized courses focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and gain real-world experience to work with youth in non-school settings.
The Integrative Studies: Educational Careers concentration is for students who are interested in working in education or working with youth but are not interested in earning teaching licensure. The non-licensure concentration does not require admittance to the COE's Teacher Education Program.
College of Education Minors
The K-12 Education Minor allows non-education majors, especially those in the College of Arts and Sciences, to complete a partial program of study that will lead to teaching licensure in Tennessee, as opposed to beginning your teacher preparation coursework after undergraduate graduation. The 6 course (18 credit hour) minor allows non-education majors to enroll in courses that will prepare you for the classroom and fast-tracks your journey to teach in middle or high school. What's more is this could also lead students to completing a graduate certificate in Secondary Education and a subsequent Master's of Science degree.
Our Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership (ICL) offers a 100% online minor for undergraduate students in Applied Behavior Analysis. This accelerated minor (18 hours) prepares students to apply for certification as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). This minor pairs well with majors in Teaching All Learners, Psychology, Social Work and Child Development, as well as other majors that work with children and adults with autism, behavior delays or social communication delays.
The Educational Psychology and Research (EDPR) minor prepares you to study how people learn and gives you a head start on graduate-level research in Masters and Doctoral programs. EDPR is a specialized field of psychology that deals with teaching, learning and development. You will learn how to design and measure culturally-responsive, equity-driven studies focused on human development, teaching strategies and learning processes.