The Job-Embedded Program is a post-baccalaureate pathway designed for individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree and want to pursue a career in teaching. This program helps meet licensure requirements and can lead to a Master’s degree in Teacher Education.
As a Job-Embedded candidate, you’ll be hired as a Teacher of Record in a partnering school while completing coursework and licensure requirements. You can start your coursework before being hired, but to finish the program, you must be a full-time teacher and work for at least one year (10 months) in the classroom. The program is flexible, with 100% of courses offered online at times that work around your schedule. Most candidates complete the program in about two years. Licensure can be issued at the start of the program, as long as you meet the required qualifications and are enrolled in coursework.
If you have already obtained a Master’s Degree and are not interested in pursuing another master’s degree, another option is to pursue a Specialist in Education (EdS) degree while completing the Job-Embedded Program. Courses for this program are offered 100% online and at times to accommodate a work schedule. Many school districts offer a pay increase for obtaining a Specialist in Education (EdS) degree. You can contact tpteinfo@utk.edu, for more information about this program.
To qualify for the Job-Embedded Program, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must have a Bachelor’s Degree
- An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or above is preferred, but all who are interested in becoming a teacher are encouraged to apply.
- Have a major listed on official transcripts in the content area in which you want to teach or a passing score on a Praxis Content exam.
Program Areas of the Job-Embedded Program are offered in the following subjects and grade levels:
- Agriculture Education, 6-12
- Art, K-12
- American Sign Language PreK-12
- Deaf Education PreK-12
- Elementary Education, K-5
- English, 6-12
- English as a Second Language, PreK-12
- School Librarian, Library Information Specialist, PreK-12
- Mathematics, 6-12
- Middle Grades Mathematics, 6-8 or 6-10
- Middle Grades Science, 6-8
- Science (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science), 6-12
- Social Science Education (History, Geography, Government, Economics), 6-12
- Social Science Education (Psychology & Sociology), 9-12
- Special Education: Interventionist K-8; Interventionist, 6-12, Comprehensive K-12
- World Language (Spanish, French, Latin, German, Russian), 6-12
- *School Counselor, PreK-12 (Please contact counadmit@utk.edu for application and program requirements)
*NOTE: If you are an active licensed teacher and are looking to add an endorsement, please contact beateacher@utk.edu.
Application Process
All applicants will need to complete the following to be considered for admission to the JEP program. Read all directions before completing this application, and reach out to beateacher@utk.edu or call 865-974-5203 if you have any questions.
Post-Baccalaureate Internship Program (PB)
Post-Baccalaureate internship programs allow you to concurrently earn a Master’s degree while serving as an intern under the supervision of a highly skilled Mentor Teacher in a local school. For most students this is a two-year program; the first year consists of UT coursework and the second year is the professional, mentored internship experience. Courses for this program are offered on-campus, in a face-to-face setting.