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Post-Baccalaureate Internship Program (PB)

The 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. 

Application Process

Request for Program of Study

An applicant must submit a request for program of study with appropriate documentation, to the Office of Teacher Licensure, beateacher@utk.edu. An admissions coordinator will review the request and send a program of study to the applicant.

A cumulative minimum GPA of 2.75 on a scale of 4.0 is required for admission to the post-baccalaureate program. The applicant must also have a minimum 2.50 GPA in the teaching/subject area. All coursework, undergraduate and graduate, is taken into consideration when determining the GPA. If the applicant is eligible for admission to the program, the program coordinators will be recommending any general education or content area deficiencies. 

**If you have obtained a degree from an institution outside of the U.S., you must submit an original, course-by-course transcript evaluation of all degrees held, accompanied by copies of the transcripts evaluated by an approved academic evaluation service provided by the Tennessee Department of Education. The following academic evaluation services are members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org), or the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (http://www.aice-eval.org).

After Receiving the Program of Study

Upon receiving the program of study, the applicant will receive an email with next steps. This email will outline how to apply to the Teacher Education program and any additional steps to be admitted. 

Once admitted, the candidate will meet with a program coordinator to go over the program of study and address any questions or concerns about coursework and licensure exams.

If your transcripts are not on file with the UT system, you are required to provide copies. You may email PDF copies to beateacher@utk.edu. Official transcripts for admission to UTK should be sent to:

  • Email for Official Transcripts: undergradtranscripts@utk.edu.
  • Mailing Address:
    University of Tennessee
    Office of Undergraduate Admissions
    320 Student Services Building
    1331 Circle Park
    Knoxville, TN 37996-0230

GPA
Per Tennessee State Board of Education policy, GPA should be 2.75 or above to apply for admission to teacher education. If you are unsure whether your GPA meets the minimum requirement, please contact your advisor or beateacher@utk.edu. If your GPA is below 2.75 but you are passionate about becoming a teacher, you are encouraged to apply as exceptions can be made in select cases.

Standardized Tests
Per Tennessee State Board of Education policy, those applying for admission to undergraduate teacher education programs should have an ACT Composite – 21 or SAT Verbal & Math – 1080. If you do not have proof of minimum ACT or SAT but are passionate about becoming a teacher, you are encouraged to apply as exceptions can be made in select cases.

Additional Requirements
Minimum credit hours, GPA, and required courses completed, including AP and transfer, vary according to program area. Please check with Lisa Emery and/or review the Academic Programs for your program area for further details.

Transfer or Returning Students
If you are not a current UT student, you must be admitted to the university before your admission to Teacher Education is finalized. Candidates may choose to apply to UT at this time. Check with your advisor regarding classification as an undergraduate or a graduate student before applying to the university. Admission to the UT does not guarantee admission to teacher education. However, admission to UT is required before full admission to a teacher education program is official. For more information about UT admission, please click here.

Professional Attitudes, Dispositions, and Competencies

UT expects that the teacher candidate maintains Professional Competencies, Attitudes, and Dispositions (ProCADs) identified as essential to the teaching profession. More information on the ProCADs expected of all teacher candidates can be found HERE.

An essential part of our application process is evaluating the ProCADs of our prospective students. Completing the link below is required of all prospective applicants. This form below asks for your self-evaluation as well as three short-response questions:

  • Why do you think you could become a successful teacher/educator?
  • Why have you chosen to enter this particular field or program area of teaching/education?
  • What experiences have you had with children and/or youth?

For Post-Baccalaureate Professional Internship Applicants

Please do not complete this questionnaire separately. This questionnaire is already included in the official Teacher Education Application. Submitting this standalone form may create duplicate records and delay the review of your application. You will complete this questionnaire as part of your official application submission.

If you have questions, contact beateacher@utk.edu before submitting.

Complete the ProCADS form by clicking the link: https://forms.gle/7oMSezqKyqi59Rma7

Application Process: Fingerprint and Background Check

An explanation of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) Background Policy can be found by clicking here.

Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 49-5-5610 requires all students who wish to be admitted to teacher preparation programs to complete a background check.

  1. Sign an authorization and release form authorizing a qualified Tennessee-licensed private investigation company by and on behalf of the board to complete a criminal history records check, and;
  2. Agree to the release of all investigative records to the administrator of the selected teacher training program, and;
  3. Supply a fingerprint sample and submit it to a criminal history records check to be conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Please complete these steps exactly as they are below. Not following this order can cause a delay in processing your application. 

  • Complete the Background Check Authorization Form. 
  • Complete and upload your signed VECHS Form – this is included in the Background Authorization Form. If you need assistance signing a PDF form using Adobe Reader, please use the Adobe Help Link. 
  • Complete the Fingerprint Process. Instructions for this will be emailed to you when you have completed the above steps. 

Your application is not complete until UT has received your background clearance. Please complete this process at least four weeks prior to the application deadline. The board of admission will not receive your application until your background clearance is received. If clearance is not received prior to the application deadline you may be required to wait until the following semester (November or April) to reapply.

Please note there is a cost associated with completing your background check. You should confirm that the minimum requirements have been met for the Teacher Education Program before completing the background check and paying the associated fees. For questions regarding minimum requirements, please contact your education advisor. If you have questions regarding the fingerprint process, please contact beateacher@utk.edu.

NOTE: If you are an out-of-state applicant and not admitted or currently enrolled at UT, please contact Bailey School of Education at beateacher@utk.edu for directions specific to your state to complete the background check.

Board of Admission Reviews

After the application has closed, the board of admissions for each program will take time to review each completed application. The time frame for review varies depending on the number of applicants per program.

Please note: programs vary in size and therefore smaller programs may receive admission decisions before larger programs. Please always reach out to beateacher@utk.edu if you have questions. 

Notification of Admission Status

All decisions regarding admission to the Teacher Education Program are made by the Boards of Admission for each program area. Following the completion of application reviews, you will receive an admission letter via email from beateacher@utk.edu. If you are recommended for admission, you will receive instructions to complete the Admissions Verification form and the mandatory Child Protection Training, linked in the admission email. 

If you are not admitted, you may choose to take feedback from your Board of Admission and re-apply next semester. Some of our most successful Teacher Education Program students have applied more than once with an admissions board to gain entry into the program. There is no stigma associated with applying multiple times. The process for re-application is similar to the process for original application to teacher education, with the exception that you may be exempt from repeating the fingerprinting/background check. If you have questions regarding this, please email beateacher@utk.edu. 

Progressing through the Teacher Education Program

Once the applicant is formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program, the initial professional education courses must be completed. To advance to the internship year or student teaching, the teacher candidate must complete required coursework and must maintain good standing. The teacher candidate must maintain a 2.75 GPA, and 2.80 GPA in professional education courses. A grade of “C” or above must be received in all professional education courses.

Additionally, the teacher candidate must display the professional competencies, attitudes, and dispositions (ProCADs) expected of the teaching profession.

Teacher Education interns will hold the Practitioner license for both their internship year as well as their first two years of teaching beyond the internship.

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