Before being admitted to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Educator Preparation Program, all prospective students and/or currently enrolled students are required to undergo a comprehensive criminal background check and fingerprinting procedure conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) at least four weeks before the application deadline.
This process entails both fingerprinting and the completion of necessary documentation. The College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS) Office of Professional Licensure (OPL) is available to support students throughout the entirety of this process. CEHHS provides for the privacy of background check information. Background information is generally not shared outside of OPL unless the prospective student provides OPL permission to disclose information or in situations where OPL receives a subpoena, court order, or as otherwise required by law.