The specific objectives of the College of Education are to coordinate the teacher education programs of the University; to prepare teachers and school leaders for the education profession; to provide professional development opportunities and programs for educators who are already in service; and to actively partner with school districts to improve student achievement at all levels.

Laboratory Schools

The Homer Pittard Campus School is a public school, comprising grades K through 6, which is staffed and operated by Rutherford County Schools. The Campus School is a laboratory unit that serves the professional education programs in teacher education. University students are provided varied practicum opportunities which merge theory and practice through the study of children, and the school program through observations and participation in teaching activities.

Project Help is an early intervention program that offers services free of charge to families who have very young children with developmental delays or disabilities. The play-based learning experiences are provided in a natural-environment with children who are developing typically. The program offers training for approximately 300 pre-service education majors each year; it also serves as a rotation site for Motlow State and MTSU nursing students.

 The Child Development Center in the Department of Elementary and Special Education serves as a teaching laboratory for students in child development, early childhood and elementary education, and other University programs. It is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Accreditation

Teacher preparation programs for undergraduate and graduate programs for teachers and related school personnel are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The College of Education holds membership in the Tennessee Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The Professional Counseling Program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Admission to Teacher Education

Students who wish to prepare themselves for careers as teachers must make formal application for admission to the teacher education program. Applications must be submitted no later than the second semester of the sophomore year. Students who transfer to Middle Tennessee State University after the completion of their sophomore years, or with more than 45 semester hours of credit, must make application during their first semester of residence at MTSU. Admission to teacher education is a prerequisite to enrollment in the following upper-division education courses: Elementary Education (ELED), Early Childhood Education (ECE), Reading (READ), Special Education (SPED) (with the exception of SPED 3010 ), Foundations of Education (FOED prefixes), or Youth Education (YOED).

To be formally admitted to the teacher education program, candidates must

1. complete the admission application;
2. have acceptable scores on the ACT, SAT, or the Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Tests as set by the Tennessee State Board of Education;
3. complete at least 45 semester hours with at least 6 semester hours at MTSU;
4. have an overall grade point average of 2.75; (Grades earned in basic, learning support, and university studies courses are not used in computation of the required average.)
5. have three favorable professional interviews;
6. have disciplinary clearance from MTSU Office of Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services;
7. complete a background/fingerprinting check.

Application forms for Admission to Teacher Education are located in the college’s electronic database system (CampusTools HigherEd by Tk20). Instructions may be secured from the Office of Professional Laboratory Experiences, on the second floor of the College of Education building.

Postbaccalaureate Teacher Program

The postbaccalaureate teacher education program is designed for individuals who have completed baccalaureate degrees but who did not complete teacher preparation programs leading to a teaching license. The College of Education requires candidates to address any course and program deficiencies in their undergraduate education to ensure the attainment of the knowledge and skills required in general education, professional education, and the major for the teaching field. Additional coursework and program requirements will be determined by teacher licensure analysts. Transcript analysis forms for the postbaccalaureate program are available in the Office of Teacher Licensure on the second floor of the College of Education building and at www.mtsu.edu/education/teach_lic_cebs.shtml.

Postbaccalaureate students must also make formal application for admission to the teacher education program. Admission to teacher education is a prerequisite to enrollment in the following upper-division education courses: Elementary Education (ELED), Early Childhood Education (ECE), Reading (READ), Special Education (SPED) (with the exception of SPED 3010 ), Foundations of Education (FOED prefixes), School Personnel Services (SPSE), or Youth Education (YOED).

Directed Teaching

Directed Teaching is the culminating experience of the professional education program in which student teachers undertake two consecutive placements in public schools. It is a full-time, entire semester activity that takes place in either Fall or Spring semesters of the senior year.

Admission to Directed Teaching and the professional semester is based upon successful completion of a formal application by the student and the requirements listed below. Applications must be submitted at the beginning of the semester preceding the semester in which Directed Teaching is to be done. Students should confirm specific deadline dates for student teaching applications with the Office of Professional Laboratory Experiences. Directed Teaching must be taken in the student’s major endorsement area.

To enroll in Directed Teaching and the professional semester, the student must

1. complete the admission application;
2. have completed formal admission to teacher education at the time that the application is filed;
3. have an overall grade point average of 2.75 and a 2.50 grade point average in the teaching major (Grades earned in learning support or university studies courses are not used in computation of the required average. Computation of the grade point average in the teaching major will include all coursework taken in the departments contributing to the teaching major; this includes all coursework, if any, taken beyond the required and elective courses in the teaching major.);
4. complete all education courses and appropriate methods course(s) with a grade of C- or better;
5. be classified as a senior, graduate student, or post-baccalaureate student;
6. be favorably evaluated in the required field and laboratory experiences (course grades alone may not be used to meet this requirement);
7. submit a negative tuberculin test.

Licensure of Teachers

Completion of an approved program and recommendation by the University are required for a Tennessee Apprentice Teacher’s License. Forms for making application for the initial Tennessee Teacher’s License are available in the Office of Teacher Licensure on the second floor of the College of Education building and at www.mtsu.edu/education/teach_lic_cebs.shtml.

All applicants for a teacher’s license shall furnish teacher licensing analysts with a report of scores attained on the Praxis II Exam (Principles of Learning and Teaching and certain designated Specialty Tests) so that they may be submitted to the Tennessee Department of Education at the time of recommendation for licensure. When students make application to take the Praxis II Exams, they should indicate on the application form that their test scores be sent to
 Teacher Licensure Analyst
 College of Education
    1301 E. Main Street, Box 93
 Middle Tennessee State University
 Murfreesboro, TN 37132

Information regarding minimum scores and applicable Praxis II Specialty Area Tests is available in the Office of Teacher Licensure on the second floor of the College of Education building.

To be recommended for a license, students who have majors in Interdisciplinary Studies, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, and/or Secondary Education must have at least a 2.75 overall grade point average and a grade point average of 2.50 in the teaching major. Included in the computation are grades assigned in all courses attempted in departments contributing to the teaching major. This includes all coursework, if any, taken beyond the required elective courses in the teaching major. Grades earned in learning support or university studies courses are not used in computing the average required.

Early Childhood Education: Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 3

Requirements for the major in Early Childhood Education must be completed. Consult Department of Elementary and Special Education  for requirements.

Elementary Endorsement, Grades K–6 and 4–8

Requirements for the major in Interdisciplinary Studies must be completed. Consult the Department of Elementary and Special Education  for requirements.

Special Education Endorsement, Grades K–12

Requirements for the major in Special Education must be completed. Consult the Department of Elementary and Special Education  for requirements.

Secondary Education Endorsement, Grades 7-12

Students seeking a license to teach in secondary schools must complete (1) a major in the subject they intend to teach, (2) a minor in Secondary Education, and (3) additional teacher licensure requirements.

Following is a list of the teacher education programs leading to initial licensure in secondary education. Since licensure programs change from time to time, access the most current list of licensure areas at www.state.tn.us/education/lic/index.shtml.