Admission to Teacher Education Program (ATE)
Elementary Ed, Early Childhood, Middle Grades, Special Education and Secondary Education
Students who wish to prepare themselves for careers as teachers must make formal application for admission to the Teacher Education Program. If you are unsure of which requirements you need to follow, please check with your academic advisor. You can submit your application for admission to teacher education at any point during the semester.
However, to guarantee your enrollment in courses requiring teacher education admission, the completed Admission to Teacher Education application should be submitted by the Guaranteed Enrollment deadline.
Start Early. THIS PROCESS TAKES SOME TIME. Some parts of the admission to teacher education application process may take you several weeks to complete. Please allow at least 4 weeks to complete and submit your application.
Submit everything by the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Meeting the guaranteed enrollment deadline is highly recommended.
- To be admitted for Spring Semester Guaranteed enrollment deadline of October 15th.
- To be admitted for Summer Semester: Guaranteed enrollment deadline of March 15th.
- To be admitted for Fall Semester: Guaranteed enrollment deadline of March 15th.
Students may be admitted after the guaranteed enrollment deadline but will not be guaranteed a space in their chosen classes.
Are you struggling with meeting the admission to teacher education requirements? Learn more about resources and our appeals process.
- Criteria for Admission:
- Complete an online application for Admission to Teacher Education before the end of the sophomore year.
- Take and pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) exams. Passing scores are Reading –156, Math – 150, and Writing – 162. Exemptions from taking the CORE exam may apply to those applicants who:
- Have an ACT-enhanced score of 21 or higher
- Have 1080 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math.
- Complete at least 45 semester hours of coursework
- Complete EESE 2010 and EESE 2011 (or approved substitutions with a grade of “B-” or better). Application to Teacher Education may be submitted while a student is enrolled in EESE 2010 or EESE 2011. Admission procedures will not be final until the final grades are posted. NOTE: This requirement does not apply to secondary education minors
- Inclusive grade point average of 2.75 or higher (grades earned in introductory and developmental courses are not used to compute the required average).
- Completion of Fingerprinting and Background check with TBI.
- Disciplinary clearance from the College of Education.
- Admission to the Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite to enrollment in upper-division courses in Elementary Education, Early Childhood, Middle Grades, Special Education, and Secondary YOED. Students not formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program will not be permitted to enroll in upper-division teacher education classes.
- Formal Admission to Teacher Education When all criteria for admission have been met, formal action is taken on admission. Applicants are typically notified via email within a week of applying and in writing through the U.S. mail after formal approval has been granted.
- The Appeal Process If you are struggling to meet the admission to teacher education requirements, you may be eligible for appeal (i.e., admitted or conditionally admitted). Visit our website for more information.
PDF Version- Criteria for Admission:
- Complete an online application for Admission to Teacher Education.
- Complete EESE 2010 and EESE 2011 (or approved substitutions with a grade of “B-” or better). Application to Teacher Education may be submitted while a student is enrolled in EESE 2010 or EESE 2011. Admission procedures will not be final until the final grades are posted. NOTE: This requirement does not apply to secondary education licensure seekers and may be waived for all other graduate/post-baccalaureate students.
- The GPA requirement for graduate and post-baccalaureate students is 2.75, inclusive of a completed baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree program or a 3.00 GPA in the most recent sixty (60) credit hours earned at a regionally accredited IHE.
- Completion of Fingerprinting and Background check with TBI.
- Disciplinary clearance from the College of Education.
- Admission to the Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite to enrollment in upper-division courses in Elementary Education, Early Childhood, Middle Grades, Special Education, and Secondary YOED. Students not formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program will not be permitted to enroll in upper-division teacher education classes.
- Formal Admission to Teacher Education When all criteria for admission have been met, formal action is taken on admission. Applicants are typically notified via email within a week of applying and in writing through the U.S. mail after formal approval has been granted.
- The Appeal Process If you are struggling to meet the admission to teacher education requirements, you may be eligible for appeal (i.e., admitted or conditionally admitted). Visit our website for more information.
Apply for Admission to Teacher Education Program (ATE)
- Undergraduate Students will not be able to register for or obtain permits for any upper division classes until they are fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program. A Pre-Req/Test code error will be given during registration to those who have not been fully admitted.
- Tennessee Code Annotated §49-5-5610 requires that any student wishing to enter an approved teacher education program must undergo a criminal history check and fingerprinting by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Criminal Background Checks from outside agencies will not be accepted.
- Regardless, if you have obtained a cleared TBI background check in the past, if you are not enrolled consecutively for the fall and spring semesters at Middle Tennessee State University, you may be required to obtain a subsequent background check. Contact the Office of Professional Laboratory Experiences to check the status of your background check at 615-898-2794.
- AST Degree Recipients: In order to complete full admission to the Teacher Education Program at Middle Tennessee State students must show proof of having been awarded the AST Degree as well as submit proof of your test scores along with official application.
- Beginning June 1, 2019, all Secondary Job-Embedded candidates must enroll in the M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction ( Licensure Specialization) Program.
