Department of Education
Kevin Huffman, Commissioner

An individual who holds an additional degree from a regionally accredited college/university shall be granted the degree for salary purposes if the courses taken are functionally related to the area(s) of endorsement on the teaching license held by the individual or if the degree indicates by the nature of the courses that public education was the primary aim.

The Masters +30 hours must be graduates courses taken through a regionally accredited college/university that can be applied toward a graduate degree (i.e. either core courses or electives).  An additional graduate degree is not required, but the graduate course work taken must be applicable to a graduate degree.  Graduate professional development courses cannot be used as part of the +30 hours.  The graduate courses must also be courses taken beyond the requirements for the Masters degree that the applicant already holds.  If graduate courses are taken before or during the time Masters degree course work is completed, an official letter from the Dean of the Graduate School/College at the institution where the Masters is completed must be provided specifying the graduate courses not required for completion of the Masters degree.

Click here to download application to add a degree(s) to an existing Tennessee teaching license or call (615) 532-4885 to request the form be mailed to you.

1. Complete the personal information.
2. Answer all the questions at Please Read Carefully Before Signing section, sign and date.
3. Check block Amendment to Add a Degree to Teaching License and check the Additional Degree desired.
4. Mail the completed application and official transcript(s) reflecting the degree and conferral date of the degree (photocopies are not accepted) to the address provided on the application.

Currently there are three different ways to add endorsements to a current, valid Tennessee teaching license. (ie. Apprentice Teacher, Out of State Teacher, or Professional Teacher licenses)

 

1.   College/University Recommendation for Endorsement

Effective May 1, 2001, Tennessee adopted a new policy for adding an endorsement(s) to an existing teacher license.  The new policy limits the number of semester hours required for obtaining additional endorsement(s) through Tennessee college/universities. 

Applicants seeking additional endorsement(s) through approved college/university programs must also pass all applicable portions of the Praxis Series Exams developed and administered by Educational Testing Service. (Click to look at a completed listing of Praxis Series Exams required in Tennessee).  Upon completion of all additional endorsement program requirements, the Dean of Education and Certification Officer of the college/university shall send a recommendation to the Tennessee Office of Teacher Licensing for issuance of the addtional endorsement(s).

           

2.  Secondary Academic Endorsements by Test Only (Does not include any Occupational Education License or endorsements, Special Group License or endorsements, or Administrator License or endorsements)

Effective April 1, 2010, applicants who hold a current, valid Tennessee Teacher license (Apprentice Teacher Out of State Teacher or Professional Teacher ) with one or more secondary academic endorsement area(s) (i.e. the endorsement contains one or more of the secondary grades 7-12) can add another secondary endorsement by passing the required Praxis specialty area test(s). Applicants seeking additional endorsement(s) by test only must pass all applicable portions of the Praxis Series Exams developed and administered by Educational Testing Service and submit of an application to add the endorsement. (Click to look at a completed listing of Praxis Series Exams required in Tennessee). NOTE: Applicants seeking to add a secondary endorsement by passing required Praxis specialty area tests do not need to obtain the recommendation from a college/university.   The Library Information Specialist and Reading Specialist endorsements require completion of an approved graduate level program and the applicable praxis exam.

Applicants seeking additional endorsement(s) that are not secondary areas must complete an approved additional endorsement program through a college/university and  pass all applicable portions of  the Praxis Series Exams developed and administered by Educational Testing Service. (Click to look at a completed listing of Praxis Series Exams required in Tennessee).  The Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education PreSchool/Early Childhood and Early Development and Learning endorsements are not secondary endorsements, therefore are not eligible for this option.  Upon completion of all requirements, the Dean of Education and Certification Officer of the college/university shall send a recommendation to the Tennessee Office of Teacher Licensing for issuance of the additional endorsement(s).

 

3.  State Minimum Requirements Endorsements

There are some areas of endorsement which may only be obtained by meeting state minimum requirements.  Some of these areas are only available as additional endorsements to an existing teacher license. Others require prerequisites such as certain degrees and experience. These areas and requirements are:  Bible, Driver Education, School Food Service Supervisor, Superintendent, and Supervisor of Attendance.

Bible - The applicant must have a valid teaching license.  A minimum of 12 semester hours in literature of the Bible is required.  Coursework may not include courses in theology, doctrine, ethics, dogma and other courses of a doctrinal nature.

Driver Education - The applicant must have a valid teaching license and hold a secondary endorsement (grades 7-12 or K-12) and shall complete at minimum of 10 semester hours of driver and traffic safety education including the following areas:

 

• Basic driver and traffic safety education
• Advanced driver and traffic safety education
• General safety
• First aid and emergency medical services

School Food Service Supervisor - The applicant shall hold a bachelor's degree and the applicant shall be a licensed educator or shall have completed at least 18 semester hours in education, psychology, or sociology.  The applicant shall complete 12 semester hours including course work in each of the following:

 

• Personnel management
• Nutrition
• Accounting, cost analysis, or financial management of food systems, and
• Spread sheet applications

The applicant shall complete one of the following:

• Field experience of 6 semester hours, or
• Professional experience-supervised by a licensed school food service supervisor—of at least 120 (check) clock hours including the following areas: procurement, quantity foods, design and layout, and sanitation and food safety.

Superintendent - The applicant must have a valid license endorsed in principal, supervisor of instruction, or administration/supervision.  The applicant shall have at least a master's degree. The applicant must have 5 years acceptable experience which shall include teaching and/or administration. The applicant shall have a graduate major in educational administration and supervision or a minimum of 20 graduate semester hours in administration, supervision, and related courses.  The following courses must be completed:

 

• School organization and administration
• Supervision
• Curriculum development
• School finance
• School plant and transportation
• School and community relations

Supervisor of Attendance - The applicant must have a valid teacher license.  The applicant must have 5 years of teaching experience.  The applicant must complete a minimum of 8 semester hours of coursework in the following areas:

 

• Counseling and guidance
• Community and school relations
• Special Education
• Social case work
• State and federal laws relating to school attendance

Application form Instructions

Click here to download application to add an endorsement(s) to an existing Tennessee teaching license or call (615) 532-4885 to request an application be mailed to you.  If an add-on endorsement is completed out-of-state, see requirements for completing licensure requirements in another state.

1. Complete the personal information.
2. Answer all the questions at Please Read Carefully Before Signing section, sign and date.
3. Check block Amendment to Add Endorsement Area(s) to Teaching License.
4. The Dean of Education and Certification Officer of the Tennessee college/university will complete the second page of the application attesting to the completion of all institution requirements for adding the additional endorsement(s).  Applicant seeking to add an endorsement by test only or by state minimum requirements do not need to obtain the recommendation from a college/university.
5. Mail the completed application and official transcript(s) reflecting the courses required for the additional endorsement(s) to the address provided on the application. Test scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Services to the Tennessee State Department of Education, unless the Institutional Score Report is submitted by the college/university.