A male teacher sits with a young student and directs her attention to a book that he's reading from.

Educator Licensure

College of Education

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Programs leading to Educator Licensure

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science
  • Early Education
  • Education Policy
  • Elementary Education
  • Secondary Education
  • Special Education
  • Teaching English as a Second Language
Bachelor of Fine Arts
  • Art Education
  • Theatre Education
Bachelor of Music Education
  • Music Education
Master of Arts or Master of Education
  • Master of Arts in Teaching
  • Master of Education in Teacher Leadership

Tennessee licensure 

Undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs in the Belmont University School of Education meet teacher licensure requirements in Tennessee as approved by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Teacher candidates who complete an educator preparation program at Belmont but wish to teach in another state will be required to apply for licensure in the intended state. Students intending to relocate or pursue teaching licensure in a state other than Tennessee are advised to thoroughly examine the professional licensure disclosures relevant to their academic program and consult the appropriate state licensing authority. Determinations regarding eligibility to obtain licensure are made solely by the respective state licensing boards, based on the prevailing rules and regulations at the time the licensure application is submitted.

Applying for out-of-state licensure

The state of Tennessee has signed the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement which provides licensure reciprocity in other US states. For more information about the process of becoming a certified teacher in a state other than Tennessee, contact the state department of education or state educator professional licensing board in the intended state as they provide the required processes and documentation to meet their state’s requirements. Belmont University reviews and updates licensure information annually to ensure accuracy and to provide the most current guidance to prospective and enrolled students.

Click here to learn more about the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. 

The programs leading Educator licensure at Belmont University meet most, if not all, educational requirements for licensure in the following states and territories:

The programs leading Educator licensure at Belmont University meet most, if not all, educational requirements for licensure in the following states and territories:

Positive Licensure Determinations

Negative Licensure Determinations

Educational Requirements for State Licensure Educational Requirements for State Licensure
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Guam
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • American Samoa
  • Northern Mariana Islands
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Dakota
  • Virgin Islands

Please review your intended state’s Department of Education website to ensure you understand all additional licensure requirements before enrolling in your program.

Educator Licensure

Undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs in the School of Education are approved by the Tennessee Department of Education and thus sufficient to meet teacher licensure requirements in Tennessee. Teacher candidates who complete an educator preparation program at Belmont but wish to teach in another state will be required to apply for licensure in the intended state. The state of Tennessee has signed both the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement which provides reciprocity in other states. For more information about the process of becoming a certified teacher in a state other than Tennessee, contact the state department of education or state educator professional licensing board in that state.

Click here to learn more about the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. You can view the current list of participating member states at this link. Belmont University reviews and updates this information annually to ensure accuracy and to provide the most current guidance to prospective and enrolled students.

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