2024-2025 College Catalog 
    
    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 College Catalog

Early Childhood Education Pre-K-3 (A.S.T.)


The Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges, the state’s public institutions and the University of Tennessee have joined together to develop a common core of courses for prospective pre-K-3 teachers consisting of an introduction to teaching course and standards-based mathematics and science courses. The common core for the Associate of Science in Teaching (A.S.T.) degree allows prospective teachers to transfer from Pellissippi State to any state university as juniors and without loss of credit. In addition to the curriculum requirements listed below, students must attain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75, successfully complete the Praxis Core exam or achieve an ACT superscore composite of 21 or higher, and achieve satisfactory disposition evaluation ratings. For the disposition evaluation ratings, students must have three positive dispositions completed by the following: 1) one’s EDU 2010 instructor, 2) an Instructor or Professor of one of the required AST courses, and 3) an Instructor or Professor of any other college-level course. For those students who have not completed two units of a single modern language, either at high school, at another college or through an approved examination, the deficiency(ies) must be removed before the student may transfer to a university.

Upon completion of the Associate of Science in Teaching transfer program, the graduate will have developed the skills, knowledge and abilities to accomplish the following:

  • Demonstrate knowledge and/or skills acquired within the general education core.
  • Locate and evaluate information from a range of credible sources using proper attribution and citation.
  • Solve problems using skills developed across the curriculum.
  • Explain educational topics and strategies as they relate to the teacher, the student, and the school.
  • Identify the key components of an effective lesson plan.
  • Demonstrate professional behaviors expected of highly qualified educators.

Contact(s): Teacher Education Advising Center, (865) 539-7287

Courses and Course Sequence


This sequence can be followed by students who begin college-level work in the fall semester. Prerequisites may apply to specific courses; it is the student’s responsibility to determine if prerequisites have been met. Prior to registering each semester, the student is expected to consult with a Teacher Education advisor.

Total Credit Hours Needed for Graduation: 62-63


1BIOL
Students planning to transfer must check course equivalency tables and/or catalogs of the intended college or university.
2HIST
Chosen from HIST 2010 , HIST 2020 , HIST 2030 , HIST 2210 , HIST 2220 , HIST 2310 , HIST 2320 . Students who intend to transfer to UTK are encouraged to complete one U.S. History course and one non-U.S. History course to fulfill the History requirement. Students who intend to transfer to UTM should take a U.S. History sequence to fulfill the History requirement. Students who intend to transfer to TSU may take U.S. History or Tennessee History. Students planning to transfer must check course equivalency tables and/or catalogs of the intended college or university.
3MATH 1410 
Students planning to transfer to UTK must take an intermediate modern language (ASL/FREN/GERM/SPAN) instead of MATH 1410 . Students lacking two years of study in the same modern language must complete one year of beginning modern language prior to enrolling in intermediate courses. The UofM does not require MATH 1410 .
4MATH
Students who intend to transfer to APSU, ETSU, UM, UTC, or UTK must take MATH 1530 . At UTM MATH 1130  is required. Students who intend to transfer to TSU are required to take a MATH 1130  or MATH 1710 .  
5GEOL
Students planning to transfer must check course equivalency tables and/or catalogs of the intended college or university.
6ENGL
Chosen from ENGL 2035 , ENGL 2055 , ENGL 2110 , ENGL 2120 ENGL 2130 ENGL 2150 , ENGL 2210 , ENGL 2220 , ENGL 2310 , ENGL 2320 ENGL 2430  ENGL 2510 .
7ECED
Students transferring to the UTK or UofM must take one additional course after transfer as  ECED 2360 - Development of Exceptional Children  is not in the university’s  pre-K-3 curriculum.
8HUM
Chosen from ART 2010 , ART 2020 ; ENGL 2035 , ENGL 2055 , ENGL 2110 , ENGL 2120 , ENGL 2130 ENGL 2150 , ENGL 2210 , ENGL 2220 , ENGL 2310 , ENGL 2320 ENGL 2430 ENGL 2510 , ENGL 2860 ; MUS 1035 ; PHIL 1030 , PHIL 1040 , PHIL 1300 , PHIL 1500 , PHIL 2200 ; PHO 1200 ; THEA 1030 .
9SBS
Chosen from AAST 2200  ANTH 1230  ECON 2100 , ECON 2200  PHED 1100  POLS 1010 , POLS 1030  PSYC 1030 , PSYC 2120  SOCI 1010 , SOCI 1040  WGST 2050 . Students who intend to transfer to TSU are encouraged to take POLS 1010  or  POLS 1030 .

Additional Degree Requirements

Students earning an AST degree must meet the following additional degree requirements:

  • Attainment of a 2.75 cumulative grade point average (GPA)
  • ACT composite score of 21 (or SAT score of 1080) or higher or successful completion of approved standardized examination (Praxis Score) for admission to the university’s College of Education
  • Satisfactory ratings on an index of suitability for the teaching profession (disposition forms).
  • Students transferring to a public university in Tennessee may need to meet additional requirements to gain admittance to the university.