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

Secondary Education English (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 secondary education English school 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. An academic advisor is provided for each student. Prior to registering each semester, the student is expected to consult with his/her assigned advisor.

Semester I (Fall)


Semester II (Spring)


Semester III (Fall)


Semester IV (Spring)


  • ASL/CHIN/FREN/GERM/SPAN5 - Intermediate Modern Language Elective 3 Credit(s)
  • ENGL6 - Literature Elective 3 Credit(s)
  • GE8 - General Elective 1 Credit(s)
  • NS7 - Natural Sciences Elective 4 Credit(s)
  • SBS9 - Social/Behavioral Sciences Elective 3 Credit(s)

Total Credit Hours Needed for Graduation: 60-61


Note: Students transferring to a public university in Tennessee may need to meet additional requirements to gain admittance to the university. The following universities do not accept this TTP: ETSU, TSU, UTC, UTK.

1EDU 2010
Students who intend to transfer to UTK, UTC, TSU, or ETSU secondary education program should follow the English AA/AS TTP and not the AST TTP. ETSU and TSU recommend that students take education courses after transfer.
2HIST
Chosen from HIST 2010 , HIST 2020 , HIST 2030 , HIST 2210 , HIST 2220 , HIST 2310 , HIST 2320 . Students should confer with their advisor or a representative of the university to which they intend to transfer to determine the recommended history courses.
3HUM
Chosen from ART 2010 , ART 2020 ; ENGL 2035 , ENGL 2055 , ENGL 2110 , ENGL 2120 ENGL 2130 ENGL 2150 , ENGL 2210 , ENGL 2220 ENGL 2430 ; MUS 1030 , MUS 1035 ; PHIL 1030 , PHIL 1040 , PHIL 1300 , PHIL 1500 , PHIL 2200 ; PHO 1200 ; THEA 1030 . Students who plan to transfer to the UoM must complete at least one fine arts course under the Humanities & Fine Arts general education requirement, chosen from ART 2010 , ART 2020 MUS 1030 , MUS 1035 THEA 1030 
4EDU 2015  
Students who intend to transfer to MTSU should be advised that EDU 2015 - Education of Exceptional Child  will transfer to MTSU as an elective.
5ASL/FREN/GERM/SPAN
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.
6ENGL
Chosen from an unduplicated course ENGL 2035 ENGL 2055 ENGL 2110 , ENGL 2120 ENGL 2130 ENGL 2150 ENGL 2210 , ENGL 2220 ENGL 2310 ENGL 2320 ENGL 2430 , ENGL 2510 . Students planning to transfer must check course equivalency tables and/or catalogs of the intended college or university.
7NS
Chosen from BIOL 1010 BIOL 1020 BIOL 1110 , BIOL 1120 , BIOL 2010 , BIOL 2020 BIOL 2310 , BIOL 2320 ; CHEM 1010 , CHEM 1020 CHEM 1110 , CHEM 1120 ; GEOL 1040 , GEOL 1050 , GEOL 1300 PHYS 2010  PHYS 2020 , PHYS 2110 , PHYS 2120 . Credit toward graduation cannot be received for both courses in either of the following pairs: BIOL 1010  and BIOL 1110 BIOL 1020  and BIOL 1120 .
8
GE
Chosen from any unduplicated transferable course. Students planning to transfer must check course equivalency tables and/or catalogs of the intended college or university.
9SBS
Chosen from AAST 2200 ANTH 1230 ; ECON 2100 , ECON 2200 GEOG 1000 ; PHED 1100 ; POLS 1010 , POLS 1030 ; PSYC 2100 , PSYC 2120 , PSYC 2130 ; SOCI 1010 , SOCI 1040 ; WGST 2050 .

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.