Degree Programs

About Our Programs

Interdisciplinary Studies at Tennessee State University provides the B.S in Arts and Sciences. There are two tracks to this degree, the Interdisciplinary Studies track and the Elementary Education track. The Interdisciplinary Studies track is a flexible degree that enables students to build their own program, while the Elementary Education track prepares students for teacher certification in grades K-6.

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES TRACK

The B.S in Arts and Sciences (Interdisciplinary Studies) degree program is a creative, flexible, and inter-disciplinary program which allows students to concentrate their upper-level studies in one of the three concentrations: the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences. The program exposes the student to the knowledge and methodologies of two specific disciplines within a given concentration.

The degree, which is the Bachelor of Science in Arts and Sciences, permits students to develop a personalized program of study in consultation with their advisor which would not be met through participation in a traditional discipline. This degree program is designed to provide students with flexibility while maintaining the quality and excellence expected of all degree programs.

Degree Requirements:

accumulation of 120-credit hours and minimum 2.00 GPA, including...
the general education core
15 upper -division hours in the first discipline (disciplines discussed below)
8-9 upper-division hours in the second discipline
9 upper-division hours from any of the disciplines listed below (plus Music)
9-10 upper-division hours from any discipline
completion of the Senior Exit Exam

Disciplines:

Students will choose two disciplines within one of the three concentration areas. The available disciplines are:

Humanities: Art, English, French, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Spanish, Theater
Social Sciences: Africana Studies, Communications, Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
Natural Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Physics

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TRACK

The Elementary Education program offers the student the opportunity to prepare for a license to teach in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade. This means that the Tennessee Department of Education certifies that the individual is qualified to teach at those levels and thus is eligible to be hired by public school systems in the state. An endorsement for a given grade level means that the student is especially well prepared for those grades, but is also eligible to teach at whatever level the license includes. The concentration is child development and learning, with licensure for grades K-6.

Degree Requirements:

accumulation of 120-credit hours and minimum 2.00 GPA, including...
the general education core
26 credit hours or content and knowledge courses
37 credit hours of professional education courses
9 hours (one full semester) of student teaching, included in the professional education hours
completion of the Senior Exit Exam

Eligibility for admission to the teacher certification program:

at least a 2.75 cumulative quality point average at the time of application
an acceptable scores on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) or the Computer-Based Academic Skills Assessment Test (CBT)
Students who have previously earned a 21 on the ACT, 22 on the Enhanced ACT, or a combined 990 on the verbal and mathematics portions of the SAT are exempt from the PPST.
Students must also make a written application through the College of Education before being formally admitted to the program, usually during the sophomore year.

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Interdisciplinary Studies