Department of Education
Dr. Tim Webb, 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. 

Click here to download application to add an additional 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 Additional 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.

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

Applicants seeking additional endorsement(s) must also pass all applicable portions of the Praxis Series Exams developed and administered by Educational Testing Service. (Click to look at a complete listing of specific Praxis Series Exams required in Tennessee.) 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).

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 - 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

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

All areas of endorsement other than the ones listed above can only be obtained by completing an additional endorsement program through a college/university. If a Tennessee institution offers the initial licensure program, they have the option to offer the add-on endorsement. Contact the Dean of Education of the institution for requirement definition.

Effective April 1, 2010, applicants who hold a current, valid Tennessee Teacher license with one or more secondary endorsement area(s) (i.e. grades 5-12, 7-12, 9-12) can add another secondary endorsement area by passing the Praxis II specialty area test. 

Click here to download application to add an additional 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 college/university will complete the second page of the application attesting to the completion of all institution requirements for adding the additional endorsement(s).
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. (A signature of the Dean of Education and Certification Officer is required for adding an additional endorsement). The Institutional Score Report is required unless scores are sent directly from Educational Testing Services to the Tennessee State Department of Education.