Master of Arts [M.A] [Teaching] From Cumberland University

Cumberland University Master of Arts in Teaching is a 36-semester-credit master’s programme in Lebanon, Tennessee, with mixed online and on-campus study. The university does not publish a fixed duration, and admission requires a bachelor’s grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. For Indian applicants, that is approximately 65% to 70% or 6.5 to 7.0 on 10 for planning. Calculated tuition is US$26,100 (INR 24.96 Lakhs) before living costs and unpublished service fees for Fall 2026.

The course prepares career changers for initial Tennessee teacher licensure through pedagogy, field experience and either traditional student teaching or job-embedded clinical practice. It suits applicants with a clear grade-band or subject pathway who can complete Tennessee assessments. The licensure structure is less suitable for a general education degree without a teaching route.

• Six current emphasis choices cover early childhood, elementary, English language learners, physical education, secondary education and special education.
• The alternate pathway connects coursework with employment through a job-embedded clinical experience in a partner school.
• The traditional route includes a dedicated student teaching experience before the final licensure stage.

Also Check: Cumberland University admission

Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Fees and Living Costs 2026

Cumberland’s 2026-2027 graduate tuition is US$725 per credit (INR 69,335), and the Master of Arts in Teaching requires 36 credits. Multiplying the published rate by the minimum credits gives calculated tuition of US$26,100 (INR 24.96 Lakhs) before other charges.

Target-cycle fee context: The current catalog publishes the following graduate charges for Fall 2026. The student teaching fee is relevant to the traditional pathway, while the programme service fee amount is not published on the checked page.

Source: Cumberland University 2026-2027 Tuition and Fees catalog page.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 95.6349 as of 18 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

• The calculated tuition is not a flat programme price, so any approved change in credit load changes the billed amount.
• The international student fee is charged per semester, which makes the unpublished programme duration important for the final fee estimate.
• Cumberland requires payment or approved arrangements before registration, so plan funds by semester rather than using tuition alone.

Cost of Living in Lebanon for Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Students

Cumberland’s current fee page publishes campus residence, meal-plan and books estimates rather than a full city cost-of-attendance budget. The monthly figures below divide each semester charge by four, so they are planning equivalents rather than university monthly quotes.

A 19-meal weekly plan is listed as mandatory for residence halls, while room prices vary by occupancy and building. Books and supplies are additional out-of-pocket expenses under the university’s published policy.

Source: Cumberland University 2026-2027 residence, meal-plan and books-and-supplies charges.

The calculated two-semester housing, meal and books range is US$12,378 to US$14,710 (INR 11.84 Lakhs to INR 14.07 Lakhs). It excludes personal spending, transport and independent health insurance.

A two-semester illustration adds 36-credit tuition, two international fees, application, student teaching and graduation charges to US$27,100 (INR 25.92 Lakhs). With campus estimates, the calculated range is US$39,478 to US$41,810 (INR 37.75 Lakhs to INR 39.98 Lakhs), before personal costs and service fees.

The programme page does not publish a fixed duration, so this is not a guaranteed annual total. Request a student bill that confirms the graduate service fee and the number of semesters for your selected pathway.

Check Out: USA student cost guide

Key insight: The verified two-semester planning range reaches INR 39.98 Lakhs before personal costs, so confirm duration and missing charges before accepting an offer.

Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Admission 2026

Admission requires a bachelor’s degree and a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.00 in a prior master’s programme. A practical Indian planning range is approximately 65% to 70% or a 6.5 to 7.0 average on 10, while Cumberland makes the final equivalency decision.

The programme also requires a combined GRE score of 290 with a 3.7 writing assessment, or a Miller’s Analogies Test score of 380. These requirements add a programme-specific testing gate beyond the general graduate file.

Academic eligibility context: The table separates programme requirements from pathway conditions that affect when an applicant can enter clinical teaching.

The GRE is the Graduate Record Examinations, a standardized graduate admission test. Cumberland publishes a combined score and writing threshold, but it does not state a current test version or a competitive score above the minimum.

The Miller’s Analogies Test is a separate graduate reasoning examination. Do not treat its 380 score as interchangeable with the GRE requirement, because the university presents them as separate routes.

• Match your bachelor’s subject to the chosen Tennessee endorsement before booking a test or selecting the alternate clinical pathway.
• Prepare the GRE writing component as a separate requirement because the published rule includes both the combined score and the writing assessment.
• Request transfer-credit and transcript-evaluation decisions in writing before reducing the 36-credit tuition calculation.

English Language Proficiency

Cumberland’s current international guidance lists several minimum English scores for applicants from countries where English is not the native language. The checked page does not publish a separate score table for this teaching programme.

IELTS means the International English Language Testing System, while TOEFL means the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The university publishes TOEFL on the 0 to 120 scale and does not state a revised 1.0 to 6.0 policy on the checked page.

The English requirement may be waived for English-speaking countries and for United States graduate transfers with six passing graduate credits and the required grade point average. The current guidance does not create an India-specific school-English waiver.

• Choose the test with a reporting timeline that allows both score delivery and international transcript evaluation before the target intake.
• Keep the TOEFL result on its published 0 to 120 scale because the university does not provide a self-conversion to the newer scale.
• Ask whether the education department accepts the listed Pearson and E3PT routes before paying a test fee.

Tip for Indian students: The 2.75 grade point threshold is only the first gate, because your subject background, required test route and Tennessee licensure pathway determine clinical eligibility.

Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Application 2026

Fall 2026 is the working target because Cumberland’s current academic calendar starts classes on 24 August 2026. The application portal is available, but no programme-specific international deadline or decision date is published.

The calendar also lists Winter, Spring and Summer starts with A and B terms. These are university-wide teaching dates, so applicants must confirm that the chosen teaching emphasis is offered in the selected term.

Target-cycle date context: The table records every current calendar start relevant to planning. It does not convert a university start date into an international application deadline.

The checked official surfaces publish no programme-specific international cutoff, decision date, portal timezone or time-of-day. The university calendar therefore supports intake planning, while graduate admissions must confirm the actual submission window.

Because Fall classes begin on 24 August 2026, an Indian applicant should verify whether the traditional route can still issue the required immigration documents. A later term may be more practical if document review or visa processing cannot be completed for Fall.

Application sequence

Start by selecting an emphasis and pathway, then confirm whether the traditional student teaching route or job-embedded clinical route fits your background. The alternate route requires content knowledge and eligibility for a Tennessee Practitioner’s License.

Create the application file only after confirming the programme-specific deadline and international student route. A complete file should align academic records, test results, financial documents and passport details.

• Confirm the selected emphasis and clinical pathway with the education department before creating a Fall 2026 application.
• Submit the graduate application fee of US$50 (INR 4,782) only after the international deadline and immigration-document route are confirmed.
• Send official transcripts, evaluation records, English scores and financial capability documents as one consistent international file.
• Ask whether your chosen emphasis has a student teaching or job-embedded placement available in the intended term.

Read More: USA graduate application timeline

Application tip: Fall 2026 is announced on the university calendar, but confirm the MAT international cutoff, pathway availability and I-20 process before paying the application fee.

Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Scholarships 2026

No target-cycle scholarship with a published award value, international eligibility rule and deadline is listed specifically for the Master of Arts in Teaching. The current catalogue does provide a limited graduate assistantship route that can support enrolled graduate students.

Cumberland describes institutional scholarships and grants as non-repayable support based on academic ability, leadership and financial need. However, the checked pages do not publish a teaching-programme-specific award, renewal rule or international application cutoff.

Funding context: These are the current published routes that may affect an Indian applicant’s budget. Each route needs written confirmation before it changes the required proof of funds.

The graduate assistantship is not a tuition waiver stated in the public catalogue. Its workload also includes periods when classes are not meeting, so the 20-hour commitment must fit clinical preparation.

• Apply for the assistantship after admission because Cumberland limits the number of graduate appointments each year.
• Keep the full tuition and living budget available because no target-cycle teaching-programme award value is confirmed.
• Maintain the published 3.00 cumulative graduate grade point average if an assistantship is awarded and protect time for student teaching requirements.
• Request written terms before treating any institutional or endowed award as part of visa funding evidence.

Check Out: USA graduate scholarship options

Scholarship reality: Cumberland’s published funding evidence does not support a target-cycle discount calculation, so treat assistantship support as upside rather than required funding.

Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Salary 2026

Cumberland does not publish a Master of Arts in Teaching cohort salary, offer rate, placement rate or employer list on the checked programme pages. This prevents treating any external wage as a typical Cumberland graduate outcome.

The closest usable evidence is an external United States teaching-market benchmark. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes occupation-wide wages and projections, rather than results for this course.

Evidence scope: The figures below describe workers in related occupations during May 2024. They do not show starting pay, teacher licensure success or employment probability for Cumberland graduates.

Source: U.S. teacher occupation data, May 2024 wage figures and 2024-2034 projections.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is the agency that reports national labour statistics. Its median is a market reference, so role, state, school type, experience and licensure can change the actual offer.

Gross salary is not take-home pay because taxes, benefits and deductions differ by location. Use a current United States tax calculator before comparing a wage with the calculated education budget.

ROI decision: The calculated target-cycle tuition and mandatory fee baseline is US$27,100 (INR 25.92 Lakhs), excluding living costs, visa charges, insurance and the unpublished service fee.

• No course-cohort outcome report is published, so request recent graduate employment evidence before using an external median in a loan decision.
• The two-semester range reaches US$41,810 (INR 39.98 Lakhs) at the upper end, so reserve that amount until missing charges are confirmed.
• The Tennessee licensure route requires assessments and clinical work, so confirm the endorsement’s host-country value before committing to the full cost.
• Regular post-study work authorization is the base window if F-1 sponsorship is confirmed, so exclude any unverified science, technology, engineering and mathematics extension from your financial plan.
• A return-to-India plan cannot use United States wage medians as an Indian salary forecast, so compare local teacher eligibility and pay for the same grade band.

ROI reality: The verified cost is material while course-level outcomes are unpublished, so the rational next step is confirming licensure value and employment evidence.

USA Visa for Cumberland University M.A. Teaching Students 2026

Indian applicants choosing the mixed route should first obtain confirmation that Cumberland can issue Form I-20, the Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, for this programme and pathway. This form supports the F-1 student visa application, but the teaching-programme page does not state programme-specific I-20 availability. The current student visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,692), and the I-901 SEVIS fee is US$350 (INR 33,472). Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary post-study work authorization for up to 12 months, while Cumberland publishes no Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) extension or permanent-residence timeline.

• Maintain full-time enrollment and obtain Designated School Official approval before any on-campus work because F-1 employment rules are limited.
• Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is curriculum-linked work experience, so it must relate to the programme and receive advance approval before the placement begins.
• H-1B is an employer-sponsored specialty-occupation route, and the employer must pay the higher of the actual or prevailing wage rather than a single universal threshold.
• F-2 is the dependent status for an F-1 spouse or child, but F-2 dependents cannot work and need separate living-cost evidence.

Check Out: USA student visa requirements

Visa reality: Regular post-study work authorization is the base assumption only if Cumberland confirms an F-1 route for the selected teaching pathway, so verify sponsorship before paying deposits.