Single Subject Credential (SSCP)

Karen Breshears, M.A., and Robin Hennings, M.A., Coordinators

View information for the Department of Teacher Education .

Professional Programs

The Single Subject Credential programs are field-centered and performance-based. They integrate theory and practice by providing ongoing experiences within public school settings which focus on the attainment of the knowledge and skills characteristic of effective teaching. Students are at a center daily for the field experiences and the coursework for the entire academic year in which they are in the program. The program admits students for both fall and spring semesters.

Candidates may apply for an internship in place of traditional student teaching. Interns have a contract with a school district and teach a minimum of three periods a day with a maximum of full-time teaching. Candidates fluent in Spanish may earn a Bilingual Crosscultural Academic and Language Development (BCLAD) Certificate.

Admission Requirements

Admission and program requirements change frequently. Therefore, for current and up-to-date information and/or an SSCP application packet, please do the following:

• Attend an information session (call 209/667-3357) and
• Visit the SSCP Web site at www.csustan.edu

1. Obtain an application packet for admission to the Single Subject Credential Program (SSCP) by attending an information session. Call (209) 667-3357. The application folder must be completed and submitted early in the semester preceding admission to the program. See application packet for specific date and directions.
2. Minimal grade point average requirements for admission are explained in the SSCP application packet. A 3.0 grade point average, with no grade lower than C, must be maintained in credential program courses.
3. Students must be admitted to the Graduate School as unclassified postbaccalaureate students.
4. Students must submit a Certificate of Clearance when they apply for the program. Copies of the form for “Livescan” are available from the Department of Teacher Education. “Character and Identification Clearance” is an online process you must access online at www.csustan.edu/TeacherEd.
5. The student is admitted to the program for a specific initial enrollment term. A written request for a leave of absence is required to postpone entry. Such a request should be directed to the SSCP Selection and Review Committee for approval. Failure to obtain a leave of absence will result in the student’s withdrawal from the program.
6. Courses which are more than five years old generally will not be accepted to fill professional program requirements.
7. Students must take the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) before being admitted to the program.

General Requirements for Multiple and Single Subject Credential Programs

1. Application and Admission to CSU Stanislaus and the Credential Program – Requires Separate Applications, Fees, and Transcripts. The application to the University is separate from the application to the credential program.

Credential applicants must already be CSU Stanislaus students or have applied to the University at the time they apply to the credential program. University applications are available at the Turlock Campus at the Graduate School, at CSU Stanislaus-Stockton Center, or online at www.csustan.edu/grad.

Application to the University requires a separate set of transcripts and separate fees. If students graduate while in the credential program, they must reapply to the University in a timely manner (about six months prior to graduating) and be readmitted as graduate students to continue in the program.

2. Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements for Admittance
   
   The required GPA is 2.75 in the last 60 units or 2.67 overall.

Special Admittance Criteria — The Department is allowed to admit a small number of students who do not meet admittance requirements. The criterion for special admittance is at the sole discretion of the Department of Teacher Education. Candidates who are below the minimum GPA according to the criteria must submit a letter noting the exception and requesting special consideration. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the last 60 units. Admission for such candidates will be determined on an individual basis, following these criteria:

1. Minimum of 2.5 GPA in the last 60 units. If not, do not apply.
2. Date of application
3. Passed interview
4. Proximity to the required 2.67 or 2.75 GPA
5. Possessing special skills that would benefit the candidate as a teacher
6. Number of co-requisite courses that the applicant has already completed
7. Quality of recommendations
8. Quality of application letter

3. Tuberculosis Clearance

Students must show proof of having completed a screening for tuberculosis in the last 4 years.

4. Certificate of Clearance

Applicants must submit fingerprints via “livescan” and be “cleared” before working with students. The clearance is processed through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). The California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) conduct background checks. When cleared, a student will receive by e-mail from the Commission a “Certificate of Clearance.”