Single Subject Credential (SSCP)

Christopher Roe, Ed.D., Program Coordinator
Karen Breshears, M.A., Teaching Internship Coordinator
Juan Flores, Ed.D., Spanish Bilingual Emphasis Adviser

View information for the Department of Teacher Education .

Professional Programs

The Single Subject Credential programs (SSCP) 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 field experiences and coursework for the entire academic year. The program admits students in 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. For current and up-to-date information and/or an SSCP application packet, visit the SSCP Web site at www.csustan.edu/TeacherEd/SecondaryEducation.html

1. Obtain an application packet for admission to the Single Subject Credential Program (SSCP) at www.csustan.edu/credentials, stop by the Credential Services Office in DBH 303, or 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 dates 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 University Graduate School as 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. Each 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, and 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 may 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 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.csumentor.edu.

Application to the University requires a separate set of transcripts and separate fees. If students graduate with a B.A./B.S. 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 2.67 in the last 60 units. Admission for such candidates will be determined based on the following:

1. Minimum of 2.67 GPA in the last 60 units or 2.75 overall.
2. Date of application
3. Successful program interview
4. Special skills that would benefit the candidate as a teacher
5. Number of co-requisite courses already completed
6. Quality of recommendations
7. 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.”

Academic Requirements for Admission

1. Before being admitted to the program, students must complete one of the following:

A Subject Matter Preparation Program in their teaching area or earn a passing score on a California Subjects Exam for Teachers (CSET). Subject Matter Preparation Program advisement is available from Univeristy programs in art, English, mathematics, physical education, social sciences, and Spanish. The university does not currently offer Subject Matter Preparation Programs in agriculture, biology, business, chemistry, geology, health, home economics, industrial arts, music, physics, or languages other than Spanish. Students who have completed approved Subject Matter Preparation Programs elsewhere or passed the CCTC-approved examinations in these subjects may apply to the credential program.

2. Complete:

An Upper Division Writing course (listed as WP in the catalog) or pass an equivalent test at another university, or a verified score of 41 or better on the writing portion of CBEST.

3. Complete to qualify for a teaching credential:

PSCI 1201 - American Government  or an equivalent course which fulfills the U. S. Constitution requirement

Note: Students who earned a B.A./B.S. at a California State University automatically receive credit for this requirement.

4. Complete the following pre-program courses and experiences:

1. 45 hours of documented observation in public secondary classes prior to taking EDSC 4100 /4850 
2. EDSC 3900 - Foundations of Secondary Education
    
3. PSYC 3240
     or
   CDEV 3240
     - Human Development II: Adolescence
4. Language experience (may be met by experience or units; see SSCP overview for list of experiences)
5. Technology proficiency (see SSCP application for details)

5. Students wanting to earn a Bilingual Emphasis:

Students wanting to earn a Single Subject Credential: Bilingual Emphasis must be able to speak, read, and write in the target language and culture, i.e., Spanish, Lao, Hmong, Khmer, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Farsi, or Arabic. Credential candidates wishing to earn the Bilingual Emphasis for languages other than Spanish should take the CSET LOTE exams in the target language and culture. Visit the Bilingual Program website at www.csustan.edu/TeacherEd/Bilingual.html.

6. Candidates for the intern program must meet the following additional requirements besides those for admission to the program:

The internship program permits candidates to obtain employment in collaborating school districts while completing the requirements for the Preliminary Credential.

1. Completion of a baccalaureate degree (B.A./B.S./B.M.).
2. Pass CBEST exam (all three sections).
3. Completion of an approved subject matter preparation program or successful completion of a subject matter CSET exam.
4. Hiring by a school district that is an intern partner with CSU Stanislaus.
5. Successful completion of
   EDSC 4000 - Secondary Education I for Interns
      
6. Successful completion of 
   EDSC 3800 - Observing in Secondary Schools I
     and
   EDSC 4110 - Multilingual Education in Secondary Schools
      
   
7. Acceptance into the SSCP Intern Program.
8. Application for an intern credential.