Multiple Subject
Teaching Credential
About this program
The Multiple Subject Credential Program prepares you to teach children from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. You’ll learn how to support student growth with a focus on equity, language development, and culturally responsive teaching. This program gives you practical experience in diverse classrooms and offers flexible options to fit your schedule. You can also apply some of your coursework toward a master’s degree in elementary or early childhood education.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Program Scope
The Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program prepares you to teach in self contained elementary classrooms, typically Transitional Kindergarten through grade 5 or 6. You learn how to plan lessons, teach across subject areas, assess student learning, and build strong classroom communities that support multilingual, racially diverse, and culturally diverse learners.
The program combines coursework with guided field experiences, so you can practice what you learn in real schools with support. If you want to expand your options, you can also pursue a bilingual authorization alongside the credential in select languages.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of students, including their prior experiences, interests, and social-emotional learning needs, as well as their funds of knowledge and cultural, language, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to engage them in learning.
- Promote students' social-emotional growth, development, and individual responsibility using positive interventions and supports, restorative justice, and conflict resolution practices to foster a caring community where each student is treated fairly and respectfully by adults and peers.
- Demonstrate knowledge of subject matter, including the adopted California State Standards and curriculum frameworks.
- Locate and apply information about students' current academic status, content- and standards-related learning needs and goals, assessment data, language proficiency status, and cultural background for both short-term and long-term instructional planning purposes.
- Apply knowledge of the purposes, characteristics, and appropriate uses of different types of assessments (e.g., diagnostic, informal, formal, progress-monitoring, formative, summative, and performance) to design and administer classroom assessments, including use of scoring rubrics.
- Reflect on their own teaching practice and level of subject matter and pedagogical knowledge to plan and implement instruction that can improve student learning.
- Plan and implement evidence-based literacy instruction (and integrated content and literacy instruction) grounded in an understanding of applicable literacy-related standards and the themes of the California English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework (Foundational Skills, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Content Knowledge) and their integration.
MSC Program Options
We offer a variety of pathways for completing the Multiple Subject Credential, including bilingual authorization in Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin and the option to combine earning and M.A. degree and completion of the MSC program.
The three semester program allows candidates to build their knowledge and skills over time, using a gradual release of responsibility model that culminates in full time student teaching in the final semester. Features of this pathway include:
- Student teaching placements across every semester of enrollment that gradually build toward full responsibility for classroom instruction
- Coursework that is integrated into practicum placements to support application of university learning to classroom teaching practice
- Cohort model to provide academic and social support
- Option to integrate M.A. degree requirements concurrently with credential coursework OR completion of M.A. degree after credential, while working as a full-time teacher
Students generally complete coursework on campus two days per week in the first and second semester and one day per week in the third semester, in addition to field placement in a local elementary classroom. Classes are in the late afternoon and evening, with daytime options available based on enrollment demand.
The summer start option allows students to complete the multiple subject credential in one academic year* beginning with two summer courses and continuing through fall and spring semesters that combine two student teaching placements with connected coursework in a rigorous, full-time program. The summer start is also the preferred pathway for candidates who have been hired as a full-time teacher prior to enrollment in the credential program.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing provisional permit allows non-credentialed individuals to work as the teacher of record only if the teacher is enrolled in a credential program and meets other criteria. Hiring decisions are made entirely by the local school district. If a candidate has an offer of employment and wishes to enroll in the intern program, the following conditions must be met:
- A candidate must show evidence of completion of Subject Matter Competency, and U.S. Constitution requirement;
- A school district must offer the candidate a teaching position at an elementary school site;
- A candidate must apply and be admitted to an accredited credential program;
- The candidate must complete 120 credit hours of credential coursework (equivalent to three 3-unit classes)
Once these conditions are met, the candidate must submit an application for the intern teaching permit to the Department of Elementary Education Intern Coordinator, who will review for approvals. The Graduate College of Education Credential Analyst will then authorize the permit.
*Note: Interns work at a slower coursework pace while in the credential program to permit full time employment.