Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I apply to the Single Subject Credential Program (English)?
• Must I be enrolled at CSULB to take EDSS 300G?
• What GPA is required for the program?
• What is subject matter competency?
• Will my past coursework makes me subject matter competent?
• What if I already have a teaching position?
• What happens during student teaching?
• What is an internship?
• How do I get to CSULB and the Center for English Education?

How do I apply to the Single Subject Credential Program in English?

The only way you may be admitted to the Single Subject Credential Program in English is by completing EDSS 300G. You are advised to take this course as early as your junior year, but prior to graduation. This is the first course you should take if you are a post-baccalaureate student.

Must I be enrolled at CSULB to take EDSS 300G?

Not necessarily. Eventually, you must apply to the University, but it is possible to enroll in EDSS 300G through University Extension. Once you decide to earn your credential, however, you will need to apply to the University through Enrollment Services to continue taking your classes.

What GPA is required for the program?

A cumulative GPA of 2.67 in all coursework or a 2.75 in the last sixty units is required to enter the Single Subject Credential Program (English). If your GPA is below 2.67 overall or below 2.75 in the last 60 units, you must petition to enter the program. Follow this link to the "Appeal" page.

You must have a 2.50 GPA to be admitted to the University as a post-baccalaureate student. Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the Single Subject Credential Program.

What is subject matter competency?

Subject matter competency means that you are recognized by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) as knowledgeable in the subject in which you are being credentialed to teach. Subject matter competency can be met in one of the following ways:

1. CSULB English Education major (i.e., Waiver Program). This consists of taking all required Subject Matter courses and, beginning in Spring 2007, submitting four graded assignments at the end of your coursework. Each of these assignments must demonstrate one of the following competencies: literary analysis, written argumentation, oral presentation, and grammar. During EDSS 300G: Introduction to Teaching (English) you will be given more details concerning Subject Matter Competence.
OR
2. A letter from a credential analyst indicating that you have fulfilled the subject matter competency requirements at an accredited California university
OR
3. CSET* (all four sub-tests).

*The Orange County Department of Education has finalized its upcoming schedule of CSET test preparation workshops for science, math, English, and social science.
Information can be accessed at the Orange County Department of Education.

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Will my past coursework make me subject matter competent?

See an English Single Subject Advisor for a transcript review. Call (562) 985-4220 for advising hours.

What if I already have a teaching position?

Sometimes students enter our program while already teaching, or they begin to teach while still in the program. While our preference is for students to earn a credential before entering the classroom, we understand that the teacher shortage has lured many people into the classroom before they have completed a credential program. If you are already teaching and want to continue teaching, you will need to earn a credential.

We will do what we can to help you earn your credential while employed. You should know that earning a credential while teaching full time will take longer, and there may be difficulties along the way. You will earn your credential more slowly because you cannot complete as many classes as a full-time student. Sometimes classes are not offered at the times that you are available to take them. This is especially true of upper-division English courses. Whenever possible, we offer classes at times convenient for teachers.

What happens during student teaching?

Student teaching is a full-time, semester-long commitment. Once you have completed your course work (both English and professional education), you will enroll in 15 units of student teaching during a single semester. You are expected to be at the school the entire day. English Single Subject students are placed in either a middle school or high school for their student teaching experience. While student teaching, you will assume responsibility for creating lessons, teaching classes, and evaluating student work.

During student teaching you will be observed by a University Supervisor. You will also be expected to enroll and participate in the student teaching seminar.

If you are employed when it comes time to student teach, you may petition to complete student teaching while in your own classroom. A list of conditions must be met when using a paid position for student teaching.

What is an internship?

Students in the Single Subject English Program can be employed as an intern teacher-of-record by an approved school district while they complete the program. Interns take program courses while they teach; student teaching replaces traditional student teaching when the intern reaches that stage of the program. Interns are required to be more advanced developmentally as a teacher than the typical pre-service program student and should be ready to deliver quality instruction in English to 125-180 students daily, similar to a credentialed teacher.

Internships are possible for candidates who are assessed by the program as developmentally ready for full-time teacher-of-record responsibilities. Intern applicants must demonstrate superior teaching skills, including, but not limited to, classroom presence, classroom management, and lesson planning. Actual experience in the field, e.g., substitute teaching, is helpful preparation for an internship, as are such courses as ENGL 310: Applied Composition and ENGL 482: Literature for Adolescents. Although financial need may be at the forefront of the candidate's mind when considering accepting an offer of employment as an intern, this cannot be a consideration in the English Single Subject Program's assessment of readiness and eligibility.

The CSULB program has intern agreements with approximately 25 districts in our service area. A complete description of the intern program, cooperating school districts, and guidelines for becoming an intern are available in the Single Subject Credential Program Office. Prospective interns should be knowledgeable about these documents before seeing the English Program Intern Advisor. Students interested in applying for internships in English must complete the following steps:

1) Secure an offer of full-time English teaching position at a school that is within the CSULB service area and in a district that has an internship agreement with CSULB.
2) Obtain the guidelines for the Internship Program at CSULB from the Single Subject Credential Program Office (ED1-67, 985-5326), and collect all of the required documents, e.g., letters, offer of employment, etc.
3) Provide evidence of subject matter competency in English in one of the following ways: (a) completion of the English Education major, or completion of the English waiver program at CSULB, or transcript review equivalency; or (b) a letter from the credential analyst at an accredited university attesting to the candidate's completion of a state-approved subject matter or waiver program in English; or (c) passing all four sub-tests of the CSET exam.
4) Provide all materials specified in the English Single Subject Program's Internship Application Requirements, which you will find on the English Single Subject Program's Internship Application Requirements page on this web site. After you have submitted all of these items, please contact Professor Stephanie Johnson (562-986-4402 or sjohnso8@csulb.edu) to schedule an interview to formally consider your internship offer. Please allow two weeks for Professor Johnson and the English Single Subject Program's Internship Committee to review your application.
5) Once the candidate has obtained an Internship Eligibility memo from Professor Johnson, s/he will submit all internship application materials to the Single Subject Credential Program Office (ED1-67).
6) All credential coursework, including student teaching (during which the intern must teach at least two traditional English classes), must be completed within two years of being accepted into the CSULB Internship Program. Interns must maintain continuous enrollment at CSULB, or they will be dropped from the program.

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How do I get to CSULB and the Center for English Education?

From the 405 or 605, take the 22 (Seventh Street) West. CSULB is located on Seventh Street. Enter the campus on West Campus Drive (next to the large, electronic message sign). Make an immediate right turn off West Campus. Follow the road around the Education Building to the stop sign. There are metered parking spaces in the South Turnaround ahead.

After parking your car, if you want to go to the Single Subject Office (ED1-67), proceed to ED1 (the buildings you just drove around).

If you want to go to the Center for English Education, proceed north to the McIntosh Humanities Building (MHB). To get to MHB, you will walk away from 7th Street toward the large, nine story building located behind the fountain. Enter the building and proceed to the English Single Subject Center– MHB 503.

Follow this link for illustrated driving directions and campus maps.

Last update: 8/22/06