Multiple subject teaching credential programs in california online

Mission Statement

It is the mission of the Multiple Subject Credential program to educate future teachers for California's schools.  Program coursework is structured to promote reflective practice as credential candidates strive to understand the relationship of educational theory to the development of the individual learner, issues of cultural diversity, the needs of local communities, and the demands of modern society.

About the Program

A Multiple Subject Credential authorizes a person to teach all students including English language learners in a self-contained classroom (grades K-12 but generally grades K-6). Persons who obtain a Multiple Subject Credential with Bilingual Authorization emphasis are authorized to teach ethnically and linguistically diverse students in a self-contained classroom (grades K-12 but generally grades K-6) using both English and the students' primary language for instruction. 

In order to receive a Multiple Subject Credential, candidates must complete the following state requirements. 

• Approved Teacher Preparation Program (CSUSB's Multiple Subject Program)
• Baccalaureate Degree
• Subject Matter Competency through CSET
• California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST)
• Certificate of Clearance
• U.S. Constitution
• Assessment of Candidate's Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions
• Reading Instruction Competency Assessment (RICA)
• CPR-infant, child, & adult (see page 4 of the handbook)

The California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST) and the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) assessments are required of all applicants and students seeking a Teaching Credential. These assessments are mandated by the State of California. Please contact the Program Coordinator for more information regarding due dates and proof of passing. The CSUSB Financial Aid Office may offer assistance with building a financial aid packet that will allow for the cost of the assessments.

Take a look at our 

Admission Process and Credential Completion Flow Chart

Department Application

Complete the online Department Application with uploaded required documents and the $25 non-refundable application fee receipt. Please be sure to check the Save my progress and resume later box at the top of the application, so that you can update your application before it is submitted. Please use the same email to save and submit your Department Application. 

Once you start the Department Application and save your progress, your application will be in our system for review. Please name and upload all documents and screenshots as saved PDFs. If you submitted your Department Application without the required documents, it is incomplete. Send updated documents for your submitted Department Application file to with your full name, program name, and start term in the subject line.

Applicants who submit all ​Department ​Application documents by the priority deadlines will be notified of ​Department ​admission status sooner than those who do not. ​Department ​Applications will not be accepted after April 1, 2023. 

Letters of Recommendation

Provide two forms/letters of recommendation that demonstrate a suitable disposition for teaching in public schools.

• At least one of the forms/letters should come from a person that has observed you working with school-age children 5-11 within the last 5 years.
• The other form/letter can be from an Academic professor or professional supervisor.

Letter of Recommendation Form: Please send this form to two recommenders and have them complete it and send the saved form/letter back to you for your Department Application. 

Examples of acceptable recommenders are teachers, principals, job supervisors, employers, etc. who have observed you working with groups of children and/or can recommend your potential as a teacher. Family members are not acceptable.

• Submit two forms or letters of recommendation on official letterhead, signed, and dated, with email and phone number.
• The recommendation forms/letters must be related to your experience working with groups of children related to the credential sought. 

Please note that forms/letters should address your ability and readiness to work with students whose ages are applicable to the credential program (e.g., elementary-age children for Multiple Subject). Recommendations should reflect experience within the last five (5) years. 

Early Field Experience

Documented Field Experience of at least 45 hours from the past five years. Pre-professional experience must be in a classroom or classroom-like setting with groups of children (5 or more) between the ages of five (5) and eleven (11) years old for the Multiple Subject program.

• At least 15 hours must be in a California public school classroom setting. An acceptable public school experience includes work as a substitute teacher, para-educator, instructional aide, or classroom volunteer. 
• The remaining 30 of the 45 hours minimum may be completed in public or private school settings; in community-based venues such as park or recreation centers, structured summer camps, after-school, or other formally organized programs. 
• Submit Early Field Experience Verification Form. Use as many forms as needed to verify the total hours. 

If you have taken TED 301 at CSU East Bay, this course will cover 15 hours of the 

school experience. You will need to upload an unofficial transcript for verification. TED 302 will cover the other 30 hours.

Bachelor's Degree and GPA Requirement

Must have a Bachelor's Degree conferred before the program begins. 

Applicants with international transcripts with a foreign degree must provide an official evaluation of that coursework by a CTC-approved agency of US Bachelor Degree equivalency, for a list of approved agencies visit  FOREIGN TRANSCRIPT

The requirement for the program is an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.67 or a 2.75 GPA in the last 60-semester or 90-quarter units attempted. If your GPA is below the minimum required: You may be required to complete a "Petition to Waive GPA Requirement" form after your file has been reviewed and we have determined your GPA is below the minimum. The form will be emailed to you if it is required to evaluate program and University eligibility. Please see the University Graduate Requirements.

University Application

Complete the online University application at Cal State Apply Summer 2023.  There is a $70 application fee.

Applications open from February 1, 2023, through April 1, 2023. For the optimum experience, we recommend using the most current version of Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. The application is not compatible with Internet Explorer.

Be sure to save a copy of the confirmation page, to upload to the Department Application. For more information on how to apply to the University, visit How to Apply  

If you are not seeing the credential program you are applying for you will need to check your profile. Go to Extended Profile (top right). Set Degree Goal to "Second Bachelors Degree and Beyond and Teaching and Service Credential Only (e.g. Single or Multiple Subject, Special Education)."

Then click on "Add Program" and under East Bay Credential select "Multiple Subject Credential."

Transcripts

Application Transcript Requirement: Do NOT order/submit transcripts until you have submitted your University Application and emailed a confirmation with your netid. HOW TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS

*Official transcripts are required directly from ALL colleges/universities attended. The Office of Admissions does not accept composite transcripts. Courses that appear on one transcript but are taken at another institution will need to have transcripts sent directly from that original institution.  

Order official transcripts from all schools attended to be sent electronically to Cal State East Bay Admissions or , if an email address is requested.

If currently a Cal State East Bay student or a Cal State East Bay graduate, transcripts may not need to be submitted unless you have completed post-baccalaureate coursework at another institution.

Please note: If you are in the process of completing a Bachelor’s degree at a school other than Cal State East Bay you must submit an official transcript showing coursework in progress for Spring, and one additional official transcript after your degree has been awarded showing conferral date. 

Your Bachelor's degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Foreign transcripts (if applicable):

For your University Application: Contact the International Admissions Office 

For your Department Application: Applicants with international transcripts with a foreign degree must provide an official evaluation of that coursework by a CTC-approved agency, for a list of approved agencies visit  FOREIGN TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION

Once you start your Department Application: Have an official evaluation electronically sent from agency to  

Tuberculosis Clearance (TB test)

Submit a legible copy of a negative Tuberculosis (TB) test performed by a healthcare provider that includes the date taken and the date read with your full name on it from within the past two years.

• You must maintain current negative TB test results throughout your entire program. If your results expire during the program, you will need to retake the test. TB skin and blood tests are valid for 3 years and chest x-rays are valid for 5 years.
• You may be required to have more recent results for the fieldwork site.

The TB requirement is separate from the CSUEB “Immunization Requirement” which is due by the end of your first semester in the program and is submitted to the University’s Student Health Center.

A TB Risk Assessment (TBRA) is not acceptable and does not meet the requirement. It needs to be an actual negative TB test indicating the date performed and the date read.

Certificate of Clearance

The Certificate of Clearance serves as evidence of having undergone the fingerprint, character, and identification process required by the CTC. You must obtain a Certificate of Clearance or hold a valid CTC-issued document in order to be accepted to a credential program.

Examples of CTC documents include but are not limited to: Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permits, Short-Term Staff Permits, Child Development Permits, and other CTC documents for which a fingerprint clearance is required for issuance.

Getting the Certificate of Clearance is a two-part process.

1. Print the Live Scan form and take to a location offering Live Scan services to have your fingerprints rolled or scanned.

2. Go to www.ctc.ca.gov and apply for the Certificate of Clearance. For more details, visit Certificate of Clearance process.

Once the Certificate of Clearance, you can access the document from the CTC website that displays the document name, issuance date, and expiration date. The document must remain valid while in the program. 

Do NOT submit the LiveScan form. You must submit a Certificate of Clearance or a valid CTC-issued document in order to be accepted to the credential program.Please note that the school you are placed at for student teaching may require additional fingerprinting.

Basic Skills Requirement (BSR)

The Basic Skills Requirement demonstrates proficiency (in English) in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills by examination or coursework which has been determined by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The options below allow the Commission and the Commission-approved preparation programs to verify that the candidate or applicant has demonstrated the basic skills proficiency by verifying qualifying college-level coursework. Commission-approved preparation programs may also use a combination of coursework and other previously available options to meet the BSR.

Options to meet the BSR:

1. Pass the CBEST
2. Pass the CSET: Multiple Subjects CSET exams (CSET #101, 214 (or 102), 103) PLUS Writing Skills Exam (CSET #142)
3. Pass the CSU Early Assessment Program or the CSU Placement Exams
4. Achieve qualifying score on the SAT or ACT
5. College Board Advance Placement (AP) Examinations
6. Pass the Basic Skills Exam from Another State
7. Meet the Basic Skills Requirement by Coursework
   *For reading: a course in critical thinking, literature, philosophy, reading, rhetoric, or textual analysis.
   *For writing: a course in composition, English, rhetoric, written communication, or writing.
   *For mathematics: a course in algebra, geometry, mathematics, quantitative reasoning, or statistics.
8. Meet the Basic Skills Requirement by Coursework and Exam

For options #7 and #8, type in and complete and save the Request of Basic Skills Requirement Evaluation form. You will need to email the form and include a copy of your transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) and a copy of your test scores, if applicable, in pdf format and email to . The subject line of your emails needs to be “Request of BSR Evaluation." Incomplete forms will be delayed and may be returned for completion and resubmission. The results of the evaluation will be emailed to you (using the email address provided on the form) in 4-6 weeks for you to upload to your Department Application. NOTE: Out of Country: you need to have a Foreign Transcript Evaluation emailed with the Request of Basic Skills Requirement Evaluation form.

Courses must be 3-semester or 4-quarter units, have a grade of B- or better (credit or pass grades acceptable), non-remedial, taken at a regionally accredited college or university, and degree applicable (AA degree application is acceptable). 

You need to follow the instructions to submit Request of Basic Skills Requirement Evaluation only after you have started the Department Application and paid the $25 Department Application fee. Do not upload Evaluation Forms that have not been approved. It is your responsibility to meet the Basic Skills Requirement (BSR) by the April 1, 2023 deadline with approved coursework or other options. For more information, visit CTC Basic Skills Requirement.

Subject Matter Competency (SMC)

Options for meeting the Subject Matter Competency (SMC) requirement:

• Passing the appropriate California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) for the credential sought. For more information regarding CSET, visit CL-674 .
• Completing a Commission-approved subject matter waiver preparation program for Multiple Subject.
• Meet the SMC through a degree in the content area of the credential you are seeking. The degree major must be in Liberal Studies or Interdisciplinary Studies.
• Combination of coursework and Exam: If you have a closely related degree major (i.e.Human Development), you can request transcript evaluation to meet SMC only after you have started the Department Application and paid the $25 Department Application fee. Reviews for those that are applying for Summer 2023 will begin after December 1, 2022. 
• It is recommended to take CSETs for Multiple Subject if you do not have a degree major in Liberal Studies or Interdisciplinary Studies.

U.S. Constitution Requirement

Demonstrate knowledge of the provisions and principles of the United States Constitution as demonstrated by one of the following options:

• Bachelor’s degree earned from a CSU campus in any major
• An authorized college-level course (2 semester or 3 quarter units). Include the course name, course description, and where taken, and upload the unofficial transcript showing the course listed. Please note the course grade(s) must be a “C” or better; or
• Passage of U.S. Constitution examinations verified by a regionally-accredited college or university will be acceptable for certification purposes. Upload the official colored score report showing the passage of the U.S. Constitution exam. 

Program Interview

All program applicants are required to participate in a Zoom group interview with a College of Education faculty member.

Interview scheduling will begin in February and only be offered to applicants who have submitted complete Department Applications with the required documents.