Program Overview

English Single Subject Credential Program

The English Single Subject Credential Program at California State University Long Beach is designed to prepare students to teach English in middle and high schools. The program has two major parts: content and pedagogy.

Program Overview

The program enables students to demonstrate subject matter competency by completing prescribed courses in English or by passing the English California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) Subtests I-IV. The professional education courses help students learn how to teach, including culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies, methods to support academic, social, and emotional learning, and how to build an effective learning environment.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the program, students must meet the following requirements:

• A cumulative GPA of 2.67 in all coursework or a 2.75 in the last 60 units
• Completion of a Bachelor's degree in English or a related field
• Passage of the CSET Subtests I-IV
• Completion of the required coursework, including:
  • EDSS 300G: Introduction to Teaching English
  • HSC 411B: Health Science for Secondary Teachers
  • EDSP 355B: Collaborative Models of Inclusive Education
  • EDP 301, 302, or 305: Child/Adolescent Development/Educational Psychology
  • ENGL 337: Technology in the English Classroom

Program Courses

The program consists of 45 units of coursework, including:

• 15 units of prerequisite and co-requisite courses
• 30 units of core courses, including:
  • EDSE 435: U.S. Secondary Schools: Intercultural Education
  • EDSE 436: Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Classroom Management
  • EDSE 457: Reading and Writing in Secondary Schools
  • EDSS 450G: Curriculum and Methods in Teaching English
• 18 units of supervised field experience, including student teaching

Student Teaching

Student teaching is a full-time, semester-long commitment that takes place in a middle or high school. Students are expected to assume responsibility for creating lessons, teaching classes, and evaluating student work. They will also be observed by a University Supervisor and participate in a student teaching seminar.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Must I be enrolled at CSULB to take EDSS 300G? No, but eventually, you must apply to the University to continue taking classes.
• What GPA is required for the program? A cumulative GPA of 2.67 in all coursework or a 2.75 in the last 60 units.
• What is subject matter competency? Subject matter competency means being recognized by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) as knowledgeable in the subject you are being credentialed to teach.
• Will my past coursework make me subject matter competent? See the English Single Subject Advisor for a transcript review.
• What happens during student teaching? Student teaching is a full-time, semester-long commitment where you will assume responsibility for creating lessons, teaching classes, and evaluating student work.