Teaching Credential Admissions Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Overview

To increase your chances of admission, you should complete as many prerequisites as possible before submitting your application. You will have an opportunity to indicate when you completed or plan to complete all prerequisites on the online application.

Visit our Application Guide page for helpful tips to complete the online application.

It is highly recommended that the classroom observation requirement be met or near completion by the time you apply. Be sure to submit all supporting documentation in a timely manner as indicated below. 

For information on the CSET exams, please see the California Educator Credentialing Assessments website or the Pearson VUE website.

For any additional questions, please contact Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu.

Due with Application

If your undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, you must also submit Academic Letters of Recommendation.

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.0* from a regionally accredited college or university is required. GPA is determined from the degree-granting university/college.

  • You may apply before you complete your degree, but you must be on track to finish your degree no later than the end of the spring term (quarter or semester) before you enter our program.
  • If you will not receive your degree at the end of spring term, you will need to apply for the next program year.
  • If you plan to study abroad, please talk with your college regarding receipt of grades and graduation timelines.
  • If your degree was awarded from a college outside of the United States, in some situations Graduate Studies will need an additional transcript evaluation. In all cases, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) will require a transcript evaluation. Visit the CTC website and search “foreign transcripts” for information. Please contact our office for additional guidance.

*A handful of exceptions to the undergraduate 3.0 GPA requirement are approved each year on a case-by-base basis and are usually in hard-to-fill areas or for a student who possesses an exceptional or unique background. The Dean of Graduate Studies makes the final decision regarding granting exceptions. If your GPA is below the 3.0 requirement, a letter of recommendation is required, and we highly recommend that you also request an evaluation before submitting your application.

To request an evaluation:

  • Email unofficial transcripts from all institutions you attended to Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu. If you are a UC Davis student, include your UC Davis student ID number with the request to evaluate your GPA.
  • Our office will evaluate your GPA and provide a recommendation in 5-10 business days.
  • We will also provide guidance on the three academic letters of recommendation that will be required as part of the application process.
  • ​When completing the application you must have contact information (name and email) for your three academic references.

Please contact Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu with any questions you may have on the GPA policy and to send in your evaluation request.

Classroom Observation

You must complete 30 hours of classroom observation in a diverse California public school setting.

  • Your hours must be in the grade range (and, for middle and high school applicants, in the subject area) you intend to teach.
  • You are required to submit a fully completed Classroom Observation form with your online application.
  • If you have relevant K-12 experience that does not meet the above criteria (e.g., substitute teaching, after-school tutoring, or other K-12 related-roles), you may submit a detailed description of your experience for faculty review. Email your description to Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu before applying. Instructions on how to document your observation/experience are in the Classroom Observation handout.
  • For Bilingual Authorization applicants only: It is recommended to have a minimum of 5 hours observing in a bilingual setting. These 5 hours may be part of your 30-hour observation, if in the correct content area to which you are applying.

Basic Skills Requirement (BSR)

On your application, list your degree conferral date for the Basic Skills Requirement completion date. This date will then be confirmed with the official degree-posted transcript you submit after you are admitted.

Subject Matter Requirement

All credential candidates must demonstrate their proficiency in the subject matter area of their intended credential. It is recommended that applicants complete this requirement prior to submitting an application for admission.

While we can move forward with an offer of admission prior to a candidate meeting the Subject Matter Requirement, admitted students are expected to take all required CSET exams no later than May 1 and pass or meet the Subject Matter Requirement by July 31 of the year they begin the program. If requirements are not met by the start of the program, your progress in the program can be impacted. Learn more about the Subject Matter Requirement timeline.

There are multiple options to complete the Subject Matter Requirement:

  1. California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET): passing all required subtests. All applicants must take the required CSET exams by May 1. Learn more about the CSET.
  2. Subject Matter Waiver Program: completing an approved subject matter waiver program as an undergraduate. A waiver program requires you to pass a very specific set of courses. UC Davis has a waiver program for agriculture and mathematics. Learn more about subject matter waivers.
  3. Academic major in the subject area: earning an academic major in the subject area of the credential being sought. The academic major and the subject to which you are applying must be an exact match. Learn more about approved majors.
  4. Coursework: completion of a course addressing each of the commission-adopted subject matter domains for each subtest. Coursework can be used to pass any or all subtests. This option is different from the Subject Matter Waiver Program. Learn more about using coursework to meet the subject matter requirement.
  5. Combination of coursework and examination(s): completion of coursework and/or passing of the CSET subtests may meet or exceed the completion of the subject matter domains for all subtests. This combines options 1 and 4 to meet the Subject Matter Requirement. For example, if your subject requires three subtests, you could pass the exam for two subtests and use the coursework option to demonstrate proficiency for the third subtest. Learn more about combining coursework and examinations to meet the subject matter requirement.

If you are out of state or out of country, please contact us at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu to discuss options and timing.

A complete Subject Matter Guidance document for each subject we offer is available to download below. If you have questions after reviewing the guidance document, please email us at credentialanalyst@ucdavis.edu for assistance.

Due if Admitted

If admitted, you will provide documentation verifying completion of the following program prerequisites. Please email eduadvising@ucdavis.edu to let us know your plan to complete these requirements.

Educational Psychology Course

All students must complete an upper division course that covers major concepts, principles, theories and research related to the development of children from infancy to adolescence, and human learning and achievement. The course must examine cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development as well as typical and atypical development to help inform planning and learning experiences for all students. Lower division courses taken at a community college do not satisfy this requirement.

UC Davis Undergraduates

The educational psychology prerequisite can be met by completing one of the following:

  1. EDU 110: This is the best option and current UC Davis students are strongly encouraged to complete this course while in their undergraduate programs.
  2. PSC 140 (PSC 001 and PSC 041 are prerequisites) (requires syllabus review to confirm eligibility)
  3. HDE 100A and 100B (PSC 001 and BIS 001A, 002A, or 010 are prerequisites) (requires syllabus review to confirm eligibility)
Undergraduates from Other Colleges

Please check the Course Equivalency website to see if a course at your school is considered equivalent. If you have completed a course that you believe is equivalent to an educational psychology course but you do not see it listed on the Course Equivalency website, please submit a Course Substitution Request, which can be found under the “Course Inquiry” tab. You will see that many of the courses that were previously approved are now asking for a current syllabus to confirm that the course still covers the required content.

If you still need to meet this requirement:

The UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Program offers an intensive educational psychology course that meets the Educational Psychology Course requirement. Details about this course will be sent to admitted students.

You can also use the Course Equivalency website to “Browse Requirements” to investigate other course options that you can take now to meet the prerequisite. If you have further questions, please email Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu.

Educating Children with Disabilities Course

This is an upper-division course that covers educational issues and processes involved in teaching children with disabilities. The course focuses on the structure of special education, with an emphasis on meeting the educational needs of children who are mainstreamed in regular classes. Lower division courses taken at a community college do not satisfy this requirement.

UC Davis Undergraduates

This prerequisite can be met by completing EDU 115. Current UC Davis students are strongly encouraged to complete this course while in their undergraduate programs.

Undergraduates from Other Colleges

Please check the School of Education’s Course Equivalency website to see if a course at your school is considered equivalent. If you have completed a course that you believe is equivalent to EDU 115 but you do not see it listed on the Course Equivalency website, please submit a Course Substitution Request, which can be found under the “Course Inquiry” tab. You will see that many of the courses that were previously approved are now asking for a current syllabus to confirm that the course still covers the required content.

If You Still Need to Meet this Requirement

In coordination with the School of Education, the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education program offers an intensive Educating Children with Disabilities course. More details regarding registration for this course will be sent out to admitted students.

You can also use the Course Equivalency website to “Browse Requirements” to investigate other course options that you can take now to meet the prerequisite. If you have further questions please email Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu.

U.S. Constitution Requirement

A course in the provisions and principles of the U.S. Constitution (i.e. the Bill of Rights, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances) is a prerequisite and can be completed through a variety of options:

  1. Coursework: review the Course Equivalency website to see if you have taken a course that meets this requirement. If you have completed a course that you believe covers the U.S. Constitution but do not see it listed on the Course Equivalency website, please submit a Course Substitution Request, which can be found under the “Course Inquiry” tab.
  2. California State University Graduates: Graduates of a CSU automatically meet this prerequisite, as it is a requirement for your undergraduate degree.
  3. AP Exam: Pass either the AP government/politics or U.S. history exam with a score of 3 or higher and submit unofficial scores for admission review. If you are offered admission, you are required to submit your official AP exam results unless the AP test name and score is clearly listed on your official undergraduate transcript. To obtain copies of your AP exam results, contact College Board. Please have the score report sent directly to you, then bring the sealed results to Student Services.
  4. Notre Dame de Namur University Online Exam: The Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) U.S. Constitution exam is an online option for completing the U.S. Constitution prerequisite. See the NDNU website for directions on signing up and for more information.

Credential-Specific Requirements Due if Admitted

Multiple Subject Candidates

Fundamental Mathematics Course

This prerequisite for multiple subject candidates can be met by coursework or examination. This requirement must be completed before the first quarter of the credential program. Please email eduadvising@ucdavis.edu to let us know your plan to complete these requirements.

Coursework

You must complete a basic, non-remedial college-level math course to meet this prerequisite. A typical description of an appropriate course would be: “Introduction to fundamental mathematical ideas from principal areas of modern mathematics. Properties of primes, fundamental theorems of arithmetic, properties of rationals and irrationals, binary and other number systems.” A course in statistics will not meet the requirement.

Please check the Course Equivalency website to see if a course you took at UC Davis or another college has already met the requirements for Fundamental Mathematics. If you have completed a course that you believe is equivalent but you do not see it listed on the Course Equivalency website, please submit a Course Substitution Request, which can be found under the “Course Inquiry” tab.

AP Exam

An AP exam score of 3 or higher in calculus meets the prerequisite for Fundamental Math. For admission review, an unofficial score report is acceptable. To meet the requirement, you must submit your official AP exam results unless the AP test name and score is clearly listed on your official undergraduate transcript . To obtain official copies of your AP exam results, contact College Board.

Bilingual Authorization

Agriculture students will need to inquire with faculty and staff about participating in our bilingual programs due to the additional demands of the specialist authorization. Visit our bilingual authorization page for more information.

Spanish Authorization Additional Requirements
  1. Indicate interest in the Bilingual/Spanish program on the application
  2. Pass a written and reading comprehension exam to ascertain language competency at the time of an interview
  3. Pass an oral interview prior to student teaching placement
Mandarin Authorization Additional Requirements
  1. Indicate interest in the Bilingual/Mandarin program on application
  2. Pass the CSET exam Subtest III in Mandarin
  3. Pass the CSET exam Subtest V in Chinese

Agriculture Credential

Applicants to our single subject agriculture credential are also applying for concurrent admission to earn an Agriculture Specialist authorization. The Agriculture Specialist authorization requires agriculturally related work experience. There are two ways to satisfy this requirement: 

  1. Complete 2,000 hours of documented agricultural experience
  2. Earn your American FFA degree and complete 1,500 hours of documented agricultural experience

Both experience options must meet the following criteria:

  • Take place after graduating from high school and prior to being accepted into the credential program
  • May be in either one area or in multiple areas in agriculture
  • May be paid or unpaid, but must be documented and meet the minimum number of hours (2,000 or 1,500)

Hours may be documented using:

  • Pay stubs
  • Signed work experience from a past employer
  • Notarized document of work experience

You will review your experience and documentation with our lead agriculture faculty.

 

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