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.

See the Application Guide for helpful tips to complete the online application.

It is highly recommended that the classroom experience requirement be met or near completion by the time you apply. You must submit all supporting documentation in a timely manner as indicated in the Application Submission Process handout. 

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

The following prerequisites are listed in priority order:

1. Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required.

Completion Timing

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. It is your responsibility to ensure a timely graduation no later than spring. 

If you will not receive your degree at the end of spring term, you will need to apply for the next program year.

Note: If you plan to study abroad, please talk with your college regarding receipt of grades and graduation timelines.

College Outside of the United States

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.

Transcript Submission

For detailed information on how to submit your transcripts, please refer to the online application Academic History section.

Contact us at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu if you have any questions.

2. Classroom Observation

To support your credential application, 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. We recommend completing most or all of your observation before submitting your application.

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. Please email your description to Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu before applying. Please note that the most competitive applicants will have experience in public school classrooms.

Please review our Classroom Observation handout for more details on how to document your observation/experience.

For bilingual 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. 

3. Undergraduate GPA of 3.0

The credential/M.A. program is a graduate program that requires an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 for admission. GPA is determined from the degree-granting university/college.

A handful of exceptions to the GPA requirement are approved each year 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.

Note: Letters of recommendation are only required/accepted if your GPA is below 3.0. 

If your GPA is below the 3.0 requirement, we highly recommend that you 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 what we are looking for in the three academic letters of recommendation that will be required as part of the application process. (Note: Letters of recommendation are only required/accepted if your GPA is below 3.0.)
• ​When completing the application you must have contact information (name and email) for your three academic references. 

Applications for a GPA exception are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the likelihood that you will be granted an exception by Graduate Studies. 

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.

4. Basic Skills Requirement (BSR)

When applying to the credential/M.A. program, we will use your official degree-posted transcripts (submitted after you are admitted) to verify that you have met the Basic Skills Requirement. On your application, you will list your degree conferral date for the Basic Skills Requirement completion date. There are no additional steps you need to take.

UC Davis Undergraduates - If you are a UC Davis undergraduate who needs a 41-BSR for a 30-day sub permit, please submit a Basic Skills Requirement Evaluation Request form to indicate which coursework and/or test scores you are using to meet this requirement. Please read the following guidance notes before completing the form:

The Basic Skills Requirement is made up of three content areas:

1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Mathematics

You can combine the options of passing test(s) and passing course(s) until you meet an option for each content area. To determine if you have met this requirement already, please follow these steps:

1. Review each content area listed on the mix and match option chart to see if you have already completed the requirement via tests already taken or coursework in the content areas.
2. Complete our Basic Skills Requirement Evaluation Request form to indicate how you have met/will meet this requirement.
3. After submitting your Basic Skills Summary, the credential analyst will review your courses/test scores and send you a 41-BSR if approved.

If you have any questions regarding the Basic Skills Requirement evaluation, please email credentialanalyst@ucdavis.edu.

If you need to take the CBEST to meet the Basic Skills Requirement for a 30-day sub permit, consult the official CBEST website for more information regarding test dates, sites, costs, and to download a free CBEST practice test.

If you are not currently a UC Davis undergraduate and you need a 41-BSR, please reach out to the credential analyst at your university or school district.

5. 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.

• Agriculture
• English
• Math
• Multiple Subject
• Science – Biology
• Science – Chemistry
• Science – Geoscience
• Science – Physics
• Social Science

6. 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. 

Note: 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 EDU 110. Current UC Davis undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to take EDU 110. There are two other UC Davis options that may meet this requirement, but we must review the syllabus to confirm:

1. PSC 140 (PSC 001 and PSC 041 are prerequisites)
2. HDE 100A and 100B (PSC 001 and BIS 001A, 002A, or 010 are prerequisites)

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:

In coordination with the School of Education, the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education program will offer a summer intensive educational psychology 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. 

7. Educating Children with Disabilities Course

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. (2 units) 

Note: lower division courses taken at a community college do not satisfy this requirement. 

For UC Davis Undergraduates

This prerequisite can be met by completing EDU 115.  Current UC Davis undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to take EDU 115. 

For 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 will offer a summer 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. 

8. Fundamental Mathematics Course

This prerequisite applies only to multiple subject candidates.

This prerequisite can be met by coursework or examination. It is highly recommended that this requirement is completed before the program begins in August.

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.

9. 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.

10. Bilingual Authorization Additional Requirements

All credential candidates will receive training to support English learners and to teach English Language Development (ELD), as well as Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE). This instruction is conducted in English only.

The bilingual authorization expands these tools and authorizes elementary and secondary school teachers to provide instruction in Spanish or Mandarin. See the bilingual authorization handbook for more information.

The bilingual authorization prepares candidates to teach the following:

• Content instruction delivered in Spanish or Mandarin to students whose primary language is Spanish/Mandarin, as well as those learning Spanish/Mandarin.
• Instruction designed to develop students’ academic Spanish/Mandarin skills.
• Spanish or Mandarin language development for students learning Spanish/Mandarin in dual language settings.

It is recommended that all bilingual applicants 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, or may need to be in addition to the 30 hour requirement. 

Spanish 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

Learn more about the Spanish bilingual authorization.

Check out the Spanish bilingual authorization FAQs.

Mandarin 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 students will need to inquire with faculty and staff about participating in our bilingual programs due to the additional demands of the specialist authorization.

Learn more about the Mandarin bilingual authorization.

Check out the Mandarin bilingual authorization FAQs.

11. Agriculture Credential Additional Requirements

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.

12. Academic Letters of Recommendation

For most applicants, letters of recommendation are not required or accepted. 

However, if the GPA shown on the transcripts issued by your degree-granting college is below 3.0, please review the guidelines listed in the Undergraduate GPA section of prerequisite no. 3 (Undergraduate GPA of 3.0) for additional steps to complete prior to submitting your application online. 

If the GPA shown on your transcripts from your degree-granting university GPA is 3.0 or higher, letters of recommendation are not required or accepted.

Questions? Contact Student Services at eduadvising@ucdavis.edu.