How to Get a Teaching Credential in California (2025) — Step-by-Step Guide [with Infographic]

When young people are considering what career to pursue or when someone is considering a career change, there are many things to consider. For some, a couple of factors are key to their decision — demand for employees in that field and the ability to make an impact.

No career checks those two boxes quite like being a teacher, especially in California.

Demand? As recently as the 2021-2022 school year, the California Department of Education estimated roughly 10,000 teaching vacancies in California public schools.

Impact? Henry Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity.” Astronaut/teacher Christa McAuliffe said, “I touch the future; I teach.” You can’t say that about just any job.

Bottom line? California schools need you in the classroom. So how do you get there? Due to the ongoing teacher shortage, California has made some changes to speed your pathway to the classroom. Let’s take you down the path of how to become a teacher in California.

Understanding Teaching Credentials

OK, we’ve got you excited about becoming a teacher. There will be jobs waiting for you upon graduation, and you’ll start influencing young minds from your first day on the job. First, you need to decide what kind of teaching you would like to do. Elementary school? Middle or high school? Special education? For each of those, you’ll need to earn a different teaching credential. In California, the choices are Single Subject, Multiple Subject, or Special Education Teaching Credentials.

Single Subject Teaching Credentials attest to your knowledge in a specific area. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) allows you to earn your credential in these subjects:

• Agriculture
• Art
• Biological Sciences (Specialized)
• Business
• Chemistry (Specialized)
• Dance
• English
• Foundational — Level General Science
• Foundational — Level Mathematics
• Geosciences (Specialized)
• Health Science
• Home Economics
• Industrial and Technology Education
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physical Education
• Physics (Specialized)
• Science: Biological Science
• Science: Chemistry
• Science: Geosciences
• Science: Physics
• Social Science
• Theater
• World Language: English Language Development
• World Languages — Languages other than English

With your Single Subject credential, you’ll be able to teach one subject, such as Chemistry or English, at the middle or high school level.

A Multiple Subject Teaching Credential allows you to teach all subjects in one classroom. This is typically in elementary school, where your students stay with you for the entire day as you move through different subjects such as math, science, art, history, and even health education. Because you need to be a jack-of-all-trades, so to speak, the base of knowledge required for a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential is much broader and well-rounded.

If working with special needs students of all ages is your passion, you’ll need a Special Education Teaching Credential. With this credential, you’ll be able to make a difference in the learning and development of students with disabilities. There are two different Special Education Teaching Credentials, extensive support needs or mild to moderate support needs.

Learning Your Subject and Showing Competency

Before you can earn your teaching credential, you must first earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, and then you’ll need to demonstrate your knowledge in the subject(s) you will teach. This is called showing subject matter competency.

If your goal is to be an elementary school teacher, you’ll need a degree that prepares you for the wide range of subjects you will teach. UMass Global offers a BA in Liberal Studies, Multiple Subject Teaching that positions you to earn your Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.

If you want to become a middle or high school teacher, your degree will need to either match or otherwise encompass the subject you’ll be teaching (see the list of approved subjects above). Let’s say you want to become a band teacher. A degree in music will be necessary. Trigonometry? A bachelor’s or master’s degree in mathematics will give you the necessary knowledge.

The goal is to build your knowledge in your chosen subject. In California, you must then demonstrate subject matter competency or basically show that you know your stuff well enough to teach it. This is done through the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET), which has a different exam for the three different credentials.

In California, you’ll also need to show that you have the basic foundational education necessary to be a teacher. These are areas such as reading, writing, and basic math skills. The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) exam covers this.

Two Parts to Credential Programs

You have your degree, and you’ve demonstrated subject matter competency — it’s time to earn your teaching credential. UMass Global has been preparing California teachers since its beginnings in 1958, and today is the state’s second largest provider of teaching credential programs. The university offers Single Subject, Multiple Subject, and two levels of Special Education credential programs. All these programs include complimentary test preparation through Teach Us to help students pass their CSET and CalTPA (California Teaching Performance Assessment) exams and earn their credentials.

Teaching credential programs consist of two parts — coursework that teaches students how to become teachers and student teaching. Coursework covers areas such as lesson planning, student engagement, how to teach various subjects, and the other nuts and bolts of becoming a teacher. At UMass Global, this coursework is delivered 100 percent online. For Single and Multiple Subject credentials, this coursework consists of eight courses or 24 credits. For Special Education credentials, this coursework consists of 12 courses or 36 credits.

Student teaching has been the second part of the credential program. This is hands-on teaching in a classroom. Student teachers are not the “teacher of record” in a classroom, and they are not paid. They are basically understudies to the teacher in the classroom. Student teaching generally lasts 16 weeks (at UMass Global that consists of two eight-week sessions).

Getting Students into the Classroom More Quickly — Internship Pathway

In California (and other states), the teacher shortage has led to creative thinking about ways to get new teachers into the classroom more quickly as a salaried “teacher of record.” The goal is to shorten the time when the student can begin teaching and receiving a salary. This meant changes to how student teaching is completed.

The result is the Internship Pathway Campaign. Here’s how it works. Once a student is in a California Teaching Credential program, they complete the first four courses out of their eight required courses. At that point, the student can become “intern eligible.” This means they can find a teaching position and begin teaching (and earning a salary) after only 16 weeks. While the student is an intern teacher, they can finish their remaining required four courses on their own time while at the same time teaching and being paid. It’s possible to earn their credential in as little as 10 months (the timeframe is longer with special education credentials due to the higher number of required courses).

Students can still opt for the student teaching path, should they choose to, but they can now choose the internship path for a quicker route to being a paid teacher of record.

The accompanying “Roadmaps” for Multiple Subject, Single Subject, and Special Education Teaching Credentials at the top of this blog spell out more of the details of these two options for earning your teaching credential in California in an easy visual format.

Add a Master’s in Teaching in Only Three Additional Courses

In the education sphere, teachers can increase their salary and expand future career options by adding a master’s degree to their resume. At UMass Global, we’ve combined our Master of Arts in Teaching degrees with corresponding credentials. And adding your graduate degree won’t take years — you can earn your MAT with just three additional courses!

UMass Global offers these MAT/credential combinations:

• Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education with 2042 Multiple Subject Credential
• Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Education with 2042 Single Subject Credential
• Master of Arts in Teaching, Preliminary Education Specialist with Mild to Moderate Support Needs Credential
• Master of Arts in Teaching, Preliminary Education Specialist with Extensive Support Needs Credential

Trust a Long-Time Supporter of California Education

Be sure to check out the infographics attached to this blog. They provide a visual explanation of the two options — intern teaching or student teaching — for earning your teaching credential in California. Then, when you’re ready to make the move into becoming the next great teacher that is in such need in California and across the United States, trust the experience of UMass Global. Since our founding in 1958, preparing California teachers has been one of our key missions. Our success in the education world is evidenced by our standing as the state’s second largest provider of teacher credentials.

Let’s get you started on the road to becoming a teacher. Request information by calling 800.746.0082 or clicking the button below. Or if you’re ready to get moving, start your application.