Do you enjoy helping young people learn and grow? Would you like to make a positive impact in your community? If so, earning a teaching credential in San Diego, California could be a meaningful career move. Learn everything you need to know about becoming a teacher in San Diego County.
Teachers in Southern California and across the country take pride in shaping young lives. The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) alone educates over 121,000 students per year, making it the second-largest district in all of California and a great place where you can make a real difference.
In order to work in the state of California, however, aspiring instructors are first required to have a teaching credential. This page will give you all the information you need to help you get started.
What Does it Take to Earn a Teaching Credential in California?
A teaching credential is a state-issued license allowing instructors to teach in California public schools. Most teachers have one of three teaching credentials to teach in the state of California: single subject, multiple subject, and education specialist credentials.
Before teaching in a classroom, each teacher must earn a preliminary teaching credential, which you can only receive after completing student teaching hours.
To earn your preliminary teaching credential, you’ll need to have completed the following:
- Hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- Complete an approved comprehensive teacher preparation program.
- Complete 600 hours of student-teaching experience.
- Be fingerprinted and pass a background check.
- Take any required tests and coursework.
- Complete an exam on the U.S. Constitution.
- Earn a recommendation from your teaching program.
Preliminary teaching credentials in California are valid for five years, during which, teachers with a preliminary teaching credential must complete an induction process to clear the teaching credential — also known as a clear credential.
To earn a clear credential, you need to receive two years of mentorship and training by a teacher in your school district or through your teaching program. Elements of the clear credential program include:
- Observation from your mentor
- Paperwork
- Reflection on your teaching experience and areas of improvement
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Who are you called to be?
Pursue your purpose at PLNU.
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Types of Teaching Credentials You Can Earn
You can earn different types of teaching credentials depending on the classroom or administrative environment you want to work in. Sometimes, earning more than one credential makes you a more qualified and marketable candidate during the hiring process.
Types of teaching credentials you can earn at PLNU
- Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential
- Preliminary Single Subject Credential
- Preliminary Education Specialist Credential (Dual Mild/Moderate & Extensive Support)
- Pupil Personnel Services Credential
- Preliminary Administrative Services Credential
- Professional Clear Administrative Services Credential
Preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential
A preliminary multiple subject teaching credential is meant for new and aspiring elementary school teachers looking to teach multiple subjects to grade levels or in adult-self-contained general education classrooms. You’ll have a well-rounded understanding of the different subjects you’ll teach on a daily basis (such as science, history, and math).
As part of earning a preliminary multiple subject credential, you are required to:
- Create a comprehensive reading instruction course including phonetics, phonics, and decoding; language, comprehension, and literature; and both diagnostic and early intervention strategies.
- Pass a two-semester course on the U.S. Constitution.
- Pass a course on technology foundations in an educational setting, including general and specialized computer skills.
Preliminary Single Subject Teaching Credential
A preliminary single subject teaching credential is meant for new and aspiring middle school or high school teachers seeking to teach one subject (like social studies or science) in a classroom. You’ll focus on teaching one subject to different classes and grade levels on a daily basis.
As part of earning a preliminary single subject credential, you are required to:
- Complete a California Commission on Teacher Credentialing-approved program in the subject you want to be credentialed in.
- Pass a two-semester course on the U.S. Constitution.
- Pass a course on technology foundations in an educational setting, including general and specialized computer skills.
Preliminary Education Specialist Credential (Dual Mild/Moderate & Extensive Support)
A preliminary education specialist credential is meant for teachers seeking to work with students with special support needs in a K-12 grade setting. You’ll be prepared to work with a wide range of students by creating, developing, and implementing individualized supports, adaptations, and accommodations to facilitate access to core curriculum in a variety of environments.
The mild/moderate authorization is one of two educational specialist preliminary teaching credentials. This authorization is related to services for individuals with a primary disability of specific learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, mild/moderate mental disability, other health impairments, and autism spectrum disorders within the disability area.
The moderate/severe authorization is related to services for individuals with a primary disability for autism, moderate/severe disability, emotional disturbance, deaf-blind, and multiple disabilities.
As part of earning a preliminary education specialist credential, you are required to:
- Complete a California Commission on Teacher Credentialing-approved program in the subject you want to be credentialed in.
- Pass a two-semester course on the U.S. Constitution.
- Pass the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment test.
Pupil Personnel Services Credential
A pupil personnel services credential is meant for professionals looking to work as a school counselor for students in grades K-12. At PLNU, our Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPS) is offered in tandem with our Master of Arts in School Counseling program.
As part of earning a pupil personnel services credential, you are required to:
- A completed Application for Degree Candidacy.
- Satisfactory completion of the prescribed course of study with a cumulative grade point average of 3.000 or higher.
- Completion of the approved graduate program consisting of a minimum of 36 units.
- A recommendation from the credential analyst and director of the branch campus.
- All requirements for graduate degrees must be completed within an eight (8)-year period from the time of initial enrollment in the program.
Preliminary Administrative Services Credential
The preliminary administrative services credential is geared toward individuals looking to transition into an entry-level school administration position. You’ll learn to establish and sustain a vital learning community that supports powerful teaching and learning.
This is an ideal credential for public and private school educators who want to lead at school sites or at the district level, or for educators who seek cutting-edge graduate study focused on learning results and supportive relationships.
As part of earning preliminary administrative services credential, you are required to:
- Complete all credential program requirements at an approved institution
- Earn a minimum score from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) on each of the three (3) California Administrator Performance Assessments (CalAPA)
Professional Clear Administrative Services Credential
A professional clear administrative services credential is meant for current administrators and focuses on providing real-life and hands-on experiences for educational leaders. You’ll be provided with one-on-one coaching and mentoring. In order to enroll, you must already possess a preliminary administrative services credential.
Through this program, you’ll build your competence as an educational administrator on the evidence of prior knowledge, skills, and dispositions that you bring into the program. On-site fieldwork is an important part of any program and is designed to complement and enhance coursework.
As part of earning a professional clear administrative services credential, you are required to:
- Complete all credential program requirements at an approved institution.
- Earn a minimum score from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) on each of the three (3) California Administrator Performance Assessments (CalAPA).
Earning a Teaching Credential With an Existing Degree vs. in Parallel With Your Bachelor’s Degree
Looking to earn your teaching credential in San Diego? You may do so with an existing degree or in parallel with your bachelor’s degree. These options are known as the Traditional and Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) pathways.
Learn more about PLNU's blended bachelor's and teaching credential program.
Traditional Teaching Credential Programs
Traditional credential programs are available in elementary school teaching, middle and high school teaching, and special education. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree, this could be a great option for you.
The traditional pathway generally takes five years. It consists of earning your bachelor’s degree, including four years of prerequisites, and then enrolling in a credential program. The credential program includes a blend of credential coursework and student teaching, both of which can be completed in one year.
ITEP Teaching Credential Programs
The Integrated Teacher Education Program pathway is a combined bachelor and credential option. It includes academic and professional preparation courses, along with student-teaching experience in the field.
By completing an ITEP teaching credential program in San Diego, you can kick off your teaching career right after you graduate. This relatively new pathway can be completed in just four years. However, it isn’t available to students who already hold their bachelor’s degree.
Aspiring teachers may also choose to complete a master’s program in education to earn their teaching credential.
What Exams Do You Need to Pass to Earn Your Teaching Credential in San Diego?
To earn your teaching credential in San Diego, you’ll need to pass the required examinations.
Those who are working toward an elementary teaching credential must pass a Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA). If you’re pursuing a secondary teaching credential, you must pass examinations in each of the subjects you hope to teach.
All candidates for a preliminary credential in California must also meet the basic skills requirements set forth below. This can be achieved by completing one of the following exams:
- The California Basic Skills Education Test (CBEST) with a scaled score of 41 or higher in each of the three categories: reading, writing, and mathematics.
- The California Subject Examinations for Teachers Multiple Subjects Plus Writing Skills Examination (CSET) with a scaled score of 220 or higher.
Alternatively, if you pass a basic skills examination in another state, you may submit a photocopy of your score to apply for your teaching credential in California.
For more information on how to earn your teaching credential in California, read the certification requirements of the CSET website.
Apply for Your Teaching Credential and Start Teaching in San Diego
Ready to begin teaching in San Diego?
After completing your academic and examination requirements, meeting your student-teaching obligation, and passing a criminal background check, you can officially apply for your California teaching credential.
Once you’re approved, you can begin applying to teaching jobs in San Diego!
You’ll need to create an account with the district or school you’re applying to, complete your application, and interview with a school administrator or panel to secure employment.
Successful applicants are extended an offer to teach — contingent on reference checks, drug testing, teaching credential verification, and a fingerprint clearance.
That’s it! Complete the above steps, and you’ll be ready to find work as an educator in San Diego.
Start Your Teaching Career in San Diego
Teaching is a meaningful career path with plenty of room for growth. Research indicates that teaching jobs in California will likely increase by 7% through 2026 — making right now as good a time as any to earn your teaching credential in San Diego.
If you have a passion for helping young people transform their lives, you can begin working to earn your teaching credential by enrolling in a bachelor’s or master’s program through PLNU’s School of Education.
PLNU looks forward to helping you launch a fulfilling teaching vocation. Our highly ranked programs will help you discover the best way forward in your calling to educate, preparing you for opportunities in schools throughout San Diego County and Southern California.
