Single Subject

• Review Information Before Applying: Attend a  Credential Information Session . Admission to the program is a two-step process: Department Application and review process and University Application and review process. Review the Credential Application Requirements
• Apply to the Program with the Department Application: Review Credential Application Requirements, instructions, and deadlines. Start the Department Application early, save progress, upload documents, and submit by the deadline. There is a nonrefundable $25.00 fee for this application. This Department Application cannot be submitted until after February 1 when you apply to the University. The University Application confirmation page is part of the Department Application requirement.
• Apply to the University through Cal State Apply. Visit How to Apply. There is a $70.00 non-refundable application fee. Please review the application to make sure you are applying to the correct term, campus, and program.
• Only after you submit the University Application through Cal State Apply and get an email with your net id: Order official transcripts from ALL SCHOOLS attended to be sent electronically to Cal State East Bay Admissions or electronictranscripts@csueastbay.edu if an email address is requested.
• Both Graduate Admissions and the Credentials Office will have access to your electronic transcripts, so no duplicates are needed. Please do not send identical, duplicate electronic and paper transcripts.

Click on the following link for a Cal State Apply Demo for Summer 2023-Summer 2025 will be similar:

Cal State Apply Summer 2023 Demo

You need to apply and be admitted to BOTH the Department and to the University to be admitted to the program.

Important: Email is our primary form of communication to keep in contact with you throughout the application and admission process. Please add credentials@csueastbay.edu and admissions@csueastbay.edu to your contacts and check for CSU East Bay correspondence sent to your personal email and horizon email. Check and clear your spam folder if needed.

APPLY EARLY- Your submitted Department Application with the required documents for your Department Application file will be processed and reviewed.

Your Department Application status will be noted regarding any missing requirements-including but not limited to if you have met Subject Matter Competency (SMC).

Please send updated documents for your submitted Department Application to csscdocuments@csueastbay.edu with your full name, program name, and application term in the subject line. 

It is your responsibility to submit the required documents by the deadlines. 

University Application status and requirements will be listed on your To-Do List on your MyCSUEB. Activate your netid.

Complete the online Department Application with uploaded required documents and the $25 non-refundable application fee receipt. Please be sure to check the Save my progress and resume later box at the top of the application, so that you can update your application before it is submitted. Please use the same email to save and submit your Department Application. 

Once you start the Department Application and save your progress, your application will be in our system for review. Please name and upload all documents and screenshots as saved PDFs. This Department Application cannot be submitted until after February 1 when you apply to the University. The University Application confirmation page is part of the Department Application requirement.

If you submitted your Department Application without the required documents, it is INCOMPLETE. Send updated documents for your submitted Department Application file to csscdocuments@csueastbay.edu with your full name, program name, and start term in the subject line.

Your submitted Department Application with the required documents your Department file will be processed and reviewed.

Your Department Application status will be noted regarding any missing requirements-including but not limited to if you have met Subject Matter Competency (SMC).

Please see additional detailed information about Subject Matter Competency (SMC) below.

Please send updated documents for your submitted Department Application to csscdocuments@csueastbay.edu with your full name, program name, and application term in the subject line. 

It is your responsibility to submit the required documents by the deadlines. 

The Statement of Purpose should respond to both of the following questions in one 300-500 word essay:

• Why do you want to be a teacher and work with groups of students between the ages of twelve (12) to seventeen (17)?
• How does your background and/or experience inform your decision to pursue a license that authorizes you to work with socially, culturally, and economically diverse groups of children in California?
• Statement of Purpose for Teaching Credential Program Application

Provide two forms/letters of recommendation that demonstrate a suitable disposition for teaching in public schools.

• At least one of the forms/letters should come from a person who has observed you working with school-age students within the last 5 years. Preferably with ages 11-18. 
• The other form/letter can be from an Academic professor or professional supervisor.

Letter of Recommendation Form: Please send this form to two recommenders and have them complete it and send the saved form/letter back to you for your Department Application. 

Examples of acceptable recommenders are teachers, principals, job supervisors, employers, etc. who have observed you working with groups of children and/or can recommend your potential as a teacher. Family members are not acceptable.

• Submit two forms or letters of recommendation on official letterhead, signed, and dated, with email and phone number.
• The recommendation forms/letters must be related to your experience working with groups of children related to the credential sought. 

Documented field experience of at least 45 hours in a K-12 classroom or a documented field experience from the past five years. Pre-professional experience must be in a classroom or classroom-like setting with groups (5 or more) of students, preferably ages eleven (11)  to eighteen (18) for the Single Subject program.

• At least 15 hours must be in a public or private school classroom setting. An acceptable public school experience includes work as a substitute teacher, para-educator, instructional aide, or classroom volunteer. 
• The remaining 30 of the 45 minimum hours may be completed in public or private school settings; in community-based venues such as the YMCA, park, recreation center, structured summer camp, after-school, or other formally organized programs. 
• Submit Early Field Experience Verification Form. Use as many forms as needed to verify the total hours.

Must have a Bachelor's Degree conferred before the program begins. Your Bachelor's Degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Applicants with international transcripts with a foreign degree must provide an official evaluation of that coursework by a CTC-approved agency of US Bachelor Degree equivalency, for a list of approved agencies visit  FOREIGN TRANSCRIPT

Applicants must meet the university admission requirements of at least 2.5 to be considered for admission. https://www.csueastbay.edu/admissions/graduate-apply.html

If your GPA is below the minimum required: You may be required to complete a "Petition to Waive GPA Requirement" form after your file has been reviewed and we have determined your GPA is below the minimum. The requirement for the program is an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.67 or a 2.75 GPA in the last 60 semester or 90-quarter units attempted baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate. The form will be emailed to you if it is required to evaluate program and University eligibility. Please see the University Graduate Requirements.

Complete the online University application at Cal State Apply Summer 2025  There is a $70 non-refundable application fee.

Applications open from February 1. For the optimum experience, we recommend using the most current version of Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. The application is not compatible with Internet Explorer or Safari.

Be sure to save a copy of the confirmation page, to upload to the Department Application. For more information on how to apply to the University, visit: How to Apply  

If you are not seeing the credential program you are applying for you will need to check your profile. Go to Extended Profile (top right). Set Degree Goal to "Second Bachelors Degree and Beyond and Teaching and Service Credential Only (e.g. Single or Multiple Subject, Special Education)."

Then click on "Add Program" and select one of the following:

Under East Bay Credential listing: Single Subject Credential Main Campus for Hayward or Concord Campus-Math, Science, PE, English, Social Science.

Under East Bay Extension: Single Subject Credential Online for all Art, Music, World Languages,  Dance, Theater, PE, English, or Social Science applicants.

 Click on the following link for reference for a Cal State Apply Demo for Summer 2023 application which will be similar for 2025.

Cal State Apply Summer 2023 Demo

Application Transcript Requirement

Do NOT order/submit transcripts until you have submitted your University Application and receive an email confirmation with your netid. HOW TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS

Transcripts due April 15, 2025

*Official transcripts are required directly from ALL colleges/universities attended. The Office of Admissions does not accept composite transcripts. Courses that appear on one transcript but taken at another institution will need to have transcripts sent from that original institution.  

Order official transcripts from all schools attended to be sent electronically to Cal State East Bay Admissions or electronictranscripts@csueastbay.edu if an email address is requested.

If currently a Cal State East Bay student or a Cal State East Bay graduate, transcripts may not need to be submitted unless you have completed post-baccalaureate coursework at another institution.

Please note: If you are in the process of completing a Bachelor’s degree at a school other than Cal State East Bay you must submit an official transcript showing coursework in progress for Spring, and one additional official transcript after your degree has been awarded showing conferral date. 

Your Bachelor's Degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

Foreign transcripts (if applicable) - 

For your University Application: The University may require a WES evaluation of your international transcripts.

Contact the International Office of Admissions iao@csueastbay.edu

For your Department Application: Applicants with international transcripts with a foreign degree must provide an official evaluation of that coursework by a CTC-approved agency, for a list of approved agencies visit  FOREIGN TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION

WES evaluation is accepted by the University and the CTC.

Once you start your Department Application: Have an official evaluation electronically sent from the agency to csscdocuments@csueastbay.edu 

Submit a legible copy of your Tuberculosis (TB) test results provided by your healthcare provider that include the date taken and date read from within the past two years (TB Risk Assessment is not acceptable).

• You must maintain current TB test results throughout your entire program. If your results expire during the program, you will need to retake the test. TB skin and blood tests are valid for 3 years and chest x-rays are valid for 5 years.
• You may also be required to have more recent results for the fieldwork site.

The TB requirement is separate from the CSUEB “Immunization Requirement” which is due by the end of your first semester in the program and is submitted to the University’s Student Health Center.

A TB Risk Assessment (TBRA) is not acceptable and does not meet the requirement. It needs to be an actual negative TB test indicating the date performed and the date read.

The Certificate of Clearance serves as evidence of having undergone the fingerprint, character, and identification process required by the CTC. You must obtain a Certificate of Clearance or hold a valid CTC-issued document in order to be accepted to a credential program.

Getting the Certificate of Clearance is a two-part process.

1. Complete and print the Live Scan form and take to a location offering Live Scan services to have your fingerprints rolled or scanned.

2. Go to www.ctc.ca.gov and apply for the Certificate of Clearance. For more details, visit Certificate of Clearance process.

Once the Certificate of Clearance is issued, you can access the document from the CTC website that displays the document name, issuance date, and expiration date. The document must remain valid while in the program. 

Detailed application instructions can be found HERE. A video tutorial on the CTC website can be found HERE.

Do NOT Submit the LiveScan form. LiveScan forms will not be accepted. 

You must submit a Certificate of Clearance or a valid CTC-issued document to be admitted to the credential program.

BASIC SKILLS REQUIREMENT (BSR)

A Bachelor's Degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution meets the Basic Skills Requirement.

For more information, visit  CTC Basic Skills Requirement.

California Education Code requires that all candidates for a teaching credential demonstrate they are proficient in the subject matter area of their intended credential (meet the SMC requirement) in order to be intern-eligible and/or be given daily whole-class instructional responsibilities in a TK-12 school.

See the following link from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) website for options to meet  Subject Matter Competency (SMC). SMC Chart of options from CTC

You will be notified with a Department Status email from credentials@csueastbay.edu with your Subject Matter Competency (SMC) status if you are considered for admission.

Options for meeting the Subject Matter Competency (SMC) requirement:

• California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET): passing the appropriate CSET for the credential sought-CSET For more information regarding CSET, visit CL-674.
• Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) approved Subject Matter Program: A Subject Matter Preparation Program is an organized course of undergraduate study that meets the Commission on Teacher Credentialing standards for subject matter preparation. Subject Matter Waiver Letter from a Subject Matter Preparation Program signed by an authorized person in the education department of a California college or university with an approved program.  
• Meeting Subject Matter Competency (SMC) requirement by Degree Major: Verification of completion of an academic degree major in the subject area of the credential. To meet SMC by degree major, the degree major listed on your transcript must be an exact match to the authorization listed on the teaching credential named in the Education Code {Art, Dance, English, World Languages, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Science, Social Science, and Theater}.  The current statutory language does not provide flexibility in the acceptance of closely related subjects; the degree major must be an exact match.
• Please see Acceptable Majors for Single Subject (SS) and Multiple Subject (MS) Credentials
• SMC full Coursework evaluation or Combination of coursework and Exams: You can request a transcript course evaluation to meet SMC only after you have started the Department Application and paid the $25 Department Application fee. Reviews for those who are applying for Summer 2025 will begin after December 1, 2024. Follow the instructions listed at the link SUBJECT MATTER COMPETENCY INFORMATION

Subject Matter Competency Coursework Evaluation Request Information

To request an evaluation of coursework, you will need to submit completed forms and transcripts (including foreign transcript evaluation if applicable) to demonstrate that you completed undergraduate or graduate coursework that fulfills the Domains of the Subject Matter Requirements set by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). 

Follow the instructions listed at the link SUBJECT MATTER COMPETENCY INFORMATION

Prospective Students who have a Department Application in progress/submitted may submit a Subject Matter Competency Coursework Evaluation Request after December 1, 2024.

• SMC Evaluations will start in late January and typically take 6-8 weeks to complete. 
• The deadline to submit the Subject Matter Competency (SMC) Coursework Evaluation Request is March 1, 2025.
• Evaluation Requests submitted after March 1, 2025, may not be reviewed.
• There is no guarantee your course evaluation will be approved.
• It is recommended you take CSETS for the credential subject you are seeking if your degree major is not an exact match.

• Please see Acceptable Majors for Single Subject (SS) and Multiple Subject (MS) Credentials and  See PSA 23-04

  Summary of Options by Credential Area from CTC

• Bachelor’s degree earned from a California State University (CSU) in any major
• One college-level course (two-semester units or three-quarter units) in the provisions and principles of the U.S. Constitution. The course should include content such as the Bill of Rights, federalism, the separation of powers, and checks and balances. Include the course name, course description, and where taken, and upload the unofficial transcript showing the course listed. Please note the course grade(s) must be a “C” or better; please see link of U.S. Constitution-list of some approved courses 
• Passage of U.S. Constitution examinations verified by a regionally accredited college or university will be acceptable for certification purposes. Upload the official score report showing the passage of the U.S. Constitution exam. 

After a review of the Department and University applications, program applicants may be invited for a group interview with the Teacher Education faculty.

After the interview, the program faculty may conduct a reference check or request additional information.

Interview scheduling will begin in January/February. 

Priority admission may be offered to applicants who have met all requirements including Subject Matter Competency.