Credential Program Question

[tls7291]

Hi Everyone (Newbie here),

Question...If I were to get a degree through the Big 3 would it be accepted to get into credential program for teaching???  If anyone has experience with this I would appreciate any insight.

[eriehiker]

The biggest issue is the need to student teach. That is not something that can be done online, although there are now schools that offer everything except the student teaching online and then you can set up the student teaching locally. Western Governors University is a school that does this and there was another school posted about here recently that does it this way.

It is also possible to earn a Big 3 undergrad. and then do a master's or certification program from another school that includes teaching certification.

[natshar]

I think WGU Western Governers University would be your best bet. You can transfer it up to 90 out of the 120 credits needed for your degree. It is all competency based and it would be possible to finish all the rest of your coursework in six months and then student teach the next term. If you want to be a teacher, I think WGU is the fastest, easiest, cheapest and way to go with less back tracking. WGU will work with you and they have programs that work with current certification laws in all 50 states in America.

The Big 3 is another option, but none of them grant any teaching degree. So you would have to earn a degree from them and then go somewhere else to get a teaching degree, which just requires a lot more steps that aren't needed if you start at WGU.

https://www.wgu.edu/online-teaching-degrees.html

[tls7291]

The biggest issue is the need to student teach.  That is not something that can be done online, although there are now schools that offer everything except the student teaching online and then you can set up the student teaching locally.  Western Governors University is a school that does this and there was another school posted about here recently that does it this way.

It is also possible to earn a Big 3 undergrad. and then do a master's or certification program from another school that includes teaching certification.

Thank you, I would be able to do an internship, my concern would be that here in california they are very picky and I want to make sure before I start on this journey of getting a degree that it would be excepted into credential programs here in cali.

[natshar]

If you go to WGU:

https://cm.wgu.edu/t5/Teacher-Licensure-.../ta-p/1365

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https://www.wgu.edu/online-teaching-degr...nsure.html

Or even if you don't go to WGU these are good resources.

[davewill]

I assume you're talking about getting into a teaching credential program at a B&M school (probably one of the CSUs). I'm not sure why everyone is bringing in all this WGU/student teaching stuff. Whatever credential program you get into will take care of that. A bachelor's from one of the Big3 should be fine for getting into one. You may not get into your first choice, but you should be able to find a program. You should contact admissions for the programs you're interested in and get an idea of how competitive their admissions is.

Note: each of the schools has their own little prerequisite courses your need to pick up. My daughter is going through this right now with the two local CSUs having different pre-req courses they require before admittance. Luckily, one of them will let her take them in the summer, which means she can wait to see if that's where she ends up first.

She also had to pass the CSET and CBEST before applying (she wants to be an English teacher).

[dfrecore]

Yes, as davewill said, in CA you don't need a teaching degree, you just need to get a degree (any degree, as long as it's from an RA school which all of the Big 3 are). Then, you do a 1yr credentialing program at a CSU school, where student teaching is part of that program. Or you can do the Post-Bacc teaching credential at WGU if you want to teach elementary school.

If you already have a bunch of courses that will fit nicely into one of the Big 3, then you're probably better off doing that. If you are starting from scratch, then WGU is probably your best bet, and the student teaching is part of the program.

I would NOT recommend getting a Master's degree, as I think you will find it difficult to find a job here as a new teacher with one. They have to hire you at a higher salary, not the best way to try to start your career. Plus, I think most schools will pay for a master's once you've been there a certain length of time.