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Special Education, M.A.Ed., and Moderate/Severe Disabilities
Specialist Preliminary Credential, Non-Intern

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*All stated financial information is subject to change. The At a Glance provides Base Cost (cost per unit x program units) to aid in program comparison only. For a detailed cost estimate or more information, contact APU's Graduate Student Financial Services.

Coursework

• Course Requirements
• TaskStream
• Steps to Becoming a Teacher
• Credential Analysts
• Frequently Asked Questions

Course Requirements

*Students must complete this course before taking the RICA. The RICA must be passed before applying for the Education Specialist Preliminary Credential.

Apply for Clinical Practice

Apply for enrollment in clinical practice by April 1 for spring and October 1 for fall as well as clearance and placement by Office of Credentials and Student Placement with master teacher. Non-interns must complete Track A requirements and interns must complete Track B requirements on the application. The Office of Credentials and Student Placement does not secure placement for contracted (intern) teaching.

*Assessment fee of 1 unit automatically charged with registration of SPED 530. If course is waived, fee will be moved to another course.

Transition Plan

Candidates must meet with faculty advisor by the end of Module 2 to develop a Transition Plan.

**Candidates cannot register for this course without clearance from the Office of Credentials and Student Placements. This is a mentor-based course. Teacher candidates do not attend classes. However, clinical practice seminars may be required and held face-to-face and/or online. Teacher candidates must attend a mandatory clinical practice orientation meeting before the beginning of the clinical practice term.

*Candidates may not register for this course without clearance from the Office of Credentials and Student Placements. This is a mentor-based course without regular class sessions. TaskStream is used for verifying clinical practice. Candidates must attend a mandatory Clinical Practice Orientation meeting. Coursework is a continuation of SPED 585A/586A.

Apply for Preliminary Credential

In order to apply for the Moderate/Severe (K–12) Education Specialist Preliminary Credential, all courses, fieldwork, clinical practice, and TaskStream ePortfolio requirements, including the completion of the Transition Plan and verification of CPR (infant, child, and adult), must be met.

TaskStream

All School of Education degree, credential, and non-degree candidates must register for and establish an electronic portfolio account through TaskStream for the duration of their studies. The candidate’s electronic portfolio will be contributed to throughout the program of study and will include the course signature assignments and other key assessments as required by the candidate’s degree or credential program. The signature assignments are critical to program improvement efforts and to the School of Education’s continuing accreditation. A candidate’s final course grade for courses with a signature assignment cannot be submitted until all necessary assessments have been uploaded to TaskStream. Successful evaluation of the electronic portfolio is required for degree completion and/or recommendation for a credential to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Steps to Becoming a Teacher

Step 1: Successful completion of all coursework.

NOTE: Candidates must earn a B or better in all teacher education coursework. Candidates who earn a B- or below must retake the course before they can move on to the next module. For EDUC prefix coursework, candidates must maintain a B average. Provisional Program Admittance candidates must maintain a 3.0 GPA and may not receive any grade lower than a B- during the first 12 units of the program.

Step 2: Completion of each of the following program requirements:

• GPA of 2.5 or higher from an accredited university
• Verification of passage of CBEST
• U.S. Constitution requirement (course or exam)
• Verification of subject matter competency (CSET exam or completion of a state-approved subject matter program)

  Please note: Once students pass a subtest of the CSET, they do not have to take that subtest again as long as they use the score to earn certification within five years of the test date on which it was achieved.

• Verification of negative results from a Mantoux TB skin test
• Completion of English Language Learner coursework or preservice training
• Continuing verification from instructors of positive dispositions characteristic of the teaching profession (emotional stability, strong interpersonal relations, good mental and physical health, and other character standards listed on the application)
• Receipt of favorable results of Certificate of Clearance

  NOTE: Candidates must report any changes in character standings, including unresolved issues with the law and/or CTC to the credential analyst. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the program.

Step 3: Successful completion of fieldwork and clinical practice. Fieldwork is required of those credential candidates who are not in contracted teaching positions. Clinical practice is met traditionally with a master teacher; however, candidates who hold contracted teaching positions will complete clinical practice in their own classrooms.

Step 4: Before applying for a preliminary credential, credential candidates must:

• Verify successful completion of CPR for infants, children and adults.
• Show mastery of all Teacher Performance Assessments as designated by CTC.
• Multiple Subject and Special Education candidates must show proof of passage of the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA).

Step 5: Application for a credential.

• Preliminary credentials are valid for five years and are nonrenewable. Contact the credential analyst for information on applying after steps 1 through 4 are completed.
• A clear credential is obtained through a CTC-approved SB2042 Induction Program through either a California public school district or through a California university.

Credential Analysts

Credential analysts are liaisons between graduate education candidates, school districts, and California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). They process requests for fingerprint clearance (Certificates of Clearance), and applications required to file credentials with the CTC. They review all potential candidate files as part of the admissions process. For more information, please contact (626) 815-5346.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many units do I take each semester?
Students may take no more than 8 units per nine-week term, which includes a maximum of two methods or education classes and their corequisite field experiences (if appropriate).

How long is a semester?
Each semester has two terms (Fall I and Fall II, Spring I and Spring II). Each term is nine weeks in length. The 18-week student teaching semester covers Fall I and II or Spring I and II.

How many hours does each class session require?
Each class requires that students meet for approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes, once a week.

How many evenings per week do I attend classes?
Students meet one night a week for nine weeks, plus a Saturday final exam session.

Does APU require theses, dissertations, or capstone projects?
Students are required to complete a thesis/capstone project for this program.

How soon can I finish this program?
This program can be completed in a year. Depending upon the desired course load, working individuals usually finish this program in 12–18 months.