Education Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway

The 4+1 pathway into the Master of Arts (M.A.)/Credential Master’s program is an option for UC Santa Cruz Science Education majors at U.C. Santa Cruz to apply to the M.A./Credential program through a streamlined application process. 

Undergraduate students currently enrolled in the science education major may, any time after the start of their junior year until Dec. 1 of their senior year, apply to be admitted to the 4+1 contiguous pathway leading to the education master’s degree and teaching credential.

The requirements for admission into the 4+1 pathway are:

1. A GPA in the major of 3.0 or higher;
2. Completion of EDUC 185C Introduction to Teaching Science, and with a grade of B or better; and
3. Completion or current enrollment or plan to enroll by fall of the senior year in all of the required Cal Teach courses.

Interested students should schedule a meeting with the science education undergraduate adviser to discuss their curriculum plan and complete the application forms. The deadline for application to the pathway is Dec. 1 of the senior year, although students are encouraged to apply earlier.

While students in the pathway are not guaranteed admission to the M.A./Credential Program, the Education Department expects to admit students who have met the three requirements for admission above, barring any extenuating circumstances or if the applicant does not obtain clearance from the State of California as described in the program statement for the M.A./Credential Master’s program. Additionally, students will be eligible for a streamlined admission process if, at the time of application, they have met the state Basic Skills and Subject Matter requirements, typically by providing passing scores on California State tests: the CBEST and the CSET (applicants must pass the required sub tests¹ for a secondary Single Subject Science credential or the Foundational-Level General Science credential).

After entering into the Master’s/Credential program, students from the pathway will follow the same requirements as any other students in the M.A./Credential program with expected graduation in July of the year after their graduation from the UCSC Science Education program.

Students who have completed EDUC 177 for the UCSC Science Education program will have the course EDUC 205 waived from their M.A./Credential requirements. Students intending to apply for the M.A./Credential program may also choose to complete EDUC 210 (Health, Safety and Community) and EDUC 213 (Child and Adolescent Development for Educators) in Summer Session II between their junior and senior years, instead of during the M.A./Credential program.

The following State of California requirements for a California teaching credential, which have to be completed before the end of the final quarter of the M.A./Credential program, can also be completed at the undergraduate stage if a student chooses:

• The U.S. Constitution Examination, when offered by the Education Department. Completion of any of the courses POLI 20, POLI 111A, POLI 120A or HIS 10A also satisfies this requirement.
• The UCSC Extension online course EDUC.XSC209.
• A certified cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) course (infant, child, and adult). A CPR course that will remain valid through the preliminary credential application may be taken during the undergraduate state; 12-month certifications will not be sufficient. Students must check with the course provider.

¹CSET Science consists of two subtests: Subtest I (test code 215) and Subtest II -- Life Sciences (test code 217), Chemistry (test code 218), Earth and Space Sciences (test code 219), or Physics (test code 220). Students seeking the Foundational-Level General Science Credential take only Subtest I.