Education 4+1 Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathways

The UCSC Education Department’s Education M.A. and Teaching Credential (MA/C) Program has Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s 4+1 pathways with five undergraduate degrees. These pathways prepare current UC Santa Cruz students who want to be teachers to enter our graduate program after receiving their bachelor’s degree, in order to earn a master’s degree in education and California SB2042 Preliminary Teaching Credential within one additional year. 

Explore each pathway’s requirements via the catalog:

• Critical Race and Ethnic Studies and Education MA/C Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway
• Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) and Education Department 4+1 Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway
• Literature and Education MA/C Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway
• Mathematics and Education MA/C Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway
• Science Education and Education MA/C Contiguous Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway

Undergraduate students enrolled in the critical race and ethnic studies, Latin American and Latino studies, literature, mathematics education, or science education majors who are interested in this program must apply to be admitted to the 4+1 contiguous pathway between the start of their junior year and December 1 of their senior year. For information about applying, students should meet with the undergraduate advisor within their major and email the MA/Credential program director, Soleste Hilberg. 

UCSC students who are accepted to 4+1 pathways will then be eligible for a streamlined admission process to the MA/C Program if, at the time of application, they have met the state Subject Matter Requirement, typically by having a degree in the subject they wish to teach or by obtaining passing scores on the California State CSET exam. While students in a 4+1 pathway are not guaranteed admission to the MA/C Program, the Education Department expects to admit students who have met the admissions requirements, barring any extenuating circumstances or if the applicant does not obtain clearance from the State of California. 

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

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

• US Constitution Examination, when offered by the Education Department. Completion of any of the courses POLI 20, POLI 111, POLI 120A, or HIST 10A also satisfies this requirement.
• UCSC Extension online course EDUC.XSC209, Introduction to Technology in Education.
• 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 stage; 12-month certifications are not sufficient.