Combined masters and teaching credential programs california online

Make an Impact as an Educator

The California teaching credential programs offered by Biola’s School of Education will develop you into a well-rounded, passionate teacher — and help you navigate the process of becoming a teacher with confidence.

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Credential Programs

Our programs may be taken as stand alone credential programs, or as combined master’s and teaching credential programs. Take the next step in your career and apply for one of our teaching credential programs.

Multiple Subject Credential: a preliminary teaching credential mainly intended for those who want to teach in a self-contained classroom, typically an elementary school setting.
Single Subject Credential: a preliminary teaching credential mainly intended for those who want to teach in a high school or middle school classroom setting.
Special Education (Mild/Moderate) Credential: for those who want to teach students with mild to moderate learning disabilities or other impairments in grades K-12.
Intern Credential Programs: for students currently enrolled in a credential program, allowing them to earn an income as a classroom teacher while earning their credential.
Induction/Clear Credential: for new teachers who want to move their preliminary credential to a clear credential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our flexible program options — including fully online credential programs and integrated education master’s degree opportunities — offer you several paths to becoming a teacher in California.

Are Biola’s credential programs accredited?
- Yes, all Biola credential programs are accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
How do I earn a California teaching credential?
- You can earn a California teaching credential by successfully completing an accredited credential program. Our programs are CTC and ACSI-accredited. They may be taken as standalone teacher credential programs, or integrated into a master’s degree.
  California credential program requirements include elements such as teacher preparation and pedagogy coursework, school fieldwork requirements, and student teaching or intern requirements.
What does it mean to clear your credential?
- When you “clear your credential” it means that you have been issued a clear credential to replace your preliminary credential. Under California’s two-tier credential structure, a preliminary credential is the first document issued after an individual meets basic credential requirements. A clear credential is issued when all credential requirements have been completed.
Why do I need to clear my credential?
- You need to clear your credential or earn a clear credential because the preliminary credential is issued for a maximum of five years. If requirements for the clear credential are not completed before the expiration of the preliminary credential, the holder will be unable to teach in California’s public schools with that credential until those requirements are met and the document is renewed.
  Upon completion of the clear/induction credential program, you will receive Biola’s formal recommendation to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for your Clear Credential.
Can I earn a California Teaching Credential online?
- Yes, you can earn your teaching credential online. All four of the California teacher credential programs are offered in fully online formats, giving you the flexibility you need to pursue your educational and professional goals.
What makes earning my credential at Biola different?
- We focus on developing you as the whole educator. You’ll receive a biblically integrated education and Christian mentorship from faculty who will teach you how to apply biblical principles to your work in the classroom. You’ll also build a network of fellow Christian educators who are working to make an impact in their communities.

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Teaching Credential Degrees

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Learn to teach students with disabilities and help them with classroom challenges, navigating, school life, and developing critical life skills that will benefit them for years to come. You'll participate in one of two tracks, student-teaching or intern program, to gain the experience you need to be a leader in the classroom.

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The multiple subject credential program will prepare you with the basic skills requirement, and more, to become an elementary teacher of record in any TK-8 classroom, whether in a traditional classroom, online, or both, in California. Over the course of your studies, you'll get the instruction needed to provide a well-rounded and comprehensive elementary education to each and every student in your class.

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The single-subject credential program provides you with the knowledge and skills you need to teach English, math, science, or other subjects to middle school or high students. This comprehensive single subject teaching credential offers three paths to a credential: student teaching, intern teaching, and an early completion intern teaching option.

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Meet Your Program Director

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Program Director / Assistant Professor

California School of Education

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Find the Teaching Program That's Right for You

By using our Teacher Preparation Program Finder and answering a few questions, you’ll be guided towards a great teaching credential or certificate program for you.

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Program Overview

Few career paths offer such deep levels of civic engagement, emotional rewards, and direct force of impact on the next generation as a career in education. And few careers are as vital and valuable to society as those of our educators. Are you interested in being a part of the next generation of future teachers to teach elementary school, middle school, high school, or special education? You can get the California teaching credentials at our university. Become one of our teacher candidates and get one step closer to a career in education.

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Make an impact. Become a teacher with an Alliant International University teaching credential program. Explore our California teaching credential programs.

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Online Teaching Credential Programs

Alliant programs for school teachers offer an innovative format featuring online courses and classes coupled with hands-on training experience, allowing you to tailor your education program to your schedule while still getting the professional training you need to teach and excel in your teaching career. The teacher education programs prepare our graduates and teacher candidates to earn their teaching license and work in elementary, middle, and high schools.

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CTC-Approved Curriculum

Alliant California teaching credential programs are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), one of the highest standards in the industry. The program trains future teachers in necessary skills and provides them with hands-on experience so they can have complete confidence in front of a classroom.

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Your Path to the Classroom

Every student’s path is unique, so we offer three distinct pathways to finishing your preliminary single subject credential or multiple subject teaching credential. We understand the challenges of being an educator and take the necessary measures to make sure each one of our students is prepared for the classroom.

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Student Teaching

A teacher knows that each student’s road to success rarely looks the same. The professors at Alliant know this too. That’s exactly why we offer three distinct pathways to finishing your preliminary single or multiple subject teaching credential. We understand the challenges of being an educator and take the necessary measures to make sure each one of our students is prepared for the classroom.

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Standard Intern Teaching

The intern teaching option lets you pursue your teaching certification in California or online while earning an income. You'll be a salaried teacher-of-record for four terms, meaning you assume immediate and full teaching responsibility and management of the classroom. This option works best for those coming into the teaching degree program with more classroom teaching experience.

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Early Completion Intern Teaching Option

The early completion option is an abbreviated version of the standard intern teaching path toward your teacher certification. You are a salaried teacher-of-record for four terms, but your program coursework is accelerated. For this option, we highly recommend you have previous classroom experience.

Advance Your Career

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Masters in Education

Make your teacher education path even more distinct with the option to dual-enroll in our online Master of Arts in Education with Teaching Emphasis program at our university.

How it Works: As a student in a Preliminary Teaching Credential program, you only need 3-5 more courses to earn your MAE in Teaching. That’s because all of your teaching credential coursework is applied to your master’s. And the best part? It’s also all online.

Why it Works: A master’s degree offers you an enhanced expertise in teaching and theory that you can apply in the classroom. You can also create new pathways of opportunity in your career while further developing your own education.

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Expanding Our Impact to Arizona

We are proud to expand our Impact with our new Arizona Teacher Preparation Programs.

We now offer Arizona Board of Education-approved programs in primary and secondary education, as well as a concurrent Master of Arts in Education in Teaching. These programs prepare our graduates to work in elementary, middle, and high schools.

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What Would it Take for You to Succeed as a Dual-Language Instructor?

Find Out in this New Online Bilingual Authorization Program

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Teach California

Alliant has partnered with TEACH California to address California's teacher shortage. We value the benefit of this partnership for California teacher recruitment. We are dedicated to getting aspiring teachers in classrooms as seamlessly as possible with each teacher preparation program.

Throughout your time in the teacher credential program and teacher certification studies, you’ll develop a strong educational foundation and gain vital student assessment skills. Through online coursework in diverse learning methods and theories, you’ll discover how to teach English-language learners, and you’ll learn about how cultural background affects learning styles.

Most importantly, you'll gain hands-on experience. Because getting out of our classroom and into your own is the best way to develop your personal teaching style and get you one step closer to your licensure and teaching career.

For those in California, explore our CTC-Approved Teaching Credential Programs offered at Alliant’s California School of Education (CSOE) and become a credentialed teacher in California. We help prospective teachers achieve their teaching certificate and educational career goals by having numerous resources available for our students to excel as future educators.

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Start on your path to impact today.

Can I get a California teaching credential online?

Students in the Online California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program can get their teaching credential online and learn how to create inclusive learning environments for classrooms from kindergarten through grade 12.

What is the fastest way to get a teaching credential in California?

After completing an approved program, the fastest and easiest way to apply for a California teaching credential is online. The program sponsor must formally recommend you for the appropriate certification via the CTC's online system.

Can I teach in California with a master's degree?

Uniquely, California regulations require five years of higher education to become a teacher. You can meet this requirement either by: Traditional Path — Earning your bachelor's and master's degrees. Nontraditional Path — Participating in a blended credentialing program that has been approved by the state.

How do I become a teacher if I already have a bachelor's degree in California?

Applicants who want to teach in middle school or high school must apply for a Single Subject Teaching Credential. Secondary teachers must earn a bachelor's degree, complete a teacher preparation program, and prove competency in at least one teachable subject area.