MA in Teaching, Elementary Education with CA Multiple Subject Credential

Earning a master’s in teaching has numerous benefits for an educator. Here are a few key benefits:

• Expertise — You’ll expand your skills as an educator through the additional courses needed to earn your MAT, which all focus on broader issues in education.
• Increased salary potential — Most school districts offer higher pay tiers depending on the level of education.
• Career options — Having a master’s degree expands career options into areas such as curriculum coordinator, department head, assessment director, and various administrative roles.
• Expanded teaching — Should you choose at some point to broaden your teaching from the special education realm, an MAT can allow you to do so, although you may still have to gain subject matter expertise if you move into a completely new area. Still, your MAT would open possibilities teaching at community colleges, doing educational consulting, working at education nonprofits, and other options.

Taking two courses per session, you may complete your teaching credential in about 10–12 months or your Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in about 12–14 months. Education Specialist pathways take approximately two to four months longer.

For Multiple Subject and Single Subject pathways, earning your MAT requires just three additional courses (9 credits) beyond the credential-only program.

Your timeline depends on your start date, pathway, course load, and readiness to begin clinical practice.

Yes. If you hold a California Preliminary or Clear Single Subject, Multiple Subject, or Education Specialist Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) credential, you may be able to transfer a block of credit into the specific MAT program that matches that credential area. For example, a Single Subject credential can only be used to transfer into the MAT in Secondary Education with 2042 Single Subject Credential; a Multiple Subject credential can only be used to transfer into the MAT in Elementary Education with 2042 Multiple Subject Credential; and an MMSN credential can only be used to transfer into the MAT with MMSN. 

In these MAT programs, the total degree is 42 credits, 30 of which are fulfilled by your existing matching credential, leaving 12 credits—typically EDUU 511, EDUU 681, EDUU 682, and EDUU 683—for you to complete to earn your master’s.

Yes. Elementary and secondary public school teachers must be certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to qualify to be employed in a California public school. UMass Global teacher credential programs are all accredited by the CTC.

"Better" is a relative term, depending on your teaching goals and personal interests. With a Single Subject Credential, you’ll teach that subject to different classes throughout the day in middle or high school. You can delve more deeply into the subject and ignite interest in it in your students.

Elementary school teachers work through a variety of subjects with their class that stays with them through the entire school day. The Multiple Subject Credential validates teaching the various subjects covered in elementary school, preparing you to provide a wide-ranging educational menu every day. Unless you have no interest in teaching younger students, a Multiple Subject Credential could provide a more varied daily classroom experience than a Single Subject Credential.

Earning a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in California requires fulfilling several important criteria to ensure you’re well-prepared to teach in an elementary school. Here's a summary of the key requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree: You start with a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution. At UMass Global, we offer the perfect degree for future elementary school teachers — a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Multiple Subject Teaching.
• Teacher Preparation Program: Next, is the completion of a Commission-approved 2042 Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program.
• Basic Skills: The California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) or an equivalent exam will ensure your proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Subject Matter Competency: Next, students need to demonstrate their proficiency in the multiple areas of subject matter covered in elementary school. This can come from your bachelor’s degree or a subject matter prep program, or by obtaining a passing score on the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET).
• Understanding the U.S. Constitution: You must prove a certain level of knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, which can be fulfilled through coursework or passing an examination.
• Child Development and Learning of English Learners: This includes the principles of child development as well as the methods of delivering comprehensive instruction to English learners. This is covered in the UMass Global Multiple Subject Teaching Credential coursework.
• Fingerprinting and Background Check: You will need to undergo a criminal background check through fingerprinting, processed by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• Health Clearance: A negative tuberculosis test, conducted within 60 days prior to application, is required.
• Application and Fees: Submission of the necessary application forms and fees to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Both provide classroom experience, but they differ in responsibility, pay, and how you secure your placement.

• Student teaching: Learn alongside a mentor teacher and gradually take on classroom responsibilities in an unpaid placement coordinated by UMass Global. You are not the teacher of record.
• Internship: Earn a salary as the teacher of record, with full responsibility for your classroom and support from the university and district. You must secure an eligible teaching position and complete university approval and the Verification of Employment process.