Application Requirements

• Online Application

  M.Ed. Applicants and Non-Degree Applicants (Credential-Only) 

  Our program requires applicants to submit two applications to complete the admission process. First, the applicant must submit their graduate application. Second, the applicant will be emailed a supplemental application within 1-2 business days after submitting the graduate application. Applicants are required to submit the supplementary application for their applicant file. 

   

  Application Steps: 

  1. Submit Graduate Application
  2. Application Term: Summer 2025
  3. Select Program:
     • M.Ed. General Education with Teaching Emphasis, plus Multiple or Single Subject Credential
     • M.Ed. in Special Education, plus Education Specialist Credential 
     • Non-Degree Program (Credential-Only)
  4. Application Fee: Pay and submit the non refundable application fee ($135.00 for residents and $155.00 for non-residents)
  5. Submit TEP Credential application (This supplemental application will be emailed to you 1-2 business days after submitting your graduate application)

   

   

• Official Transcript

  Official electronic transcripts are preferred. All official e-transcripts should be emailed directly to creded@ucr.edu

  • M.Ed. Applicants: Submit one (1) official electronic transcript from each institution (this includes UC Riverside). If submitting a hard copy transcript, you will need to submit two hard copy transcripts. 
  • Credential-Only Applicants: Submit one (1) electronic or hard copy official transcript from each institution (this includes UC Riverside)
  • Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00

  For degrees completed outside United States, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has approved eight agencies to evaluate foreign transcripts. Official academic records must also be provided to UC Riverside, visit this page for a list of approved records from International Institutions.

• Letters of Recommendation (Due by application deadline)

  M.Ed. Applicants: Submit with online application

  A minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation is required. Letters must be submitted through the online application. You will be asked to provide the name, email address, and current institution of each recommender. Once you list your recommender's information the online application, the system will automatically email your recommender a request for a letter of recommendation. The automated email will provide instructions to each of your recommenders via email. Recommenders may upload letters in .pdf, or .doc file formats.

  TEP recommends that the following should provide the Letters of Recommendation:

  • Two (2) Academic References: Previous professor that can attest to your capacity to do graduate work.
  • One (1) Professional Reference: Supervisor from work experience, internship or teaching experience.

   

  Credential-Only Applicants: Submit with Online Application

  A minimum of three (3) letters of recommendation is required. Letters must be submitted through the online application. You will be asked to provide the name, email address, and current institution of each recommender. Once you list your recommender's information the online application, the system will automatically email your recommender a request for a letter of recommendation. The automated email will provide instructions to each of your recommenders via email. Recommenders may upload letters in .pdf, or .doc file formats.

  TEP recommends that the following should provide the Letters of Recommendation:

  • One (1) Academic Reference: Previous professor that can attest to your capacity to do graduate work.
  • Two (2) Professional References: Supervisor from work experience, internship or teaching experience.

   

• Statement of Purpose & Personal History Statement Essays

  Statement of Purpose (Complete in 3000 characters or less)

  Please state your specific interests with respect to the program to which you are applying. The following information should be included in this statement:

  1. Your intended area of specialization, career objectives, and research interests and experience.
  2. A brief description of your professional experience
  3. Academic awards, prizes, honors, fellowships or other distinctions you have received.
  4. Work experience or activities pertinent to your graduate goals
  5. If pertinent to your proposed area you want to teach, any scholarly or professional organizations in which you hold membership.

  Personal History Statement (Complete in 3000 characters or less)

  In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree/credential. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how you might contribute to social or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree/credential.

• Basic Skills Requirement (BSR)

  Bachelor’s Degree as Demonstration of the Basic Skills Requirement: On June 29, 2024, Governor Newsom signed a budget trailer bill, SB 153 (Chap. 38, Statutes of 2024), that allow candidates to use their bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education as demonstration of the basic skills requirement, effective immediately. PSA 24-07

• Subject Matter Competence

  Subject Matter Competence: Satisfied in one of the following ways

  • Pass CSET Exam
    1. Multiple Subject: Passage of the CSET Multiple Subject exam

       2. Education Specialist: Passage of any of the CSET Examinations approved for use for the Multiple or Single Subject Credential

       3. Single Subject:  Passage of the CSET exam in subject/content area the applicant plans to teach (English, Mathematics, Social Science, Spanish, or Science)

  (If taking the CSET exam, ALL CSET subtests must be ATTEMPTED and at least one (1) PASSED by the application deadline.  Priority deadline is 12/6/2024 and final deadline is 1/17/2025.  If admitted, remaining CSET subtests will need to be passed by 5/23/2025)

  • Complete an Approved Subject Matter Program
  • AB-130 Undergraduate Major Option
  • AB-130 Undergraduate Coursework Option ***(Only admitted students will have their coursework for subject matter competency reviewed.  Any coursework approvals apply to UCR only and not any other universities)***

   

  • Assembly Bill (AB) 130 provides new options for teacher candidates to meet the subject matter competence requirement.  

   

  AB-130 Undergraduate Major Option:  Verification of successful completion of an academic degree major in the subject area of the credential being sought.  This option is available for teacher candidates who have completed an academic degree in a major identified in the law listed below: 

  • Multiple Subject: 

  Liberal Studies 

  Liberal Arts

  Elementary Education 

   

  • Single Subject (UCR Approved Authorized Areas): 

  English 

  World Language (Spanish) 

  Mathematics (Applied Mathematics, Statistics)

  Science

  *Biology (Biological Engineering, Biochemistry)

  *Chemistry (Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry)

  *Physics (Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering)

  *Geoscience (Earth Science, Geology)

   

  Social Science  (The Social Science major is the only acceptable academic degree major)

  The Commission will also accept applied majors (Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics) and exact majors that may have additional modifiers (Biology: Environmental Biology) 

   

  • Education Specialist: The academic degree major must be in one of the subject areas listed above for either Multiple Subject or Single Subject candidates.

  Agriculture

  Art 

  Business

  Dance

  World Language (in any of the languages for which there is a credential)

  Health Science 

  Home Economics

  Industrial and Technology Education

  Music

  Physical Education

  Theater

  ONLINE PROCTORED CSET EXAMS AVAILABLE

  • The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) is pleased to announce the availability of online proctoring for select CSET exams. Online proctoring allows you to take your test securely from your home, school, or business. With just a simple check-in process—involving ID verification, face-matching technology, and a live greeter—you can test without having to travel to a test center.

  AVAILABLE FOR:

  CSET: English (Subtests I–IV)

  CSET: Multiple Subjects (Subtest I and Subtest III)

  CSET: Social Science (Subtests I–III)

  • Please see the California Educator Credentialing Assessments website for additional information.

     

• Certificate of Clearance (Due By Application Deadline)
  • Two (2) steps to complete Certificate of Clearance (COC)
    1. Live Scan Fingerprinting (41-LS Form)
    2. Complete CTC Online Application

  • Online Instructions from the CTC: https://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentials/submit-online
  • Live Scan Fingerprinting locations 
  • COC instructions for Out of State applicants

  Certificate of Clearance (COC) needs to be completed by application deadline.  If you are applying for the priority deadline, COC needs to be completed by 12/6/2024. If you are applying for the final deadline, COC needs to be completed by 1/17/2025.

• Student Interview
  • Once your admissions file is complete, an admissions interview will be scheduled. You will also be asked to submit a short writing sample on the day of your interview
  • The admissions interview is a requirement of the application process.  Both admission requirements and the interview are taken into consideration when making admission decisions.   Admissions interviews are scheduled to take place in January and February 2025.
• Accreditation & License Examination Passage Rates

  

   

   

  The School of Education (SOE) at University of California, Riverside is accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). CTC accreditation signals that SOE meets the most rigorous standards of excellence in teacher education and preparation. Read more about our accreditation, teacher certification examination pass rates and Title II reports.