Department of English
Single Subject Credential Concentration Overview
This concentration prepares students who intend to enter a Teaching Credential Program after completing a B.A. in English. If you are considering becoming an English teacher at the secondary (middle or high school) level, this concentration starts you on that path.
General Information
This concentration follows a specific outline of courses, one that has been approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), the credentialing agency of the state government. It is known as a “waiver program” because it waives the requirement to take the subject matter examination known as the CSET (California Subject Examination for Teachers. Sonoma State’s English Single Subject Program is currently under review by the CCTC. Students graduating after spring 2009 may not be eligible for a waiver through this program and may be required to take the CSET exam.
If you do not follow an approved waiver program, you will be required to pass the subject matter examination to be credentialed in any subject. For more information on the content of the examinations and a list of study resources, consult the CSET Website (http://www.cset.nesinc.com).
The preparation for secondary school teaching is quite different from preparation for teaching at the community college or university level. Public school teaching requires a credential, which is obtained in a year of study and practice teaching in a credential program after the completion of a B.A. Teaching at the community college requires an M.A. in your subject matter, while teaching at the college level typically requires a Ph.D. in English. The literature concentration is the best preparation for this type of study.
If you are not sure whether you will enter a credential program or go to another type of postgraduate program, don’t panic. You can take courses that fulfill requirements in both concentrations until you are sure.
If you plan to apply to SSU’s credential program, you should be aware that there are two Education courses (ED 417 and EDSS 418), which are pre-requisites. They must be completed before you begin Phase I of the credential program. If you plan on entering credential programs at other institutions, please check their pre-requisites, which may differ.
Transfer Students
You may wonder which courses taken elsewhere will fulfill the SSU English Single Subject Program requirements. For an equivalency check, you can submit your request through the English Department office. Official transcripts are necessary, and any syllabi, course descriptions or work you completed can also help us evaluate the courses in question. A single subject advisor will contact you with the evaluation report (allow one week). As of spring 2004, there will be a waiver transcript evaluation fee of $60.00 charged for this service for all non-matriculating SSU students.
Single Subject Advisors (Fall 2011):
Dr. Mira-Lisa Katz; email address: mira.katz@sonoma.edu
Dr. Cathy Kroll; email address: cathy.kroll@sonoma.edu
Dr. Greta Vollmer; email address: greta.vollmer@sonoma.edu