Undergraduate Majors Leading Into Science Teaching

If you are just entering college from high school or are an undergraduate with a developing interest in K-12 teaching, your choice of a major and what courses to take as part of it are of crucial importance. Making correct choices will save time, money, and better prepare you for a teaching career. Make an appointment with an advisor immediately.

Before choosing a major, you must first decide if you want to be a secondary school teacher (i.e., grades 6-12) or an elementary school teacher (i.e., grades K-8). Note that you can teach middle school by taking either route. At both the elementary and secondary levels, SJSU offers Approved Programs of Study. This means that if you complete the coursework in one of the programs that leads to an undergraduate degree, you will satisfy the subject matter competency requirement mandated by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

I am interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree to become a(n):

• Elementary science teacher
• Secondary science teacher

Note: after completing an approved B.A. program of study, you will then enroll in either the

• Multiple Subjects Credential Program (elementary teachers)
• Single Subject Credential Program (secondary teachers)

Anyone with a previous baccalaureate degree in the fields of science or engineering may be eligible to enroll in a teacher credential program. However, certain special degree tracks in science are designed to give candidates both the depth and breadth that is desirable for a science teacher. These special degree tracks contain all of the coursework required by the State of California to qualify for an “Approved Program of Study”. A candidate with all of the coursework for an Approved Program does not have to take the CSET (California Subject Examinations for Teachers).