Advice to Pre-teacher Candidates

At UCR, we believe that prospective teachers should consider receiving an undergraduate degree in the major of their choice.   Students who wish to teach mathematics at the secondary level (grades 7 - 12), will need to plan to earn a single-subject teaching credential after receiving their Bachelor's degree and should contact the CaTEACH-SMI Resource Center, please visit http://www.smi.ucr.edu for more information.

To find out more information about the UCR School of Education teaching credential program, please visit http://www.education.ucr.edu/.

Teacher candidates in California are required to demonstrate competence in the subject matter they will be authorized to teach.  Candidates interested in pursuing a  Single Subject Credential in mathematics have two options available for satisfying this requirement.  They can either:

·        complete the Subject Matter Preparation Program (SMPP), which is not a degree granting program, but many of the courses will satisfy graduation and math major degree requirements. 

·        pass the California Subject Examinations  for Teachers (CSET). 

All teacher candidates must also pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST ). Passage of this exam should be between student's sophomore and junior year.  For more information about the CBEST, please visit http://www.cbest.nesinc.com/