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Department of Education

Secondary Education Credential Program

Change Your Life in One Year

Why Teach?

As a teacher you can make a difference in the lives of young people in your community. Teaching is a rewarding career and well-qualified teachers are in demand!

Why Humboldt State?

The teacher preparation program at Humboldt State offers small class size, individual mentorship, and career outcomes. The graduation and employment rates of our students are among the highest in the country. A hallmark of our program is the considerable amount of time our students spend working in classrooms with mentor teachers and secondary students.

The Secondary Education Program:

The Secondary Education Credential Program is a one-year course of study that begins in the fall semester of each year. Students can obtain a Single Subject Preliminary Credential by taking a 35-unit professional education program to qualify for Secondary Education teaching positions primarily in grades 7-12.

Application Process

  • Review and complete the program's prerequisites and requirements. See the SED Admission Guide.
  • There are THREE required steps for Secondary Education application:
    • 1) Submit an application to HSU via the CSU Mentor Website. You will need to fill out a graudate application and select Single Subject Teaching Credential as your objective.
    • 2) Submit an application to the SED Program. Please note, this is a different application than the one for HSU. Applications can be downloaded online here. Be sure to include TWO copies of your application when you turn it in, and keep a copy for your own records.
    • 3) Submit your materials for the Subject Matter Competency Assessment (SMCA). Each subject area has a different procedure. For more information, see the SMCA section of our website.

**Please note: All three of the above applications must be received by us (or postmarked, if mailed) by the February 1st deadline in order to be considered. (For instance, if you want to be in the 2009-2010 credential program, we would need to receive your application no later than February 1, 2009.)

Scholarship applications for 2008-2009 credential program students can be downloaded here.