Education Specialist- Information, Eligibility & Application

Credential Overview

To become an educational specialist in California you need a California Education Specialist Credential.

This one-year program leads to a Preliminary Education Specialist Credential in Mild to Moderate Support Needs, preparing you to apply for your California teaching credential. The credential authorizes you to teach individuals from transitional kindergarten (TK) through adult grades who have support needs related to learning disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, health impairments, or emotional and behavioral challenges.

The program begins each fall semester and follows a carefully sequenced curriculum. You’ll start with foundational courses and progress toward advanced topics that help you develop effective, inclusive teaching practices. Coursework covers key areas such as subject matter competency, understanding disability characteristics, social and emotional supports, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), trauma-informed care, diversity and equity in education, how schools function, and how students learn. You’ll also gain essential skills in assessment, including identifying various disabilities and determining appropriate educational supports.

Catalog and Course Descriptions

The Extensive Support Needs Credential may be added to an existing Preliminary Educational Specialist Credential. The Extensive Support Needs program is offered in the summer.

Please contact the School of Education for more information! 

Education Specialist Teacher Residency Program

Cal Poly Humboldt is proud to collaborate with the Humboldt County Office of Education and school districts throughout Northern California to offer the Teacher Residency Program. 

The Residency Program supports up to 20 candidates to obtain their special education credential through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). Each selected candidate will receive $25,000 to cover costs associated with:

• Program tuition
• Program fees
• Textbooks
• Assessment/Testing fees

Residency candidates can be hired to be a paraprofessional while simultaneously enrolled in CPH’s Education Specialist Credential Program, allowing selected participants to obtain their preliminary Education Specialist teaching credential. Contact our office to learn more!

Humboldt County Office of Education - Teacher Residency

Prerequisites

1. Bachelor’s Degree
2. GPA 2.67 overall or 2.75 for the last 60 semester units.
   A low-GPA appeals process is available.

Application

1. Review CSU Credential Application Deadlines
2. Apply to Humboldt with Cal State Apply (CSU)

Program Requirements

The following must be submitted before starting the program.

Start early on completing the Certificate of Clearance, fulfilling the basic skills and subject matter competency requirements, as these take the greatest time commitment and are the most likely to be delayed.

1. Letters of Recommendation: Submit a minimum of two.
   -- One letter from an academic reference 
   -- One letter from a professional reference 
   -- Optional: Additional letter from either an academic or professional reference
2. Apply for Certificate of Clearance
   This process can take up to 6 weeks so apply early!
3. Subject Matter Competency (typically met through CSET)
   There are multiple ways to meet this requirement.
4. CPR Certification
5. 20 hours of Early Fieldwork
   Observe a California Credentialed teacher for a minimum of 20 hours; verification document HERE
   -- Suggested to be in setting with students who have support needs
   -- Must be in a classroom (not an after school program or summer camp)
   -- Observation has to be of a California credentialed teacher
   -- Courses fulfilling this requirement offered at Humboldt: LSEE 101 and SED 210/410
6. US Constitution Course: You should have taken a US Constitution course as a part of your undergraduate degree, but if you didn’t, you can take a test to demonstrate you meet this requirement. Contact the program leader or coordinator for more information. CSU graduates automatically meet this requirement. 

View all these requirements and more in our application requirements PDF:

EdSp Application and Program Requirements (PDF)
 

After Graduation

After meeting basic credential requirements, you’ll be recommended for a preliminary credential through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), which is valid for five years. Within the first three years of being hired as an educator, you will be required to participate in an induction program to clear your credential.