Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential

Future career possibilities include:

Elementary School Teacher (usually in grades TK-6)
K-12 Special Education Teacher
Bilingual Elementary School Teacher
Resource Teacher
Principal
Superintendent of Schools

The B.A. in Child & Adolescent Development: Concentration in Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential is for students who wish to become elementary school teachers (usually in grades TK-6), and plan to enroll in a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential program, or K-12 special education teachers, and plan to enroll in a Education Specialist Credential program after graduation.

The Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration is aligned with courses that will serve as an automatic fulfillment of the CSET requirement in the SF State Graduate College of Education for the Multiple Subject Credential and three Special Education credentials.

Starting in Fall 2022, Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential is a new concentration title that is available for students to pursue. The previous School Age Child & Family concentration title is still available for current SF State CAD School Age Child & Family students.

SF State Scholars (Blended Bachelor's + Master's + Credential) Program

The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree and credential. Graduates of this integrated program will be able to complete their BA in Child and Adolescent Development (Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential), MA in Special Education, and preliminary credential in Extensive Support Needs (ESN) in 6 years.

I’m currently in the School Age Child & Family concentration, can I change to the new Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration?

Yes, you can request to change your major on your student center. View the Major & Minor Change Guide for steps on how to change your major.

If you have already completed CAD 450 in the CAD core major requirements, please email cad@sfsu.edu to request to course substitute CAD 450 for the new CAD 411 requirement.

I want to teach Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten (TK), which CAD concentration should I declare?

If you want to be a public general education Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten (TK) school teacher, we recommend declaring the CAD Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration and the minor in Early Childhood Development.

If you want to obtain the K-12 Credential in Extensive Support Needs, to be able to work with children with disabilities from Kindergarten through age 22 years, we recommend declaring the CAD Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration.

If you want to obtain the Early Childhood Special Education Credential (ECSE), to be able to work with young children with disabilities from birth through kindergarten, we recommend declaring the CAD Early Care & Education concentration

I want to work with school age children / youth / adolescents, but I know I don’t want to be a teacher, which CAD concentration should I declare?

If you want to work outside the classroom, we recommend reviewing the Community, Health, & Social Services concentration.

If you are still unsure, we recommend meeting with a CAD Faculty Advisor.

Am I able to be an elementary school teacher after graduating with my CAD B.A.?

For California public elementary schools, a post baccalaureate credential is required. Please visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for more specific information.

The Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration prepares students to become elementary school teachers (and who plan to enroll in Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential programs) or K-12 special education teachers (and who plan to enroll in the Education Specialist Credential program after graduation).

How can I meet with a CAD Faculty Advisor?

Please visit our advising webpage.

What are the requirements for SF State admissions?

Please visit SF State’s Undergraduate Admissions website for details on eligibility

Who can I talk to about applying to SF State?

Please contact Student Outreach Services.

What is the maximum number of units I can transfer to SF State?

You may transfer no more than 70-semester units to a CSU campus from an institution which does not offer bachelor's degrees or their equivalents, e.g., community colleges. Given the university's 30-unit residency requirement, you may transfer no more than 90 total units into the university from all sources.

How can I double check to see which of my community college General Education (G.E.) courses will transfer to SF State?

General education requirements are the same for all CSU campuses, so California community college articulations of general education courses (about one third of degree requirements) are handled centrally and may be accessed at ASSIST.

Can I take courses at a community college to count towards my CAD major?

Yes – students can take articulated equivalents of some of the CAD major courses at California Community Colleges. You can visit the ASSIST website to view the articulation agreement between SF State and your specific Community College.
For the Elementary Education Teaching Pre-Credential concentration, there are community college equivalent courses for CAD 210, CAD 260, and MATH 165.