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About Integrated Teacher Education Program for Juniors
ITEP-Junior Option is a comprehensive teacher preparation program that simultaneously provides the B.A. degree AND teaching credential in 129 units for elementary school teaching and 135-148 units for special education. This option integrates mastery of subject matter and pedagogy which means students complete their B.A. degree and teaching credential at the same time.
ITEP-Junior Option includes the same subject matter coursework as the Pre-Credential Option. Pre-Credential Option students can become ITEP-Junior Option students once they are admitted into the credential program in their junior year. Once admitted, ITEP-Junior students complete the same subject matter courses as in the Pre-Credential program, but take them as linked courses with their professional methods and student teaching classes.
All coursework is aligned with the California Student Academic Content Standards and State Curriculum Frameworks for Grades K-8, so that students will be able to teach this content in elementary classrooms. Students pursuing the special education program will be authorized to teach students with special needs in K-12 classrooms.
Although the program is designed to make it possible for full-time students to complete a B.A. degree and credential in approximately four years plus summers, the combination of subject matter and professional preparation in the final semesters makes high demands on student time. This program may be successfully completed on either a part-time or full-time basis.
Students may choose to complete either a Multiple Subjects (Elementary) or Education Specialist (Special Education) Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe Disabilities or the Deaf and Hard of Hearing credential. At the present time it is not possible to complete a bilingual credential in ITEP-Junior Option. Students seeking a bilingual credential should complete the Pre-Credential Option and apply for a post-baccalaureate credential program.
The two student teaching experiences are built in to the ITEP-Junior Program.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree ITEP-Juniors
- Total units in major: 129 - 148 units
- General Education: Included in the Liberal Studies major
- Title 5: Included in the Liberal Studies major
- Passage of the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam
- Total for BA and credential: 129 for Multiple Subjects Credential or 135-148 for Education Specialist (Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe or Deaf and Hard of Hearing) Credential
Students are encouraged to view or print out a copy of the ITEP-Junior Option Advisement Form that lists the major course requirements and the ITEP- Junior Option Concentration choices. Also available in the Forms and Handout section of this site is an ITEP-Junior Option Program Grid that can help "map out" a plan to graduation and Pre-Credential Community College Transfer Charts that list acceptable transfer courses that will satisfy major requirements. Students should complete the lower division coursework first; it is the foundation upon which the upper division and professional education courses are built.
Informational Handouts
In order to view the forms and handouts on this page you will need to install the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, click here to download it from the Adobe website.
Pre-Credential and ITEP-Junior Option (Plan "H")
- Advisement Form Plan "H" (E ED)
- Advisement Form (SPED/ Mild-Moderate or Moderate-Severe)
- Advisement Form (Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
- Careers in Special Education
- How to Read Your Advisement Form
- Concentration Sheets: Plan "H" Pre-Credential and ITEP-Junior Option
- Community College Transfer Charts: Plan "H" Pre-Credential and ITEP-Junior Option
- ITEP Early Preparation Tips
- CSET: MS Information Sheet
Pre-Credential and ITEP-Junior Option (Plan "G")
The following forms are for the Pre-Credential and ITEP-JR following Plan G (those who began the Liberal Studies Program in Spring 2006 or earlier).
- Liberal Studies Capstone Paper Requirement
- Capstone Writing Tutor Referral Form
- Concentration Sheets: Plan "G" Pre-Credential and ITEP-Junior Option
- Community College Transfer Charts: Plan "G" Pre-Credential and ITEP-Junior Option
Getting Into ITEP-Junior Option
If you have completed the majority of the lower division requirements under the Pre-Credential Option, completed approximately 60 units, and are in the progress of taking key upper division courses (LRS 300, EPC 315, SPED 401C) then this may be a good time for you to apply to the ITEP Program. In order to transition from a Pre-Credential Option student to ITEP, you must gain admission into the CSUN Credential Program.
Apply to the Credential Program as soon as you are eligible, but no later than early in the semester before you want to begin your first "methods" course (EED 472 or EED 477A).
Pick up a Credential Application Packet from the Credential Office, E 103. To apply for the Credential Program, you must have taken the CBEST, demonstrated Subject Matter competency*, completed 45 hours of field experience, have an overall GPA of 2.67, and met several additional requirements. To find out ahead of time what is needed, click on the Credential Preparation Office link at the bottom of this page and look for Admission to a Credential Program. That information applies to all programs.
* Check with the Credential Office regarding this requirement.
After admission into the Credential Program:
Once you have been admitted to the Credential Program, their staff will forward your name to the Liberal Studies Office and you will be coded as an ITEP-Junior Option student. From that point, you will be mailed a list of ITEP courses and restricted course numbers prior to registration. You will not be able to register for ITEP courses unless you are coded as such.
Navigating ITEP-Junior Option
Linked Courses: Some courses in ITEP- Junior Option are linked - that means students must take both courses at the same time. For example, ITEP- Junior Option students will take Math 310L (subject matter course) with EED 472 (math methods course). Note the linked courses Grid or Advisement Sheet and plan your schedule accordingly.
Student Teaching: Student teaching takes place over two semesters - NO EXCEPTIONS. Generally, student teaching occurs in the last eight weeks of the semester (in spring, this may be adjusted to accommodate school testing schedules). First semester student teaching requires concurrent enrollment in three courses: EED 477B, EED/SPED 578A and EED/SPED 579. Second semester student teaching also requires concurrent enrollment in three courses: EED 480, EED 578D or SPED 580MM, and EED/SPED 579.
Plan ahead...
As much as possible, take courses in the order they appear on the advisement form.
Watch out for prerequisites so you are prepared to move ahead smoothly. For example, EPC 315 (for those planning EED credentials) or SPED 400 (for those planning SPED credentials) must be taken prior to enrolling in any professional methods course. Certain courses must be completed before being admitted to student teaching. See ITEP-Junior Option Pre/Co-requisite Information Sheets.
All parts of the CBEST must be passed before students can teach. For students admitted to and enrolled in the Credential Program/ITEP beginning Fall 2004 and on, the CSET must be passed before student teaching.
Once admitted to ITEP- Junior Option, allow at least three semesters to complete professional methods courses and student teaching. Certain courses must be taken in sequence. For example, to enroll in first semester student teaching, students must show completion of EED472 and 477A. This means students must take EED 472 and EED 477A, then first semester student teaching, then second semester student teaching.
Student teaching takes place during the school day. For purposes of planning, anticipate the need to commit every morning until noon during the first semester of student teaching, and every day until 3:30 pm during the second semester of student teaching. These time slots will be spent taking classes and doing your student teaching. Depending on your particular schedule, you may need to take classes later in the day as well. There may be classes offered in the first seven weeks of the semester only, so they are finished before you student teach. However, these will be very limited and students' schedule needs are diverse, so don't count on this. Student teaching is a serious commitment of time and we have designed our programs to help arrange this as efficiently as possible.