Department & Faculty Information
The BPEP Liberal Studies/Credential Program combines, with minor changes, two outstanding programs on the Hayward and Concord campuses designed for future elementary school teachers: the Liberal Studies B.A. major and the Multiple Subject Credential Program in Teacher Education.
The BPEP Program meets the requirements set by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for subject matter and professional preparation. A student who completes this program will be granted a B.A. degree majoring in Liberal Studies and, upon passage of the CSET Multiple Subject Examination and RICA examination, a Level I (Preliminary) Multiple Subject teaching credential.
The BPEP Program is an alternative to the traditional sequence of four years of undergraduate work and one year of post-baccalaureate work in the Teacher Education Department. That degree/credential path continues to exist and is chosen by most of our students. The BPEP Program is an intensive, accelerated program that combines subject matter coursework with training in educational methods and experience in the elementary school classroom.
The BPEP Program is a full-time commitment for two years including the intervening summer between the junior and senior years. During those years, students are required to take 20 to 24 units a quarter. As a result of this concentrated work-load, most students find it difficult to hold down a job during their time in the program. Final admission requirements for the Credential Program must be completed during the junior year. During the senior year, students are members of a Multiple Subject Credential Team. Members of the Team take their courses together and finish together. Thus, students are unable to move through the program at their own pace.
Admission
Students must declare Liberal Studies as their major and then contact the Liberal Studies office to apply for admission to the BPEP Program. Admission is a two stage process: (1) provisional admission during the summer prior to the student’s junior year, and (2) final admission at the end of the junior year.
Provisional admission requirements are: a minimum GPA of 2.90; completion of TED 3001 or an equivalent course which requires a minimum of 45 hours of field experience in an elementary school classroom; and three letters of recommendation, including one from a teacher or principal verifying experience in a K-6 classroom. (One letter may be from the instructor in TED 3001 or equivalent course.) Final admission requirements are: passage of the CBEST and CSET examinations; completion of 80% of the Liberal Studies major; a minimum GPA of 2.90 in coursework taken during the junior year; and an admission interview by the Multiple Subject Credential Team Leader.
Please contact the Liberal Studies office for information concerning admission forms, admission deadlines, and for the specific courses required during the junior and senior years.
