Preliminary Education Specialist Credentials in Mild/Moderate Support Needs, Extensive Support Needs, Early Childhood Special Education, and Deaf Education prepare you to provide special education to students and young children with a wide range of support needs.
Why Get a Preliminary Education Specialist Credential?
Preliminary Education Specialist Credentials in Mild/Moderate Support Needs, Extensive Support Needs, Early Childhood Special Education, and Deaf Education prepare you to provide special education to students and young children with a wide range of support needs.
With a Preliminary Education Specialist Credential, you'll be able to conduct assessments and provide specially designed instruction to children for the ages, grades and eligibility categories designated under each credential.
Why Get Your Credential at CSUN?
Preparation to Teach Every Child
Our department prepares you to understand the diverse characteristics and backgrounds of students with mild to extensive support needs through a social justice lens.
By understanding the strengths and needs of students and their families, you can better adapt curriculum and make educational decisions.
CSUN has one of the largest public university education credentialing programs in the state of California.
As a result of our size, we can offer specialized instruction in credential areas not offered by several other institutions. In addition, we have strong partnerships with local districts and charter organizations who are eager to hire graduates of our credential programs.
What You'll Learn
In this credential program, you'll strengthen your professional practice through a robust combination of coursework and experience in the field. You can specialize in the following areas:
In the Deaf education option, you'll serve children who are Deaf or Hard or Hearing, and their families, from birth through kindergarten and grades 1-12, through age 22.
In the early childhood special education option, you'll serve children with mild to extensive support needs, and their families, from birth through kindergarten.
In the mild/moderate and extensive support needs dual credential option, you'll design instruction and special education-related services to learners with extensive to mild support needs in kindergarten and grades 1-12, through age 22.
Admission Information
To be considered for admission to CSUN as a credential student, you will need to:
- Meet university requirements.
- Meet department requirements for the Preliminary Education Specialist Credential Programs:
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing — Traditional or Intern
- Early Childhood Education — Traditional or Intern
- Mild/Moderate and Extensive Support Needs — Traditional or Intern or Accelerated Collaborative Teacher
- Apply to both the university and the specific credential program of interest.
Learn more about applying for a credential program at CSUN.
Credential Pathways
At CSUN you'll have access to the following credential pathways:
- Traditional program: A postgraduate pre-service professional program.
- Intern program: A postgraduate, two-year program designed for on-the-job teachers who are eligible for an intern credential. Interns must meet all admission requirements prior to receiving an intern credential.
- Accelerated Collaborative Teacher (ACT) preparation program: A postgraduate, full-time, two-semester program, offered collaboratively with the Los Angeles Unified School District as well as some charter networks.
- Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP): A blended undergraduate and credential program with candidates beginning as freshmen or entering the two-year option as transfer students, earning their bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and preliminary credential (in mild/moderate and extensive support needs).
- Dual Preliminary Credential: A post-B.A. preservice professional program offered through the departments of Secondary Education and Special Education in which candidates earn a Preliminary Education Specialist Credential in mild/moderate and extensive support needs and a Preliminary Single Subject Credential.