Internships

Candidates who are interested in becoming a university intern must complete and show verification of all prerequisite requirements and go through the internship eligibility process to determine suitability for the internship program.

Prerequisite Requirements

• Proof of Fingerprint Clearance through the CTC
• Bachelor ’s Degree on file
• Passage of a Basic Skills Assessment
• Proof of Subject Matter Competency
• Completion of U.S. Constitution requirement met by exam, transcript verifying completed U.S. Constitution coursework or CSU Bachelor ’s degree
• Negative TB test (valid within the last two years)
• 120 hours of pre-service met by coursework (3.0 GPA grades of “D” and “F” are not accepted)
• Agreement on file between the employing District, School or Agency and National University

For questions regarding how to complete these prerequisites please contact Dr. Nikole Richardson.

• Two years to a credential plus a master's degree
• Earn a full-time teacher's salary while you learn
• Evening and weekend courses designed to meet the working professional's needs
• On-the-job support and mentoring: Our ongoing collaboration with the school districts includes regular supervision visits from a University-employed supervisor who monitors intern performances towards meeting the instructional and service needs of the district. Mentoring support is also provided to the intern via a district-employed advisor assigned to the intern by the participating district. The university supervisor consults with the site administrators and mentor/advisors during visitations. Each semester a group consultation is conducted that may include the intern/candidate, university supervisor, district administrator and district advisor/mentor in an evaluative process.
• SFUSD Employees entering the Teacher Education or Special Education programs are eligible for a discounted tuition rate if they meet the following criteria:
  • Candidates are currently employed as paraprofessionals, emergency-credentialed teachers, or long-term substitute teachers that wish to apply for any of our preliminary teacher credential plus MA programs (MAT, MATR, UESJ and Special ED)
  • Candidates will continue to be employed as such (or they become interns) during their enrollment in the USF program in the same year.
  • Candidates plan to teach in SFUSD for at least 3 years thereafter.

Note: Students are only eligible for one type of reduced tuition, e.g. students who receive the SFUSD Employee Discount Rate are not eligible for the Catholic Educator Reduced Tuition Rate.

For more information, contact teachered@usfca.edu

If you are not a current USF credential candidate, you must apply for admission to the USF School of Education and the Teacher Education Credential programs. Please indicate to the admissions office that you hope to complete the internship pathway. 

Due to the prerequisite requirements, especially the required pre-service coursework, most USF candidates cannot enter the intern program until the second semester of the program. Please contact the Teacher Education Department (teachered@usfca.edu) to discuss your options. 

In order to qualify for the Teaching Internship program, you must have a written commitment for employment from a school district. We recommend that you meet with the department to determine your eligibility for an internship credential prior to seeking employment. 

The Teacher Education Department does not actively find positions for current and potential intern candidates. While the Department remains in close contact with the school districts and strongly advocates on behalf of candidates, it does not assume responsibility for intern placement. That responsibility lies with candidates themselves. When looking for jobs, it is important to note that districts generally do not advertise job openings as "intern positions." Rather, they ask for qualified, credentialed candidates. If you apply for a position that asks for a "teaching credential," the school district will determine if they are able to fill the position with someone who holds an intern credential or if they need someone with a preliminary or clear credential instead.

Edjoin

When looking for a teaching job, it is best to start with the EdJoin website to determine where you would like to work and what positions may still be available. While you can apply for jobs on the EdJoin website, most districts near USF prefer that you apply directly on their own web sites

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD)

Go to the SFUSD website and click on the "Career Opportunities" tab. Be prepared to provide your résumé, a philosophy statement, and a sample lesson plan.

Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)

Go to the OUSD website and click on the "Career Opportunities" choice in the navigation bar on the left.

The Early Completion Intern Option (ECO) is intended to provide individuals who have requisite skills and knowledge an opportunity to challenge the course work portion of a Multiple or Single Subject Intern Program and demonstrate pedagogical skills through a performance assessment while in a Commission-approved intern program.

The ECO is for the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Single Subject Teaching Credentials in English, Mathematics, and Science. Candidates must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible. For further information, please contact teachered@usfca.edu or (415) 422-6481.

Requirements

1. Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education posted on official transcript.
2. Employment verification: A current contract or letter indicating an offer of employment (at least .60 FTE or 3 classes) in a public school district. You must be the teacher of record, not a substitute.*
3. Copy of report showing passing of the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) or Basic Skills Requirement.
4. Verification of subject matter competency:
   1. Multiple Subjects: Pass CSET exams
   2. Single Subject: Pass CSET exams or Commission – approve subject matter waiver

Score reports can be ordered through the Pearson website.

1. 1. Successfully complete a course in foundational skills in the use of computers in educational settings -or- pass the CSET: Preliminary Education Test (PET).
   2. Pass ONE of the following assessments:
      1. The National Evaluation Series (NES) Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK): Elementary (Test code 051) for Multiple Subjects candidates or Secondary (Test code 052) for Single Subject candidates
      2. The Teaching Foundations Examination (TFE) – completed prior to July 2013 (must be used for credentialing within five years of taking the exam)
   3. Pass the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) – you must pass all four sections of the TPA on the FIRST attempt in order to be eligible for the Early Completion Internship Option. If you do not pass on your first attempt, you will be required to complete the full teacher preparation program.
   4. Pass the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) – for Multiple Subjects candidates only.
   5. Completion of the U.S. Constitution requirement.
      1. Have the USF Credential Analyst (ED 033) review your transcript for a course that may qualify.
      2. Take a CTC approved course or exam. The USF constitution exam is available online.

You may contact our Credential Analyst for transcript review or online exam information at (415) 422-2117 or credentialanalyst@usfca.edu.

1. Professional Fitness through:
   1. Fingerprint clearance. CCTC website.
   2. Verification of a current TB test showing negative results; must be within past 2 years.

   You can access a copy of your Certificate of Clearance or emergency substitute permit from the CCTC website.

2. Application and admission into the ECO program must be reviewed and approved by the Teacher Education Department, Dean’s Office, TPA Coordinator, and Credential Analyst.

* University or District Internship credentials are not available to private school teachers. Candidates with three or more years of private school teaching experience may apply directly to the CA Commission on Teacher credentialing.