Student Success

Note: This page’s information is applicable for candidates pursuing certain programs which include the following:

• Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
• Preliminary Teaching Credential Only (PTC)

If you are not part of these aforementioned programs, please disregard or check with your Advising team if this information applies to you.

Pursuing an Intern Credential is an alternative route for candidates in our teaching credential programs to obtain their Preliminary Teaching Credential. Being an Intern through the support of your university means that you are the full-time, teacher-of-record in a public school classroom that matches your area of teacher preparation while holding a University Intern Credential. You have the same responsibilities as the teacher next door who has their Clear credential. You will be responsible for all aspects of being a full-time, contracted teacher for a public school district and you will be responsible to fulfill all of the requirements for being a full-time student. While you will have support from your school district and your university, you will not have a master/cooperating teacher in your classroom with you.

Candidates must have met all of the following pre-requisites in order to become intern eligible:

• Possess a Baccalaureate Degree(or higher)from a regionally-accredited College or University
• Current & Active Enrollment in a PLNU Credential Program
• Meet Basic Skills Requirement.
• Meet Subject Matter Competency
• Meet our PLNU CTC-approved requirements:
  • 9 semester units passed within PLNU residency.
  • Pre-Service hours met.
  • No grade in any PLNU course lower than a B.
• District approval and full faculty approval.
• Verification of a job offer in a public school
• *The previously mentioned requirements must be met before your respective Credential Analyst can look at your application for intern eligibility.
• Must apply with your respective Credential Analyst to become an Intern.

Please reach out to SOECredentials@pointloma.edu once you have completed the 9-unit minimum requirement, and met Subject Matter Competency (SMC) or have passed your California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSETS).

• Maintain a 3.0 GPA with their University. Any final grade for any course that is lower than a C means that you have to retake the entire course. Any final grade lower than a C could put your Intern credential in jeopardy.
• Take all coursework, in the order prescribed, as shown on your Program Plan. Any deviation could affect your enrollment and, therefore, your Intern credential.
• Complete all assigned Fieldwork courses that have Fieldwork embedded in them. Some Fieldwork courses can be done in your own classroom and some cannot. Any Fieldwork that cannot be done in your own classroom will need to be completed in another teacher’s classroom. Release time to complete that fieldwork should be arranged with your building principal and is the responsibility of the University Intern to arrange.
• Interns must be enrolled in EDU6048 every quad that they are a University Intern. Only candidates who are enrolled in Clinical Practice or are enrolled in Summer quads are exempt from this requirement. EDU6048 is your Intern Support class. It is a 3-unit course that does not meet on campus, but will require the Intern to schedule meetings with their University Supervisor to meet state and university support goals. In addition to the 3-unit course, interns must also pay a $50 course fee for each quad that they enroll in EDU6048.
• University Interns who are earning a Multiple Subject or Education Specialist Preliminary credential will need to pass their RICA before they can enroll in Clinical Practice at the end of their teacher preparation program.
• University Interns must remain an employee in the district of their initial internship until an application for their Preliminary credential is made, unless pre-approved by the MAT Program Director.
• University Interns must log all of their district and university support in a state-approved database each week (SMS). Interns must register for this database with a one-time payment of $30.
• For more detailed information, please reach out to your respective Credential Analyst.