Los Angeles

Certification and Testing

According to the No Child Left Behind Act, every corps member must be enrolled in a University Intern Credentialing Program in order to be considered “highly qualified” and therefore eligible to teach. Nearly all Los Angeles corps members earn a California teaching credential and master's degree in education during their two-year commitment. You will be working towards a credential in the grade level/content area in which you are assigned and for which you will need to pass the CSET. In order to meet state and federal legislation, all Los Angeles corps members must take and pass the following three exams: the CSET (a subject matter competency), the CBEST (a basic skills exam), and a U.S. Constitution Exam.

Currently, our university partnership is with Loyola Marymount University (LMU). LMU is one of only five private universities in California to be accredited by the National Council for Teacher Education. Corps members typically spend five to six hours per week in classes.

For the 2009-2010 LMU program participants, the cost of these programs ranged from $3,000-8,000 per year, depending on whether corps members choose to participate in a simultaneous master’s program. Factored into these reduced costs includes Americorps awards, which total $4,725 per year. Please note all costs are subject to change.

	Total Cost	Two-year Program	Required	Optional
Multiple & Single Subject Credential Only	$5,482		X
Multiple & Single Subject Credential and Master's Program	$9,864	X		X
Special Education Master's Program	$10,799	X	X

Early Childhood Education Permit Only

$2,296

X

Early Childhood Education Master's Program

$3,870

X

X

At a Glance

Costs to Begin Teaching
Testing: $320-450
Processing: $200-250
Up-front Certification Program Cost: $100-400

Costs to Maintain Emergency Credential
$3,000-9,000 per year (depending on program)