Attention Liberal Studies Majors! New Information for Prospective Teachers

Liberal Studies is now officially a CSET waiver program.

Completing the Liberal Studies program now demonstrates subject matter competency for multiple subject credentials making it not necessary to take the CSET exam.

In July 2021, Assembly Bill AB130 became law. This new law establishes that completing the Liberal Studies program demonstrates subject matter competency for multiple subject credentials.  Before this law, credential candidates had to show subject matter competency in two ways: passing the CSET exams or completing the required ETPP coursework. With the new law, instead of the CSET exams or the 84 credit units part of ETPP (also known as the waiver program), all you need is to graduate from the Liberal Studies major. 

As a prospective elementary school teacher, we strongly encourage you to take the courses specifically designed or recommended for future teachers. Those courses are part of the teacher prep emphasis, but if you are planning on being a teacher, we encourage you to consider taking the following courses:

MATH 165 and MATH 565: those two courses emphasize understanding the type of math that you will be teaching in the classroom. All future teachers benefit from taking them, but we especially recommend them for those future teachers who suffer from math anxiety or do not feel they have a strong background in elementary school math. For example, if you do not have a solid understanding of *why* we carry a number in a multidigit sum or why we borrow in subtractions, MATH165 is for you.

LS 209 Physical Sciences for Future Elementary Teachers: This course approaches science in a very hands-on way. The content is directly related to what you will teach in the classroom, and the pedagogy reflects what you are expected to do yourself. Plus, it strives to give you a good understanding of how science is done, focusing on the process ("how do we know") instead of the outcomes ("what do we know"). 

LS 400 and LS 401: Those courses give you a picture of how the social sciences are organized. They provide a good underlying for the social sciences.

LS 402 Introduction to Human Rights Education: For teachers and local communities, this course engages in the evolving field of Human Rights. It enhances knowledge, skills, and commitment to a life of freedom and dignity. In it, you will learn how to produce hands-on pedagogical materials on human rights that you can incorporate in your future teaching practice.

LS 403 Performance & Pedagogy of the Oppressed for Educators: In this course, you study the pedagogical theories of Augusto Boal (Theatre of the Oppressed) and Paulo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed) and their application for educators and community activists. It covers the subdomains of communications and theater arts that you will need to know to succeed in your teaching.

LS 310 Science and Culture for Future Elementary School Teachers:  This course redesigns an existing one. Its new iteration will cover science as a social phenomenon and discuss it in terms of examples from physics, astronomy, and climate change. As such, it is re-thought to cover the astronomy and meteorology domains for future elementary school teachers.

And, coming Fall 2022:

LS 427 Social Movements & the Arts for Future Teachers is new course expected to be first offered in Fall 2022. In it, you explore cultural and social movements in the US and in international contexts through body techniques, sound, and visual expression. Its curriculum is designed to cover the subdomains of music, dance, and visual arts for elementary school teachers. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the Liberal Studies office. To contact us, you can either write to Andrea Olson (ayo@sfsu.edu), LS advisor, or Acacio de Barros (barros@sfsu.edu), Director of the School of Humanities and Liberal Studies.

For questions about the credential Program at SF State, contact GCOETEACH@SFSU.EDU.