Academic Catalogs

Educational Studies: General, Certificate of Achievement

Banner Code: 3_CN_ESGEN

Control Number: 39997

Financial Aid Eligible


The certificate serves as a career ladder approach to a credential or permit or as a stand-alone entity to document that a student has taken coursework related to subject matter proficiency and has acquired skills for successful employment as a teacher's aide, after-school program assistant, tutoring or other paraprofessional level classroom career. 

The certificate is especially appropriate for students following various pathways to classroom teaching or an education-related career: 

  • The paraprofessional or aspiring paraprofessional teacher aide
  • Homeschooling parents 
  • The aspiring paraprofessional or currently employed paraprofessional teacher- aide seeking a career ladder approach to a teaching credential and/or child development permit.
  • The teacher- aide paraprofessional who has decided against pursuing an AA and/or credential or permit but would like to acquire knowledge and skills/ professional development relevant to serving as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom or school or related environment, concentrating on providing students support in mathematics.
  • Teacher preparation for students on a transfer pathway for a BA and Credential who also desire certificate recognition in Educational Studies: General. 
  • Independent tutors seeking a certificate to augment their training and expertise.

In order to provide an additional pathway to an education-related career, the certificate is for students interested in an education/ teaching-related career who prefer online classes and/or cannot always attend traditional face-to-face classes due to employment, marital status, family responsibilities, distance, and expenses incurred with traditional education schedules. All certificate classes are online.

Possible employment/ illustrative examples: teacher assistant, especially appropriate for transitional Kindergarten (TK) through grade 6, or higher grades remedial; tutor, homework assistant, assistant in academic enrichment programs; recreation specialist; nanny; entry-level position requiring practical skills and knowledge to work with persons with disabilities in a variety of educational settings (this certificate may support, depending on course selection, the requirements of federal legislation that all paraprofessionals/instructional assistants/aides in Title I  schools be “highly qualified”); work with k-12 students in an after-school setting; test preparation assistant or provider (CBEST, CSET SAT remedial, ISSE).

Program Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Work effectively with students, teachers, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a school and classroom setting.
  2. Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to make an informed choice to be employed or to continue study in the field of education.
  3. Apply the certificate towards entry into a teaching credential or child development permit program, and/or the certificate may serve to document the acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant for employment as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom, school, or related environment.

Review Graduation Requirements.

Course Title Units
Required Core:
Complete the following:
EDUC C103Introduction to Computers in Education: Technology Proficiencies for Teachers 12
EDUC C104Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contemporary Classrooms Includes 10 hours of required fieldwork/observations1
EDUC C180Family, School, and Community Partnerships Includes 10 hours of required fieldwork/observations3
EDUC C200The Teaching Profession Includes 45 hours of required fieldwork3.5
PSYC C116Child Growth and Development3
or PSYC C118 Life Span Developmental Psychology
Elective Courses
Select minimum 5.5 units from the following: Students are advised to meet with a counselor or contact the TEACh3 office for assistance in course selection to ensure alignment with students’ career goals, educational plans, and /or credential requirements.5.5
Tutor Training Includes a three-hour service learning component
Introduction to Special Education Includes 10 hours of required fieldwork/observations
Children's Literature
Personal Health
Introduction to Human Services
Statistics for Elementary Teachers
Mathematics for Elementary Teachers
Geometry for Elementary Teachers
Media Literacy Toolkit for Teachers
Elementary Arabic 1
Elementary Arabic 2
Elementary Chinese 1
Elementary Chinese 2
Elementary French 1
Elementary French 2
Intermediate French 1
Intermediate French 2
Elementary Japanese 1
Elementary Japanese 2
Elementary Spanish 1
Elementary Spanish 1A
Elementary Spanish 1B
Elementary Spanish 2
Intermediate Spanish 1
Intermediate Spanish 2
Vietnamese For Vietnamese Speakers
Elementary Vietnamese 1
Elementary Vietnamese 2
Total Units18