CLU offers shorter teaching program

College students can earn their bachelor's degree and teaching credential in four years through a new program at California Lutheran University.

"This will get people ready a bit more quickly for the field," said Michael McCambridge, a professor in CLU's School of Education.

In California, students typically earn their B.A. and credential separately, taking a total of about five years to complete both. That's different from most states, where students take four years to earn both.

The shorter program appeals to freshman Joy Cottam, 18, who signed up after hearing about it during CLU's freshman welcome day last spring.

"For my whole life, I've wanted to be a teacher," said Cottam, an Oxnard resident. "I didn't really want to go to college. I just wanted to be a teacher. In this program, I'll be a teacher in just four years."

CLU launched the Integrated Liberal Studies program this year to help address an anticipated teacher shortage in the state, McCambridge said. The California Department of Education has estimated that about 97,000 teachers — one-third of the state's total — will retire in the next decade.

Other California universities that offer some version of an integrated bachelor's degree/credential program include CSU Northridge, San Diego, Long Beach, Chico and Dominguez Hills, as well as Loyola Marymount University, McCambridge said.

CLU's program is intended for highly motivated students like Cottam, McCambridge said.

"Almost to a person, they've told me they're the ones who organized the neighborhood kids into a school or who taught their animals," McCambridge said. "They can hit the ground running."

Students who apply must have a high grade point average and strong SAT scores because they essentially will complete four years of undergraduate work in three years, he said.

Most will start working in an elementary classroom during their freshman year, he said.

That's just fine with Cottam, who's taking four classes this semester.

"It's a lot of work, so you have to know what you're getting into," she said. "You really have to know you want to be a teacher."

Eleven students are enrolled in the program this year. McCambridge hopes to double that number next year.

CLU's School of Education still offers a traditional program for students who want to earn their teaching credential after earning their bachelor's degree.

The school also has an alternative certification program for people who are already teaching full time but who have not yet earned their credential.