Intern Candidates are full-time teachers of record at a public TK-12 school who are concurrently enrolled in a teacher credential program. To be considered full-time, interns must be contracted to teach at least 80% in the subject or grade level in which the candidate is seeking a credential. The University Intern Credential allows schools to hire teachers who have not yet completed their teaching credential.

Per CTC guidelines, a Provisional Internship Permit can only be granted for one year. Therefore, any teacher working on PIP who wishes to continue teaching full time after the PIP is set to expire must convert to a University Intern Credential. Schools and districts should encourage any teachers working on a PIP to enroll in a teacher preparation program, so the teacher can take prerequisite courses required for the University Intern Credential.

At SCU we are committed to preparing teachers who are qualified to meet the demands of teaching in diverse schools. Through strengths-based views of students, families, and communities, SCU’s Masters of Arts in Teaching and Teacher Credential (MATTC) program focuses on supporting teachers to implement equity- and research-based teaching strategies. SCU’s MATTC program also has generous financial scholarships available for those committed to teaching in underserved communities.

In addition to support from faculty in MATTC courses, SCU intern candidates will receive support from a SCU supervisor who will observe and coach regularly. Additionally, intern candidates will be assigned by the school and/or district a Local Support Teacher (LST) at their teaching sites. LSTs are designated to be the school site contact and mentor for intern candidates. 

SCU Interns become part of the larger SCU community. At SCU, we make great efforts to stay in touch with our alumni teacher candidates, many of whom continue to receive support after graduating from our programs.

There are three key requirements for a school to hire a SCU intern candidate:

1. Encourage any potential hires to apply to SCU’s MATTC program and reach out to the MATTC Intern Program Coordinator, Dr. Kathy Sun at ksun@scu.edu. All potential interns must have met or be on track to meet the SCU Intern Program eligibility requirements listed below prior to the official start date of working full time under the University Intern Credential. 
2. The hiring school and/or district must provide a Local Support Teacher, who will meet regularly with the intern candidate and provide support as necessary. 
3. The school and/or district will need to complete the SCU Intern MOU with agreed upon terms of having a SCU Intern Candidate.

SCU’s MATTC program has a 2-year option, so there may be some current MATTC students who have met the intern program eligibility requirements listed below and are interested in converting to SCU’s Intern Program. If you are looking for potential interns mid-year, please reach out to the MATTC Intern Program Coordinator, Dr. Melina Johnson at mrjohnson@scu.edu.

Eligibility for the Intern Program is determined by the following guidelines set forth by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC):

• Bachelor's or higher degree fro accredited college or university.
• Passing Basic Skills Proficiency (CBEST or CBEST waiver)
• Verification of subject matter competency
• Verification of U.S. Constitution requirement
• Completion of four prerequisite MATTC courses:
  1. EDUC 258 or 283 – Multiple or Single Subject Developing Positive Classroom Cultures
  2. EDUC 257 or 282 – English Language Development in Elementary or Secondary Schools
  3. EDUC 253 or 278 – Typical and Atypical Development
  4. EDUC 262 or EDUC 294A – English Language Arts Methods or Adolescent Literacy Development
• Verification of employment, which must be approved by SCU Intern Program Coordinator
• Certificate of clearance (fingerprint application and fee)
• Application and fees for intern credential
• Commitment to take a methods course during the first quarter in the intern program.