UC Davis to launch 1-year master’s and teaching credential program

The new program condenses the School of Education’s existing 2-year M.Ed. program

By ZAYNAB MOHIUDDEEN — campus@theaggie.org

Aspiring teachers will soon be able to earn a masters of education degree, or M.Ed., and a teaching credential in one year through a new UC Davis program launching in July 2027.

The UC Davis School of Education will transition from its existing six-quarter, two-year pathway to a shorter format while allowing current students to finish their degrees, according to an Oct. 15 university press release. Chancellor Gary May linked the change to the state’s desperate need for educators.

“Our new master’s degree expands access to teacher preparation and helps develop the educator workforce California needs to support student success and strengthen communities across our state,” May said in the release.

California schools continue to rely on teachers who have not completed full credential preparation. Nearly 8,000 emergency-style teaching permits were issued statewide in the 2024-25 academic year, according to a Learning Policy Institute report. More than a third of new public school teachers that year entered with these permits.

School of Education Associate Dean Cynthia Passmore, who oversaw development of the new degree as chair of the Teacher Education Program, told The California Aggie that the condensed program maintains the school’s standards while taking on an accelerated curriculum.

“Many programs in the state are shifting to the one year format for both the credential and masters and we wanted to see if we felt that was achievable,” Passemore said in an email. “We also heard from admitted students that cost and program length were factors they considered so it seemed the timing was right.” 

The existing pathway combines a teaching credential with a master of arts in education and already includes classroom placements. Passmore said the current program consists of three full-time and three part-time quarters, while the new program will take four full-time quarters. She says students will finish about eight months sooner and that the total amount of instruction will decrease by approximately half a quarter.

“First, we wanted to maintain the rigor and quality of the program,” Passmore said. “Our existing program is excellent. The question was to see if we could continue to deliver the high quality program in a more efficient format.”

The program will begin with an intensive two-week summer session before student teaching placements start. Passmore said the session will prepare students for their classroom work and help them connect that experience to their subsequent coursework.

Students in the new program will continue combining university coursework with Sacramento-area classroom placements. The program website lists elementary teaching credentials and secondary options in math, science, social science, agriculture and English, alongside Spanish and Mandarin bilingual authorizations.

The School of Education also offers a doctorate in educational leadership for working professionals and a Ph.D. in education.

For Professor Alexis Patterson Williams, chair of Teacher Education, redesigning the program reflects the self-assessment expected of teachers.

“As teacher educators, we encourage our students to continually reflect on their practice and consider how they can better serve their students,” Williams said in the release. “We have a responsibility to do the same.”

According to the school’s program overview, instruction for the next year starts on July 19, 2027. Classroom placements follow within a month, with student teaching assignments during the day and university classes in the afternoons or evenings. Applicants may come from any undergraduate major but must meet subject preparation requirements.

Applications are now open for the 2027-28 school year. Applicants seeking scholarship consideration should apply by Jan. 15, 2027. The general deadline is March 1, with applications accepted through June 1 as space allows.

Written by: Zaynab Mohiuddeen — campus@theaggie.org