Undergraduate Dual Degree Program

Earn your Bachelor’s degree and teaching license in four years.  SNC offers its undergraduates a dual degree program which enables them to complete a Bachelor’s degree and teaching license in four years, and the option to continue to complete a Master’s degree in only five years.

In Focus

Sierra Nevada College offers the following specializations to qualify teachers to work with diverse learning groups:

  • Autism
  • Gifted Education
  • Teaching English as a Second Language
  • Special Education

All majors at Sierra Nevada College are appropriate for students seeking entry into the Teacher Education Dual Degree program with the goal of obtaining an Elementary Teaching license. Students seeking entry into this program with the goal of obtaining a Secondary Teaching License must select a degree program that corresponds with an appropriate high school subject area.

Majors at SNC that can lead to a teachable major in an appropriate high school subject area include English, Environmental Science, and Biology.

Program Details

In the undergraduate third year, students begin the dual program with 9 credits counting toward both the undergraduate and graduate level. Students begin taking 400-level education classes once they reach the junior level, earning a bachelor’s degree at year three, a teaching license at year four, and a master’s degree at year five. Thus, a bachelor’s degree and teaching license can be completed in four years, and students can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree taking evening classes while working as a teacher during the fifth year.

Program Outline

Student Status& Year Semester Credits/Semester Type ofCredits TotalCredits Level Notes
UndergraduateYear 1 Semester 1Fall 18 Undergrad. 18 Freshman
Semester 2 Spring 18 Undergrad. 36 Sophomore
UndergraduateYear 2 Semester 1Fall 18 Undergrad. 54 Sophomore
Semester 2 Spring 18 Undergrad. 72 Junior
Semester 3B Summer 6 DualD 78 Junior EDUC 444, EDUC 460
UndergraduateYear 3Graduate(During Summer) Semester 1 Fall 18 Undergrad. 96 Senior
Semester 2 Spring 18 Undergrad. 114 Senior Can Walk as an Undergrad. At this point
Semester 3 Summer 8 DualD 122 Graduate EDUC 540EDUC 555ELEM/SECD 501Switch to Grad. Stud. At this point
Graduate Year 1 Semester 1 Fall 14 Graduate 136 Graduate ELEM/SECD Methods
Semester 2 Spring 8 Graduate 144 Graduate ELEM/SECD 595
Semester 3 Summer 3 Graduate 147 Graduate EDUC 628
Graduate Year 2 Semester 1 Fall 3 Graduate 150 Graduate EDUC 630 or 635
Semester 2C Spring 3 Graduate 153 Graduate EDUC 630/635

A. The Traditional Undergrad Program (120 Credits) plus the Graduate Program (44 credits) is a 164 credit program.  The combined Undergraduate/Graduate Program totals 158 credits. Six credits will count towards both the undergraduate/graduate degrees.

B. The student will begin taking Education classes in their 2nd year (5th semester) at the Junior level.  The student will walk for their undergraduate degree in their 3rd year (7th semester) and will switch from an undergraduate to a graduate student in their 3rd year (8th semester).

C. The program will take 5 years total to complete and will earn the student a Bachelors degree at year 3, a teaching license at year 4, and a Master’s degree at year 5.

D. “Dual” means that the credits will count towards both undergraduate and graduate programs.