Six Fresno State Programs for Aspiring Teachers
Fresno State University is also featured in our ranking Top 20 Best Master’s in Reading and Literacy Online.
Founded in 1981, the Kremen School of Education & Human Development offers a 120-unit B.A. in Liberal Studies led by Dr. Frederick Peinado Nelson for Fresno State University Bulldogs to earn California’s Multiple Subject Teaching Credential after CSET prep and 15-week student teaching. Chaired by Dr. Cathy Yun, the M.A. in Education builds five 30-unit, CAEP-accredited specializations for Curriculum & Instruction, Early Childhood, Reading, Multilingual Multicultural Education, and Administration in 12-24 months with Joyce M. Huggins Center research projects. The 31-unit M.A. in Special Education coordinated by Dr. Kimberly Coy blends advanced courses like Positive Behavior Supports with six-unit practica, such as Eaton Elementary or Central Valley Region Center, for the Clear Credential.
Online via Canvas, the Master of Arts in Teaching starts 30-unit, three-term cohorts of credentialed PK-12 teachers each August under Dr. Nancy Akhavan with a one-day orientation, 200-level courses like Multicultural Classroom Practice, and the comprehensive exam or thesis. Directed by Dr. Steven Skelton, the M.A. in Deaf Education follows a 36-unit, CED-accredited sequence where graduates can practice in the Speech & Language Clinic, engage in The Silent Garden, add the Conversational ASL Certificate, and intern at Gallaudet University. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership admits 10-12 teachers each Fall into 60-unit, practitioner-focused Postsecondary and PK-12 concentrations advised by Dr. Susana Hernandez with dissertation work at the John D. Welty Education Center.
About Fresno State University
Fresno State University originated in 1911 when President Charlies Lourie McLane welcomed an inaugural class to Fresno State Normal School for teacher training. In 1912, the first short-term elementary school certificates were conferred. In 1921, a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Teaching was launched by the Education Division. In 1925, the Teacher Training School was erected for hands-on classroom practicum. In 1949, the Master of Arts in Education became the school’s earliest graduate program. In 1961, it was welcomed into the California State University System as Fresno State. By 1991, Fresno State University partnered with UC Davis to begin an education doctorate. In 2001, the School of Education & Human Development was named for the late Dr. Benjamin Kremen and his wife Marion. In 2014, Dr. Paul Beare accepted the School’s Christa McAuliffe Excellence in Teacher Education Award.
Endowed for $144.3 million, Fresno State University now employs 1,542 faculty training 24,995 Bulldogs from 70 countries online and at the 46-building, 388-acre Central Valley campus with 200+ clubs like the Bilingual Educators’ Organization. In 2018, Fresno won the Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence Award. In 2013, Fresno State earned the AACTE Best Practice Award for Professional Ethics in Teacher Education. Fresno was a 2018 Phi Kappa Phi Excellence in Innovation Award finalist too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Fresno State University 205th nationally. On Niche, Fresno is America’s 109th best big college, 220th top public school, and 371st most diverse university. Money magazine crowned Fresno the 66th best value. College Factual noticed Fresno State for the 252nd top teaching degrees and 255th highest paid alums. The Economist named Fresno the 209th best.
Fresno State University Accreditation Details
On October 22, 2015, the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) concluded the comprehensive evaluation visit at Fresno State University and voted to extend the Level V accreditation status through 2025-26 under Provost Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, PhD, who was a Carnegie U.S. Professor of the Year Award nominee twice. Located 183 miles up Interstate 5 in Alameda, this esteemed eight-territory Pacific Coast accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to evaluate CSU-Fresno’s 122 degrees. Specifically, the Kremen School was accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) in October 2014. The M.A. in Deaf Education is accredited by the Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) through June 30, 2023. Fresno State is also approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) for PK-12 certification.
Fresno State University Application Requirements
Finding spots at Fresno State University is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since only 10,030 of the 18,731 Fall 2017 applicants were chosen for 53.5 percent acceptance. Incoming B.A. in Liberal Studies majors must graduate from a licensed high school or earn the GED and CHSPE equivalents. Fifteen academic units, including four English and three Math, are prerequisite. California residents must have 3.0 GPAs or better while non-residents need 3.6 GPAs. The middle 50th percentile earn ACT composite scores of 16-21. Mid-range SAT scores are currently 880-1090. Only upper-division transfers with 60+ credits and 2.0 GPAs are welcome into the Kremen School of Education & Human Development. The South Valley ITEP offers transfer tracks for Porterville College and College of the Sequoias students. Graduate programs always necessitate an accredited, four-year bachelor’s and 2.75 GPA minimum. Online MAT entrants must verify current PK-12 credentialing and school contracts. The Doctor of Education seeks 3.0 GPAs plus an average 144 Quantitative and 140 Verbal GRE score.
Fresno State University has undergrad filing deadlines of November 30th for Fall, August 31st for Spring, and February 28th for Summer enrollment. The Kremen School usually accepts master’s candidates until November 1st or June 1st. The M.A. in Educational Administration only admits Fall cohorts until May 1st though. Online Master of Arts in Teaching cohorts must apply by June 1st. Ed.D. in Educational Leadership candidates apply from October 1st to April 1st. Accordingly, log into Cal State Apply to submit the $55 Fresno Application online. Forward official transcripts to 5005 N. Maple Avenue ED1 in Fresno, CA 93740. Submit official test scores using SAT/GRE code 4312 or ACT code 0266. Fulfill supplemental requirements like the personal statement, teaching résumé, employer support letter, 2-3 references, and I-20 form. Inquire further at (559) 278-0300 or kremenschool@csufresno.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Fresno State University is charging full-time California undergrads $3,293 each semester. Non-resident B.A. in Liberal Arts tuition rises to $9,233 by term. Residing in the San Joaquin Valley campus’ dorms like Homan or Ponderosa Hall adds $5,121 to $6,753 for housing each year. Platinum meal plans for University Dining Hall are $4,130 extra. Fresno State budgets $1,918 for textbooks, $1,242 for transport, and $1,416 for personal needs. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals about $21,418 in-state and $33,298 out-of-state. The Kremen School of Education & Human Development has a graduate semester price of $4,010 for Californians. Taking 0-6 units will cost $2,504. Non-residents add a $396 surcharge per unit. The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership bills $6,341 each term.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid in Joyal Hall’s North Lobby enrolls 87 percent of new Fresno State Bulldogs with tuition assistance averaging $10,267 each for $27.15 million combined. Education funds include the Dorothy Hamilton Scholarship, Dale & Shirley Hewlett Scholarship, Carole Monke Scholarship, Carl Levin Scholarship, Louise Petrosino Scholarship, James & Lydia Curtis Cosgrave Scholarship, Jeri Shubin Scholarship, Leon Peters Leadership Award, Nevart Moordigian Scholarship, Stanley & Darlene Spano Scholarship, Lydia Nilmeier Scholarship, and Nep Sabio Scholarship. The Rutherford Gaston Sr. Scholarship gifts $1,000 annually to Kremen School majors with minimum 3.5 GPAs. The $6,300 Frank Easterly Scholarship has a March 2nd deadline for junior and senior B.A. in Liberal Studies students. Federal resources like the TEACH Grant and Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program require FAFSA forms coded 001147. The California State University System also presents the Howard Christiansen Scholarship, Trustees’ Award, Wilson Riles Scholarship, and more.
Keep reading about Fresno State University at the Kremen School of Education & Human Development website.