Intern Program Frequently Asked Questions

No, the prospective student must arrange for his/her own employment.

No, the Intern Program has later deadlines than the regular program to accommodate district hiring practices. Please contact the respective coordinator for specific deadline dates.

Intern Program Applicants:

  1. Must be employed or have a firm offer of employment as the teacher of record, not as a substitute or paraprofessional.
  2. Must be teaching at least 50% in area of subject matter competence. If you are teaching middle or high school you must be teaching at least 2 classes in your subject area. You cannot be teaching courses for which you are not subject matter competent.
  3. Must be accepted into the Single Subject or Mulitple Subject Program at SFSU.
  4. Must qualify for the Internship Credential.

A student may apply for the Internship Credential after 120 Pre-service hours are completed, typically after the first semester of classes. Credential courses taken at other institutions may count towards the 120-hour requrement. Please note that outside courses may or may not count towards your credential program at SFSU. Please consult with respective coordinator.

The Intern Program is usually a four semester (two year) program. The Intern will take two evening courses per semester while teaching.

The principal of the employing school must agree to assign an on-site supervisor to support the Intern. This appointed supervisor must agree to observe your teaching at least twice per semester, and must provide the Intern Program with written feedback on your teaching performance. Interns enrolled in SED 640 and SED 660 will be provided with a special form for this feedback, known as an EROD. (Single Subject Program only)

During the semesters that the Intern is not enrolled in either of these courses, the school may use an evaluation format of its own choosing. In addition, the on-site supervisor must communicate directly with the Intern Coordinator.

Your On-Site Supervisor is a qualified, credentialed teacher or administrator who is assigned by your school principal to observe you teaching.

You should immediately inform the SED Department Chair of this change in status. You may be eligible to enroll in the regular program with a traditional field placement, or stay in the intern program with new public school employment. With this change in field placement, however, you will need to repeat SED 640 and SED 751 (concurrent enrollment required).

Interns who do not cooperate fully with the guidelines of the program may be disenrolled. Reasons for disenrollment include, but are not limited to

  1. Not maintaining a minumum GPA of 3.0, with no course grade below a C.
  2. Non-payment of fees or tuition.
  3. Failure to enroll in courses by the add/drop deadline.
  4. Failure to apply for Internship Credential when you are advised to do so.
  5. Failure to cooperate fully with university supervisor, including matters relating to classroom observations and weekly communication.

 The Intern Program is a four-semester program. Fees vary depending on units taken and course availablity. Up to 6 units is considered part time and more than 6 units is considered full time for fee purposes. The web page for the SF State Bursar’s Office will provide you with a link to the current fee schedule which changes frequently.