Apply for the Pupil Personnel Services Credential
This page is intended for students pursuing credentials in the Pupil Personnel Services School Counseling or School Psychology programs. Please allow for at least 14 days for the Credentials Office to review your credential file. Only after candidates have completed all credential requirements and received approvals from the Credentials Office and their program will the Credentials Office submit credential recommendations to the CTC. The entire credential process can take up to 4–6 weeks. Requirements may vary, please plan accordingly. Please note the differences in process for the Internship and Clear Credentials.
- Notify your program’s Placement Coordinator or Program Director.
- The Placement Coordinator or Program Director will notify the Credentials Office to initiate the credentialing process.
- Check your SMC and external emails for messages from the Credentials Office.
Which credential are you applying for?
Internship Credential
Internship Credentials are issued to students who are offered employment as a school psychologist while they are still currently enrolled in their PPS-School Counseling or School Psychology program. To apply for your Internship Credential, please begin by contacting your program and reviewing the following requirements.
Clear Credential
Clear Credentials are issued to students who have completed all credential requirements, including coursework, fieldwork components, assessments, and exams. To apply for your PPS-School Psychology Clear Credential, please begin by contacting your program and reviewing the following steps.
Please find more information about credential requirements listed below.
An Internship Agreement is a document that is signed by the student, their employer, Placement Coordinator and/or Program Director. Contact your program’s Placement Coordinator or Program Director to request for this document.
Qualifying exams, coursework, or a combination of both exams and coursework may be used to fulfill the BSR. For more information on the CTC’s BSR guidelines, visit Basic Skills Requirement (CL-667). Please use the following information to determine how you will fulfill the BSR:
Exams:
Qualifying exam scores for the CBEST, SAT, ACT, or AP exams may be used to fulfill the BSR. To indicate which of your exam scores will be used to fulfill BSR, please complete the BSR Evaluation Form. Qualifying exam scores can be found on BSR (CL- 667), under Appendix A.
Coursework:
- For reading proficiency: a course in critical thinking, literature, philosophy, reading, rhetoric, or textual analysis.
- For writing proficiency: a course in composition, English, rhetoric, written communication, or writing.
- For mathematics proficiency: a course in algebra, geometry, mathematics, quantitative reasoning, or statistics.
Coursework may be used to meet the BSR by providing necessary official transcripts to SMC. The transcripts must show passage of courses in reading, writing, and mathematics as outlined above. Courses must have been taken at a regionally-accredited college or university for credit, passed with a grade of B- or better, be degree applicable, and be at least 3 semester units (or 4 quarter units). Qualifying coursework does not include professional development, continuing education units, in-service training, or workshops. To indicate what coursework will be used to fulfill BSR, please complete the BSR Evaluation Form.
The Credentials Office uses Saint Mary's Core Curriculum and Transfer Equivalency System (TES) as a guide for courses that meet the BSR framework. If a course taken at an outside institution fulfills the SMC Core Curriculum requirement in Reading, Writing, or Math, then that course will satisfy the requirement for BSR. A course that does not fall within the indicated areas may still qualify with additional letter of explanation. A letter from the registrar or relevant department chair of the college or university must state that a course passed by the applicant covered reading, writing, or mathematics at the same level as one of the listed courses. Such a letter could also attest that a single course sufficiently indicates proficiency in reading and writing combined.
Combination (Exam + Coursework):
To fulfill the BSR using the combination option, candidates must provide official CBEST, SAT, ACT, or AP results and Official Transcripts for qualifying coursework. To indicate which exam(s) and coursework will be used to fulfill BSR, please complete the BSR Evaluation Form. The Credentials Office will only accept official documents for this requirement. Credential candidates must be prepared to order official transcripts from their undergraduate institution and have them delivered to either of the following addresses:
For e-transcripts: smcadmit@stmarys-ca.edu
For hard copy transcripts: 1928 St. Mary’s Rd., PMB 4350, Moraga, CA 94575-4350
The CTC Credential Record requirement may be fulfilled by providing proof of holding any of the following valid CTC documents. Students may upload a screenshot of their CTC account showing their name, document number, and valid dates or receipts for any of these items to fulfill the CTC Credential Record requirement:
- CTC Certificate of Clearance
- 30-Day Substitute Permit
- Children’s Center Permit
- Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate
- Variable Term Waiver
- CTC Credential
To apply for the CTC Certificate of Clearance, please watch the video provided at the bottom of the CTC's Online Application Information webpage. For locations that provide Live-Scan fingerprinting services, please visit the DOJ's Live Scans webpage.
Current students must complete the KSOE Commencement Registration & Credential/Degree Audit Form in the beginning months of their last term in order to proceed with the credentialing process. This form is completed by all KSOE students pursuing a credential and/or degree, regardless of whether or not they are participating in the commencement ceremony.
For former students who did not apply for their credential at the end of their program, please contact the Credentials Office at credential@stmarys-ca.edu to initiate the credentialing process. In your message, please include your name, student ID, program, and date of program completion.