Degrees & Programs Liberal Studies
Your Path to Teaching Elementary School
If you desire to pursue a career in elementary education, the Liberal Studies major is a great choice. The major helps you develop expertise in all subjects normally taught in the elementary classroom and prepares you for the CSET (subject-matter exams) required for entrance into a California Teacher Credential Program.
With a Liberal Studies degree, you are well-positioned to earn a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. On the regular track, you return for a fifth year to earn a teaching credential. With careful planning and hard work, you may be able to complete both the Liberal Studies major and earn a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at in four years at Westmont’s Teacher Credential Program.
What is Liberal Studies?
In California, unlike most other states, those who wish to pursue a career in elementary education generally choose a multi-disciplinary major called Liberal Studies. The Liberal Studies major is a degree primarily in academic content, allowing you to develop expertise in all of the subjects that are normally taught in the elementary classroom.
Westmont’s Liberal Studies major is a state-approved program for Elementary Subject Matter, aligned with the CSET examination that allows entry into a teacher preparation program for a Multiple Subject (Elementary) credential.
Sample Tracks
Sample Tracks by Year
Regular Track |
Fast-Track |
|---|---|
Fall (13 units)
SprinG (13 units)
|
Fall (17 units)
Spring (17 units)
Mayterm (3-4 units)
|
Regular Track |
Fast Track |
|---|---|
Fall (16 units)
Spring (16 units)
|
Fall (19 units -- overload)
Spring (18 units)
|
Regular Track |
Fast Track |
|---|---|
Fall (14 units)
Spring (15 units)
|
Fall (18 units)
Spring (19 units -- overload)
|
Regular Track |
Fast Track |
|---|---|
Fall (18 units)
Spring (15 units)
|
Fall (18 units)Graduate with 124 units in December
Spring (15 units )Post graduate units
|
Students in the Cultural Diversity class pair up with students at a largely Latino elementary school to build relationships, listen to one another’s stories, and ultimately write the stories in a class book.
Students in the Children’s Literature class host a Prairie Day (story telling, games, dancing, prairie picnic, craft-making) for local elementary students.
In the Explorations in Teaching class, students engage in a real-world discussion about selecting scholarship recipients. Students also complete a 40-hour fieldwork placement at a local school.
Student teachers promote the teaching profession by connecting with students alternate years by visiting a local high school education academy or inviting high school students to campus for a "Let's Talk Teaching" conference.
Faculty Highlights
Sarah (Sally) Hawkins taught junior high English for 15 years and served as a reading intervention teacher for five years. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in education and literacy and is passionate about student wellbeing and school belonging.
Passionate about math education and STEM accessibility
Meet the Staff
Career Paths
"Teaching cultivates my own love of learning. I seek to inspire students with innovation, collaboration, and perseverance in learning."
"I love guiding curious young minds as they grow and develop with new exciting challenges."
"My favorite aspect of teaching is the relationships I build with students and seeing how this positively influences their learning."
The Westmont Teaching Credential Program provided me with relevant and engaging tools, and research-based strategies. I developed into a professional educator through hands-on learning, dynamic instruction, and immense faculty support.
"Eager hands waving and minds full of thoughtful wonder about the world is why I love to teach."
"The professors very intentionally invest in you not just as a student or future educator but as a whole person. I was deeply impacted not just by the way they taught me pedagogy but also in the way they inspired me in my core teaching philosophies."
Career Paths
Graduates teach in a variety of K – 12 classroom settings from public to private, and many teach in international schools. After several years teaching in the field, graduates often pursue educational administration, school counseling, or even add an additional credential.
Allison Judy ’19 discovered that Westmont prepared her in more than one way to become a teacher. “The faith-filled teachings and relationships with friends and teachers cultivated the compassion and perspective necessary for approaching teaching from the heart,” she says.
During the pandemic, nine Westmont student teachers used their creativity during this unique and challenging season while learning to teach. Placed in four schools in the Santa Barbara Unified and Hope School Districts, the students took credential courses at Westmont, both online and in person, while collaborating with their cooperating teachers in a remote K-12 classroom.
Anna Luce '22, a liberal studies major who values culture and language, hopes to incorporate both into her future teaching career.
Students Receive Awards
Anna Luce is a conscientious, bright, and determined student who enthusiastically pursued a major in Liberal Studies and a minor in Spanish. Anna cares deeply for marginalized students and will pursue a credential at Westmont in 2022-23.
Education Faculty describe Amanda as a conscientious student who takes on leadership roles confidently, while at the same time acknowledges and respects the voices of her peers. She is articulate and thoughtful and loves working with young children.
Education Faculty describe Linda as a thoughtful student who cares deeply for others and desires to promote equity as a future teacher. She is always engaged in classroom conversations, asks great questions, and is a leader when working with her peers. She will pursue a credential at Westmont in 2021-22.
Kate Chase models being a lifelong learner, she will make a difference with children and will be a change agent for good.
Katie Judson is pursuing a teaching credential at Westmont in 2020-21. She brings resilience, fresh ideas and passion to the teaching profession.