Geography with Teacher Certification in Social Studies (Preschool-Grade 12) (B.A.)

Students who wish to pursue P-12 teacher certification in Social Studies must apply to and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the B.A. in Secondary Education program as a second major.

Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required professional sequence of courses and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook. The course SASE 401 is the departmental requirement.

The social studies teacher is expected to have a broad understanding of the cultural and environmental factors which shape the individual and society. To meet the approved program for certification in social studies, coursework is required in each of the following:

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • History
  • Political Science 
  • Sociology

A detailed description of the requirements is available in the office of the Social Studies Teacher Education Coordinator in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences or by viewing the "Social Studies Support Courses" tab on this page.

120 credits of coursework is required for the baccalaureate degree with a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.  Major GPA requirements differ depending on field of study. Consult the Teacher Education Program Handbook for more information.

Program Requirements Overview

General Education Requirements13
World Languages and Cultures Requirements3-6
Major Requirements34-35
Social Studies Support Courses for Teacher Education27
Teacher Education Program Requirements37
Free Electives6-2
Total Credits120

Major Requirements

Required Courses
EAES 100Principles of Geography3
or EAES 101 Planet Earth
EAES 161Human Geography3
EAES 170World Geography3
EAES 210Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing3
EAES 281Introduction to American Urban Studies3
EAES 390Research Methods3
EAES 487Senior Seminar in Urban Study (Urban Studies Internship)3
or EAES 497 Senior Seminar Geography
Complete one of the following:3-4
Applied Calculus A
Applied Precalculus
Calculus I
Statistics
Data Science and Statistics
Major Electives
Complete 10 credits from the list below. A minimum of 6 credits should be at the 300-400 level.10
Total Credits34-35

Major Electives

A minimum of 6 credits should be at the 300-400 level.
EAES 201Understanding Weather and Climate4
EAES 250Introduction to Marine Sciences4
EAES 271Geography of East and Southeast Asia3
EAES 272Land and Life in Latin America3
EAES 283Urban Georgraphy3
EAES 303Environmental Field Methods3
EAES 370World Resources and Industries3
EAES 373Historical Geography of the United States3
EAES 376Geography of New Jersey3
EAES 384Managing the Urban Environment3
EAES 385Urbanization and Environment3
EAES 460Environmental Law3
EAES 475Environmental Economics3
EAES 499Special Topics in Earth and Environmental Studies1-4

Social Studies Support Courses for Teacher Education

ANTH 100Cultural Anthropology3
or SOCI 102 Racial and Ethnic Relations
ECON 100Introduction to Economics3
or ECON 101 Applied Macroeconomics
or ECON 102 Applied Microeconomics
HIST 103Gods, Empires, Crusades Plague3
or HIST 105 Emergence of European Civilization, 1500-1914
or HIST 106 Contemporary Europe
HIST 117Foundations of America3
HIST 118Emergence of the Modern United States3
HIST 141Emergence of the Modern World3
HIST 215U.S. Women’s History3
HIST 217African American History3
POLS 101American Government and Politics3
or POLS 201 Comparative Politics
or POLS 307 American Political Thought
Total Credits27

Second Major in Secondary Education

Secondary Education (B.A.)

General Education Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.

A. New Student Seminar
Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course.1
C. Communication
1. Writing 3
2. Literature3
3. Communication3
D. Fine and Performing Arts or F. Humanities
One course from D. Fine and Performing Arts or F1. Great Works and Their Influences or F2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives 3
H. Mathematics
Fulfilled in the major.
I. Natural Science Laboratory
Fulfilled in the major.
Planet Earth
Understanding Weather and Climate
Introduction to Marine Sciences
K. Social Science
1. American and European History
Foundations of America (Fulfilled in the collateral requirements.)
3. Social Science Perspectives
Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.
Psychological Foundations of Education
L. Interdisciplinary Studies
Public Purposes of Education: Democracy and Schooling (Fulfilled in the Teacher Education sequence.)
Total Credits13

World Languages and Cultures Requirements

Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.

World Languages
Based on placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in a single language.3-6
Total Credits3-6

Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion

This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years.  This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar1GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature3
GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing3GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication3
 4 6
Total Credits 10