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 also 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, course work 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.
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.
Degree Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| SEEDS General Education Requirements | 21-24 | |
| Major Requirements | 33 | |
| Social Studies Support Courses for Teacher Education | 21 | |
| Teacher Education Program Requirements | 36 | |
| Free Electives | 8-5 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science Major | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| POLS 100 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| POLS 101 | American Government and Politics | 3 |
| POLS 201 | Comparative Politics | 3 |
| POLS 202 | International Relations | 3 |
| POLS 300 | Essentials of Political Thought | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select 18 credits from the list (see below). Up to 15 credits may be from any one group. 12 credits must be at the 300-400 level. | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Political Science Major Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| American Politics | ||
| POLS 214 | Gender and Politics | 3 |
| POLS 215 | U.S. Race and Ethnic Politics | 3 |
| POLS 216 | Urban Politics | 3 |
| POLS 301 | American Party System | 3 |
| POLS 302 | Social Movements and Interest Groups | 3 |
| POLS 304 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| POLS 306 | Campaign Politics | 3 |
| POLS 312 | Black Politics in the United States | 3 |
| POLS 313 | Politics and Technology | 3 |
| POLS 314 | Seminar in Campaign Politics | 3 |
| POLS 317 | The American Congress | 3 |
| POLS 318 | The American Presidency | 3 |
| POLS 319 | Politics and Film | 3 |
| POLS 324 | Applied Policy Analysis | 3 |
| POLS 327 | Food and Politics | 3 |
| POLS 420 | Seminar and Internship in Political Science | 4 |
| POLS 425 | Politics of Federal Bureaucracy | 3 |
| POLS 429 | Polling in the U.S | 3 |
| POLS 436 | Political Science Washington, D.C., Internship | 1-7 |
| American Law | ||
| JURI 210 | Perspectives on Law | 3 |
| POLS 320 | Law in Society: Civil Law | 3 |
| POLS 321 | Law in Society: Criminal Law | 3 |
| POLS 322 | American Constitutional Law: The Federal System | 3 |
| POLS 323 | American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties | 3 |
| POLS 331 | Animal Rights: Law, Politics and Culture | 3 |
| POLS 332 | U.S. Immigration: Law and Politics | 3 |
| POLS 351 | Comparative Legal Perspectives: Israel and the United States | 3 |
| Public Administration and Public Policy | ||
| POLS 205 | Introduction to Public Administration | 3 |
| POLS 304 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| POLS 310 | Public Personnel Administration | 3 |
| POLS 311 | Governmental Budgeting | 3 |
| POLS 315 | Urban Administration | 3 |
| POLS 324 | Applied Policy Analysis | 3 |
| POLS 425 | Politics of Federal Bureaucracy | 3 |
| POLS 426 | Seminar and Internship in Public Administration I | 4-6 |
| Political Thought | ||
| JURI 300 | Essentials of Jurisprudence | 3 |
| POLS 307 | American Political Thought | 3 |
| POLS 331 | Animal Rights: Law, Politics and Culture | 3 |
| POLS 333 | Special Topics in Political Thought | 3 |
| POLS 334 | Politics of Science Fiction | 3 |
| POLS 335 | Theories of Political Economy | 3 |
| POLS 363 | Politics and Morality of War | 3 |
| Comparative Politics | ||
| POLS 204 | Government and Politics of Africa | 3 |
| POLS 206 | Government and Politics of China and Japan | 3 |
| POLS 303 | Politics of Development and Modernization | 3 |
| POLS 327 | Food and Politics | 3 |
| POLS 335 | Theories of Political Economy | 3 |
| POLS 339 | Contemporary Western European Politics | 3 |
| POLS 340 | Government and Politics of India and South Asia | 3 |
| POLS 341 | Government and Politics of Latin America | 3 |
| POLS 342 | Government and Politics of the Middle East | 3 |
| POLS 343 | Government and Politics in the Post-Soviet States | 3 |
| POLS 351 | Comparative Legal Perspectives: Israel and the United States | 3 |
| International Relations | ||
| JURI 474 | Human Rights Law | 3 |
| POLS 203 | International Organizations | 3 |
| POLS 207 | American Foreign Policy | 3 |
| POLS 319 | Politics and Film | 3 |
| POLS 353 | Intelligence and National Security | 3 |
| POLS 362 | International Relations in Asia | 3 |
| POLS 363 | Politics and Morality of War | 3 |
| POLS 364 | War and International Security | 3 |
| POLS 365 | Global Environmental Politics | 3 |
| POLS 430 | International Law | 3 |
| POLS 431 | Globalization and Security | 3 |
| Other Major Electives | ||
| POLS 410 | Directed Study | 3-6 |
| POLS 416 | Special Topics in Political Science | 3 |
| POLS 497 | Honors Seminar-Political Science | 3 |
Social Studies Support Courses for Teacher Education
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Related Social Science Requirements | ||
| EAES 170 | World Geography | 3 |
| ECON 101 | Applied Macroeconomics | 3 |
| or ECON 102 | Applied Microeconomics | |
| HIST 103 | Gods, Empires, Crusades Plague | 3 |
| HIST 114 | Early Latin American History | 3 |
| HIST 117 | Foundations of America | 3 |
| HIST 118 | Emergence of the Modern United States | 3 |
| HIST 141 | Emergence of the Modern World | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Co-Major in Secondary Education
New Student Seminar
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students in the Adult Learner program must take GNED 100. | ||
| Complete one course from the following. Some courses may be restricted by major. Consult with an academic advisor. | 1 | |
| Pathways to Success | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Chemistry | ||
| First Year Seminar | ||
| Adult Academic Success Seminar | ||
| New Student Seminar | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Health and Physical Education | ||
| Pathways to Adult Learning | ||
| New Student Seminar | ||
| New Student Experience for Mathematical Sciences | ||
| Freshman Seminar for Music Majors | ||
| Introduction to Nursing | ||
| Freshman Seminar in Political Science and Law | ||
SEEDS General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill the SEEDS requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| Effective Writing I | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing I course. | 3 | |
| Effective Writing II | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing II course. | 3 | |
| Interactive Communication | ||
| Complete one Interactive Communication course. | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Complete one Quantitative Reasoning course. | 3 | |
| Political and Civic Life | ||
| Fulfilled by SASE 210 in the Teacher Education requirements. | ||
| World Language | ||
| Complete two sequential classes in one World Language when starting at the Beginner I or Beginner II level. Complete one class when starting at the Intermediate/Advanced Level. | 3-6 | |
| Exploration | ||
| Complete one course from four different Exploration categories. | 6 | |
| Analyzing Cultures and Societies | ||
| Fulfilled by HIST 114 or HIST 141 in the Related Social Science requirements. | ||
| Creative Expression | ||
| Ethical Inquiry | ||
| Historical Thinking | ||
| Fulfilled by HIST 103, HIST 117, HIST 118 in the Related Social Science requirements. | ||
| Literary and Artistic Analysis | ||
| Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Total Credits | 21-24 | |