Teaching history and social studies in today’s secondary education classrooms requires a broad basis of historical knowledge as well as a flexible and adaptive approach regarding teaching, given the changing nature of our world.
Graduates from our program develop content knowledge by taking classes in World, United States, European and Asian history and begin their development as professional teachers by taking our Social Studies Methods course which is required for entry into the Teacher Education program. Our graduates are well-prepared to teach in today’s ever-changing classrooms.
Certifying into Social Studies
Students who indicate an interest in History and have a 2.0 GPA or above may be admitted to the major. Those interested in a teaching option should consult with the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences concerning certification requirements for teaching. Students majoring in social studies should have a strong and broad high school background in humanities, social science, and languages, and are encouraged to get a second endorsement.
Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies (66 hours)
Required History Courses
- Hist 101: Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern Europe
- Hist 102: Modern Europe
- Hist 110: American History to 1877
- Hist 111: American History Since 1877
- Hist 120: World History I
- Hist 121: World History II
- Hist 300: Writing about History
- Hist 308: North American Indian History
- Hist 279: Introduction to Social Studies Methods
- Hist 324: History of the Pacific Northwest
- One (1) from Hist 230, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275
- Three (3) upper-division history elective courses, including one (1) Global/non-Western, one (1) European course, one (1) U.S.
- Hist 380: Methods of Teaching Social Studies
- Pol S 101: American National Government
- Soc 102: Social Problems
- EconS 102: Fundamentals of Macroeconomics
- Anth 101 or Anth 203: General Anthropology or Peoples of the World
- One (1) Geography course from Hist 393, Hist 495, Anth 309
- One (1) from Anth 307, 316, 320, 330, 331, 350; Pol S 300, 316, 427, 450, 455; Psych 310, 324, 361, 470; Soc 320, 346, 351, 384, 430
Note: Courses used to complete the social studies degree and the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences requirements must be passed with a grade of C or better.
Note: Additional courses are necessary to complete the education requirements for the social studies education option. For a complete listing of requirements, visit the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences. The College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences requires applicants for admission to the Teacher Education Preparation program to apply on-line.