Social Studies Education (7–12, B.S.)
BS-NS SSS
History and Social Studies Education Department
Bachelor of Science (HEGIS 2201.01)
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Accredited
Classroom Building C205
(716) 878-5412
Enrollment in all teacher education programs follows the guidelines for "Admission to Teacher Education Programs" found in this catalog. Applicants who do not yet meet all admissions criteria should consult with the department.
The social studies B.S. degree program in secondary education prepares students to meet the educational requirements leading to New York State Initial Certification in Adolescence Education required to teach social studies in grades 7–12. The program supplies a knowledge base that provides the background knowledge necessary for teachers to implement the NYS Social Studies Framework for students in grades 7–12.
Prerequisites for Student Teaching
See prerequisites for SSE 409 and SSE 410.
A departmental honors program is also available. Students should contact the department for additional information.
The social studies content core constitutes a 42-credit major in social studies that consists of study in economics, government, and a minimum of 30 credit hours of study in the history and geography of the United States and the world (see total required credit hours in social studies, below). All program majors are required to complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of field experience related to coursework prior to student teaching. These field experiences consist of observations, individual tutoring, and the teaching of small groups of students under the supervision of certified teachers. These experiences are an integral component of the pedagogical core courses specified in the previous section, with learning outcomes specified and their achievement evaluated by course instructors.
Students complete a minimum of 30–35 clock hours of field experience in each of three courses: SSE 200, SSE 303, and SSE 309. Another course, SSE 488/HIS 488, is available and will be used by transfer students and others who may have a deficiency in field experience. The department has established relationships with several "high-need" urban and suburban school districts where field experiences are held. All majors will have study and experiences that together provide a solid foundation for teaching in high-need schools.
To student teach, students are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the social studies major, as well as obtain a minimum grade of C in SSE 303 and SSE 309. All majors meeting these requirements must enroll in two practicum courses following completion of all other coursework and satisfaction of English and math competency requirements. Placements for these practica include urban and suburban settings. The urban placements may be in high-need districts that provide opportunities for student teachers to work with students from diverse backgrounds, including socio-economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and students who are English-language learners. Experiences include individual and group instruction, daily and long-view planning, unit teaching, classroom management and routine procedures, use of audiovisual aids, community resources, record-keeping, evaluation procedures, and participation in the total school program.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Intellectual Foundations Requirements | ||
| 33-39 credit hours 1 | 33-39 | |
| Social Sciences Major Requirements (42 credit hours) | ||
| History of the Western Hemisphere (12 credit hours) | ||
| Basic U.S. History | ||
| HIS 106 | HISTORY OF AMERICAN LIFE I | 3 |
| HIS 107 | HISTORY OF AMERICAN LIFE II | 3 |
| HIS 415 | HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT OF NEW YORK STATE | 3 |
| Upper-division elective (any U.S., Canadian, or Latin American history course) | 3 | |
| History of the Eastern Hemisphere (12 credit hours) | ||
| HIS 230 | WORLD CIVILIZATIONS I | 3 |
| One World History elective (any Asian, African, or Middle Eastern would history course) | 3 | |
| Select two from the following: | 6 | |
| FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION | ||
| EUROPE SINCE 1500 | ||
| TWENTIETH-CENTURY EUROPE | ||
| Geography (6 credit hours) | ||
| GEG 300 | WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY | 3 |
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF NEW YORK STATE | ||
| URBAN GEOGRAPHY | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF ASIA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE | ||
| Political Science (3 credit hours) | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | ||
| U.S. CIVIL LIBERTIES | ||
| Economics (3 credit hours) | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS | ||
| Upper-Division Social Science Elective | ||
| 3 credit hours | 3 | |
| Seminar (3 credit hours) | ||
| HIS 300 | RESEARCH AND WRITING SEMINAR | 3 |
| Professional Education Requirements (30 credit hours) | ||
| SPF 303 | EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: MIDDLE AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | 3 |
| EDU 416 | TEACHING LITERACY IN MIDDLE AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS | 3 |
| ENG 309 | TEACHING AND EVALUATING WRITING | 3 |
| or EDU 417 | ADOLESCENT LITERACY | |
| EXE 100 | NATURE AND NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS | 3 |
| or EXE 372 | FOUNDATIONS OF TEACHING ADOLESCENTS WITH DISABILITIES | |
| PSY 357 | ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
| SSE 200 | INTRODUCTION TO SECONDARY TEACHING | 3 |
| SSE 303 | METHODS AND MATERIALS IN TEACHING MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES | 3 |
| SSE 309 | METHODS AND MATERIALS IN TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES | 3 |
| SSE 370 | COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM | 3 |
| SSE 402 | HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL EDUCATION | 3 |
| or SSE/HIS 407 | THE TEACHING OF HISTORY | |
| Student Teaching Requirements (12 credit hours) | ||
| SSE 409 | STUDENT TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL | 6 |
| SSE 410 | STUDENT TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL | 6 |
| One Year (or Equivalent) of a Foreign Language (0-3 credit hours) | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Program majors should enroll in an introductory psychology course, such as PSY 101, to satisfy their Intellectual Foundation requirements. It is recommended that majors take history courses to meet their Foundations of Civilizations requirements. |