Social Science (teacher certification), BA

A Bachelor of Arts with a major in social science (secondary teacher certification) prepares you for a career in public or private education. Additionally, you will possess a greater understanding of cultural diversity and global issues, as well as communication and digital skills necessary to be competitive in the workforce.

Degree requirements

The following requirements must be satisfied for a Bachelor of Arts with a major in social science (teacher certification).

Hours required and general/college requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfill all degree requirements for the Bachelor’s degree as specified in University Core Curriculum in the Academics section of this catalog and College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences degree requirements .

Major requirements, 60 hours

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in social science and a composite teaching field in social studies requires:

ECON 1100 - Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 1110 - Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 4100 - Comparative Economic Systems
or
ECON 4850 - International Trade
ECON 3050 - The Economics of Consumption
or
FINA 2770 - Personal Finance
GEOG 1200 - Global Societies
GEOG 2170 - Culture, Environment and Society
3 hours of advanced Group B: Human Geography (see Department of Geography and the Environment section of this catalog for list of courses)
HIST 1050 - World History to the Sixteenth Century
HIST 1060 - World History from the Sixteenth Century
HIST 2610 - United States History to 1865
HIST 2620 - United States History Since 1865
HIST 3700 - Texas History
3 hours of advanced Geographic Area: Advanced United States history (see Department of History section of this catalog for list of courses)
3 hours of advanced Geographic Area: Advanced European history (see Department of History section of this catalog for list of courses)
3 hours of advanced Geographic Area: Advanced African-, Asian-, Middle Eastern and Latin American history (see Department of History section of this catalog for a list of courses)
PSCI 2305 - US Political Behavior and Policy
PSCI 2306 - US and Texas Constitutions and Institutions
3 hours of advanced Field A: American Government and Politics (see Department of Political Science section of this catalog for a list of courses)
PSYC 1630 - General Psychology I
SOCI 1510 - Introduction to Sociology

Other course requirements

UCRS 4700 - Social Studies Teaching Methods

Other requirements

Students must also complete the required 21 hours in upper-level education courses and meet all GPA requirements to apply for state certification. Students must apply to the certification program in the College of Education in Matthews Hall, Room 105.

All state certification requirements and information on required examinations are available on the web site of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), www.tea.state.tx.gov.

Minor

None required.

Electives

Hours required for electives may vary based on course selection and the University Core Curriculum requirements . Electives may be required to satisfy the advanced hour requirement (42) and/or the minimum total hours required for the degree. For specific information, see an academic advisor in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.