Recommended Degree Pathway for Middle Grades Social Studies Education (6-9)
The recommended sequence of courses for Social Studies Education (SSE) majors targets a four year degree completion with admission to the Teacher Education Program no later than Spring of year three (eg. junior year).
All students must have and maintain a minimum 2.70 GPA in order to be eligible for Teacher Education.
Coursework falls into five main categories:
- general education requirements (45 hours - university wide)
- major specialty area requirements (39 hours)
- professional studies core (12 hours)
- content pedagogy (21 hours)
- Social Sciences collatoral (15 hours)
Some courses in the program (up to 18 hours) may count in more than one category.
Per university guidelines, all students are required to complete 9 semester hours of writing intensive courses. These courses are marked as WE or WD courses during registration. Many of the history content courses required for the major and general education courses in division II.A fulfill this requirement. For example, HST 3000 is a designated WD course. Students should confer with their advisor closely in order to ensure that they are meeting this requirement through their coursework.
Some courses in the Professional Studies Core and Content Pedagogy require field experiences. Students should bear this in mind as they plan their course of study. Finally, the Content Pedagogy courses are sequenced and are only offered during certain semesters. Students should consult with Program Coordinator regarding the sequencing and additional requirements for the Professional Licensure affiliated with this degree path. Because this major leads to a professional teacher educator license, students are highly encouraged to carefully review all degree requirements for the additional procedures and considerations for the licensure process. Additional information for the licensure process can be found at the School of Education.
First Year
Fall Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| UNV 1000 | Freshman Seminar (1) | University requirement |
| ENG 1050 | Composition I | GE I requirement |
| HST 1110 | History of the American Indian since 1865 (Service Learning) | GE II.A/Major requirement; ICC |
| PLS 1000 or PLS 1010 | Intro to Political Science or American Government (preferred) | GE II.B/Major requirement |
| MAT 1050 or 1055 | College Math | GE II.C requirement |
|
Science |
(ENV 1100, GLY 1150, BIO 1060, or GGY/GLY 2460 recommended) |
GE II.C requirement |
16 hours total/cumulative
Spring Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1060 | Composition II | GE I requirement |
| HST 1020 | American Civilizations since 1877 (Majors Sections) | GE IV/Major requirement |
| HST 1150 | World Civilizations since 1500 | Major requirement |
| GGY 1010, 1020 or 2000 | GE II.B/Major requirement | |
| General Education (Fine Art) | GE II.A requirement | |
| PED | General Education ( 1 credit) | GE III requirement |
16 hours total/32 hours cumulative
Second Year
Candidates should apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program during the sophomore year. Read about the eligibility for admission to the Teacher Education Program.
Fall Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| HST 1010 or 1030 | Major requirement | |
| ECN 1000 | Economics of Social Issues | GE II.B/Major requirement |
| REL 1300 | Intro to Religion | GE II.A requirement |
| General Education (Literature) | GE II.A requirement | |
| Natural Science | GE II.C requirement | |
| PED | General Education (1 credit) | GE III requirement |
16 hours total/ 48 hours cumulative
* Must be taken prior to admission to TEP
Spring Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| HST 3000 | Historical Practice & Theory | Major requirement; WD |
| EDN 2100* | Introduction to Education | Major requirement; required for admission to TEP |
|
|
Introduction to Psychology |
GE IV/Major requirement |
| PLS 2010 | American State Government | Major requirement |
| FIN 2050 | Personal Finance | Major requirement |
15 hours total/ 63 hours cumulative
Third Year
Fall Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| SSE 4100 | Introduction to Teaching Social Studies | Major requirement, Content pedagogy; Prerequisite: EDN 2100 and 15 semester hours in history and social sciences with a minimum QPA of 2.5 |
| SED 3310 | Introduction to Exceptional Children | Major requirement, professional studies core |
| HST 3170 | History of North Carolina | Major requirement; ICC |
| HST 3xxx or 4xxx |
Advanced African, Asian or European History | Major requirement |
| PSY 2050 | Adolescent Psychology | Major requirement; professional studies core |
15 hours total/ 78 hours cumulative
Spring Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| SSE 4350** | Content and Techniques of Social Studies | Major requirement, Content pedagogy Prerequisites: SSE 4100, 15 semester hours in history and social sciences with a minimum QPA of 2.5, and admission to TEP |
| HST 3xxx or 4xxx |
Advanced North or South American History | Major requirement |
| HST 3xxx or 4xxx |
Advanced African, Asian or European History | Major requirement |
| HST | Historical Research Skills | Major requirement; WE |
15 hours total/ 93 hours cumulative
**Application for Admission to TEP required as part of coursework
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| SSE 4500 | Methods of Teaching Social Studies | Major requirement, WD; Content pedagogy Prerequisites: SSE 4100, SSE 4350, and 30 hours in history with a 2.5 average (QPA) |
| EDN 3130** | Content Area Reading | Major requirement, professional studies core |
| HST 3xxx or 4xxx |
Advanced North or South American History | Major requirement |
| HST 3xxx or 4xxx |
Advanced African, Asian or European History | Major requirement |
| University-wide Elective |
15 hours total/ 108 hours cumulative
Spring Semester - Professional Semester
| Course# |
Course Title |
Comments |
|---|---|---|
| SSE 4480** | SSE Internship | Major requirement, Content pedagogy Prerequisite: Admission into Professional Semester |
| SSE 4490** | Internship Seminar | Major requirement, Content pedagogy Prerequisite: Admission into Professional Semester |
12 hours total/ 120 hours cumulative
**Admission to TEP required