Secondary Education (7-12), Social Studies, B.A.

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This program provides students the opportunity to prepare for a career in teaching Social Studies at the middle school and or high school level. Students in the program learn the content and pedagogical knowledge required to become transformative classroom teachers and to support their future students’ academic achievement. Content courses help students develop knowledge and skills in the field of Social Studies; including History, Geography, Economics, Government, and Sociology. Education courses help students learn the instructional techniques, assessment methods, and technological knowledge to succeed in today’s dynamic classrooms. Students pursuing certification in Secondary Education must complete the Department of Education certification requirements including engaging in field experiences in school settings, successfully completing the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA), and maintaining professional dispositions.

Requirements for Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Secondary Education Social Studies must complete a minimum of 124 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher, satisfy the College’s residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for First Year Seminar and all courses taken as part of Foundations. Courses used to complete the General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required to student teach and to obtain Pennsylvania teaching certification.

The General Education Requirements of the college require students to successfully complete First Year Seminar, Foundations, Disciplinary Perspectives, and a Constellation. Students who enter the college with 30 credit hours completed will not take a First Year Seminar course and therefore must take an additional 3 credits for graduation. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation. However, all Education majors are required to take courses found in the Children and Family Constellation as part of their teaching certification requirements. For Secondary Education majors these include PSY221, SPE200 and SPE301 or an approved transfer course meeting these course competencies.

In addition, students majoring in Secondary Education Social Studies must achieve a 3.0 or higher in each of the following six courses- FCO105, FYS110, MAT115, MAT150, SE210 and SE220. Students seeking certification in Secondary Education Social Studies will be required to have a minimum of 190 hours of Field Experience prior to the Student Teaching semester and meet specific requirements as noted in the Certification Requirements section in the Department of Education.

General Education Requirement

First Year Seminar

FYS 110 (EDU200) Education in Today’s Society 3 credit hours

Foundations Requirements

FCO 105 Rhetorical Communication 3 credit hours
Advanced Communication:

Satisfied by major
Quantitative Fluency:

Satisfied by major
American Citizenship course:
PS 101 (PS141) American Government and Citizenship 3 credit hours
Global Citizenship course:
G 100 (G243) World Regional Geography 3 credit hours

Disciplinary Perspectives Requirement

Humanities course:
LIT 200 Introduction to Literary and Textual Studies 3 credit hours
Choose one of the following Arts courses:
ART 101 Art and Visual Culture 3 credit hours
CRW 272 Introduction to Creative Writing 3 credit hours
MUS 186 (MUS200) Listening to Music 3 credit hours
THE 154 Introduction to Theatre 3 credit hours
Social and Behavioral Sciences course:
PSY 100 General Psychology 3 credit hours
Choose one of the following Natural/Physical Sciences courses:
BIO 204 (BIO110) Exploring Biology 3 credit hours
CHM 240 Perspectives on the Molecular World 3 credit hours
ESS 254 Local Perspectives on the Geological World 3 credit hours

Constellation Requirement

The Constellation requirement is met when a student completes four courses from a minimum of three disciplines within the Constellation requirements. Transfer students that are awarded 60 or more credits upon acceptance to York College will not be required to complete a Constellation except for Education majors.

All education majors are required to declare the Children and Family constellation as part of their General Education requirements. This constellation provides coursework in areas that relate directly to the field of education such as child development, literacy development and English language learners. The content in these specific courses will includes competencies that are required to earn a Pennsylvania Teaching Certification. The courses include PSY 221 , SPE 200 , SPE 301 and a course that is required in this major (EDU 225 ).

Required Major Courses:

Pre-Professional Education Coursework

ANT 220 Cultural Anthropology 3 credit hours
ECO 200 Principles of Economics (Macro) 3 credit hours
EDU 225 Instructional Needs of English Language Learners 3 credit hours
EDU 240 Educational Assessment 2 credit hours
EDU 260 Effective Communication in the Field of Education 3 credit hours
HIS 101 The Foundation of the West 3 credit hours
HIS 102 The West in the World 3 credit hours
HIS 111 American Civilization I 3 credit hours
HIS 112 American Civilization II 3 credit hours
HIS 200 Methods and Theory in History 3 credit hours
HIS 386 Historical Geography of North America 3 credit hours
HIS 499 Senior Seminar in History 3 credit hours
MAT 115 Mathematical Foundations 3 credit hours
MAT 150 Using Data to Improve Decision Making 3 credit hours
SE 201 Secondary Program Field Experience I 2 credit hours
SE 210 Educational Technology for Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours
SE 220 Curriculum Development for Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours
SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology 3 credit hours
PS 302 International Relations 3 credit hours
OR
PS 479 European Union 3 credit hours

History Elective

Choose one 3 credit history course, 200 level or higher.

Pro Seminar

Choose one of the following. This course must be completed prior to HIS499.

HIS 363 Coming of the Civil War 1846-1861 3 credit hours
HIS 365 The Emergence of Modern America, 1877-1914 3 credit hours
HIS 402 The Black Death 3 credit hours
HIS 420 The First World War 3 credit hours
HIS 421 Nazi Germany and the Holocaust 3 credit hours
HIS 452 Creation of the American Nation 3 credit hours

Professional Preparation Courses

Must attain PPES status to complete. PPES requirements, click here.

SE 301 Secondary Program Field Experience II 3 credit hours
SE 351 Teaching Strategies for Middle and Secondary Education 3 credit hours
SE 352 Middle and Secondary Social Studies Pedagogies 3 credit hours
SE 356 Reading and Writing in the Content Areas 3 credit hours
SE 460 Community and Legal Issues in the Secondary School 3 credit hours
SPE 300 Effective Instructional Methods and Supports for Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings 3 credit hours

Student Teaching Semester

SE 494 Professional Practicum in Student Teaching 2 credit hours
SE 495 Student Teaching 10 credit hours

Suggested Course Sequence: