History Major, B.A. with Secondary Social Studies Teacher Licensure Concentration

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Department of History

College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Available Program Format(s): In-Person

About the Program

This program combines a History Education Major with a concentration in Secondary Social Studies licensure. It prepares teacher candidates to teach Social Studies subjects in diverse secondary schools with some additional training in culturally and linguistically diverse teaching.

Student Outcomes

Locate sources– Demonstrate the ability to locate sources when information is needed, and to evaluate the authenticity, validity, and reliability of resources applied to a specific purpose.
Communicate in writing– Communicate in writing with an awareness of audience, by using language conventions appropriate to the occasion and task.
Employ historical knowledge– Demonstrate historical knowledge of the United States, the world, and major regions of the world.
Understand context– Demonstrate, using historical sources, how context and contingency influence change over time.
Interpret evidence– Develop an effective historical interpretation and marshal primary and/or secondary source evidence to support it.
Demonstrate mastery of pedagogical strategies in Social Studies for secondary school teaching.
Connect Literacy and Math-Utilize literacy, including Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD), strategies as well as mathematics when teaching Social Studies.
Create Inclusive Teaching Environment-Create a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment that facilitates Social Studies learning for diverse populations, including CLD students.
Plan and deliver effective instruction in History, Civics, and Geography.
Demonstrate professionalism as a teacher candidate through ethical conduct, reflection, and leadership.
Demonstrate knowledge of first and second language acquisition and teaching strategies for CLD students.

General Studies Requirements: 33 credits

Students should consult the General Studies Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the General Studies Requirements for degree completion. Courses recommended below will satisfy both General Studies and Major or Concentration requirements.

Written Communication (6 credits)
Oral Communication (3 credits)
Quantitative Literacy (3 credits)
- Recommended: MTH 1610 - Integrated Mathematics I
Arts and Humanities (6 credits)
Historical (3 credits)
Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits)
- Recommended: GEG 1100 - Introduction to Physical Geography
Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits)
- Recommended: Two of the following: ANT 2330 - Cross-Cultural Communication , ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics , ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics , GEG 1000 - World Regional Geography , PSC 1010 - American National Government , or PSC 2230 - Introduction to International Relations
Global Diversity (0-3 credits).

** Students will fulfill the global diversity requirement by taking an approved course within one of the following categories: arts and humanities; historical; natural and physical sciences; or social and behavioral sciences.

Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Requirement: 0 or 3 credits

Students should consult the Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Graduation Requirement for a list of courses that fulfill the ESSJ Requirement for degree completion.
Many programs include courses that meet this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor to determine what program courses may fulfill this requirement.

History Major: 42 credits

The History Major requires thirty-nine (39) credits of History courses beyond the Historical General Studies requirement. A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course in this program to count toward licensure. Note that students can register strategically to apply their General Studies Global Diversity course requirement and the ESSJ course requirement toward History Major requirements below. All students should check with a departmental adviser to plan their selection of courses in the Major.

History Education Major Core: 12 credits

Students should complete four (4) introductory courses in History from the list below, one of which will also count for the Historical General Studies requirement. The department recommends that students choose at least TWO American History courses for the degree program to prepare for teaching at the secondary level.

HIS 1005 - Ancient Civilizations Credits: 3
HIS 1030 - World History to 1500 Credits: 3
HIS 1035 - The Medieval World Credits: 3
HIS 1040 - World History since 1500 Credits: 3
HIS 1045 - Europe, Renaissance to the Present Credits: 3
HIS 1150 - Multicultural America Credits: 3
HIS 1210 - American History to 1865 Credits: 3
HIS 1220 - American History since 1865 Credits: 3
HIS 1250 - China and East Asia Credits: 3
HIS 1270 - India and South Asia Credits: 3
HIS 1300 - Introduction to Latin American History Credits: 3
HIS 1600 - Women in World History Credits: 3
HIS 1700 - Nature and Society Credits: 3
HIS 1940 - Survey of African History Credits: 3

Upper-Division History Electives: 18 credits

Students need at least eighteen (18) upper-division elective credits for the History Major. These are 3000 and 4000 level History courses. Nine of these upper-division credits should focus on these specific regions. Note that course number ranges correspond to designated regions:

At least one upper-division course in American History (HIS 3400-3699)
At least one upper-division course in European History (HIS 3100-3399)
At least one upper-division course in World History (HIS 3700-3799)

Also recommended as upper-division History Electives are:

HIS 3425 - Colorado and the Nation (3 credits)
HIS 3720 - Themes in World History: Variable Topics (3 credits)
A Historical Writing and Thinking Course (HIS 3000-3050) (3 credits)

Broad History Electives: 9 credits

Nine (9) additional elective credits are needed for the History Major. These can be taken at the lower-division (HIS 1000-1999) or upper-division level (HIS 3000-3999).

There are some one-credit courses that can count toward this nine-credit elective requirement in the Major. These are:

HIS 3990 - History Pedagogy Laboratory (Note: this course can be repeated with different instructors)
HIS 3991 - Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (Note: this course can be repeated with different instructors)
HIS 4020 - Field Experience in Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools (Note: this course is required as a Foundations and Teachings Strategies Course below, but the one credit may only count once toward the degree total).

Major Capstone Course: 3 credits

The three-credit Social Studies methods course is typically taken along with HIS 4020 Field Experience in Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools.

HIS 4010 - Methods of Teaching Social Science: Secondary School Credits: 3

Additional Requirements for the Concentration in Secondary Social Studies Licensure: 52 credits

Social Science Courses: 21 credits

All students must complete twenty-one (21) credits in the following Social Science disciplines to prepare to teach secondary Social Studies. Note that six credits below can also satisfy the General Studies Social and Behavioral Sciences requirement. Additionally, GEG 1100 can satisfy three credits of the General Studies Natural and Physical Science requirement. So the subtotal of credits required for this section could drop to twelve if students also complete the recommended General Studies courses.

ANT 2330 - Cross-Cultural Communication Credits: 3
ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credits: 3
ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics Credits: 3
GEG 1000 - World Regional Geography Credits: 3
GEG 1100 - Introduction to Physical Geography Credits: 3
PSC 1010 - American National Government Credits: 3
PSC 2230 - Introduction to International Relations Credits: 3

Foundations and Strategies for Secondary Teaching: 31 credits

This Secondary Education Licensure Program prepares candidates to teach Social Studies courses in grades 6-12. With the courses and field experiences below, candidates satisfy the Colorado Department of Education Teacher Quality Standards for licensure in Secondary Education.

EDS 3130 - Foundations of Educational Psychology and Philosophy Credits: 4
EDS 3140 - First Field Experience in Secondary Education Credits: 1
EDS 3150 - Issues in Multicultural Education in Urban Secondary Schools Credits: 3
EDT 3010 - Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching Credits: 3
SED 3600 - Exceptional Learners in the Classroom Credits: 3
CLD 3510 - Perspectives in Education for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners Credits: 3
CLD 3910 - Assessment of English Language Learners Credits: 3
MTH 1610 - Integrated Mathematics I Credits: 3
Note: students who take this course to meet the General Studies Quantitative Literacy requirement will not have three additional credits in this section of their degree program.
EDS 3210 - Classroom Management, Planning, and Assessment in Secondary Schools Credits: 3
EDS 3240 - Field Experience: Classroom Management, Planning and Assessment in Secondary Schools Credits: 1
EDS 3280 - Disciplinary Literacy in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Schools Credits: 3
HIS 4020 - Field Experience in Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools Credits: 1

Senior Experience: 12 credits

Student Teaching offers an essential conclusion to this degree program. Typically, students should register for 12 credits of EDS 4290 in their final semester. Students who register for only 6 credits of EDS 4290 should also register for 6 credits of CLD 4590 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse: ESL Student Teaching and Seminar.

EDS 4290 - Student Teaching and Seminar: Secondary 7-12 Credits: 6,12

Summary of Requirements

General Studies Requirements	33 credits
ESSJ Requirement	0-3 credits
History Major Core	42 credits
Social Science Courses	21 credits
Foundations and Strategies for Secondary Teaching	31 credits
Senior Experience	12 credits
Total Credits for History Major, B.A. with Concentration in Secondary Social Studies Licensure	124 credits

Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and ESSJ requirements, so the total credits listed may be greater than the number required to complete the degree. Therefore, it is important that you work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting requirements for your degree.

Up to 15 of the 33 General Studies credits in this program may be fulfilled through requirements for the degree.