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

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Department of History

College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Available Program Format(s): In-Person

About the Program

This program combines a History 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 , PSC 1010 - American National Government , PSC 2230 - Introduction to International Relations or PSY 1001 - Introductory Psychology
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.
Note that several History courses in this degree program can fulfill the ESSJ 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 Teaching 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 1030 - World History to 1500 Credits: 3
HIS 1032 - Islam in History: From the Prophet to the Present Credits: 3
HIS 1040 - World History since 1500 Credits: 3
HIS 1150 - Race and Social Justice in U.S. History 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 1300 - Introduction to Latin American History Credits: 3
HIS 1940 - Survey of African History Credits: 3

Diversity and Human Rights Electives: 12 credits

Students need at least twelve (12) upper-division Diversity and Human Rights Elective credits for the History Major with a Social Studies Concentration. These are 3000-level History courses that offer preparation for teaching Secondary History in accordance with the Colorado Academic Standards (CAS). These standards were revised in 2022 to stress both the historical experiences of marginalized groups in the United States as well as Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights in World History.

Choose three (3) courses from this list of Electives offering Diverse Perspectives on American History

HIS 3440 - American Slavery Credits: 3
HIS 3490 - Native American History Credits: 3
HIS 3560 - Chicana/o History, 1836 to the Present Credits: 3
HIS 3580 - African American History II Credits: 3
HIS 3660 - American Protest: The History of Social Movements from the Cold War to the Twenty-First Century Credits: 3
HIS 3855 - History of Sexuality Credits: 3
Choose one (1) course from this list of Holocaust/Human Rights Elective Courses in history
HIS 3290 - Nazi Germany Credits: 3
HIS 3781 - Holocaust and Genocide: Memory and Method Credits: 3
HIS 3782 - History of Human Rights Credits: 3

Broad History Electives: 15 credits

Fifteen (15) additional elective credits are needed for the History Major. At least six (6) credits of these remaining Electives must be taken at the upper-division (3000-4000) level. As many as nine (9) credits can be lower-division (HIS 1000-1999) Electives.

One recommended Elective for Teaching World History:

HIS 3720 - Themes in World History: Variable Topics Credits: 3
Additionally, there are some one-credit courses that can fulfill this fifteen-credit Elective category. These are:
HIS 3990 - History Pedagogy Laboratory Credits: 1
HIS 3991 - Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Credits: 1-3
HIS 4020 - Field Experience in Teaching Social Studies in Secondary Schools Credits: 1
Note: HIS 3990 must be taken as a co-requisite with another HIS 3000-level course offered by the same instructor. HIS 3991 can be repeated with multiple instructors. HIS 4020 is required as a Foundations and Teachings Strategies course below.

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

Social Science Courses: 24-25 credits

All students must complete twenty-four or twenty-five 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 or GIS 1220 can satisfy three or four 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
PSC 1010 - American National Government Credits: 3
PSC 2230 - Introduction to International Relations Credits: 3
PSY 1001 - Introductory Psychology Credits: 3
Select ONE Human Geography Course. Either GEG 1000 or GEG 1300.
GEG 1000 - World Regional Geography Credits: 3
OR
GEG 1300 - Introduction to Human Geography Credits: 3
Select ONE Natural Science Geography Course. Either GEG 1100 or GEG 1220.
GEG 1100 - Introduction to Physical Geography Credits: 3
OR
GIS 1220 - Digital Earth: Geospatial Technologies Credits: 4

Foundations and Strategies for Secondary Teaching: 28 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 - Critical Sociocultural Lenses for Teachers 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
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.

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	42 credits
Social Science Courses	24-25 credits
Foundations and Strategies for Secondary Teaching	28 credits
Senior Experience	12 credits
Total Credits for History Major, B.A. with Concentration in Secondary Social Studies Licensure	124-125 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.