Major in Social Sciences with Concentration in Secondary Education
Social Sciences majors with a concentration in Secondary Education are eligible to apply for Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) licensure to teach history/social studies at the secondary level upon successful completion of the program and MSDE testing requirements. Please visit the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education catalog page for admission requirements.
Curricular requirements may be revised due to changes in state licensure requirements, and therefore, students should work with their adviser to ensure they are following the correct program plan.
In addition to the Core Curriculum requirements and the requirements specified by the Department of Secondary Education, students must complete 45 units with a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher from among the following courses. Students must also complete a Social Sciences portfolio.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ECON 201 | MICROECONOMIC PRINCIPLES | 3 |
| ECON 202 | MACROECONOMIC PRINCIPLES | 3 |
| HIST 102 | EUROPE: FROM THE AGE OF CAESAR TO THE AGE OF CALVIN, FIRST TO SEVENTEENTH CENTURY | 3 |
| or HIST 103 | HISTORY OF EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION FROM THE 17TH CENTURY | |
| HIST 145 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE CIVIL WAR | 3 |
| HIST 146 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE CIVIL WAR | 3 |
| HIST 161 | WORLD HISTORY SINCE 1300 | 3 |
| HIST xxx | An additional course about world, African, Asian or Latin American History | 3 |
| POSC 103 | AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT | 3 |
| PSYC 101 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| SOCI 101 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY | ||
| WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY | ||
| GEOGRAPHY OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GEOGRAPHY | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | ||
| GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | ||
| STATE GOVERNMENT | ||
| One Core 9 Advanced Writing Seminar course from HIST, POSC, or GEOG | 3 | |
| One upper-level (300-400) course in ECON, GEOG, HIST, POSC, or SOCI (must be taken at Towson University). | 3 | |
| Total Units | 45 | |
Secondary Education Requirements
In addition to majoring in one of the licensure subject areas and satisfying the University Core Curriculum requirements, students must complete the courses listed below.
Minimum requirements for admission into teacher education programs, maintaining candidate status and formal entry into the capstone internship are outlined on the Standards for Teacher Education page in the Undergraduate Catalog.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary Education General Requirements (12 Units) | ||
| EDUC 202 | HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES: AMERICA'S URBAN SCHOOLS (Core 10) | 3 |
| EDUC 203 | TEACHING AND LEARNING IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY (Core 13) | 3 |
| HIST 145 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE CIVIL WAR (Core 11) | 3 |
| or HIST 146 | HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE THE CIVIL WAR | |
| SCED 304 | EDUCATION, ETHICS AND CHANGE (Core 14) | 3 |
| Secondary Education Professional Education Requirements (44-47 Units) | ||
| ISTC 301 | INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| SCED 305 | ADOLESCENT LEARNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND DIVERSITY (prerequisite: PSYC 101) | 3 |
| SCED 343 | FOUNDATIONS OF TEACHING THE ADOLESCENT LEARNER IN THE SECONDARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM | 3 |
| SCED 344 | ASSESSMENT IN THE SECONDARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM | 3 |
| SCED 401 | ANALYZING THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| SCED 460 | USING LITERACY IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS 1 | 3 |
| SCED 461 | TEACHING LITERACY IN THE SECONDARY CONTENT AREAS 2 | 3 |
| SCED 498 | CLINICAL EXPERIENCE I | 3 |
| SCED 499 | CLINICAL EXPERIENCE II 2 | 6 |
| SPED 301 | INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION | 3 |
| Methods Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following based on major: | 3-6 | |
| TEACHING MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE | ||
| TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL | ||
AND | ||
SCED 418 | TOPICS IN SOCIAL STUDIES (approval pending) | |
| TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOL and YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE | ||
| Internship Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following based on major: | 12 | |
| INTERNSHIP IN SECONDARY EDUCATION- ENGLISH | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN FRENCH EDUCATION | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN SECONDARY EDUCATION- HISTORY | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN SPANISH EDUCATION | ||
| INTERNSHIP IN SECONDARY EDUCATION- SOCIAL SCIENCE | ||
| Total Units | 56-59 | |
- 1
Taken concurrently with SCED 343 and SCED 498 and shares a required field experience.
- 2
Taken at a professional development school in the fall term. Taken concurrently with Methods of Teaching in the content areas and SCED 344. (See Content Areas in the above listings.)
The Professional Year and Full Time Internship
All teacher candidates conduct their internship in Professional Development Schools (PDS). These are schools in which there is a partnership between the schools and the College of Education (COE). All students wishing to enroll in their internship courses must meet with their Secondary School adviser to receive permission to register. Students will not be admitted to the internship without prior approval of an adviser.
Sample Four-Year Plan
The selected course sequence below is an example of the simplest path to degree completion. Based on course schedules, student needs, and student choice, individual plans may vary. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices and to ensure that they have completed the required number of units (120) to graduate.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| GEOG 101 (Core 8) | 3 | ECON 201 | 3 |
| HIST 145 (Core 11) | 3 | HIST 146 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (Core 6) | 3 | SOCI 101 | 3 |
| Core 1 or Core 2 | 3 | Core 2 or Core 1 | 3 |
| Core 3 | 3 | Core 7 | 4 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| EDUC 202 (Core 10) | 3 | ECON 202 | 3 |
| GEOG 102, 105, 109, or 221 | 3 | EDUC 203 (Core 13) | 3 |
| HIST 102 or 103 (Core 5) | 3 | HIST 161 (Core 12) | 3 |
| POSC 103 | 3 | HIST additional world history course | 3 |
| Core 4 | 3 | POSC 101, 105, 107, or 207 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| Core 9 course taken in HIST, POSC, or GEOG | 3 | SCED 305 | 3 |
| Upper-level course in ECON, GEOG, HIST, POSC, or SOCI | 3 | SCED 343 | 3 |
| ISTC 301 | 3 | SCED 418 (pending approval) | 3 |
| SCED 304 (Core 14) | 3 | SCED 460 | 3 |
| SPED 301 | 3 | SCED 498 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| SCED 344 | 3 | SCED 396 | 12 |
| SCED 355 | 3 | SCED 401 | 3 |
| SCED 461 | 3 | ||
| SCED 499 | 6 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Units 121 | |||
- Demonstrate an understanding of specific disciplines of the social sciences, including basic and advanced concepts, the vocabulary of the disciplines, the ability to do research in the field, and awareness of recent developments in the disciplines.
- Integrate information from the various disciplines of the social sciences and demonstrate an understanding of interdisciplinary connections.
- Write clearly and effectively on subjects related to the social sciences.
- Engage issues in the social sciences analytically and do meaningful, original work.
Five Core Competencies for Social Studies Teacher Education
- Standard 1. Content Knowledge Candidates demonstrate knowledge of social studies disciplines. Candidates are knowledgeable of disciplinary concepts, facts, and tools; structures of inquiry; and forms of representation.
- Standard 2. Application of Content Through Planning Candidates plan learning sequences that leverage social studies knowledge and literacies, technology, and theory and research to support the civic competence of learners.
- Standard 3. Design and Implementation of Instruction and Assessment Candidates design and implement instruction and authentic assessments, informed by data literacy and learner self-assessment, that promote civic competence.
- Standard 4. Social Studies Learners and Learning Candidates use knowledge of learners to plan and implement relevant and responsive pedagogy, create collaborative and interdisciplinary learning environments, and prepare learners to be informed advocates for an inclusive and equitable society.
- Standard 5. Professional Responsibility and Informed Action Candidates reflect and expand upon their social studies knowledge, inquiry skills, and civic dispositions to advance social justice and promote human rights through informed action in schools and/or communities.