Social Studies Area with Teacher Certification (Secondary) – Bachelor of Arts

The Social Studies Area with Teacher Certification (secondary) prepares students for teacher certification at the secondary level (grades 8 through 12) in at least four social studies teaching fields. There is no non-teaching program. This program aligns with trends in teacher certification that foster streamlining of certification requirements and procedures. A minimum of nine semester hours in a teaching field is required for certification in Kentucky. This program consists of 60 hours of credit in history and related social sciences. Students should work closely with an advisor to receive approval for the exact content of their program of study in this program area.

TEP Admission Requirements

Students seeking teacher certification must apply for and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP). Additionally, to enroll in the clinical practice and meet state certification requirements, students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 overall (in all course work), as well as in professional education courses, with no grade lower than a "C" in professional education courses.

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) require admission to the Teacher Education Program.

Program Requirements

  1. Admission to MSU with an assigned academic advisor.
  2. Pursuance of program completion leading to teacher certification.
  3. Completion of at least 30 credit hours.
  4. Minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale; or a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on the last thirty (30) credit hours. All college courses attempted must be a part of the applicant's MSU transcript. Transcripts must reflect all transfer coursework completed to date. All transfer courses, as well as MSU credit, are used in calculating the GPA.
  5. Completion of the following five core courses with grades of “C” or better:
    1. ENG 100 – Writing I
    2. Mathematics General Education Requirement, as required by program
    3. COMS 108 – Fundamentals of Speech Communication
    4. EDF 207 – Foundations of Education (CTE and Agriculture Teaching candidates may substitute CTE 207) or UTCH 100 (MSUTeach programs)
    5. EDF 211 – Human Growth and Development (IECE candidates may substitute EDEC 253) or UTCH 150 (MSUTeach programs)

Testing Requirements

TEP candidates must obtain the following scores on the ACT exam:

  • Composite score of 22 or the corresponding minimum scores: Reading (20), English (18), and Mathematics (19),

OR, the following scores on the Praxis I Core Skills for Educators exam:

  • Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Combined 5752 Computer OR
  • Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics 5733 Computer (Minimum score 150) and
  • Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading 5713 Computer (Minimum score 156) and
  • Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing 5723 Computer (Minimum score 162)

An applicant may use a combination of ACT and Praxis I minimum scores to meet testing requirements. If an applicant is within five points of one or more of the corresponding minimum scores of the Praxis I assessments, the candidate may be admitted if the candidate has a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. For information about the Praxis exams and to register for the test, please visit the Praxis website at https://praxis.ets.org/.

Program Competencies

Students are expected to possess:

  1. The capacity to teach at the secondary level in at least three social studies disciplines, including history.
  2. Awareness of the social, political and economic systems that comprise contemporary societies as well as the growing interdependencies between societies as mediated by a global economy and shared concern for the physical environment.
  3. The ability to integrate and synthesize knowledge across disciplinary boundaries in order to accumulate realistic understanding of global, national and local issues.
  4. The ability to recognize and value the varied nature of the human condition across individuals and culture groups through the practice of social/historical analysis.
  5. The ability to express methods of social science investigation, conduct original studies and present findings of those investigations in written and oral format.
  6. The ability to assess and use electronic databases, information sites and various online resources, and to use various instructional and presentation programs.

Assessment

  1. National Teachers Examination (PRAXIS)
  2. Performance during professional semester
  3. Capstone Course

Program Requirements

General Education

General Education Courses(See GNED Course Listings)

33

Total Credit Hours:33

Refer to the General Education section for a complete listing of general education requirements for the University. Program requirements that are also general education requirements will count in both places (as applicable). Students must earn a "C" or better in ENG 100, COMS 108, and the GNED Math core. View the TEP Handbook at https://www.moreheadstate.edu/academics/colleges/education/teacher-education-program/ for additional information.

Area Core Requirements

ECON 101Introduction to Economics

3

EDSE 451Curriculum and Instruction for Social Studies*

3

GEO 103Physical Geography

3

GEO 201Map Interpretation and Analysis

3

GEO 300World Geography

3

POLS 140United States Government

3

HST 260American History to 1865

3

HST 261American History since 1865

3

HST 271World History Since 1500

3

HST 300Practicing History

3

EDSE 499DTeaching Social Studies*

3

Total Credit Hours:33

EDSE 499D: Offered fall semesters only and must be completed prior to professional semester.

Area Electives

Economics

ECON 201 or 202(choose one)

3

Total Credit Hours:3

History

HST 301-306 or HST 351 or HST 352(choose one)

3

HST 311-320 or HST 372(choose one)

3

HST 321-326 or HST 311 or HST 375(choose one)

3

HST 340-350(choose one)

3

Total Credit Hours:12

Geography

GEO electivesChoose 3 hours from GEO

3

Total Credit Hours:3

Political Science

Choose one of the following:
POLS 110Introduction to Political Theory

3

POLS 230Introduction to Comparative Politics

3

POLS 242State and Local Government

3

Total Credit Hours:3
Choose one of the following:
POLS 311Politics, Justice and the Good Life

3

POLS 312Classical and Medieval Political Thought

3

POLS 314American Political Thought

3

POLS 316Modern Political Thought

3

POLS 317Feminist Political Thought

3

POLS 318Contemporary Political Thought

3

POLS 319Islamic Political Thought

3

POLS 321Constitutional Law: Governmental Powers

3

POLS 322Courts and Civil Liberties

3

POLS 324Environmental Law and Policy

3

POLS 328Law, Government and Privacy in the Internet Age

3

POLS 329Comparative Constitutional Law and Politics

3

POLS 330European Parliamentary Democracies

3

POLS 331Politics of the Middle East and North Africa

3

POLS 332Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean

3

POLS 333Politics of Sub-Saharan Africa

3

POLS 334Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe

3

POLS 335Politics of Development and Democratization

3

POLS 336North American Politics: United States and Canada

3

POLS 337Politics of Asia

3

POLS 338Politics of Transition

3

POLS 342The American Presidency

3

POLS 343Political Parties and Elections

3

POLS 344Kentucky Government

3

POLS 350Political Behavior

3

POLS 352American Public Policy

3

POLS 354African-American Politics

3

POLS 388Comparative Foreign Policy

3

Total Credit Hours:3
Choose one of the following:
POLS 360International Relations

3

POLS 362Current World Problems

3

POLS 365United Nations and World Organizations

3

POLS 367Politics of International Economic Relations

3

POLS 368Human Rights and Global Justice

3

Total Credit Hours:3

Professional Education Requirements

EDF 207Foundations of Education

3

EDF 211Human Growth and Development

3

EDF 311Learning Theories, Assessment and Diversity*

3

EDSE 312Educational Methods and Technology*

3

EDSE 483Classroom Organization and Management for Secondary Teachers*

3

EDSP 230Education of Exceptional Children

3

EDSE 416Clinical Practice*

12

EDUC 476Content Area Literacy*

3

Total Credit Hours:33

Note: Refer to the College of Education for information on application to the Teacher Education Program and application for Clinical Practice.

Free Electives

Free Electives (chosen by student)

variable

Total Credit Hours: 120