Program Description
The Social Studies concentration of the Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Level Education degree prepares students to teach social studies to children in grades 4 through 8. Upon successful completion of this program, students will earn a bachelor's degree and be eligible for Pennsylvania teaching certification.
Delivery Mode
Traditional (on campus)
Accreditation
This undergraduate degree program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Cal U's education programs have also been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954, and we are continuing with the successor organization, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
The following eight-semester schedule of courses provides a recommended framework for completing this program of study in four years.
| Course | Credits |
| Freshman Year | |
| First Semester | 16 |
| ENG 101 English Composition I | 3 |
| HIS 101 U.S. History to 1877 | 3 |
| MAT 120 Elementary Topics in Math I | 3 |
| PSY 206 Adolescent Psychology | 3 |
| UNI 100 First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| Fine Arts Course | 3 |
| Second Semester | 18 |
| CHD 250 Teaching Health and Physical Education | 3 |
| ESP 210 Special Education Foundation and Collaboration | 3 |
| HIS 102 U.S. History since 1877 | 3 |
| MAT 130 Elementary Topics in Math II | 3 |
| Any Approved American/British Literature Course | 3 |
| Natural Science with Lab | 3 |
| Sophomore Year | |
| Third Semester | 15 |
| CHD 350 Family and Community Collaborations | 3 |
| ELM 200 Intro to Middle Level Education | 3 |
| GEO 100 Intro to Geography | 3 |
| HIS 112 World History since 1500 | 3 |
| MAT 181 College Algebra | 3 |
| Fourth Semester | 15 |
| ECO 100 Elements of Economics | 3 |
| ELM 220 Instruction and Assessment in 4-8 Class | 3 |
| ESP 311 Assessment and Positive Behavior Intervention* | 3 |
| POS 105 American National Government | 3 |
| PSY 208 Educational Psychology | 3 |
| Junior Year | |
| Fifth Semester | 15 |
| ELM 302 Language Arts Methods Assessment* | 3 |
| ELM 321 Science Methods Assessment* | 3 |
| ELM 331 Social Studies Methods Assessment* | 3 |
| HIS 200 History of Pennsylvania | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 |
| Sixth Semester | 15 |
| CHD 413 Content Area Literacy Field Experience* |
3 |
| ELM 301 Reading Methods Assessment* | 3 |
| ELM 311 Math Methods Assessment* | 3 |
| EDU 333 Technology for Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| Approved Social Studies Concentration Course | 3 |
| Senior Year | |
| Seventh Semester | 15 |
| CHD 450 Assessment and Data Literacy* | 3 |
| EDU 350 Supporting English Language Learners | 3 |
| EDU 375 Intro to Integrated STEM Education | 3 |
| ELM 415 Middle Level Field Experience* | 3 |
| ESP 412 Evidence Based Practices* | 3 |
| Eighth Semester | 12 |
| ELM 461 Student Teaching* | 12 |
| Total | 121 |
Program Notes
- Course titles in bold are scheduled together and must be taken at the same time.
- ALL ELM, CHD and ESP courses require current clearances and minimum 2.5 GPA to register for course, except ELM 200 and 220, which require a 2.0 GPA to register.
- All courses required for certification with a grade of C- or lower must be repeated.
- Candidates must follow policies for Admission to Teacher Education as stated in the Teacher Education Handbook.
- Courses marked with an asterisk are restricted to candidates admitted to Teacher Education.
- Pre-requisite for ELM 220 and all 300-level ELM and CHD courses is ELM 200.
- State licensure for exams must be passed before student teaching.
- Current clearances are required prior to enrolling in program courses.
Approved British or American Literature Courses
- ENG 107 Introduction to Fiction
- ENG 125 The American West
- ENG 127 Woman as Hero
- ENG 148 Horror in Literature
- ENG 150 Baseball in Literature
- ENG 155 Black Literature
- ENG 160 Introduction to British & American Literature
- ENG 203 Great Books
- ENG 301 English Literature I (pre-requisite ENG 101, 102)
- ENG 302 English Literature II (pre-requisite ENG 101, 102)
- ENG 337 Survey of American Literature I (pre-requisite ENG 101, 102)
- ENG 338 Survey of American Literature II (pre-requisite ENG 101, 102)
- HON 250 Honors Comp II (pre-requisite HON 150)
Concentration Courses
Take one of the concentration courses listed below:
- ECO 200 Current Economics Issues
- ECO 201 Principles of Microeconomics
- ECO 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
- GEO 105 Human Geography
- GEO 217 Demographic Analysis
- GEO 220 Geography of North America and PA
- POS 101 Contemporary Policy and Politics
- POS 306 The Congress
- POS 310 The Presidency
Additional Requirements
Students accepted into a teacher certification program must be admitted to Teacher Education before they may register for upper-level, restricted courses. Please refer to the Teacher Education Program Student Handbook for details on Admission to Teacher Education requirements.
Accelerated Bachelor's-to-Master's Program
Accelerated bachelor's-to-master's programs are also available to undergraduate students who qualify, including:
- B.S.Ed. in Middle Level Education: Social Studies to M.Ed. in Reading Specialist
- B.S.Ed. in Middle Level Education: Social Studies to M.Ed. in Integrative STEM Education K-12
Curriculum requirements are listed under the "Accelerated Programs" section of this catalog.
Program Webpage
https://www.calu.edu/academics/undergraduate/bachelors/middle-level-education/social-studies.aspx