Social Science Education

About this Composite Major

The curriculum for a Social Science Education major is designed to enhance your understanding and interest in professional education within the Social Science area as well as to produce a Social Science professional who is a knowledge-based decision-maker. The curriculum encompasses a wide range of areas: geography, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and history; all explore the ways that human beings, as societies or cultures, relate to each other and their environments and how they establish structured systems to effectively govern and administer their activities. Each area has a distinct knowledge base and point of view that collectively form a cohesive grouping of studies designed to train students to deal with people in a wide variety of settings and help manage the problems of society.

Meet a Student

VCSU student Alyssa Ames stands on campus

"Coming into VCSU I was undecided but knew I had an interest in education. During my freshman year I declared my major as History Education and later found out about the Social Science Education major, which I transferred to my sophomore year. The Social Science Education major provides a broader study of the social sciences and allows me as a future educator to teach more subjects and topics within Social Studies. My classes range from history, political science, geography, economics, and sociology under the composite major. The Social Science Education major allows the opportunity to explore all areas which greatly appealed to me.“ - Alyssa Ames, Northwood, N.D., Social Science Education student

"The online History Education program at VCSU is excellent. My advisor supported me throughout my time in the program, and the professors that I took classes with were very helpful and always available when needed. My time in the History Education program has been a positive experience. I received a high-quality education that pushed me to grow academically, as well as prepared me to go into the classroom successfully." - Christine Fandrich '21

“The VCSU Social Science Department truly prepared me to excel in the classroom during my student teaching experience. Because of the department’s guidance and command of the subject matter, I entered the school confident in my teaching abilities. The professors not only taught us content, but also strategies to implement to teach the social sciences in an informative and engaging way. I feel very grateful to have learned from the professors I did, and very satisfied about my teaching style that was cultivated due, in part, to this program.” —Scott Westby ’15, Sheyenne, N.D.

Hands-On Experiences

The Barnes County Museum has multiple ways for students to get involved in hands-on social science work, including educating visistors about Bob, the dinosaur, on display in the museum.

The Barnes County Historical Museum gives students the opportunities for practical, hands-on experience, archives for research, and community involvement. In comparison to the History Education degree, Social Science Education is broader in coursework, preparing students to meet more diverse needs. Job opportunities in this field of education are currently very strong, and most of our graduates readily find teaching positions.

Explore Social Science

Accreditations

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Get Involved in your Major

VCSU history students gather together during the annual Marketplace event in the fall semester.

VCSU has an active Phi Alpha Theta/History Club, allowing students to develop leadership skills and promote history across campus. Students have opportunities to present their research at the Dakota History Conference and the Northern Great Plains History Conference, in regional, professional history settings. The Social Science Department also periodically organizes overseas travel opportunities for VCSU students.

Teacher Education Requirements

Students are typically admitted into Teacher Education during their sophomore year or beginning of their junior year of college. This program requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher and successful completion of the Praxis I test. Additional criteria for Admission to Teacher Education can be found at the following website: www.onestop.vcsu.edu.

Practical Experience

As a Social Science Education major you are placed into schools for a series of field experiences including Introduction to Education (40 hours); Practicum (80 hours); Culturally Diverse Practicum (25 hours involving 3 consecutive full days in a classroom), and a twelve-week student teaching field experience completed in a location that works well for the student and university. Student teaching is the culminating experience of the program and the opportunity for students to apply all they have learned regarding their classroom preparation and field experience opportunities.

Contact Information

Department Chair

Dr. Emily Fenster, emily.fenster@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7313

Faculty Contact

Dr. Steven King, steven.king@vcsu.edu, (701) 845-7108

Department Location

McFarland Hall 315, (701) 845-7301

Schedule your visit today!

http://visit.vcsu.edu/

(701) 845-7101 or (800) 532-8641

General Education Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
English Composition
Select one of the following:		6
ENGL 110	College Composition I
ENGL 120	College Composition II
or ENGL 125	Introduction to Professional Writing
or
ENGL 120	College Composition II
or ENGL 125	Introduction to Professional Writing
ENGL 210	College Composition III: Persuasive Writing
Speech Communication
Select one of the following:		3
COMM 110	Fundamentals of Public Speaking
COMM 212	Interpersonal Communication
COMM 216	Intercultural Communication
Mathematics
Select one of the following:		3
MATH 103	College Algebra
MATH 104	Finite Mathematics
MATH 107	Precalculus
MATH 110	Mathematics in Society
MATH 165	Calculus I
MATH 210	Elementary Statistics
Lab Science
Select two of the following, one must come from the Natural and Physical Sciences category		8
Natural and Physical Sciences (ND:LABSC)
BIOL 111	Concepts of Biology
BIOL 150	General Biology I
BIOL 151	General Biology II
BIOL 170	General Zoology
CHEM 115	Introductory Chemistry
CHEM 116	Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry
CHEM 121	General Chemistry I
CHEM 122	General Chemistry II
GEOL 100	Introduction to Earth Science
GEOL 106	The Earth Through Time
PHYS 100	Concepts of Physics
PHYS 110	Introductory Astronomy
PHYS 211	College Physics I
PHYS 212	College Physics II
PHYS 251	University Physics I
PHYS 252	University Physics II
Additional Sciences (ND:SCI)
PSYC 240	Cognition and Brain Science
TECH 161	Technology, Engineering, and Design
TECH 165	Technology Solutions for Society
Wellness
Select one of the following:		2
HPER 100	Concepts of Fitness and Wellness
HPER 212	Introduction to Stress Management
Computer Science and Literacy
Select one of the following:		3
CIS 147	Principles of Information Security
CIS 170	Introduction to Computer Information Systems ¹
CSCI 120	Introduction to Programming
CSCI 127	Introduction to Programming in Java
CSCI 160	Introduction to Structured Programming I
CSCI 289	Social Implications of Computer Technology ¹
SE 110	Discovering Computing
Humanities
Literacies
Select one of the following:		3
ASL 101	American Sign Language I
ASL 102	American Sign Language II
COMM 211	Oral Interpretation
ENGL 220	Introduction to Literature
ENGL 225	Introduction to Film
ENGL 231	Bible as Literature
ENGL 232	Mythology
ENGL 236	Women and Literature
ENGL 241	World Literature I
ENGL 242	World Literature II
ENGL 261	American Literature I
ENGL 262	American Literature II
HUM 201	Civilization, Thought, and Literary Heritage
PSYC 200	Ethics and Philosophy of Science
SPAN 101	1st Year Spanish I
SPAN 102	1st Year Spanish II
SPAN 201	2nd Year Spanish I
SPAN 202	2nd Year Spanish II
THEA 110	Introduction to Theatre Arts
Art and Music
Select one of the following:		3
ART 110	Introduction to the Visual Arts
ART 115	Introduction to Digital Media
ART 210	Art History I
ART 211	Art History II
ART 233	History of Craft
HUM 202	Fine Arts and Aesthetics
MUS 100	Music Appreciation
MUS 101	Music Fundamentals
MUS 201	World Music
MUS 207	History of Popular/Rock Music
Social Science
Select 6 credits from the following:		6
COMM 112	Understanding Media and Social Change
COMM 114	Human Communication
ECON 201	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
GEOG 151	Human Geography
HIST 103	United States to 1877
HIST 104	United States to Present
HIST 211	World Civilizations to 1500
HIST 212	World Civilizations since 1500
HIST 267	Environmental History
HIST 270	Native American Studies
POLS 115	American National Government
POLS 116	State and Local Government
PSYC 111	Introduction to Psychology
SOC 110	Introduction to Sociology
SOC 111	Introduction to Anthropology
Additional Humanities or Social Science
Select one additional course from Humanities or Social Science or select from the following:		2
ART 122	Two-Dimensional Design
ART 130	Drawing I
ART 150	Ceramics I
ART 180	Photography I
GEOG 111	Survey of Geography
MUS 104	Group Piano for Non-Majors
MUS 105	Group Piano for Non-Majors
MUS 130	Valkyries
MUS 131	Concert Choir
MUS 140	Athletic Band
MUS 141	Concert Band
PHYS 275	Planetarium Science
THEA 201	Theatre Practicum
Total Credits		39

¹: Course satisfies the Digital Literacy graduation requirement.

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
HIST 490	Methods of Teaching Social Science	3
HIST 491	Senior Capstone	1
History Courses
HIST 103	United States to 1877 ¹	3
HIST 104	United States to Present ¹	3
HIST 211	World Civilizations to 1500	3
HIST 212	World Civilizations since 1500	3
HIST 220	North Dakota History	3
HIST 400	Historiography	3
HIST 470	Topics in Non-Western History	3
Economics Courses
Select 12 hours from the following:		12
ECON 201	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 202	Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 345	International Political Economy
ECON 460	The Atlantic World
Geography Courses
Select 12 hours from the following:		12
GEOG 100	Introduction to Earth Science
GEOG 111	Survey of Geography
GEOG 151	Human Geography ¹
GEOG 300	Environmental Earth Science
GEOG 320	Applied Geography Workshop
GEOG 325	History and Geography of England and Britain
GEOG 362	Geography of North America
GEOG 394	Independent Study
GEOG 399	Special Topics
GEOG 460	The Atlantic World
GEOG 492	Field Experience in Geography
Political Science Courses
Select 12 hours from the following:		12
POLS 115	American National Government ¹
POLS 116	State and Local Government ¹
POLS 220	International Politics
POLS 340	Research Methods
POLS 375	U.S. Constitution: Federalism
POLS 376	U.S. Constitution: Civil Liberties
POLS 380	The American Presidency
POLS 420	Comparative Politics
Psychology/Sociology Courses
Select 6 hours from the following:		6
PSYC 310	Behavior Modification
PSYC 350	Social Psychology
SOC 220	The Family
SOC 300	Race, Ethnic, and Gender Relations
Total Credits		67

¹: Required

Total General Education 39 Hrs
Total Major Requirement 67 Hrs
Total Professional Education Sequence 32-33 Hrs
Total Credits Needed to Graduate 138 Hrs

Professional Education Sequence

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Professional Education Sequence
EDUC 240	Educating Exceptional Students	3
EDUC 250	Introduction to Education	3
EDUC 283	Understanding Cultural Diversity in Education	3
EDUC 300	Educational Technology	2
EDUC 351	Secondary Practicum and Classroom Management	1
EDUC 352	Culturally Diverse Practicum	1
or EDUC 464	Practicum in the ELL Classroom
EDUC 375	Teaching Reading in the Content Areas	2
EDUC 400	Educational Psychology	2
EDUC 450	Trends in Assessment and Educational Issues	2
EDUC 480	Student Teaching (Secondary)	10
PSYC 250	Developmental Psychology	3
Total Credits		32

For degree and graduation requirements, visit degree requirements and graduation requirements.

Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
CIS 170 (Gen Ed)	3	ENGL 120 (Gen Ed)	3
COMM 212 (Gen Ed)	3	GEOG 151	3
ENGL 110 (Gen Ed)	3	HIST 104	3
HIST 103	3	HIST 267 (Gen Ed)	3
MATH 210 (Gen Ed)	3	HPER 100 (Gen Ed)	2
POLS 115	3	Lab Science (Gen Ed)	4
UNIV 150	1
	19		18
Second Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
EDUC 250	3	ECON 202	3
ECON 201	3	ECON 460	3
HIST 211	3	EDUC 283	3
Lab Science (Gen Ed)	4	GEOG 111	3
POLS 116	3	HIST 212	3
PSYC 111 (Gen Ed)	3	PSYC 250	3
	19		18
Third Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
Art and Music (Gen Ed)	3	EDUC 240	3
EDUC 300	2	EDUC 450	2
HIST 470	3	GEOG 325	3
Literacies (Gen Ed)	3	GEOG 362	3
POLS 220	3	GEOG 460	3
POLS 376	3	HIST 220	3
	17		17
Fourth Year
Fall	Credits	Spring	Credits
EDUC 351	1	EDUC 480	10
EDUC 352	1	HIST 491	1
EDUC 375	2
HIST 400	3
HIST 490	3
PSYC 330	3
SOC 300	3
EDUC 400	2
	18		11
Total Credits 137

Please note: This plan is intended for general information only. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their academic advisor each semester before registration.

Learning Outcomes

Content: Students will accumulate knowledge and understanding of the necessary material to establish historical context and causality. Content will be demonstrated by thesis driven, evidence based responses to historical scenarios.
Social theory: Students will develop an understanding of the philosophies, methodologies, and theories that define, give meaning to, and shape scholarly understanding of the social sciences. Social theory will be demonstrated through thesis driven research that applies relevant theories or methodologies to historical writing.
Application: Students will demonstrate their content knowledge and understanding of social theory and use them in a manner that illustrates that they can apply it in real world experiences.