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2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Social Studies

Coordinator: Galbraith. Professor: ONeill; Associate Professor: Cooley; Assistant Professors: Andrews, Stabler.

The major in Social Studies is designed for students seeking teacher certification in secondary or middle school social studies or in elementary education. The major includes a minimum of 42 credit hours in economics, geography, history, and political science. Students seeking teacher certification also complete an appropriate minor and the professional program offered by the College of Education. The social studies major meets State of Michigan content standards for teacher preparation in social studies, which require at least six credit hours and two courses in each of the four disciplines and at least 18 credits and six courses in one of the four areas. In order to meet State Certification requirements for non duplication of credits in the Major and the Minor, it is necessary to have 36 unduplicated credits in a group Major and 18 unduplicated credits in the Minor.

All Social Studies majors complete the core courses and select an area of concentration from the component disciplines. Students must complete a substantial portion of the major, including SST 310, before admission to the College of Education. The College of Education requires that candidates for admission present an overall GPA of 2.7 as well as a GPA of 2.7 in the major and minor. Students may earn the B.A. or the B.S. degree. Students seeking the B.A. must demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language; students seeking the B.S. complete STA 215, SS 300, and ED 205. Students who decide not to seek teacher certification may complete the Social Studies major and receive a bachelors degree without completing the professional program in education; such students may graduate with a GPA lower than 2.7 provided they meet the universitys minimum requirements.

Transfer and post-graduate students seeking a teachable major in social studies should consult Janet Robinson, Arts and Humanities Teacher Certification Advisor, for an evaluation of their previous work. Post-baccalaureate students must present a record substantially equivalent to that required of Grand Valley State University undergraduates; such students whose previous academic work is not equivalent to the Grand Valley program or whose previous work does not include at least six credits and two courses in each of the four disciplines and at least 18 credits and six courses in one of the disciplines must take additional courses to meet those requirements. Post-baccalaureate students seeking admission to the College of Educations undergraduate professional program must also take SST 310, Strategies for social studies teachers, before admission to the College of Education.

Requirements for a Major in Social Studies

Core:

The following course must be taken with or after Student Assisting or Student Teaching:

Concentration:

Students take a total of six courses (at least 18 credits) in the area of concentration. Students may select any of the four disciplines as their area of concentration; core courses may be included among the six required for the concentration. In order to meet State Teacher Certification requirements for non duplication of credits in the Major and the Minor, it is necessary to have 36 unduplicated credits in a group Major and 18 unduplicated credits in the Minor.

Requirements for each concentration follow:

Geography:

Core plus four geography courses numbered between GPY 345 and 370.

History:

Core plus two history courses numbered between HST 301 and 391; at least one course must be in European or non-Western history (see Categories 2 and 3 in the History Major section of the catalog).

Political Science:

Core plus four courses, including:

Economics: (for secondary candidates only):

Core plus two economics courses and


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