Students seeking teacher certification in grades four through eight in social studies must take the courses required for this major. In addition they must take required support courses designed to broaden their content knowledge in order to help them team plan with middle school teachers in other disciplines.
The purpose of this bachelor's degree is for students to become trained in the discipline of history. The objectives of this program are to acquaint students with the human past; to provide insight into the nature of the historic process; and to teach students to analyze and think critically about historical works and issues, and express their judgments clearly in writing. At the conclusion of this program students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of historiography, that is, a familiarity with a range of historical methods, theories, and schools of interpretation. They will also be able to research and write thesis-driven papers on historical topics, using appropriate sources.
This particular emphasis is designed for students to become certified to teach middle school social studies, which includes the fields of history, government, geography, and economics.
| Core Curriculum Courses | ||
| See the Core Curriculum Requirements | 42 | |
| Required courses in the major | ||
| HIST 303 | Historical Geography | 3 |
| HIST 305 | World History to 17th Century | 3 |
| HIST 306 | The Modern World | 3 |
| HIST 355 | Debates in Texas History & Memory | 3 |
| HIST 400 | Teaching and Learning in History and Social Studies | 3 |
| HIST 492 | Senior Research Seminar | 3 |
| Choose 3 sh from the following: | 3 | |
| HIST 342 | Colonial North America to 1763 | |
| HIST 343 | Revolutionary America, 1763-1789 | |
| HIST 344 | Early National United States, 1789-1850 | |
| HIST 345 | Civil War and Reconstruction | |
| HIST 346 | Modern United States 1850-1920 | |
| HIST 347 | The Twentieth-Century United States | |
| Choose 3 sh from the following: | 3 | |
| HIST 440 | Modern Civil Rights Movements | |
| HIST 443 | History of the American West | |
| HIST 450 | African American History | |
| HIST 453 | Mexican American History | |
| HIST 457 | Themes in United States History | |
| HIST 479 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in United States History | |
| Choose 3 sh from the following: | 3 | |
| HIST 332 | Ancient Europe and the Mediterranean World | |
| HIST 335 | The Medieval European World | |
| HIST 337 | Europe in the Age of Enlightenment and Revolution, 1648-1848 | |
| HIST 338 | Modern Europe, 1848-1991 | |
| HIST 432 | The Late Antique Mediterranean World | |
| HIST 433 | The Middle Ages | |
| HIST 434 | The European Reformations | |
| HIST 436 | Russia and the Soviet Union from Peter to Putin | |
| HIST 473 | Women and Gender in European History | |
| Choose 3 sh from the following: | 3 | |
| Modern East Asia | ||
| Modern India | ||
| Modern Middle East | ||
| Colonial Latin America | ||
| Latin America in the Modern Period | ||
| Themes in World History | ||
| Mapping Our World: An Introduction to Cartography | ||
| Food in World History | ||
| Global Enviro History | ||
| History of the Ottoman Empire | ||
| Themes in Asian or Middle East History | ||
| History of Modern Mexico | ||
| Political Science (choose 3 sh from the following) | 3 | |
| American Presidency | ||
| Amer Pol Par/Electoral Po | ||
| Public Opinion | ||
| Intro to Public Policy | ||
| Required support courses | ||
| PSY 300 | Learning Processes and Development | 3 |
| RDG 380 | Comprehension and Vocabulary in Middle and High Schools | 3 |
| RDG 450 | Middle School Reading: Theory & Practice | 3 |
| MLED 314 | Young Adolescent Development | 3 |
| MLED 435 | Integrating Instruction: Science, Mathematics, and Technology | 3 |
| MLED 402 | Best Practices in Pedagogy and Assessment | 3 |
| MLED 403 | Organization, Motivation, and Management in Middle Level Classrooms | 3 |
| MLED 410 | Fostering School, Family, and Community Relationships | 3 |
| MATH 1350 | Mathematics for Teachers I | 3 |
| MATH 1351 | Mathematics for Teachers II | 3 |
| SPED 346 | Survey of Exceptionalities | 3 |
| ELED 452 | Student Teaching in Field-Based Teacher Education Programs | 6 |
| Plus 3 sh from: | ||
| ELED 300 | Introduction To Teaching | 3 |
| or SED 300 | Teaching Profession | |
| Plus 3 sh from: | ||
| ELED 1301 | Education in Global Societ | 3 |
| or SED 1301 | Edu in a Global Society | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Any HIST 497 may be applied by the undergraduate advisor to the degree plan in the category according to the topic of the course.
A grade of “C” or higher must be earned in all History and Political Science courses required for this major. Fifteen semester hours of the major must be taken at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
