COURSE CURRICULUM

The History (Social Studies Education) BA program (122 hours) is a teacher-licensure degree designed to prepare students to become certified social studies teachers in schools, combining strong academic history training with education methods and classroom practice. The program is built around general education requirements such as written communication (ENG 101–102), natural sciences with lab courses, humanities courses including world literature and philosophy, social and behavioral sciences like psychology, sociology, economics, and government, as well as a mathematics requirement and communication-focused speaking and writing intensive courses. Students also complete major-specific academic history courses including world civilizations, U.S. history, Latin American history, Mississippi history, European history, Asian or African history, and a research seminar that develops advanced writing and historical analysis skills. Unlike general history degrees, this program strongly emphasizes teaching preparation, requiring education-focused coursework such as classroom management, literacy in content areas, educational psychology, tests and measurements, teaching methods for social studies, and a supervised practicum plus full student teaching semesters (HIS 490–491), which serve as the capstone experience. Additional requirements include political science, geography, economics, anthropology or sociology, and a foreign language requirement that ensures global cultural competency. Students must also pass licensure-related assessments like Praxis exams to qualify for certification. Overall, this degree integrates deep historical knowledge with pedagogical training, meaning graduates are not only prepared to understand and analyze historical events across different regions and time periods, but are also trained to communicate that knowledge effectively in a classroom setting, manage students, design lesson plans, and meet state education standards. Career outcomes are primarily focused on secondary school teaching, but the degree also builds strong transferable skills in research, writing, communication, and analysis that can support careers in education administration, tutoring, curriculum development, or further graduate study in history or education.