COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAED) in History/Science (Middle Level Education) requires a minimum of 133 credit hours and prepares students for licensure as middle school teachers in grades 5–8 with strong preparation in both history and the natural sciences. Students must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.50 and a 2.50 GPA in major content coursework while completing the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the College of Education. The program blends general education, social studies content, science content, and professional teacher training to build strong interdisciplinary teaching skills. General education requirements include a broad set of foundational courses along with Introduction to Diversity: Human Growth and Development to support understanding of adolescent learners. The history component includes World Civilization (since 1500 and to 1500), U.S. history (colonial to present), Kansas history, American politics, anthropology, world cultures, human geography, and economics in education, giving students a strong grounding in civic, cultural, and historical knowledge. The science component includes Introductory Physics, Solar System Astronomy, General Chemistry with laboratory, Earth Science and the Environment with lab, General Biology I and II, and Science Technology and Society, providing a broad understanding of physical, life, and earth sciences. Professional education coursework includes Introduction to the Education Profession, diversity and cultural studies, learning assessment, philosophy and ethics of education, and literacy strategies across content areas. The teacher preparation sequence is structured into four progressive cores. Core I focuses on diversity, classroom foundations, and field experience. Core II includes content-specific methods in either history/government or science along with practicum experience. Core III provides teaching internships in both subject areas along with advanced instructional strategies. Core IV culminates in full teaching internships in both history and science classrooms, offering extensive supervised teaching experience. Students must complete all teacher education courses with a minimum grade of B-. Licensure requirements include the Praxis II History and Science Content Knowledge Tests and the Teacher Licensure Capstone course. Through the support of the College of Education and Wichita State University, graduates gain strong dual-subject expertise, instructional skills, and extensive classroom experience needed for successful careers as middle school history and science teachers.