The Social Studies Education Program is available for candidates who plan to teach social studies to learners in middle through high school.

Social Studies Education Program candidates are exposed to relevant field experiences at area schools through an initial semester long middle level placement and a year-round high school student teaching placement. Candidates who satisfactorily complete the Social Studies Education Program requirements meet the Wisconsin teacher certification requirements for EAA Licensure (ages 10 to 21).

Undergraduate and/or Post-Baccalaureate candidates who satisfactorily complete the Social Studies Education Program will be granted a Wisconsin EAA license in one or more of the following social studies subject areas: Broad Field Social Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Requirements

General Education Requirements (GERs)

UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s degree. Some of the requirements of your program may fulfill the campus GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.  

Program Core

Program core is comprised of foundational courses and should be completed prior to beginning the professional education semesters.

CES 210Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science3
or GEOG 350 Conservation of Natural Resources
COMMUN 103Public Speaking (pass with a C or better (GER-HU))3
CURRINS 300Introduction to Teaching: Colloquium and Fieldwork (pass with a C or better) 13
ED POL 375Cultural Foundations of Education3
Total Credits12

Content Area Requirements

The following content coursework must be completed prior to acceptance to the program (in addition to the requirements listed under Program Admission Requirements/Advance to Major tab).

History
HIST 151American History: 1607 to 18773
HIST 152American History: 1877 to the Present3
HIST 101Western Civilization: Ancient World to 15003
or HIST 131 World History to 1500
HIST 102Western Civilization: 1500 to the Present3
or HIST 132 World History Since 1500
HIST 595The Quantitative Analysis of Historical Data (QLB)3
Select 6 credits of HIST level 300 or higher.6
Political Science
POL SCI 104Introduction to American Government and Politics3
POL SCI 105State Politics3
Geography
GEOG 110The World: Peoples and Regions3
GEOG 120Our Physical Environment3
or GEOG 350 Conservation of Natural Resources
Sociology/Psychology
PSYCH 101Introduction to Psychology3
SOCIOL 101Introduction to Sociology3
Economics
ECON 103Principles of Microeconomics3
ECON 104Principles of Macroeconomics3
Total Credits45

Program Admission Requirements

Professional Education Requirements

A grade of C or better is required in professional education semester coursework in order to advance in the program. The professional requirements should be completed after full admission to the Social Studies Education program.

Spring 1
CURRINS 321Introduction to the Teaching of Social Studies1
CURRINS 323Teaching of Social Studies:2
CURRINS 516Field Work in Middle School 13
CURRINS 545Reading in the Content Areas: Middle, Junior, and Senior High School3
ED PSY 330Introduction to Learning and Development3
ED POL 534Students Placed At Risk: Deconstructing Risk, Defining Promise3
Fall 1
CURRINS 415Preliminary Student Teaching: 13
CURRINS 523Current Issues and Practices in the Teaching of Social Studies3
CURRINS 541Principles and Methods of Teaching ESL3
ED POL 535Educating Students Placed At Risk: Pedagogies of Engagement3
EXCEDUC 531Inclusion for Secondary Educators: Humanities, the Arts, Foreign Language3
Spring 2
CURRINS 423Student Teaching in Social Studies 112
Total Credits42
1

Students must complete paperwork in order to be assigned a student teaching placement. To be approved for placement, additional criteria must be met. See Benchmarks for details.

Additional Requirements for Graduation

  • Completion of University GER requirements;
  • Minimum of a C or better and GPA of 2.75 in all professional education courses;
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75;
  • Satisfactory completion of a minimum 120 credits; and
  • Completion of the last year of coursework (30 credits) in residence at UW-Milwaukee.

Addition Requirements for Certification

  • Completion of an approved course or workshop on the history, culture, and sovereignty rights of Wisconsin Indians to fulfill the ACT 31 legislation requirement of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction;
  • Successful completion of a pedagogical knowledge assessment required for certification; and
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in all UWM and transfer courses.

Advance to Major

Program Admissions Requirements

Application to the Social Studies program requires satisfactory completion of the requirements listed below. For more information about the application process, visit our website.

  • Pass a Criminal Background Check (CBC) as required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for all applicants to a professional education preparation program.
  • Completion of OWC-A.
  • Completion of QL-A.
  • Pass COMMUN 103 with a C or better.
  • Pass CURRINS 300 with a C or better.
  • A 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA in all UWM and transfer courses at the time of admission application.
  • A 2.75 cumulative GPA in all Content Area courses (economics, geography, history, psychology, political science, and sociology) listed in the program requirements.
  • Meeting with faculty advisor to review admission application. Faculty signature required on application.

Benchmarks

Student Teaching

Students must complete paperwork in order to be assigned a student teaching placement. Student teaching deadlines (February or April) are posted on the Office of Clinical Experiences website.

To be approved for placement, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be admitted to the School of Education;
  • Completion of all required coursework;
  • Cumulative GPA of a minimum 2.5;
  • Minimum of 2.75 GPA in all Professional Education courses taken thus far;
  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or better in the Content Area courses, OR Pass the Praxis Subject Assessment exam: Social Studies: Content Knowledge #5081;
  • Removal of all F or I grades in courses required for the program;
  • TB test results submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences; and
  • Updated Criminal Background Check submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences.

Undergraduate Advising

Our purpose is to provide collaborative, mentoring relationships which promote educational, career, and professional development. We value a student-centered, holistic, and ethical approach to advising based on strong partnerships with students, faculty and staff, and the larger campus community. We are committed to creating a respectful and supportive environment. We encourage students to be self-reliant through informed decisions and choices based upon dissemination of accurate information. We value our own continuous professional development to enhance the quality of the advising experience.

How to Prepare for an Advising Meeting

  • Review your Advisement Report in PAWS.
  • Come prepared with questions or topics for discussion.
  • Make a list of courses you think you should take.
  • Investigate opportunities to prepare for the job you want.
  • Keep a record of your academic progress.
  • Understand you are ultimately responsible for creating your educational, life, and career plans.
  • Maintain honest and open communication with your advisor.
  • Take responsibility for choices you make as a student and member of the UW-Milwaukee community.

Scheduling an Appointment

Office of Student Services
Enderis Hall, Room 209
(414) 229-4721
soeinfo@uwm.edu

Graduate Advising

If you are a School of Education graduate student, you may schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor by contacting your faculty advisor directly. Faculty contact information can be found in the Directory. Your faculty advisor will be listed in your PAWS account. 

Honors in the Department of Teaching and Learning

Departmental Honors are granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester.

College of Community Engagement and Professions Dean's Honor List

GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.

Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction

Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.

Commencement Honors

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).

Final Honors

Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.