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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CES 210 | Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science | 3 |
| or GEOG 350 | Conservation of Natural Resources | |
| COMMUN 103 | Public Speaking (pass with a C or better (GER-HU)) | 3 |
| CURRINS 300 | Introduction to Teaching: Colloquium and Fieldwork (pass with a C or better) 1 | 3 |
| ED POL 375 | Cultural Foundations of Education | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
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).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History | ||
| HIST 151 | American History: 1607 to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 152 | American History: 1877 to the Present | 3 |
| HIST 101 | Western Civilization: Ancient World to 1500 | 3 |
| or HIST 131 | World History to 1500 | |
| HIST 102 | Western Civilization: 1500 to the Present | 3 |
| or HIST 132 | World History Since 1500 | |
| HIST 595 | The Quantitative Analysis of Historical Data (QLB) | 3 |
| Select 6 credits of HIST level 300 or higher. | 6 | |
| Political Science | ||
| POL SCI 104 | Introduction to American Government and Politics | 3 |
| POL SCI 105 | State Politics | 3 |
| Geography | ||
| GEOG 110 | The World: Peoples and Regions | 3 |
| GEOG 120 | Our Physical Environment | 3 |
| or GEOG 350 | Conservation of Natural Resources | |
| Sociology/Psychology | ||
| PSYCH 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| SOCIOL 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 104 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | ||
| CURRINS 321 | Introduction to the Teaching of Social Studies | 1 |
| CURRINS 323 | Teaching of Social Studies: | 2 |
| CURRINS 516 | Field Work in Middle School 1 | 3 |
| CURRINS 545 | Reading in the Content Areas: Middle, Junior, and Senior High School | 3 |
| ED PSY 330 | Introduction to Learning and Development | 3 |
| ED POL 534 | Students Placed At Risk: Deconstructing Risk, Defining Promise | 3 |
| Fall 1 | ||
| CURRINS 415 | Preliminary Student Teaching: 1 | 3 |
| CURRINS 523 | Current Issues and Practices in the Teaching of Social Studies | 3 |
| CURRINS 541 | Principles and Methods of Teaching ESL | 3 |
| ED POL 535 | Educating Students Placed At Risk: Pedagogies of Engagement | 3 |
| EXCEDUC 531 | Inclusion for Secondary Educators: Humanities, the Arts, Foreign Language | 3 |
| Spring 2 | ||
| CURRINS 423 | Student Teaching in Social Studies 1 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
- 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 People 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.