Adolescence Education: Social Studies - B.A. Degree

Department of History
Office: E368 Thompson Hall

(716) 673-3277

Dr. David Rankin, Chairperson (Interim)

Dr. David Kinkela, Coordinator

Email: history.department@fredonia.edu

Website: https://www.fredonia.edu/academics/colleges-schools/college-liberal-arts-sciences/history

Major Requirements

Responsibility for the B.A. in Social Studies Adolescence Education is shared by the College of Education, Health Sciences and Human Services and the Department of History. Students are encouraged to double major in History (or another field) in order to enhance their understanding of the discipline and their future employment opportunities. Requirements beyond those of the Fredonia Foundations general education curriculum include:

Professional Education Courses:

EDU 105Introduction to Contemporary Inclusive Education

3

and

EDU 106Practicum in Inclusive Education I

1

EDU 224Adolescent Development

3

EDU 250Introduction to the Exceptional Learner

3

and

EDU 251Practicum in Inclusive Education II

1

EDU 276Literacy and Technology in Inclusive Educational Settings

3

EDU 303Safe Schools/Healthy Students-DASA: Safety Education/Fire and Arson/School Violence

1

EDU 304Safe Schools & Healthy Students

1

EDU 305Cultural & Linguistic Diversity of Students and Families

3

and

EDU 313Practicum in Inclusive Education III

1

EDU 349Educational Psychology

3

SSED 419Secondary (Adolescence) Social Studies Teaching Methods

3

SSED 420Student Teaching Colloquium

3

SSED 430Student Teaching for Social Studies/Adolescence Education - Grades 7-9 Placement

6

SSED 431Student Teaching for Social Studies/Adolescence Education: Grades 10-12 Placement

6

Total Credit Hours:41

NOTE:

  • EDU 105 and EDU 106: recommended for first-year students.
  • EDU 250 and EDU 251: recommended for sophomores.
  • EDU 305, EDU 313 and EDU 349: recommended for juniors.
  • SSED 419: senior year/offered fall semester only.
  • SSED 420, SSED 430, SSED 431: senior year/generally offered Spring semester only (Capstone experience).
  • A candidate who receives a Satisfactory standing in the Student Teaching placement must also receive a passing grade in their co-requisite Seminar/Methods course to advance.

Historical Knowledge

Historical Methods:

HIST 100Decoding History

3

HIST 201Doing History

3

Total Credit Hours:6

Global History:

HIST 243Pre-Modern Global History

3

Two (2) World Regional Civilizations courses

6

One (1) 300-level course (chosen in consultation with advisor)

3

Total Credit Hours:12

NOTE:

  • World Regional Civilization courses are numbered HIST 250-288.

European History:

HIST 232Survey of Pre-Modern European History

3

or

HIST 233Survey of Modern European History

3

and

One (1) 300-level course (chosen in consultation with advisor)

3

Total Credit Hours:6

US History:

HIST 222Survey of Early U.S. History

3

and

HIST 223Survey of Modern U.S. History

3

and

One (1) 300-level course focused on pre-1877 US History

3

and

One (1) 300-level course focused on post-1877 US History

3

and

One (1) American Diversity course (see advisor or Degree Works for list of approved courses)

3

Total Credit Hours:15

NOTE:

  • American Diversity courses can be found in Degree Works

Total Credit Hours: 39

Social Science Foundations

POLI 120Politics in American Life

3

PSY 129Foundations of Psychology

3

SOC 116Introductory Sociology

3

and

SSED 205Economics in Global History

3

or

ECON 210Principles of Macroeconomics

3

and

HIST 310World Environmental History

3

or

POLI 352World Political Geography

3

and

One (1) 300-level course in ANTH, POLI, PSY, or SOC

3

Total Credit Hours: 98

Foreign Language (0-6 credit hours)

Candidates in all education programs are required to demonstrate competence in a language other than English (American Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish). Proficiency requirement met by the following:

  • Fredonia Placement Exam determination of Fredonia Foundations courses 100 and 110 in the same World Language or course 110 (or higher) in World Language.
  • Proficiency may also be fulfilled by qualifying AP, IB, CLEP Exam scores or transferred courses of Elem I and Elem II of same language, as verified by Registrar’s Office.

The General Education foreign language requirement meets the certification requirement.

Other Requirements

All majors must fulfill all testing and assessment requirements set by the Department of History. At present, these include gated assessment requirements. Grades must be C+ or better in all required courses in the Social Studies program. The Written Communication requirement under the General Education Program must be passed with a C or better. Students are encouraged to complete one course in statistics as part of the General Education Program. Enrolled students and transfer students wishing to declare the Social Studies Adolescence Education major must have an overall GPA of 3.0. Social Studies Adolescence Education majors must maintain a 3.0 GPA in order to remain in the program. The grade point requirements for entering the professional year are: overall GPA of 3.0, in Professional Education courses 3.0, and in the Social Studies content component 3.0. Acceptance into the senior professional year is also contingent upon a personal interview and review by the Social Studies screening committee composed of faculty in the Department of History. A copy of the criteria used by the screening committee may be obtained in the history department. Acceptance into student teaching also requires approval by the Dean of the College of Education.

SSED 419 can be taken only in the fall semester of the senior year. SSED 420, SSED 430, and SSED 431 require the entire spring semester as a full course load.

Requirements for Transfer Credit

Students transferring credits to Fredonia should normally expect no more than 27 credit hours earned elsewhere to apply to the Social Studies course requirements. (Special consideration can be given to students who have earned a B.A. degree in one of the social sciences.) As a rule, the department will not accept as equivalents to advanced social studies courses credits earned at two-year colleges. HIST 201 must be completed at Fredonia. All requirements for SSED 419, SSED 420, SSED 430, and SSED 431 must be completed under Fredonia supervision. To be applied to the requirements of the Social Studies Adolescence Education program, transferred courses must have been completed with a grade of C+ or better.

Additional Requirements for Certification

The New York State Education Department also requires fingerprinting and a background check for all applicants for initial certification. In addition, students seeking initial certification must pass appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. Students are strongly advised to pursue a second major in History or one of the other social science disciplines (economics, political science, psychology or sociology) and may count appropriate courses taken for the Social Studies Adolescence Education major and the General Education Program requirements towards such a second major. 

For certification information, please consult the Education section of the catalog.