Oct 31, 2025

2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog

Education, B.A., Secondary Social Studies and Certification

About the Major

The Social Studies Education Major is designed for students who are interested in teaching social studies at the 7-12 grade level. Upon completion of this degree students will have earned a Bachelors in Arts and a license to teach from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

As a student in the Social Studies Education major, you will:

Gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to successfully teach in diverse
learning school environments;
Develop a broad-based understanding across disciplines through the other elements of

Arcadia’s Undergraduate Curriculum and social studies content requirements;

Participate in secondary education community building activities and leadership

development

Integrate principles of social justice education into your studies and teacher practice
Work schools and cultural institutions as part of the field experiences and additional

volunteer and paid opportunities.

Requirements

Professional Education Requirements
Prerequisite for teacher certification preparation program* (16 credits; : English composition (EN101), English Literature (EN199), Two courses MA110 or higher: MA117 and MA118. also meet undergraduate curriculum requirements)
Additional Undergraduate Curriculum requirements and Electives as needed

Professional Education Courses and Fieldwork

ED 110 Teaching for Learning (4 Credits) + Lab
ED 226 Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (3 Credits) + Lab
ED 300 Teaching English Learners (4 Credits)
ED 306S Strategies for Emergent and Content Literacy: K-12 (3 Credits)
ED 375S Managing an Inclusive Classroom (3 Credits)
EDXXX Field Experience: Volunteer or Paid Opportunity in Educational Space (4 credits)
ED 315S Differentiated Instruction (4 Credits)
ED 411 Designing Learning Environments (4 Credits)
ED 412b Curriculum and Methodology for Grades 7-12: Social Studies (3 Credits) + Lab
ED 417 Student Teaching: Secondary (12 Credits)

Background Courses (Required) (16 credits)

English composition (EN 101)

Mathematics (MA 110, MA 117, or MA 118)

English literature (EN 199)

Certification Area Content Courses

Choose Two (2) of the Following in American History (8 credits)

HS 115 Race, Class, and Gender in Early America

HS 116 Race, Class, and Gender in Modern America HS265 Women in American Politics

HS 242 America in the 1960s

HS 356 American Civil War

HS 365 Rebellions in the United States

Choose Two (2) of the Following in European Civilization/Regional (8 credits)

HS 110 The West in the World

HS 130 Where the Continents Meet

HS 238 Prejudice & Persecution in Western History

HS 326 Hitler to Stalin: the Age of Dictators

HS 350 Turning Points in Western History

HS 366 World in Turmoil: From the Fall of Rome to the Crusades

HS 380 Dangerous Continent: Europe, 1945 - Present

Choose One (1) of the Following in Geography (4 credits)

ED 360 Public History

IS 265 Migration Politics in the Americas

HS 230 Cultural History of Africa

IS 130 Modern Mediterranean World

Choose One (1) of the Following in American Constitutional Government (4 credits)

PS 101 Introduction to American Politics

PS 150 Introduction to to Comparative Politics

PS 220 Constitutional Law

PS 325 U.S. Public Policy

Choose One (1) of the Following in International Studies (4 credits)

IS 101 Introduction to International Studies

IS 216 Modern East Asia

IS 225 Conflict/Inequality in Latin America

IS 265 Migration Politics in America

IS 318 Applied Antiracist Migrant Advocacy

IS 330 Social Life of War

IS 335 Economics, Development, & the Environment

IS 340 Law, Disorder, & Globalization

Choose One (1) of the Following in Principles of Economics (4 credits)

PY 111 Introduction to Psychology

PY 212 Development Psychology

PY 331 Social Psychology

Choose One (1) of the Following in Sociology (4 credits)

SO 101 Introductory Sociology

SO 229 Introduction to Gender Studies

SO 230 Racism: Myths and Realities

SO 241 Ethnographic Film

SO 275 Introduction to Africana Studies

SO 286 Health and Human Rights

SO 311 Social Justice in Action

SO 320 Homes, Housing and Homelessness

SO 220 Social Issues

Choose One (1) of the Following in Anthropology (4 credits)

AN 120 Cultural Anthropology

Other requirements of the Degree (AUC*) Arcadia University Curriculum:

*Students in the Social Studies Education major would need to meet the following AUC requirements:GE/GR,IL,CE,CL,SS,NPL,QRM,W

*Undergraduate ENTRY REQUIREMENTS for the Teacher Certification Preparation Programs

Recommended minimum overall GPA of 3.0 at the time of application.
Completed and earned grades of C or better in 6 credits in Mathematics above the MA 100 level (recommended: MA 117 and MA 118 ).
Completed and earned grades of C or better in 6 credits in English. One course in Composition (EN 101 ) and one course in American/English Literature (recommended EN 199 ).
Completed 48 credits.
Background Checks: Meets background check requirements using the Castle Branch System for
Federal Criminal History Record Information (CHRI)
Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check
Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance
Tuberculosis (TB) test result

EXIT REQUIREMENTS for Teacher Certification Candidates

Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
Completion of an approved program of study leading to certification in the area of certificate requested.
Satisfactory completion of student teaching, fieldwork or internship (required grade of “B” or better) in the area of certification.
Completion of a professional portfolio.
Recommendation of University Certification Officer on the TIMS application.