BA in Social Studies Education
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2026
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
If you are interested in sharing your love of social studies, you may want to consider a teaching career.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences is to cultivate informed, analytical, and responsible citizens across our campus and in our communities. Our academic programs are designed to prepare majors and minors for a diverse array of professions, such as careers in public and social services, law, and education. In all students, we develop the ability to use critical reasoning techniques along with quantitative and qualitative social science methodologies.
Comprising the heart of the WLU liberal arts experience, we engage students in collaborative scholarship, weaving together varied perspectives about human experience and culture to examine historical, political, spatial, and philosophical concerns.
Pre-Professional Skills Component
All education students must pass state-required pre-professional skills tests (Praxis I). Also, they must demonstrate speaking skills competency by achieving a letter grade of “C” or better in COM 101, ENG 101 and ENG 102.
Professional Education Component
| EDUC 100 | Introduction to Professional Education | 1 |
| EDUC 207 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDUC 290 | Instructional Technology | 3 |
| EDUC 301 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| SPED 241 | Introduction to Exceptionalities | 3 |
Residency Semester I
These courses must be scheduled together during the semester prior to the Residency Semester 2 (professional semester). Teacher candidates must be admitted to Admission Point 1 and Admission Point 2 before enrolling in the Secondary Education Residency I semester.
| EDUC 293 | Instructional Design Assessment for Middle/Secondary Teachers | 3 |
| EDUC 309 | Residency I | 0 |
| EDUC 340 | Methods & Materials for Secondary Teachers | 2 |
| EDUC 342 | Methods & Materials Lab for Secondary Teachers | 1 |
| READ 302 | Reading for Content Area Instruction | 3 |
| SPED 320 | Collaborative Techniques for Secondary Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
Residency Semester II
| EDUC 409 | School Law & Organization | 1 |
| EDUC 470 | Professional Seminar | 1 |
| EDUC 485 | Residency II | 10 |
Content Courses
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 203 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| EDUC 356 | Integrated Appalachian Social Studies | 3 |
| GEO 205 | Introduction to Geography | 3 |
| GEO 206 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GEO 310 | Geography of U.S. & Canada | 3 |
| HIST 103 | History of Civilization I | 3 |
| HIST 104 | History of Civilization II | 3 |
| HIST 210 | History of U.S. I to 1876 | 3 |
| HIST 211 | History of U.S. II since 1876 | 3 |
| HIST 302 | West Virginia & the Appalachian Region | 3 |
| POLS 101 | Basic Concepts in Politics & Government | 3 |
| POLS 201 | American Government | 3 |
Choose 9 hours from the following:
- Any 300-400 American HIST
- Any 300-400 Non-American HIST
- Any 300-400 HIST
Choose 9 hours from the following:
- Any 300-400 GEO
- Any 300-400 POLS
- Any 300-400 SOC