B.A. in Secondary Education | Social Science Education (9-12)
The social sciences secondary education major puts you on the path to teaching in
social science classrooms subjects like history, politics and sociology.
- Cultural Diversity: Help learners to understand how culture governs the functions of language, literature, arts, traditions, beliefs, values and behavior.
- Time, Continuity and Change: Guide learners to reinterpret the past by using credible sources, validating evidence and classifying significant and inconsequential change.
- People, Places and Environments: Encourage learners to examine physical systems like climate and natural resources, while exploring ways Earth has changed over time.
- Individual Development and Identity: Assist learners to describe how family, religion, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other cultural influences develop a sense of self.
- Individuals, Groups and Institutions: Help learners identify institutional forms and analyze tensions between individual expression and social conformity promoted by institutions.
- Science, Technology and Society: Enable learners to examine current and historical forms of interdependence of science, technology and society in a variety of cultural settings.
- Global Connections: Help learners explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation and interdependence among groups, societies, and nations.
- Civic Ideals and Practices: Assist learners in understanding key ideals of democratic-republican government, such as liberty, justice, equality, welfare and domestic peace.
Program Requirements
For more information, please review the program requirements and course descriptions in the SXU Academic Catalog.
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Contact the Office of Admission
- 773-298-3050
- Toll Free: 844-GOTO-SXU (844-468-6798)
- Fax: 773-298-3076
- Email: admissionFREESXU
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Learn and Lead with High Schools
Strong Partnerships
SXU places high priority on school-university partnerships and has strong relationships with urban and suburban school districts. What this means for you:- Best opportunities to participate in meaningful clinical experiences.
- Relevant preparation to become a classroom teacher, school administrator or school counselor.
- Strong professional network to help you start your education career.
124 credit hours are required for Bachelor of Arts degree. The Social Science Education major is a licensure program that prepares students to teach history and other social sciences in high school. Detailed course information can be found in the academic catalog. Students should use Academic Planning on the mySXU portal to schedule courses and track degree progress.
Suggested four year academic plan for the major (courses required in the major are in bold)
Please consult with your academic advisor prior to course selection.
| Semester 1 | Credit Hours |
| TRANS 100: Transitions | 1 |
| PHIL 140: The Examined Life | 3 |
| ENGL 120: Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| GE MATH | 3 |
| HIST 101: World History to 1500 | 3 |
| POLSC 101: Intro to U.S. Government | 3 |
| Semester 2 | Credit Hours |
| FYS 175: First Year Seminar | 3 |
| COMM 101: Speech Fundamentals | 3 |
| HIST 102: World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| SOC 101: Intro to Sociology | 3 |
| POLSC 102: World Politics | 3 |
| Semester 3 | Credit Hours |
| EDU 200: Profession of Teaching | 3 |
| HIST 103: U.S. History to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST Elective | 3 |
| PSYCH 101: Intro to Psychology | 3 |
| ECON 202: Principles of Economics | 3 |
| GE Biological Science with lab | 3 |
| Semester 4 | Credit Hours |
| HIST 200: Introduction to the Discipline of History | 3 |
| PSYCH 201: Adolescent Psychology | 3 |
| EDU 323: Survey of Except Student | 3 |
| HIST 104: U.S. History Since 1877 | 3 |
| GE Physical Science with lab | 3 |
| Semester 5 | Credit Hours |
| EDU 202: Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDU 397: Literacy Instruction | 3 |
| SOCSC Elective courses | 3 |
| HIST 230: Illinois History | 3 |
| HIST 300 Elective | 3 |
| Semester 6 | Credit Hours |
| EDU 370: Principles and Practices | 3 |
| EDU 377: Historical and Social Trends in American Education | 3 |
| Humanities elective not in History | 3 |
| SOCSC 101: World Geography | 3 |
| SOCSC Elective courses | 3 |
| Semester 7 | Credit Hours |
| EDU 378: Methods of Teaching Social Science | 3 |
| SOCSC Elective courses | 3 |
| HIST 395: Senior Seminar | 3 |
| GE Global (Humanities elective, not in History) | 3 |
| GE Arts/Humanities | 3 |
| GE Fine Arts or Literature (Diversity) | 3 |
| Semester 8 | Credit Hours |
| EDU 345: Seminar in Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| EDU 349: Directed Teaching | 9 |
*One of the natural science courses must have a lab component.
Social Science electives are chosen from economics, sociology, anthropology, or political science. Limit 6 hours in one area.
Career Outlook
The Secondary Education Program prepares individuals to teach students in the secondary grades, which may include grades nine through twelve, depending on the school system or state regulations. Courses may include preparation to teach a comprehensive curriculum or specific subject matter.
To find out more about your major including potential areas and employers, required skills, job outlook, and median pay, please access the Occupational Outlook Handbook or the O*Net websites.
Explore the subsections below to learn more about the potential skills a student with a secondary education major can develop as well as the potential positions, areas, and employers that hire students with this degree. Please note that these are not exhaustive lists and should be used as a starting point.
Skills
As a secondary education major, you will develop an in-depth understanding of your content area. Additionally, students may develop advance skills including communication, patience, creativity, enthusiasm, confidence, dedication, conflict resolution, organization, classroom management, time management, critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork.
Positions
Graduates with a degree in secondary education can work as teachers, ELL specialists, textbook salespersons, instructional technologists, direct service and grant writers.
Areas
Graduates with a degree in secondary education can work in teaching, research, sales, administration, literacy development, adult and continuing education and fundraising/development.
Employers
Graduates with a degree in secondary education can work for public, private, magnet, or charter schools, professional associations, test preparation companies, international schools, publishers, museums, zoos, religious organizations, correctional institutions, higher education, nonprofit and park districts.
Use the employment opportunity resources listed below to kickstart your preprofessional or professional experience search. You may also identify a professional or student organization to join in order to network with individuals within your major and field.
Employment Opportunities
- Archdiocese of Chicago
- Chicago Park District
- Chicago Public Schools
- iHireSecondaryTeachers
- Illinois Education Job Bank
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Joliet Diocese
- Lake County School Districts
- North Suburban Cook County School Districts
- Oak Lawn Park District
- K12JobSpot
- U.S. Department of Education
- Will County School Districts
Professional and Student Organizations
- American Association for Employment in Education
- American Association of School Administrators
- American Educational Research Association
- American Federation of Teachers
- American Library Association
- American School Counselor Association
- Association of American Educators
- Association of Teacher Educators
- Council for Exceptional Children
- International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language
- National Education Association
- Education Club at SXU
Meet the Faculty
Meg Carroll
Professor
Phone: 773-298-3212
Email: carroll@sxu.edu
Tony DeCesare
Assistant Professor
Phone: 773-298-3222
Email: decesare@sxu.edu
Laura Laskowski-Ferrell
Asst Professorial Lecturer
Phone: 773-298-3435
Email: laskowskiferrell@sxu.edu
Kathleen McInerney
Professor
Phone: 773-298-3591
Email: mcinerney@sxu.edu
Julie Reinhart
Professor
Phone: 773-341-5030
Email: jreinhart@sxu.edu
Rania Sadeq
Asst Professorial Lecturer
Phone: 773-298-3224
Email: sadeq@sxu.edu
Alexandra Santau
Director of Education
Phone: 773-298-3221
Email: santau@sxu.edu
Melissa Stefanko
Asst Professorial Lecturer
Phone: 773-298-3225
Email: stefanko@sxu.edu