Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Adolescence Education (leading to initial certification)
Responsibility for the B.A. in Social Studies Adolescence Education is shared by the College of Education 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 College Core Curriculum include:
I. Professional Education Courses (39 credit hours required)
| EDU 105 | Introduction to Contemporary Inclusive Education | 3 |
| | and | |
| EDU 106 | Practicum in Inclusive Education I | 0 |
| EDU 224 | Adolescent Development | 3 |
| EDU 250 | Introduction to the Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| | and | |
| EDU 251 | Practicum in Inclusive Education II | 0 |
| EDU 276 | Literacy and Technology in Inclusive Educational Settings | 3 |
| EDU 301 | Safe Schools/Healthy Students: Child Abuse and Child Abduction | 1 |
| EDU 302 | Safe Schools/Healthy Students: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse | 1 |
| EDU 303 | Safe Schools/Healthy Students-DASA: Safety Education/Fire and Arson/School Violence | 1 |
| EDU 305 | Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in the Classroom | 3 |
| | and | |
| EDU 313 | Practicum in Inclusive Education III | 0 |
| EDU 349 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| SSED 419 | Secondary (Adolescence) Social Studies Teaching Methods | 3 |
| SSED 420 | Student Teaching Colloquium | 3 |
| SSED 430 | Student Teaching for Social Studies/Adolescence Education - Grades 7-9 Placement | 6 |
| SSED 431 | Student Teaching for Social Studies/Adolescence Education – Grades 10-12 Placement | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 39 |
II. Social Studies Course Work (51 credit hours required)
Group I: Basic Knowledge (all courses required, 21 credit hours)
Group II: Methodologies (10 credit hours)
| HIST 100 | History Introductory Seminar | 1 |
| HIST 201 | Doing History | 3 |
| SSED 205 | Economics for Social Studies Educators | 3 |
| | or | |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| SSED 204 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| | or | |
| POLI 352 | World Political Geography | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 10 |
NOTE: HIST 201: normally taken during the sophomore year.
Group III: Cultures and Civilizations (9 credit hours)
A. American Minorities
Any one of the following:
NOTE: Students seeking a double major in Social Studies and History should take a history course in this category.
B. World Regional Civilizations
Two 200-level world regional civilization courses in Asian, African, Atlantic World, Latin American, or Middle Eastern history. These courses must cover different regions.
Group IV: Building Knowledge, Connections, and Arguments (15 credit hours)
Five courses at the 300-level or above: four History courses, including two with focus on U.S. History (one pre-1877, one post-1877); one focusing on European History; and one on global/non-western history; one course in a social studies field other than History (ANTH, ECON, POLI, PSY, SOC).
Foreign Language 0-6 credit hours
Candidates in all education programs are required to demonstrate competence in a foreign language. This requirement must be satisfied in any one of the following ways:
- Score of 85 percent or higher on New York State Regents Exam or New York State High School Equivalent Exam*: Requirement is fulfilled.
- Scores of 65 percent - 84 percent on New York State Regents Exam or New York State High School Equivalent Exam*: Student needs to take an Elementary I level course or an Elementary II level course of a language or equivalent course(s), or successfully complete an equivalent Fredonia proficiency exam.
- Scores below 65 percent on New York State Regents Exam or New York State High School Equivalent Exam*: Student needs to take an Elementary I level course and an Elementary II level course or equivalent course(s) of the same language.
- If student did not take a New York State Regents Exam or New York State High School Equivalent Exam*: Student needs to take an Elementary I level course and an Elementary II level course or equivalent course(s) of the same language.
NOTE: The General Education foreign language requirement differs from the certification requirement and must be satisfied for degree conferral.
* High School Equivalent Exam refers to a New York State Local School District Exam or Regional Exam in a Foreign Language.
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 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/anthropology) and may count appropriate courses taken for the Social Studies Adolescence Education major and the General Education Program requirements towards such a second major.
As of December 31, 2013, candidates in all education programs are required to complete training under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). Beginning in the Fall 2013 semester, the training required under the Dignity for All Student Act (DASA) will be included in EDU 303 at Fredonia. Undergraduate candidates planning to graduate after Fall 2013 who have already completed EDU 303 on campus or taken a workshop as a substitution for EDU 303 must also complete the EDU DASA workshop prior to graduation.
For certification information, please consult the Education section of the catalog.