Bachelor of Arts in Education in Social Studies: Secondary

About

With a Secondary Major for Bachelor of Arts in Education in Social Studies, you will receive the endorsement to teach social studies and history for grades 5-12 in the state of Washington.

You’ll study:

  • Economics,
  • Anthropology,
  • Geography,
  • World history,
  • U.S. history and
  • The history of the Pacific Northwest.

Curriculum Map

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Social Studies Secondary Major, Bachelor of Arts in Education (BAE)

Social Studies Distribution Lists

Grade Requirements: a grade ≥B- is required for each required course in the Social Studies Education major.

This major satisfies the endorsement for grades 5–12.

Secondary Education students must complete the required Secondary Education Core and the following courses.

Required Social Studies/Secondary Courses
Foundational Courses
ECON 100GENERAL EDUCATION ECONOMICS5
POLI 100INTRODUCTION TO US POLITICS5
Students should take the following foundational courses in this sequence
HIST 102WORLD HISTORY TO 15005
HIST 103WORLD HISTORY FROM 15005
HIST 111AMERICAN HISTORY TO 18775
HIST 112AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 18775
GEOS 200GLOBALIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT5
GEOS 230WORLD GEOGRAPHY5
Foundational Methods Course
SOST 390SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT4
Upper Division History Courses–students need to complete HIST 102, HIST 103, HIST 111 and HIST 112 prior to taking the following courses
HIST 444HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST5
HIST 487/ECON 412ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES5
or ECON 317 POLITICAL ECONOMY
or ECON 324 ECONOMICS OF POVERTY AND DISCRIMINATION
Choose one course from each of the following Social Studies Distribution Lists25
Check the Social Studies Distribution Lists and with your advisor for acceptable courses in each of the required areas.
American History
Asian History
Civics and Diplomatic Studies–HIST 477 is the preferred course for this requirement
European History
Latin American History
Senior Capstone
SOST 490SENIOR CAPSTONE SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION5
Total Credits84

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENGL 1015CMST 200, 201, or 3404-5GEOS 200 (Social Science BACR 1)5
GEOS 100 (Natural Science BACR 1)5HIST 103 (Humanities & Arts BACR 2)5HIST 1115
HIST 102 (Humanities & Arts BACR 1)5MATH 1075POLI 100 (Social Science BACR 2)5
 15 14-15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ANTR 204 (Natural Science BACR 2)5EDUC 2013GEOS 1135
ECON 1005ENGL 2015Social Studies Elective - American History15
HIST 1125GEOS 230 (Global Studies - graduation requirement)5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
 Social Studies Elective - Latin American History15 
 15 18 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
HIST 477 (Social Studies Elective - Civics & Diplomatic Studies)15HIST 487, ECON 412, ECON 317, or ECON 3245HIST 4445
PSYC 2045Social Studies Elective - European History15SOST 3904
SPED 3634Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective3-5Social Studies Elective - Asian History15
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective3-4 Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective2-3
 17-18 13-15 16-17
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
EDUC 3033EDUC 386B3EDUC 42612
EDUC 3093EDUC 4273 
EDUC 3413SOST 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5 
EDUC 386A3Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective4-5 
EDUC 4133  
 15 15-16 12
Total Credits 180-186
1

Choose one course from each of the Social Studies Distribution Lists. Check the Social Studies Distribution Lists with your advisor for acceptable courses in each of the required areas. Select one course from the lists that also satisfies the Diversity and Global Studies graduation requirements.

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB


General Education Requirements (GER)

  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences


University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List


Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Requirements in Degree Works are based on these two catalog years:

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BA in Social Studies Secondary from EWU should be able to do the following:​
*Based on Washington State Social Studies Education “Learning Standards” and the Department of History Learning Outcomes.

Program Learning Outcome (Civics)–the student understands and applies knowledge of government, law, politics, and the nation’s fundamental documents to make decisions about local, national, and international issues and to demonstrate thoughtful, participatory citizenship.

SLOs–understands to the level of being able to teach:

  • key ideals and principles of the United States, including those in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other fundamental documents;
  • the purposes, organization, and function of governments, laws, and political systems;
  • the purposes and organization of international relationships and U.S. foreign policy understands civic involvement.

Program Learning Outcome (Economics)–The student applies understanding of economic concepts and systems to analyze decision-making and the interactions between individuals, households, businesses, governments, and societies.

SLOs–understands to the level of being able to teach:

  • that people have to make choices between wants and needs and evaluate the outcomes of those choices;
  • how economic systems function;
  • the government’s role in the economy;
  • understands the economic issues and problems that all societies face.

Program Learning Outcome (Geography)–The student uses a spatial perspective to make reasoned decisions by applying the concepts of location, region, and movement and demonstrating knowledge of how geographic features and human cultures impact environment.

SLOs–understands to the level of being able to teach:

  • the physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, and location of places, regions, and spatial patterns on the Earth’s surface;
  • human interaction with the environment;
  • the geographic context of global issues.

Program Learning Outcome (History and Social Studies Skills, Part I)–Conduct research by using appropriate historical methods.

SLOs–understands to the level of being able to teach:

  • evaluating other scholars’ historical arguments;
  • using various kinds of historical sources;
  • assessing sources for their research value;
  • adducing evidence to support a scholarly argument;
  • following discipline-approved citation practices.

Program Learning Outcome (History and Social Studies Skills, Part II)–Communicate historical analyses to diverse audiences

SLOs–understands to the level of being able to teach:

  • conveying factually-based historical narrative from multiple perspectives;
  • developing well-balanced scholarly judgements about the past;
  • communicating historical analyses in clear expository pose.

Program Learning Outcome (History and Social Studies Skills, Part III)–Use historical knowledge in civic engagement.

SLOs–understands to the level of being able to teach:

  • contributing to public dialogues by providing historical information;
  • advancing historical positions that incorporate diverse perspectives;
  • working effectively as part of a team on a civically-oriented project;
  • deliberating public issues.

Sample Courses

GEOS 200. GLOBALIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT. 5 Credits.

Satisfies: a BACR for social sciences.
An introduction to the study of spatial variations among human cultures and the patterns of interaction between humans and the natural environment. Special emphasis is placed on the social and spatial dynamics of globalization and its myriad impacts on the environment.

Catalog Listing

SOST 390. SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: must complete HIST 103, HIST 111, HIST 112, HIST 204, each with a grade ≥B-, before registering.
This course will address teaching methods, classroom management, and lesson plan development specific to Social Studies Education.

Catalog Listing

HIST 444. HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ENGL 201 or permission of instructor.
Students will study the history of the Pacific Northwest from pre-European contact to today. Following a traditional chronology, the course will examine the PNW as both unique from and deeply connected to the national narrative during events like the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the Civil Rights Movement. Students will evaluate issue that cover a diverse range of historiographies, including labor, the environment, race, gender, politics, and popular culture.

Catalog Listing

ECON 324. ECONOMICS OF POVERTY AND DISCRIMINATION. 5 Credits.

Cross-listed: AAST 324, GWSS 324.
Notes: ECON 100, or ECON 200, or ECON 201 can be substituted for the junior standing prerequisite with instructor approval.
Pre-requisites: junior standing.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
Causes of poverty and evaluation of anti-poverty programs. Examines economic theories of discrimination from different perspectives with a particular focus on issues of gender and race.

Catalog Listing