Social Studies 8-12, Teaching Certificate

Required courses (54 sh)

ECO 2301 - Principles of Macro Economics Hours: 3
Introduces the student to the workings and interrelationships of the U.S. and world economics. Principles of economic analysis including measurement of aggregate economic activity, national income determination, money and banking, monetary and fiscal policy, and business fluctuation. Emphasis is given to analyzing real world problems such as poverty, inflation, unemployment, and economic instability.
Texas Common Course Number (Econ 2301)

ECO 2302 - Principles of Micro Economics Hours: 3
Introduces the student to the basic concepts and tools of analysis in microeconomics. Focuses on the operation of markets, with emphasis placed on the analysis of current problems such as health care, the environment, crime, education and regulatory reform. A major concern is how prices of individual goods and services are determined and how prices influence decision making.

HIST 253 - Reading and Writing History Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the discipline of history as it is taught at the college level. Students will discover how and why historians debate issues of evidence and interpretation. By studying the “history of history,”students will learn to distinguish between various schools or styles of academic history; to improve reading, note-taking, and library skills; and to formulate meaningful thesis statements. Students will apply the lessons of the course in a hands-on research experience which will result in the preparation and presentation of a finished historical essay in approved scholarly form.

HIST 303 - Historical Geography Hours: 3
A study of the various ways in which history has affected and has been affected by geography, including but not limited to physical, political, cultural, and environmental elements. Topics may include the emergence of ancient civilizations, the spread of Islam, and global commercial relations. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Hist 253

HIST 400 - Controversies in History and Social Studies Hours: 3
This course will explore the relationships between and the intersections among the social studies content areas (history, government, economics, and geography). Student work will include analyses of content-area textbooks, state assessments, and established curriculums. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 415 - History of Texas Hours: 3
A topical examination of Texas history, this course covers material from the time of Spanish colonization to the present day. The state’s diversity and development take center stage, and the state’s history is placed in the context of national and global trends. This course examines political, economic racial, ethnic gender, and social issues in Texas history. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

PSCI 335 - Political Economy Hours: 3
An introduction to the institutions and processes that shape U.S. domestic political economy including its increasing relationship to the global political economy. Emphasis will be placed on major political actors including Congress, the President, and the Federal Reserve Board and how decisions affect everyday citizens. These topics will be linked to the U.S.’s expanding influence in global institutions such as the WTO. Because this provides a foundation for other upper-level political science (except paralegal courses), it should be taken by political science majors and minors, and composite social studies majors and middle school social studies majors at the earliest possible opportunity in their program in the

ESCI 425 - Weather, Climate, and Human Environment Hours: 3
This course is designed to present, in a descriptive format, the basic fundamentals and principles of weather and climate from a global, regional, and local perspective. Major emphasis will be placed on how climate has been a major influence on human physical and cultural evolution, ranging from global population distribution to cultural/economic adaptation. Conversely, future climate modules will be discussed as they might be influenced by rapidly changing human-induced disruptions. Prerequisite Junior standing Note This is a Capstone

World History (3 sh)

HIST 305 - World History: Origins through the Seventeenth Century Hours: 3
World History differs from traditional Western Civilization not only in its greater geographic scale but also its longer chronological scope. This course begins with the earliest human tribal organizations. Consideration of the ancient period will also include the development of cradles of civilization, the growth and decline of classical cultures, interactions among classical and nomadic peoples, and the establishment of great world religions. The study of the medieval period will include varieties of rebuilding after the collapse of classical empires, the roles played by great world religions in medieval cultures, the development of technologies of communication and transportation, and the interactions among settled and nomadic peoples. Topics considered in the early modern period include the voyages of exploration and early colonization efforts by China and Europe, and the impact of emerging globalization. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 306 - The Emergence of the Modern World Hours: 3
This course covers the period from 1500 to the present and will focus on the ecological conditions of globalization, the rise of “formal” imperialism, and the construction and maintenance of colonial/imperial states. Themes covered will include paths to modernity, non-western philosophies of resistance, technological revolutions, and the intersections of world thought, religion, trade, and economy. Special emphasis will be given to the non-Western world. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 360 - Themes in World History Hours: 3

A study of the themes which influenced all human cultures from the earliest times to the present, considered within the context of a comparative framework. Such themes as the impact of technological change on society, the development of means of economic exchange and the structure of religious and ideological systems will be examined. Note May be repeated for credit up to nine semester hours as topics change.Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Asia or Latin American History (3 sh)

HIST 365 - History of Modern East Asia Hours: 3
A survey of developments in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with emphasis on the impact of the West in the nineteenth century and modernization in the twentieth. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 375 - Colonial Latin America Hours: 3
This course offers an introduction to the history of Latin America from the late pre-Columbian period through the initial movements for independence. It will highlight the Amerindian, African, and European experiences in the colonization processes; as well as the colonial structures .Topics include Christianize, race and gender relations, political and economic systems, and the rise of Creole nationalism. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 385 - Latin America in the Modern Period Hours: 3
This course will examine Latin America since the independence process. It will study the obstacles confronted by the new nations, as well as themes such as the role of women in society, political violence and resistance, as well as the deepening links between Latin America and the world economy and its relationship with the United States. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Euoropean History (3 sh)

HIST 312 - Ancient and Medieval Europe Hours: 3
This course begins with a consideration of classical Greece and Rome, continues into the Late Antique period when classical culture gave way to medieval, and then through the European Middle Ages, ending about 1500. Continuity and change between the classical and post-classical periods will be examined from a variety of perspectives, including the fortunes of political, social, economic, and religious institutions; the forms and varieties of social organizations; the models and content of philosophy, literature, and the arts; and technology. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 313 - A Feudal Society Hours: 3
This course examines European society during the period roughly from 500 to 1500. The focus will be on how different groups of people experienced life during the Middle Ages. Topics will include the three estates and those on their margins; economic and occupational organizations; and gender and family roles. The course will also study how medieval people understood their own society, that is, how medieval beliefs, particularly religious beliefs, informed how medieval people interpreted their world. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 314 - The European Reformations Hours: 3
This course examines how Christian beliefs, institutions, and practices altered in Europe from the late fourteenth through the mid-seventeenth centuries. The course will begin with a consideration of theologians and the theology, both from the late Middle Ages, such as John Wycliffe, and the sixteenth century, such as Martin Luther. It will analyze the institutional, cultural, and political ramifications of religious beliefs, including the formation of new Christian churches; the alliances formed between churches and national governments; and the changes in attitudes towards women and the poor, manifested in episodes such as the witch craze. The course will conclude with a consideration of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) and its consequences. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 315 - Early Modern Europe Hours: 3
This course focuses on Europe during the period when modernization and globalization began, roughly 1500-1789. The study of the transformation of Europe will focus on a variety of topics, including the Italian and Northern Renaissances; the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; the invention of new technologies, especially those for communication, transportation, and military force; the emergence of scientific and Enlightenment philosophies; the development of and resistance to more powerful central governments and monarchies; and the interactions between Europe and the world, particularly Africa and the Americas. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 327 - Europe in the Age of Enlightenment and Revolution, 1648-1848 Hours: 3
This course will explore European history from the Age of Louis XIV to the mid-nineteenth-century revolutions, tracing the changes in ideas about politics, governance, and society as they evolved from theories of divine rule to the realities of mass politics. Particular attention will be paid to the phenomena of absolutism and enlightened despotism, the general transformation of intellectual thought known as the Enlightenment, and the events leading up the French Revolution. Finally, the course will trace the impact of the French Revolution on European society, culture, and politics, highlighting the developments that made mass political participation possible. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 329 - Women and Gender in European History Hours: 3
This course explores European women’s and men’s changing social roles and competing views of femininity and masculinity in Modern Europe. It examines the status and role of women as well as the cultural construction of myths of gender and sexuality. Special attention will be paid to questions of equality and difference, the relationship between gender and politics/power, and issues of the female body, sexuality, and the family. Students will investigate the expectations that European societies proposed for women, the diversity of roles that women assumed in all fields of activity—economic, social, political, religious, and cultural—and how different women experienced transformation in their daily life as well as cataclysmic social and political change. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 333 - Modern Europe, 1848-1991 Hours: 3
This course investigates the momentous events of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Europe and the impact of these developments on the rest of the world. Over the course of the semester, students will explore the formation of European nations, states, and empires; the emergence of ideologies such as nationalism, socialism, communism, and fascism; the impact of technological developments; and the devastation of the wars and genocides that have shaped the modern period. The course, framed by the Europe-wide upheavals of 1848 and 1991, gives special attention to the role of revolution, protest, and mass movements in Modern Europe, and the important contributions that Eastern Europe (including Russia) has made in shaping these events. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 334 - Urban Underworlds: The City and Its People in Modern Europe
Hours: 3
Industrialization and the urbanization that accompanied it changed the nature of Europe’s cities permanently. These new metropolises brought the contradictions of modern life into sharp relief. This course takes a comparative approach to analyze the urban environment in cities such as London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, St Petersburg, and Moscow. Focusing on the “hidden” worlds of the ordinary person, we will examine issues of class, crime and social control, prostitution and vice, entertainment and culture, and health and hygiene, as we explore the impact of change and modernity on Europe’s urban landscape. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Early U.S. History (3 sh)

HIST 402 - Colonial North America to 1775 Hours: 3
This course explores the lives and cultures of American Indians,Europeans, and Africans/African Americans in North America, and the experience of colonialism, from the Precontact Period through the imperial crisis leading to the American Revolution. Topics covered include the conflict and cooperation between natives and newcomers,the role of religion in the conquest and settlement of the continent, the economic and political development of British America, the pivotal role of slavery, the evolving social structures of colonial communities, and the souring of relations between the British mainland colonies and Great Britain in the 1770s. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 403 - Revolutionary America and the Early National United States, 1775-1850 Hours: 3
This course examines the rise, progress, and ramifications of the American Revolution that created the United States of America, from its beginnings in the1770s through the development of a radically democratic nation by 1850. Topics covered include the social, economic, and political maturation of British colonial America preceding the Revolution; the War for Independence and the creation of nationhood; the later consequences of independence; the role of religion in early national American society; the conflicts leading to American Indian removal; and the debates over constitutionalism, federalism, slavery and states’ rights that divided North from South. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

HIST 404 - Religion in Early American History Hours: 3
This course surveys the development of religion in North America from the Precontact Period to the end of the American Civil War, with an emphasis on the transplantation and evolution of European Christianity. Topics covered include American Indian and African religions as they developed in contact with missionizing Christianity in the colonial and early national contexts, the influence of Protestantism on American identity, the religious justifications for slavery, issues pertaining to religious tolerance and the separation of church and state under the constitution, the First and Second Great Awakenings, nineteenth-century reform movements, and the role of religion in warfare from the Pequot War through the Civil War. Prerequisite and/or Corequisite Majors: Hist 253. Non-Majors: may enroll with consent of instructor.

Plus 1 course from:

PSCI 333 - Non-European Political Systems Hours: 3
A comparative study of selected political systems in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Note May be repeated when the regional emphasis varies.

PSCI 430 - Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements Hours: 3
A study of major theories of revolutions—their causes, processes and consequences—including close examination of selected cases. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

PSCI 437 - Foreign Policy Hours: 3
A study of the multiple determinants that shape foreign policy including the individual, national, regional, and international levels of analysis. Particular attention will be given to the formation and substance of foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Focus may vary from the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, and the former Soviet Union and successor states. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

PSCI 438 - International Relations Hours: 3
A study of the complex nature of both conflict-driven and cooperative interactions among nation-states and non-state actors that function in the international systemically be on a particular region, law and diplomacy, and international organizations including NGOs and IGOs. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

Plus 1 course from:

PSCI 331 - European Political Systems Hours: 3
An introduction to the comparative study of the political systems of Great Britain and selected European countries, representing different cultural, social, and political environments.

PSCI 332 - Democracy and Democratization Hours: 3
A study of major theories concerning cultural, social economic, and political conditions that are favorable to the development of democracy. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

PSCI 333 - Non-European Political Systems Hours: 3
A comparative study of selected political systems in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Note May be repeated when the regional emphasis varies.

Plus 1 course from:

PSCI 341 - The American Presidency Hours: 3
The evaluation of the institution of the American Presidency within the framework of the U.S Constitution, the American democratic and partisan political processes, and the processes by which the national government’s public administrators administer and develop public policy.

PSCI 342 - Introduction to Global Public Policy Hours: 3
This course focuses on the political dynamics of global public policy issues such as international development, environmental policy, human rights and international security.

PSCI 441 - Congressional Politics Hours: 3
A study of politics and policy-making in the U.S Congress. Topics include congressional elections, party and committee politics, constituent service, and legislative executive relations.

PSCI 442 - Constitutional Law Hours: 3
This course is an introduction to constitutional law in the United States. Attention is given to important constitutional and legal doctrines by examining major decisions of the US Supreme Court. Topics include the powers of the federal government, federal inter branch conflict, federalism and nation-state relations, and state regulatory power.

PSCI 443 - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Hours: 3
This course focuses on American constitutional law as it relates to the procedural and substantive rights of individuals by examining major decisions of the US Supreme Court. Topics include the Bill of Rights and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.

Plus 1 course from:

PSCI 342 - Introduction to Global Public Policy Hours: 3

This course focuses on the political dynamics of global public policy issues such as international development, environmental policy, human rights and international security.

PSCI 344 - American Political Parties and Electoral Politics Hours: 3
A study of party and electoral politics, including campaigning and voting behavior.

PSCI 345 - Public Opinion Hours: 3
A study of public opinion in the United States including the sources and characteristics of political opinions, the role of the media in shaping opinion, and the impact of opinion on elections and public policy methods used in conducting polls are examined and applied. When Offered (2)

PSCI 441 - Congressional Politics Hours: 3
A study of politics and policy-making in the U.S Congress. Topics include congressional elections, party and committee politics, constituent service, and legislative executive relations.

Plus 1 course from:

PSCI 342 - Introduction to Global Public Policy Hours: 3
This course focuses on the political dynamics of global public policy issues such as international development, environmental policy, human rights and international security.

PSCI 346 - Introduction to Public Policy Hours: 3
A course designed to familiarize the student with the problem solving activities of government in such areas as pollution, poverty, unemployment, taxation, education, health care, and technology. When Offered (1)

PSCI 437 - Foreign Policy Hours: 3
A study of the multiple determinants that shape foreign policy including the individual, national, regional, and international levels of analysis. Particular attention will be given to the formation and substance of foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Focus may vary from the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, and the former Soviet Union and successor states. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

PSCI 442 - Constitutional Law Hours: 3
This course is an introduction to constitutional law in the United States. Attention is given to important constitutional and legal doctrines by examining major decisions of the US Supreme Court. Topics include the powers of the federal government, federal inter branch conflict, federalism and nation-state relations, and state regulatory power.

PSCI 443 - Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Hours: 3
This course focuses on American constitutional law as it relates to the procedural and substantive rights of individuals by examining major decisions of the US Supreme Court. Topics include the Bill of Rights and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.

Plus 1 course from:

PSCI 332 - Democracy and Democratization Hours: 3
A study of major theories concerning cultural, social economic, and political conditions that are favorable to the development of democracy. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

PSCI 410 - European Political Theory I Hours: 3
Political theory in the West from the pre-Socratics through St Thomas Aquinas with attention to those elements most significant for the establishment of authoritative political systems. When Offered (1)

PSCI 411 - European Political Theory II Hours: 3
Political theory in the West from Machiavelli through the great contract theorists of the seventeenth centuries with attention to those elements most significant for the establishment of constitutional government in America. When Offered (2)

PSCI 412 - European Political Theory III Hours: 3
Political theory in the West during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with particular attention to political ideologies and the impact of ideological theories upon the international political system. When Offered (3)

PSCI 430 - Revolutions and Revolutionary Movements Hours: 3
A study of major theories of revolutions—their causes, processes and consequences—including close examination of selected cases. Note May be repeated when the focus varies.

Special note:

While some courses are included more than once in the list of required courses, a particular course MAY NOT be used to satisfy more than one requirement.

Teacher Education Courses (18 sh)

RDG 380 - Comprehension and Vocabulary in Middle and High Schools
Hours: 3
This course provides an understanding of factors which influence learning from content area text and teaches specific instructional strategies which promote comprehension, vocabulary development, effective study strategies, and test-taking skills. Includes ways to modify text for diverse learners. Attention is given to the principles of research-based reading instruction.

SED 300 - The Teaching Profession Hours: 3

This course provides prospective teachers with a beginning foundation for understanding learners, enhancing student achievement, and understanding the teaching environment. The course will emphasize the structure, organization, management, and governance of the American school system and current issues related to the semiprofessional legal, ethical, and multicultural foundations of teaching also will be discussed. Prerequisite passing scores on TASP with a minimum reading score of 250. Note Thirty clock hours of professional field experiences are required.

SED 302 - Teaching Styles and Learning Styles in Pluralistic Field-Based Environments Hours: 3
Affords an experiential component in which public school teachers demonstrate ways to adapt their teaching styles to accommodate students’ learning style preferences. Prospective teachers will achieve knowledge and skill by observing and assisting middle/secondary public school teachers in classroom situations. Prerequisite SEd 300 and Psy 300

SED 401 - Curriculum, Teaching Strategies, and Classroom Assessment in Pluralistic Field-Based Environments Hours: 3
An experiential component in which public school teachers design and implement culturally diverse curriculum and model the use of a variety of teaching strategies and classroom assessment techniques. Special attention will center on the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and testing. Prospective teachers will achieve knowledge and skill by observing and assisting middle/high school public school teachers in classroom situations. Prerequisite SEd 302 and 404

SED 404 - Internship in Secondary Teaching Hours: 3
Supervised intern experiences in the secondary school classroom. Regular seminar sessions will focus on concerns directly related to secondary teaching. Prerequisite SEd 300 and Psy 300. Note The course is to be taken the semester preceding full-time student teaching.

SED 405 - Residency in Secondary Teaching Hours: 6
Directed teaching for one full semester in the secondary school.

Support Courses (3 sh)

PSY 300 - Learning Processes and Development Hours: 3
A course designed to provide the student with information about the application of psychological theory to the learning processes and development of children and adolescents. Principles and procedures of measurement and evaluation are also included. The primary objective is to facilitate a clear understanding of the complex, dynamic processes of learning and development. Note This course is required as part of the Teacher Preparation ProgramTexas Common Course Number (PSYC 2306)