Program Overview
The program in Secondary Education with a Social Studies Area of Concentration (B.A. or B.S.) offers cutting-edge teacher preparation, emphasizing social justice-oriented teaching practices and hands-on classroom experiences. As a future educator in grades 7-12, you'll play a crucial role in shaping young minds, fostering critical thinking, and promoting civic engagement. Whether you're a prospective freshman, a current UMD student or considering transferring, our program equips you with the skills and knowledge needed to make a difference in children's lives.
As a secondary Social Studies student, you will double major in one of the following areas:
- Geography
- Government & Politics
- History
You will help your future students:
- Learn to read and evaluate sources carefully and sharpen their skills to discern truth from falsehood
- Seek multiple perspectives and build reasoned arguments about what to believe
- Question simple narratives and listen for missing or misrepresented perspectives
- Engage in civil, evidence-based discourse on critical issues
You make the difference. Let’s learn, engage, inspire.
+15%
Increase in demand for secondary teachers over the next decade
Learning Goals
- Learn a social justice-oriented approach to teaching social studies and supporting all students to succeed
- Practice making social studies content and skills relevant, engaging, and transformative for students.
- Learn alongside a range of experts in social studies education, including College of Education faculty, university supervisors and mentor teachers
- Work closely over the course of an academic year with an excellent history, government, or economics teacher at one of our partner schools
"It’s been my pleasure to welcome so many passionate and youthful teachers into this honorable and necessary profession! The program is so well designed and the expectations of the program support effective teaching and learning!"
How to Apply
How to Apply
Admission into our Professional Teacher Education programs is selective. You must take the following steps to be considered:
- Apply and be admitted to the University of Maryland
- Attend a Major Exploration Workshop (UMD internal transfers only)
- Meet with an Academic Advisor
- Meet all selective admission requirements for your specific program of interest
- Complete the Professional Application and submit Supplemental Application Materials
Students typically apply for professional teacher education programs at the end of sophomore or beginning of junior year.
Selective Admissions Requirements
The requirements below are in addition to being admitted to the University. Before completing the Professional Teacher Education Program Application, you should meet with a College of Education Academic Advisor.
- Admission to the University.
- Completion of a minimum of 45 credits
- Cumulative UM GPA of 2.75 or higher; 3.0 GPA is recommended for best consideration
- Completion of lower-level Fundamental English requirement with a “C-” or better
- Completion of lower-level Fundamental Math requirement with a “C-” or better
- Minimum passing scores on a Basic Skills Tests (see advisor for details)
- Satisfactory completion of EDCI 410 with a “B-” or better
- Satisfactory completion of the upper-level content area courses. Consult Advisor for content area GPA requirement.
- Prior experience in the education field with youth in the age range you intend to teach
- A written goal statement
- Three letters of recommendation (one must be from a faculty member or instructor)
- Satisfactory rating on the College of Education Foundational Competencies
Requirements
Program Requirements
This program is designed to meet the evolving needs of today's educators. You'll first build a solid foundation in your social studies area of interest before delving into specialized courses about teaching. The program culminates in a year-long teaching internship to give you real world experience.
You will work closely with faculty, mentors and peers to observe, analyze and reflect on instruction. This will occur in methods courses, seminars and during the course of a yearlong internship experience.
The undergraduate internship experience is broken into two parts:
- Fall Senior Year: 1 day a week placement with an experienced mentor at two area schools (one middle and one high school experience) where the intern has the opportunity to observe, reflect and participate in classroom activities.
- Spring Senior Year: 5 days a week full-time placement where the intern will take on full responsibilities of a classroom teacher including planning, instruction and assessment of students with the support of a veteran mentor teacher, supervisor and program coordinator.
Specific information on requirements for each double major option can be found:
Program Requirements and 4-Year Plan
If you are interested in a double degree, contact the Office of Student Services.
Want more details about the Social Studies concentration?
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