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The Social Science Teaching Major

Required Courses

See the major worksheet for graduation requirements. 

  • These requirements are the same for ACE and non-ACE students.

Note that credential programs require that you take additional prerequisite courses before being admitted. Here are the prerequisite courses for SDSU’s School of Teacher Education.

You can see an example breakdown of courses year-by-year at SDSU’s MyMap.

Track your progress: go to my.SDSU and select “Degree Evaluation.”

Why These Courses

We designed the major to prepare you for teaching Social Science. 

  • Developing your knowledge: Social Science teachers are expected to teach a wide variety of subjects such as political science, geography, economics, and ethnic studies. Much of the Social Science curriculum in public schools focuses on historical subjects such as California History, U.S. History, and World History. Our curriculum thus emphasizes history courses.
  • Developing your teaching skills: We offer courses that help you learn about how to teach specific topics to students: Hist 410  (U.S. History for Teachers), Hist 412 (Modern World History), Hist 445 (California History), Teachers Edu 211C (Field Experience in Social Science), and Teachers Edu 362 (Fieldwork in Community Settings).

Applying to Preliminary Credential Programs

Majoring in social science automatically fulfills two key admission requirements to preliminary teaching credential programs in social science:

  • It establishes that you have “subject matter competency” in social science.  You will not need to take the California Subject Test Exam in social science to gain admission.
  • It fulfills your “early field experience” in a public school through a required course, Teachers’ Education 362.

Majoring in social science, however, does not fulfill all the prerequisites for admissions to SDSU’s School of Teacher Education. You must separately take additional prerequisite courses. 

Social Science is also a Path to Special Education Programs

Majoring in Social Science also fulfills the “subject matter competency” requirement for admission to SDSU’s Preliminary Credential for Special Education. There is, however, no accelerated ACE program for Special Education.

Note that the Preliminary Credential program also requires additional prerequisite courses beyond majoring in Social Science.

Degree Learning Outcome 1

  • Utilize a variety of teaching, learning, and assessment strategies that are appropriate to history/social science, including the appropriate use of instructional technology.

Degree Learning Outcome 2

  • Analyze how political, intellectual, social, cultural, religious, gendered, economic, technological, and ecological forces have shaped world history.

Degree Learning Outcome 3

  • Describe the institutions of American and California government, the distribution of political power across them, and the role of citizens in a representative democracy.

Degree Learning Outcome 4

  • Analyze the major themes and issues in American history and the historical forces that have shaped them.

Degree Learning Outcome 5

  • Analyze the major themes and issues in California history and the historical forces that have shaped them.

Degree Learning Outcome 6

  • Identify and analyze the interrelationships between physical, cultural, economic and environmental influences that shape U.S. regions.

Degree Learning Outcome 7

  • Utilize economic theory to understand how economic forces affect people’s lives and wealth creation within societies.


A Scholarship for Future Teachers

If you plan on eventually enrolling in a teacher credential program in Social Science, you can apply for the Dr. Clare B. and Loch Crane, Sr. Endowed Scholarship. This fellowship is open to all Social Science majors except those who are graduating in the semester when the application is due. Scholarship amounts vary, but have often ranged from $500 - $5,000. 

The deadline is typically late August or early September. More information is available on Aztec Scholarships.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are at least two:

To check for other clubs, search the full list of clubs on campus.

You can take TE 211C and TE 280 in your first or second year. We recommend waiting until you have completed 60 units (and thus have achieved junior status) before taking the upper-division prerequisites.
Please see the relevant advice and schedule a meeting with the Social Science advisor.

Most school districts pay teachers with a master’s degree more. (Google the salary table for your desired school district.) Master’s degrees may also have other advantages, like letting you study a topic you are passionate about while advancing your skills.

However, full-time master’s programs also take time and require another year or two of tuition. Financially, you must consider if the increase in teacher pay for a master’s is worth the tuition and a year or two of not making money as a teacher. If you plan on being a teacher for life, a master’s is usually a financially advantageous investment.

Another option is to pursue a master’s once you are already a teacher. Studying for a master’s while teaching, however, can be challenging.

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