The Social Studies 4-12 Education certification is available for students who plan to teach students in upper elementary, middle, and high school. Social Studies candidates participate in hands-on, classroom-based field and student teaching experiences in urban area upper elementary, middle, and high schools. Candidates who satisfactorily complete the program requirements also meet the Wisconsin teacher certification requirements for teaching Broad Field Social Studies in grades 4-12.
Students at this level of certification may add the following licenses while pursuing or after obtaining their Mathematics licensure as their initial certification:
- Bilingual
- English as a Second Language
- World Languages
Requirements
General Education Requirements (GERs)
UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s degree. Some of the requirements of your program may fulfill the campus GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.
Students must meet certain criteria and apply to their specific licensure program in addition to admission to UWM. Please see information about minimum credits, GPA, and other requirements at Advance to Professional Sequence.
Program Core
Program core is comprised of foundational courses and should be completed prior to beginning the professional education semesters.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CES 210 | Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science (GER-NS) | 3 |
| or GEOG 350 | Conservation of Natural Resources | |
| COMMUN 103 | Public Speaking (pass with a C or better (GER-HU)) | 3 |
| CURRINS 300 | Introduction to Teaching: Colloquium and Fieldwork (pass with a C or better) | 3 |
| ED POL 375 | Cultural Foundations of Education | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Content Area Requirements
The following content coursework must be completed prior to advance to the Social Studies Education program Professional Sequence (in addition to the requirements listed under the Advance to Major tab).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History | ||
| HIST 101 | Western Civilization: Ancient World to 1500 (GER-HU) | 3 |
| or HIST 131 | World History to 1500 | |
| HIST 102 | Western Civilization: 1500 to the Present (GER-HU) | 3 |
| or HIST 132 | World History Since 1500 | |
| HIST 151 | American History: 1607 to 1877 (GER-SS) | 3 |
| HIST 152 | American History: 1877 to the Present (GER-SS) | 3 |
| Select 9 credits of HIST level 300 or higher. | 9 | |
| Political Science | ||
| POL SCI 104 | Introduction to American Government and Politics (GER-SS) | 3 |
| POL SCI 105 | State Politics (GER-SS; or other POL SCI 100 level or above) | 3 |
| Geography | ||
| GEOG 110 | The World: Peoples and Regions (GER-SS) | 3 |
| Sociology/Psychology | ||
| PSYCH 101 | Introduction to Psychology (GER-SS) | 3 |
| SOCIOL 101 | Introduction to Sociology (GER-SS) | 3 |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 103 | Principles of Microeconomics (GER-SS) | 3 |
| ECON 104 | Principles of Macroeconomics (GER-SS) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
Professional Sequence
A grade of C or better is required in professional sequence coursework in order to advance in the program. Professional sequence coursework should be completed after advance to the Social Studies Education program Professional Sequence. Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all professional education courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | ||
| CURRINS 321 | Introduction to the Teaching of Social Studies | 1 |
| CURRINS 323 | Teaching of Social Studies: | 2 |
| CURRINS 516 | Field Work in Middle School | 3 |
| CURRINS 545 | Reading in the Content Areas: Middle, Junior, and Senior High School | 3 |
| ED PSY 330 | Introduction to Learning and Development | 3 |
| ED POL 534 | Students Placed At Risk: Deconstructing Risk, Defining Promise | 3 |
| Fall 1 | ||
| CURRINS 415 | Preliminary Student Teaching: | 3 |
| CURRINS 523 | Current Issues and Practices in the Teaching of Social Studies | 3 |
| CURRINS 541 | Principles and Methods of Teaching ESL | 3 |
| ED POL 535 | Educating Students Placed At Risk: Pedagogies of Engagement | 3 |
| EXCEDUC 531 | Inclusion for Secondary Educators: Humanities, the Arts, Foreign Language | 3 |
| Spring 2 | ||
| CURRINS 423 | Student Teaching in Social Studies ‡ | 12 |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
- ‡
Students must complete an application to request/be assigned a student teaching placement. To be approved for placement, additional criteria must be met. See Benchmarks for details.
Requirements for Graduation
For information on credit, GPA, and other requirements for graduation, see UWM Degree Requirements.
Second Degree Pathway
Students follow the same pathway as first-degree students with the exception of COMM 103, CURRINS 300, and GER.
Post-Baccalaureate Pathway
Students follow the same pathway as first-degree students with the exception of COMM 103, CURRINS 300, and GER.
Additional Requirements for Certification
- Successfully complete the content knowledge requirement for your program through one of the following:
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in content coursework.
- Passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment Exam: Social Studies: Content Knowledge.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in all UWM and transfer courses.
- Demonstrate successful completion of the Pedagogical Knowledge Assessment (PKA).
- Meet all applicable Wisconsin statutory and testing requirements.
- Complete approved coursework in the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of American Indian tribes and bands located in Wisconsin, met through one of the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 213 | American Indian Peoples of Wisconsin (GER-CD, GER-SS) | 3 |
| ENGLISH 276 | Introduction to American Indian Literature: (topic: History, Literature & Sovereignty of Wisconsin Tribes (GER-CD, GER-HU) | 3 |
| ACT 31: History, Culture and Sovereignty Rights of Wisconsin Indians Workshop | ||
| Or an approved equivalent | ||
Advance to Major
Advance to Professional Sequence
Advance to the Social Studies Education program Professional Sequence requires satisfactory completion of the requirements listed below. For more information about the application process, visit our website.
- Completion of OWC-A.
- Completion of QL-A.
- Pass COMMUN 103 with a C or better (except Second Degree and Post Baccalaureate students).
- Pass CURRINS 300 with a C or better (except Second Degree and Post Baccalaureate students).
- A 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA in all UWM and transfer courses at the time of admission application.
- A 2.75 cumulative GPA in all Content Area courses (economics, geography, history, psychology, political science, and sociology) listed in the program requirements.
- Meeting with faculty advisor to review admission application.
- For post-baccalaureate and second degree candidates, a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
Criminal Background Check
Criminal Background Check (CBC). For all students, a background check shall be completed no more than 6 months prior to the date of admission (advance to professional sequence) into the educator preparation program. The background check shall include a review of criminal conduct at the state and federal levels.
Benchmarks
Student Teaching
Students must complete an application to request/be assigned a student teaching placement. Student teaching deadlines (February or April) are posted on the Office of Clinical Experiences website.
To be approved for placement, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be advanced to professional requirements.
- Completion of all required coursework.
- Cumulative GPA of a minimum 2.5.
- Minimum of 2.75 GPA in all Professional Sequence courses taken thus far.
- Have a GPA of 3.0 or better in the Content Area courses, OR Pass the Praxis Subject Assessment exam: Social Studies.
- Removal of all F or I grades in courses required for the program.
- TB test results submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences.
- Updated Criminal Background Check submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences.
Undergraduate Advising
Our purpose is to provide collaborative, mentoring relationships which promote educational, career, and professional development. We value a student-centered, holistic, and ethical approach to advising based on strong partnerships with students, faculty and staff, and the larger campus community. We are committed to creating a respectful and supportive environment. We encourage students to be self-reliant through informed decisions and choices based upon dissemination of accurate information. We value our own continuous professional development to enhance the quality of the advising experience.
How to Prepare for an Advising Meeting
- Review your Advisement Report in PAWS.
- Come prepared with questions or topics for discussion.
- Make a list of courses you think you should take.
- Investigate opportunities to prepare for the job you want.
- Keep a record of your academic progress.
- Understand you are ultimately responsible for creating your educational, life, and career plans.
- Maintain honest and open communication with your advisor.
- Take responsibility for choices you make as a student and member of the UW-Milwaukee community.
Scheduling an Appointment
Office of Student Services
Enderis Hall, Room 209
(414) 229-4721
soeinfo@uwm.edu
Graduate Advising
If you are a School of Education graduate student, you may schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor by contacting your faculty advisor directly. Faculty contact information can be found in the Directory. Your faculty advisor will be listed in your PAWS account.
Honors in the Department of Teaching and Learning
Departmental Honors are granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester.
College of Community Engagement and Professions Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.