NOTE: Social Science MUST be a double-major with Secondary Education. Benedictine College does not offer a "stand-alone" Social Science major. If a student wants to drop the Secondary Education major, s/he must change their other major from Social Science to History (or another major of their choice).
Because the requirements of the Social Science Program are fairly precisely laid down by certifying bodies there may be less overall choice within the major as outlined; however, it is to be expected that students choosing a teaching career in social studies would find their interests lie along the lines of the requirements. For more information regarding this program, please contact the chair of any of the departments included in this major or the chair of the School of Education.
The Social Science major will consist of a minimum of 56 hours from history and the social sciences. Transfer students majoring in Social Science must take a minimum of 40% of the coursework required for the major at Benedictine College.
Program Mission
The mission of the Social Science Program is to prepare students to pursue a career in secondary school teaching by providing them with a broad-based program meeting the requirements for certification to teach all or most of the usual social sciences offered in secondary schools. The program is built upon the framework of “Educators as Builders of Community.” The programs call for future teachers and administrators to perceive their roles in education as developers of community in an increasingly diverse world. Grounded in a Benedictine, liberal arts tradition, the program advocates that the goals and means of the educative process are complementary and seek the pursuit of human dignity and social responsibility.
Program Outcomes
- Graduates will apply content and pedagogical knowledge to effectively work with diverse P–12 students and their families.
- Graduates will engage in high-quality and diverse clinical partnerships as a means to apply knowledge, skills, and dispositions that positively impact student learning and development.
- Graduates will have met program quality expectations and will have received support in any areas that were deficient in order to be effective and professional teachers of P-12 students.
- Graduates will effectively teach P-12 classes and impact the learning of all their students due to relevant and effective preparation by the teacher preparation program.
- Graduates will have the ability to adapt to and succeed in different settings as well as with diverse P–12 students, schools, and communities as evidenced by the continuous improvement efforts of the teacher preparation program.
- Graduates will have knowledge of the content of history, government, economics, geography, and social systems.
