History/Social Studies High School Education

The history/social studies education program prepares you for the State of Illinois Professional Educator’s License in High School (Secondary) Education with a concentration in history/social studies education.

Preparing You for Success

You participate in classroom field experiences in your first year, then you gain additional field experiences your sophomore and junior years. These prepare you for the senior year student teaching experience. Bradley faculty and your supervising teachers are valuable mentors throughout the process. You also work closely with the history department to gain foundational knowledge about global events, social science research, economics, politics and society.

The teacher education department is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. It also is a member of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The high school education program is nationally recognized by the National Council for the Social Studies, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, National Science Teachers Association and National Council of Teachers of English.

By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:

  • Courses and projects in social studies fields
  • Cross-cultural courses and opportunities to study abroad
  • Professional development and licensure in high school (secondary) education
  • More than 500 hours of field experience and student teaching in local classrooms
  • Instruction and mentorship from faculty who taught on six continents, published 30 books on education and served in educational leadership at state and national levels
  • Research opportunities with faculty
  • Use of classroom technologies such as Smart Boards, virtual reality, 3-D printing and wearable devices

Making your Mark

History education teachers are in demand. Recent FCS education students who completed the program and graduated boast a 100 percent pass rate on Illinois licensure tests, including the national edTPA portfolio evaluation. Almost all found jobs within six months of graduation. That success means you can enter the teaching profession or graduate school after graduation. Many graduates are working for school districts in central Illinois and Chicago. As an educator, you also can consider future graduate studies in curriculum and instruction or other fields.

Major Requirements

Required courses in History and Social Studies - 57 hrs.

  • World History (100-200): HIS 205, 206, 207, or 208 (3 hours)
  • World History and Geography (300-400): HIS 336 and 337 (6 hours)
  • Western Civilization (100-200): CIV 100, 101, 102, 111, 112, 113, or 114 (3 hours)
  • European History (300-400): HIS 320, 321, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 338, 340, 341, 342, 343, 345, 346, 375, or 382 (3 hours)
  • History of Science and Technology (300-400): HIS 385 (3 hours)
  • U.S. History (100-200): HIS 203 and 204 (6 hours)
  • U.S. History (300-400): HIS 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 315, 316, or 317 (3 hours)
  • Historical Methods: HIS 350, 351, or 352 (3 hours)
  • Historical Research Seminar: HIS 450, 451, or 452 (3 hours)
  • Cross-Cultural Component (any one of the following options, any course may count toward other requirements in the major):
    a. Approved international study experience outside the U.S. (6 hours; or 3 hours combined with 3 hours in any one Cross-Cultural course listed below).
    b. Successful completion of the equivalent of two years in any language other than English: WLA 201, WLC 201, WLF 201, WLG 201, WLS 201, or higher
    c. Cross-Cultural Courses (any of the following, 6 hours): AAS 200 or 300;
    ANT 101, 305, or 314; ENG 129, 190, 329, 330, or 331; ETE 280; HIS 205, 206, 207, 208, 304, 305, 314, 316, 317, 330, 331, 333, 339, 340, 375, or 382; SOC 313, 314, or 315; WGS 200; WLT 140.
  • Political Science: PLS 105 (3 hours)
  • Political Science: PLS 311, 312, 314, 315, 360, 459, 460 (3 hours)
  • Economics: ECO 221 and 222 (6 hours)
  • Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology: ANT 101, PSY 101, or SOC 100 (3 hours)
  • Social Studies Elective: one additional Social Science course in AAS, ANT, IS, PLS, PSY, RLS, SOC, or WGS (3 hours)

In addition to the requirements described above, to receive a secondary grades (9-12) teaching endorsement in the State of Illinois, students must also complete all the education requirements as mandated by the Illinois State Board of Education, which includes 44 hours of course work in the Teacher Education - High School Education program.