Social Studies Education Major
Learn to share your fascination for history, geography, government, or economics with our Social Studies Education major. You will be trained to instill an understanding of complicated systems and subjects of our world into young minds. With such diverse subjects, from American government to macroeconomics, we focus on making these topics accessible and interesting to middle and high school students.
Our Social Studies Education program will teach you how to discipline, assess, and manage your own classroom. You will begin observing and assisting in the classroom during your freshman year and continue gaining more responsibility until your student teaching experience, where you will teach at two different schools and grade levels during your senior year.
By graduation, you will be equipped with the top-notch tools necessary to teach social studies and feel comfortable in your own middle school or high school classroom.
Social studies courses cover in-depth American and world history, international and domestic politics, and global geography. You will examine unique topics, such as ethnic and minority issues and cultural anthropology, and make connections between historical events and political, economic, sociological, and cultural factors. Along with education courses that will help you improve your teaching methods, you’ll take adolescent and education psychology classes to learn about mental development and effective teaching practices.
Social Studies Education majors take additional history electives and complete one of the following required concentrations:
- Economics: Learn how economics works on the local, national, and international levels and discover how it interacts with other areas of society.
- Geographical Perspectives: Learn how geography has impacted history and the development and expansion of civilization.
- Government and Citizenship: Gain an understanding of governmental functions and citizens’ roles and responsibilities.
- Psychology: Study the inner workings of the mind and learn how it affects human behavior. Students choosing this concentration can earn additional certification to teach psychology in secondary schools even though this is not a psychology education degree.
- Sociology: Study the building blocks of societies—culture, philosophy, family structure, etc.—and how societal differences impact inter-societal relations.
Social Studies Education Curriculum & Degree Options
Contact the Education Department
Dr. Ben Hotmire, Chair of the Education Department
765-998-4312
bnhotmire@taylor.edu
Shannon Shilts, Education Program Assistant
765-998-5147
shannon_shilts@taylor.edu
Contact the History, Global & Political Science Department
Dr. Kevin Johnson, Chair of the Department of History, Global & Political Studies
765-998-5302
kevin_johnson2@taylor.edu
Desirae Crouch, History, Global & Political Studies Program Assistant
765-998-5275
desirae_crouch@taylor.edu
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Special Education
Expand your education opportunities by adding a Mild Intervention certification to your degree. This Preschool-12 Special Education certificate allows Education majors to work with a broad range of students who have mild to moderate special needs. Learn More
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Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - TESOL
Develop the skills to teach English as a second language to a diverse range of students. Complete the TESOL program with a significant amount of practical experience that will set you up for success. Learn More
History, Global & Political Science Department
Covering everything from philosophy and economics to history and international studies, the History, Global & Political Studies department helps students challenge assumptions, make connections, and apply historical knowledge to contemporary current issues.
The wide variety of disciplines and majors represented in the department are grounded in research, analysis, critical thinking, and truth seeking. Through these values—as well as through practical learning in discussions, case studies, lectures, and simulations—students develop fresh insights and perspectives that join textbook knowledge with global realities and a Christian worldview.
Not only are the History, Global & Political Science professors serious about what they teach, they’re serious about incorporating their own personalities in the classroom and encouraging their students to do the same. The faculty create a family atmosphere—hosting movie nights, meals, and badminton tournaments while prompting their students to join in career development opportunities like research groups, the American Studies Program, and Taylor’s chapter of the American Enterprise Institute Council.
