UNDERGRADUATE FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM
This program is open to undergraduates majoring in history or the following social
sciences: Africana Studies, anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology.
Students must apply for admission to the social studies program. Applications should
be submitted at the same time that students declare a major (no later than end of
sophomore year).
To apply to the program, please complete the Teacher Preparation Declaration Form and required essay.
Admissions requirements
Students seeking admission to the social studies program must:
• be enrolled in an appropriate major;
• have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better based on at least 12 credits taken at Stony Brook
(incoming transfer students will be evaluated on the basis of their GPA from their
prior institution);
• have taken either HIS 101 or 102 and either HIS 103 or 104 (or equivalent courses
at other institutions); and
• have satisfied at least three of the required areas of study with a "B" or better.
Program Requirements
Students must meet the course requirements described below. For more information,
please download the undergraduate advising worksheet. All courses must be passed with a "C" or better, and students must maintain a 3.0
GPA in order to remain in good standing. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be
placed on probation and may not register for additional teacher education courses
until they are again in good standing.
The methods courses must be taken sequentially, and anyone who does not earn a "C"
or higher in these courses must repeat both the course and the co-requisite field
experience. Students must also pass the student teaching interview and satisfactorily
complete all courses required for certification (both major and education courses)
before they will be admitted to student teaching.
Pedagogy Courses
PSY 327—Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development
SSE 350—Foundations of Education
LIN 344—Language Acquisition and Literacy Development
CEF 347—Introduction to Special Education
SSE 397—Teaching Social Studies (co-requisite SSE 449; fall only)
SSE 449—Field Experience I: Grades 7–9 (1 credit, S/U; must be taken with SSE 397)
SSE 398—Social Studies Strategies (co-requisite SSE 450; spring only)
SSE 450—Field Experience II: Grades 10–12 (1 credit, S/U; must be taken with SSE 398)
SSE 454—Student Teaching Seminar (co-requisites: SSE 451 & 452)
SSE 451—Supervised Student Teaching: Grades 7–9 (S/U)
SSE 452—Supervised Student Teaching: Grades 10–12 (S/U)
Content Area Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 48 credits in history and the social sciences,
including the courses required for the major and the University general education
requirements. Students are also required to satisfy the following eleven required
areas of study:
1. U.S. History to 1877
2. U.S. History since 1877
3. Human or cultural geography
4. Principles of economics
5. Western civilization or European history survey
6. Latin America
7. Asia and its civilizations
8. Africa
9. American politics, and government
10. Science, technology, and society
11. The Culture concept in theory or history
The courses that will be accepted for each of these areas of study are detailed on
the undergraduate advising worksheet. Substitutions will be permitted only on an exceptional basis. Transfer courses will
be evaluated individually by the program director.
Courses in world history may be used to satisfy one of the areas 6–8 if they address
regional history in a substantive way. Courses in history, anthropology, economics,
political science, and sociology will automatically count towards the 48 required
credits. However, some of the courses offered through interdisciplinary programs such
as Women's Studies, Africana Studies, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies are
considered humanities, rather than social sciences.
Foreign Language Requirement
Students must complete one year of college-level foreign language study. This is both
a University requirement and a state requirement for teacher certification.
Undergraduates may satisfy this state requirement by either completing 6 credits of
college level language with a "C" or better or by earning an appropriate score on
one of the alternate tests. For more information, click here.