This major is designed for students interested in teaching history, political science (government), economics, or ethnic studies in high school or middle school. The following course work satisfies San Jos State University's requirements for a BA in Social Science Preparation for Teaching. The BA Social Science Preparation for Teaching, offered by the Department of History, is an approved program by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). Students completing the program qualify for a waiver of the subject matter examination (CSET for Social Science) required to earn a teaching credential.
Maintaining a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 and completion of the program will not guarantee admission to the credential program. Like all other applicants, students must meet credential program standards and undergo screening for admission. See Teaching: How to Become a Teacher in California (see Teaching) for information on application and admission to credential programs.
The SJSU Department of History offers undergraduate and graduate programs that teach our students to read carefully, compare sources, make judgments, and communicate persuasively using evidence-based research. Graduates of our programs often become teachers, but most work in other fields such as law, journalism, the arts, museums, libraries, archives, media, non-profits, consulting, government, and every field of business. Internships are available and Phi Alpha Theta, the History honors society, sponsors academic and social activities for our students. The Social Science Teacher Preparation (SSTP) program helps prepare students for teaching careers. At the graduate level, our primary fields of study are U.S. history, European history, and World history. Many of our MA graduates teach at local middle schools, high schools, and community colleges. Our faculty and students conduct research that draws on the special resources of the MLK Library as well as outstanding local archives such as History San Jos, the California History Center at De Anza College, the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley.
