Bachelor of Arts in History (4-8 Social Studies Certification)

The Bachelor of Arts degree in History offers solid preparation for proceeding to graduate programs in the field or to careers in the public or nonprofit sector. In addition, this degree provides an excellent background and professional preparation in the following fields: teaching at middle school, secondary school, or college level; library science; work with archives, historical associations, museums or national parks; journalism; criminal justice administration; legal assistance; law school; foreign service, and administrative, federal and state civil service.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

Degree Skills

1. ​Employers want employees who are organized and complete projects on time. The B.A. in History develops these skills by requiring students to read, research, and write independently, and present research in a public forum (orally or in written form) with fixed deadlines.
2. ​Employers want employees who have solid writing and compositional skills. The B.A. in History develops these skills by requiring students to engage in clear, persuasive, grammatically, and stylistically correct writing projects (research papers, policy briefs, reaction papers, memos, position papers, etc.).
3. ​Employers want employees who have solid oral communication skills. The B.A. in History develops these skills by requiring students to present their research in a public forum (that is, in front of a class of peers) using visual aids (slides, charts, graphs, etc.) or to role-play in a public forum requiring extensive research on that role. 

Teacher Certification Skills

1. Appropriately explain the impact of effective planning and communication (within the chosen area of concentration) to relevant internal and external stakeholders in an education or community setting.
2. Identify, select, and implement entry-level instructional plans when serving as an instructor in the school setting.
3. Successfully manage organizational and student behavior when teaching in the school setting.
4. Efficiently and accurately assess student progress and use data to develop and modify instruction for K-12 students.
5. Work effectively and collaboratively with students and families from diverse backgrounds.

Admissions

Teacher Certification

Application Deadlines

There are three application periods per year (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Students must have their applications in by the deadline the semester before they intend to take ECE 3223 (EC-3 only), EDUC 3003, EDUC 3482, or READ 4223 (EC-3 only).  (see schedule below).

Spring Application Deadlines*  (Admission to the EDUC 3000s Summer)

• May 1 - Deadline to apply for Summer admission
• May 31 - Deadline for Transfer Grades, Grade Changes, or Any Other Requirement

Summer Application Deadlines  (Admission to the EDUC 3000s Fall)

• July 1 - Deadline to apply for Fall admission
• July 31 - Deadline for Transfer Grades, Grade Changes, or Any Other Requirement

Fall Application Deadlines*  (Admission to the EDUC 3000s Spring)

• December 1 - Deadline to apply for Spring admission
• December 21 - Deadline for Transfer Grades, Grade Changes, or Any Other Requirement

Guidelines

Please adhere to the following guidelines: 

• We recommend preparing your application well in advance of the deadline. That way you will be able to identify and resolve any potential issues before the deadline date. 
• If you intend to register early for ECE 3223 (EC-3 only), EDUC 3003, EDUC 3482, or READ 4223 (EC-3 only) for the Summer or Fall semesters and have met all admission requirements, it is recommended that you apply to the EPP by December 1.
• If you apply for admission to the Educator Preparation Program while enrolled in EDUC 2003 or are taking coursework to increase your GPA to a 2.75, the Office of Educator Preparation Services will process your application. If the GPA requirement, along with all other admission requirements are met at the end of the semester, an admission decision will be made at that time.
• No late applications will be accepted. If the deadline date falls on a weekend or a day that TWU is closed, applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on the next day that TWU is open after the deadline day.

Requirements

In addition to the general undergraduate admissions requirements, to obtain acceptance into the undergraduate Educator Preparation Program (and prior to taking ECE 3223 (EC-3 only), EDUC 3003, EDUC 3482, EDUC 4113, EDUC 4243, READ 4223 (EC-3 only), and Clinical Student Teaching) students must have:

• A cumulative GPA of 2.75 (includes all courses, whether posted to TWU transcript or used on a degree plan. Excludes developmental and repeated courses);

• Demonstrated basic skills in reading, written communication, and mathematics by meeting the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative;

• A minimum of 12 to 15 semester credit hours in the subject-specific content area for the certification sought;

• Completed EDUC 2003 with a C or higher;

• Completed department application for admission to the Educator Preparation Program in Tk20;
  • Important: Purchase and creation of a Tk20 account is required

• Completed the Digital Literacy Pre-assessment;

• Submitted a non-refundable Texas Education Agency Fee;

• Completed a Commitment Contract acknowledging awareness and understanding of the Professional Dispositions Policy and Educators’ Code of Ethics;

• Successfully completed a pre-admission departmental interview with an interview panel; and

• Acknowledged and accepted admission to the Educator Preparation Program.

Please note:

• All accepted students must maintain the admission requirements to remain in the TWU Education Preparation Program.
• Admission requirements are determined by Texas Education Agency policies and are subject to change without notice.
• Students seeking Bilingual certification must meet minimum proficiency in Spanish.
• Students seeking Deaf/Hard of Hearing certification must meet minimum proficiency in sign.

All admission decisions are based on the successful completion of the above requirements. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor other than a minor traffic violation may affect certification. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Texas Education Agency. Any previous or current issues of academic dishonesty, disruptive behavior, or professional dispositions infractions at TWU, another university, or another Educator Preparation Program may result in denial of admission. Any decision may be appealed by contacting the Office of Educator Preparation Services at 940-898-2829.

Contact the Office of Educator Preparation Services (OEPS) at copeadvising@twu.edu or 940-898-2829 with any questions.

Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Requirements

• Candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator. [19 TAC §227.1(b)(1)]
• Candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching. [19 TAC §227.1(b)(2)]
• The potential ineligibility of an individual who has been convicted of an offense for issuance of a certificate. [19 TAC §227.1(d)(1)]
• The right to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation from TEA. [19 TAC §227.1(d)(3)]

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 131   

Major: 30 SCH;  Required Minor: 29 SCH

Program Code: HISTORY.BA.4-8EDUC;   CIP Code: 54.0101.00

Texas Core Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
ENG 1013	Composition I	3
ENG 1023	Composition II	3
Mathematics		3
Life & Physical Sciences		6
Language, Philosophy, & Culture		3
Creative Arts		3
HIST 1013	History of the United States, 1492-1865	3
HIST 1023	History of the United States, 1865 to the Present	3
POLS 2013	U.S. National Government	3
POLS 2023	Texas Government	3
Social & Behavioral Sciences		3
CAO: Women's Studies		3
CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics		3
Total SCHs		42

Courses Required for Major

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
HIST 2013	Survey of World Civilization to 1715	3
or HIST 2023	Survey of World Civilization Since 1715
HIST 2713	History of Texas	3
HIST 4233	Global Issues and Trends	3
HIST 4843	Senior Seminar	3
SOCI 3273	World Regional Geography	3
Advanced HIST courses (6 SCH must be non-US)		15
Total SCHs		30

Departmental Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
Foreign Language		12
English Literature (2000 level or higher)		3
Mathematics		6
Life & Physical Sciences		6
ECO 1023	Principles of Macroeconomics	3
Total SCHs		30

Professional Education Studies

Admission to the Educator Preparation Program is required. Students must apply for admission into the Educator Preparation Program prior to enrolling in EDUC 3003/EDUC 3482, EDUC 4113/EDUC 4243, and EDUC 4946. Information is available from the Office of Educator Preparation Services.

Recommended Plan of Study

*Course of study is suggested only. It is recommended to see an advisor for a personalized Plan of Study

First Year
Fall		TCCN	SCHs
ENG 1013	Composition I	ENGL 1301	3
HIST 1013	History of the United States, 1492-1865	HIST 1301	3
UNIV 1231	Learning Frameworks: the First-Year Seminar	EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 1300	1
Mathematics Core			3
Wellness/Mathematics CAO Core			2
Foreign Language			3
Social/Behavioral Science Core			3
	SCHs		18
Spring		TCCN
ENG 1023	Composition II	ENGL 1302	3
HIST 1023	History of the United States, 1865 to the Present	HIST 1302	3
Language, Philosophy, Culture Core			3
Creative Arts Core			3
Mathematics			3
Foreign Language			3
	SCHs		18
Second Year
Fall		TCCN
POLS 2013	U.S. National Government	GOVT 2305	3
Life/Physical Science Core			3
Mathematics			3
HIST 2013 or 2023	Survey of World Civilization to 1715 or Survey of World Civilization Since 1715	HIST 2321 or HIST 2322	3
Foreign Language			3
Multicultural Women's Studies CAO Core			3
	SCHs		18
Spring		TCCN
POLS 2023	Texas Government	GOVT 2306	3
EDUC 2003	Schools and Society	EDUC 1301	3
Life/Physical Science Core			3
English Literature			3
Foreign Language			3
ECO 1023	Principles of Macroeconomics	ECON 2301	3
	SCHs		18
Third Year
Fall		TCCN
HIST 4233	Global Issues and Trends		3
HIST 2713	History of Texas	HIST 2301	3
HIST Elective (advanced)			3
Additional Science			3
	SCHs		12
Spring		TCCN
HIST 4843	Senior Seminar		3
HIST Elective (advanced)			3
SOCI 3273	World Regional Geography		3
EDUC 3482	Teaching Diverse Learners Through Technology Integration		2
EDUC 3003	Learning Theory and Development		3
READ 3013	Literacy and Learning across the Curriculum		3
Additional Science			3
READ 3423	Literacy Foundations: 4-8		3
	SCHs		23
Fourth Year
Fall		TCCN
HIST elective (advanced)			3
HIST elective (advanced)			3
HIST elective (advanced)			3
EDUC 4113	Design and Implementation of Instruction and Assessment		3
EDUC 4243	Classroom Environment and Management		3
EDSP 3203	Learners with Exceptionalities		3
	SCHs		18
Spring		TCCN
EDUC 4946	Clinical Student Teaching		6
	SCHs		6
	Total SCHs:		131