Procedures for Completing a Degree in Social Studies Education

Once students have been admitted to NSU and decided to pursue the B.A. Ed., they should immediately contact a College of Liberal Arts Academic Advisor (Rebecca Robertson, x3570 for last names A-J; Gail Vaughn, x3571 for last names K-Z). Students should make an appointment to meet with their advisor and request that a degree plan be prepared for them. Students who fail to seek advisement may make mistakes in course selection and needlessly delay their graduation.

The student's degree plan will show how any transfer work applies toward the degree and will list all specific requirements for graduation. The degree plan should be carefully examined. If any questions exist about why courses did not transfer, or why certain courses are being required for graduation, they should be clarified immediately either through discussion with the advisor or through the Department of History.

The student's advisor will attempt to explain the most efficient way to complete degree requirements and graduate. The advisor will ask the student to read and sign a "Statement of Understanding" that is used as an advisement tool to inform students of items that are important to the student's academic success. A copy of the "Statement of Understanding" is included below:

Statement of Understanding-B.A. Ed. in Social Studies Education (SSED)

I understand that I must:

• maintain a portfolio which contains examples of graded term papers, book reviews, and other assignments demonstrating my ability:
  
  
  • to research and analyze
    
  • to write reports that are well-organized and demonstrate proficiency in literary style, grammar, and spelling
    
  • to document sources cited using an acceptable style format
    
  • to provide instruction at the appropriate level addressing all ten National Council of the Social Studies' (NCSS) thematic standards
    
  • to provide instruction at the appropriate level addressing the Oklahoma Academic Standards
    
  • submit my portfolio on request of my professors and evaluating committee, which will determine if it meets the standards outlined by the National Council of Teacher Accreditation (NCATE) and NCSS the semester before my final intern experience
    
  • if my portfolio does not meet minimum standards, it may result in a delay in my graduation or my failure to graduate
    
  • complete at least 45 hours with a minimum of a 2.5 G.P.A., and pass the OGET (Oklahoma General Education Test) for admission to the Teacher Education program
    
  • earn a grade of "C" or better in all classes in my major-minor, including all required prerequisite Social Science courses listed in the degree plan, and all professional education classes, and have a 2.75 G.P. A. for admission to intern teaching and for graduation; for the SSED major no courses graded with Pass/Fail are permitted
    
  • request a degree plan from the Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts as soon as possible after I select social studies education as a major
    
  • Enroll in professional education courses in the following combinations:
    
    
    • 1st semester-- EDUC 3313, EDUC 3113, & SPED 4433, plus additional courses from the academic major
      
    • 2nd semester-- Full semester load of courses from the academic major
      
    • 3rd semester-- EDUC 4032, EDUC 4823, Educ 4353, and SOSC 4023 and SOSC 4951
      
    • Final semester-- Full Internship EDUC 4064, EDUC 4066, & EDUC 4252 (no other courses allowed); students will not be placed in schools for intern teaching without first obtaining passing scores on either OSAT Field 17 or OSAT Field 18 exams (Field 17--U.S. History/Oklahoma History/Government/Economics or Field 18--World History/Geography)
      
    • complete History 1113, History 1483, Political Science 1113, Psychology 1113, Geography 2243, Sociology 1113, and Economics 2213 or 2313 as part of my general education requirements in addition to the other classes indicated on my degree plan
      
    • complete at least 24 hours of advanced (3000-4000) courses in the SSED major-minor
      
    • take half (24 hours) of this major at Northeastern State University
      
    • complete a minimum of 40 hours of advanced courses numbered 3000 and above
      
    • earn at least 80 hours of credit in courses classified as Liberal Arts and Sciences
      
    • satisfy the foreign language requirement mandated by the Oklahoma legislature
      
    • be aware that Geography 4303, Historical Geography of the United States, is usually offered only during the fall semester
      
    • apply for graduation one semester before my final internship; this will generate an official Graduation Audit
      
    • obtain prior approval from my academic advisor before enrolling in a course or courses at other institutions of higher learning. Grades earned at other institutions may not count unless they are approved in advance. I also understand that I must have an official transcript showing all classes taken at other institutions sent directly to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment.

Degree Availability

At the present time the Social Studies Education degree is only available in its entirety on the NSU campus in Tahlequah. However, much of the degree may be obtained at the Broken Arrow campus. The courses available in Broken Arrow include the general education section (offered TCC on the NSU-BA campus), the Professional Education courses (29 hours), and some American history and political science courses (approximately 15-18 hours).

For more information please contact:

Dr. Christopher Clark
Coordinator of Social Studies Education
Department of History
Northeastern State University
600 N. Grand Avenue
Tahlequah, OK 74464
918-444-3503