Social Studies Education Degree

Credits: 3

Description: A global survey of the geographic interrelationships between people and their environments.

Credits: 3

Description: A survey of America in the latter half of the century. Topics include World War II, Industrialism, the Cold War, and changes in American domestic and foreign policies.

Choose one of the following political science courses:

• POS 350 The American Presidency (3 credits) - The study and analysis of the development of the contemporary presidency, presidential powers, responsibilities, and political relationships.
   
• POS 355 Politics of the Supreme Court (3 credits) - This course focuses on the political forces that shape the Supreme Court’s decision-making process. Landmark cases will be closely examined and placed in their political, cultural, and historical context. In addition, students will examine different theories of adjudication, the selection process, and the Supreme Court’s relationship with the other political branches.
   
• POS 365 Comparative Government and Politics (3 credits) - Analysis and comparison of the political systems and processes of selected countries.
   
• POS 420 American Constitutional Law (3 credits) - A study of the U.S. Constitution and the impact of the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the Constitution: judicial review, governmental powers, and rights of citizens, including both civil and criminal rights.
   
• POS 425 Rights and Liberties (3 credits) - A study of the Bill of Rights and the impact of the Supreme Court’s interpretations on its provisions. Subjects include freedoms of religion, freedoms of speech, freedom of the press, the right to keep and bear arms, search and seizure, the right to counsel, cruel and unusual punishment, discrimination, and the right to privacy.
   
• POS 445 Public Administration and Management (3 credits) - Concepts of public administration and management processes, introduction to administrative processes of personnel, budgeting, and program management; analysis of public bureaucracy’s function from a public policy perspective.

Choose one of the following courses:

• SSC 490 Social Sciences Research Seminar (3 credits) - A study of the techniques of historical and Social Sciences research and writing. Students will complete a major research project on a topic of their choice and present the results to the seminar. Note: Students in Honors Colloquium 499 are exempt from SSC 490 when required in a major endorsement.
   
• 395 Independent Study (3 credits) - Advanced reading and research in special problems, resulting in written evidence of quality work completed. Prerequisite: 3.3 cumulative GOA. Instructor, department chair, and Honors Program director approval.
   
• 499 Senior Honors Colloquium (3 credits) – Seminar presentations. Students present senior project during honors colloquium presentations on campus either in spring or fall term. Prerequisite: 3 hours of 395, cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better, and a major GPA of 3.3 or better.

Credits: 3

Description: In this course, the principal macroeconomic measurements of national production; unemployment and inflation will be introduced. Theories of how these measures interact and how they are influenced by activity in households, businesses, the Federal Government, and the Federal Reserve System, as well as the impact of international trade, will also be studied.

Credits: 3

Description: In this course, the principal microeconomic market model of supply and demand will be studied. Additional topics introduced to add to our understanding of the basic model will include resource allocation concepts, production and cost theory, consumer theory and market structure conditions.

You must take two of the following upper-level (300/400 level) geography courses, by advisement, for a total of 6 credit hours:

• GEO 300 Human Geography (3 credits) - Application of geographic principles to examine the social, economic, and political activities of human cultures. Emphasis is on the concepts of culture, culture areas, migration, diffusion, social space, territoriality, environmental perception, and cultural landscape.
   
• GEO 305 Political Geography (3 credits) - A study of geographic factors as they pertain to national and international political problems.
   
• GEO 315 World Economic Geography (3 credits) – A study of resource use, locational choices, and regional specialization in the global economy. Special emphasis is given to the factors involving uneven patterns of social and economic development and the impact of globalization at various scales.
   
• GEO 320 Urban Geography (3 credits) - This course provides a theoretical survey of the urban environment. Topics emphasized include the historical development of cities, ecological consequences of urbanization, metropolitan specialization, housing markets, residential segregation, and planning governance.
   
• GEO 325 Geography of Recreation, Tourism and Sport (3 credits) - A survey of the applied and academic aspects of indoor/outdoor recreation, international/regional tourism, and professional/amateur sports. The course will examine the distribution of legalized gaming, ecotourism and leisure travel, as well as the preservation and study of cultural and natural heritage.
   
• GEO 340 Geography of the US and Canada (3 credits) - A regional analysis of the United States and Canada in terms of economic activities and the physical environment. Special emphasis is on the historical development of the U.S. and Canadian landscapes.
   
• GEO 350 Geography of Europe (3 credits) - This course provides a regional analysis of Europe in terms of its physical environment, history, culture, political systems, and economic activities. Topics emphasized include Europe’s global influence, unification efforts, and east-west regional contrasts.
   
• GEO 360 Geography of Russia (3 credits) - A regional survey of the territory of Russia and the newly independent states that emerged from the breakup of the USSR. The focus of the course is on human, physical, and historical geography of the 15 countries in the region, which includes parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Issues to be addressed include recent efforts toward economic restructuring, relations among the former republics and nationalities, and current events/problems.
   
• GEO 370 Geography of Latin America (3 credits) - A regional survey of Latin America in terms of its physical environment, history, culture, economic development, political systems, and demographic trends.
   
• GEO 380 Geography of Asia (3 credits) - A regional analysis of South, Southeast, and East Asia in terms of the people, economic activities, and physical environment.
   
• GEO 410/510 Hazards and Disasters (3 credits) - This course involves the study of catastrophic natural phenomena such as volcanic activity, earthquakes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, and tornadoes. We will examine these events on a world scale, always trying to understand where they occur and why they occur in those places. Emphasis is given to understanding the physical processes involved along with means of predicting, preventing, and minimizing the impact on humans.
   
• GEO 425 Urban Geographic Information Systems (3 credits) – This course is divided into two components. The lecture component for this course emphasizes the theoretical nature of geographic information systems (GIS) and surveys urban topics that typically employ GIS applications. The lab component provides students with hands-on experience with GIS and global positioning systems (GPS) to complete mapping projects that involve demographics, public health, urban planning, and crime.
   
• GEO 430 Geographic Information Systems (3 credits) – This course provides a basic introduction to the theory behind and hands-on usage of a Geographic Information System. An ability to manipulate and visualize data graphically is becoming ever more important in today’s technological workplace. A Geographic Information System is a computing tool that allows the user to visualize information in ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends not visible using other presentation methods.
   
• GEO 435 Computer Mapping (3 credits) - An introduction to basic concepts and techniques for creating maps via computers. Emphasis will be on interpretation of physical and cultural information from maps and understanding map layout and design. Hands-on use of computer mapping programs will allow students to create their own maps in lab.
   
• GEO 440/540 Remote Sensing (3 credits) - This course provides a basic introduction to the concepts and applications of remote sensing. Labs provide students with experience interpreting and analyzing aerial and satellite imagery for environmental assessment.
   
• GEO 444 Topics in Geography (3 credits) - Current or special issues in geography will be examined. The course offers students the opportunity to discuss relevant issues facing society. This course may be repeated, by advisement, with different topics.
   
• GEO 490 Geography and History of Nebraska (3 credits) - A history and geography of Nebraska focusing on principal people, events, and themes in the state’s history.

You will take the following history courses:

• HIS 170 World Civilizations I (3 credits) - This course surveys the world’s cultures and their interactions from the rise of civilization through the age of European expansion. Required for majors and educator preparation candidates seeking a Social Sciences field endorsement or a history subject endorsement.
   
• HIS 171 World Civilizations II (3 credits) - This course surveys the world’s cultures from the age of the European voyages of discovery to the twentieth century. Required for majors and educator preparation candidates seeking a Social Sciences field endorsement or a history subject endorsement.
   
• HIS 280 America, 15000 BC to 1845 (3 credits) - A comprehensive survey of American History from the Pre-Columbian Period to the beginning of the Mexican-American War, including a survey of Pre-Columbian cultures, the Colonial Era, the American Revolution, the Early National Period, and Antebellum America. This course focuses on studying the diversity of America by analyzing and interpreting the role of gender, class, race, and ethnicity in history. Students will engage in historical research using multiple historical and contemporary sources to investigate, interpret, and analyze the events of the time under study and the persistent issues that have compelled this dynamic nation forward. This class is required for majors and educator preparation candidates seeking a Social Sciences field endorsement or a History subject endorsement.
   
• HIS 281 America, 1845-1945 (3 credits) - A comprehensive survey of American History from 1845 to 1945, including a survey of Western expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II. The course focuses on studying the diversity of America by analyzing and interpreting the role of gender, class, race, and ethnicity in history. Students will engage in historical research using multiple historical and contemporary sources to investigate, interpret, and analyze the events of the time under study and the persistent issues that have compelled this dynamic nation forward. This class is required for majors and educator preparation candidates seeking a Social Sciences field endorsement or a History subject endorsement.
   
• U.S. upper-level history elective (3 credits) - Take one upper-level (300/400) HIS course about U.S. history
   
• Non-U.S. upper-level history electives (6 credits) - Take two upper-level (300/400) HIS courses about non-U.S. history.
   
• Upper-level history elective (6 credits) - Take two upper-level (300/400) HIS courses that you have not already taken from the list above.

A complete listing of courses and their descriptions can be found in the course catalog.

Credits: 3

Description: The study of the institutions and political processes of the national government.

You must take one of the following upper-level (300/400 level) political science courses, by advisement, for a total of 3 credit hours:

• POS 315 Seminar in Political Theory (3 credits) - This seminar allows detailed examination of one or more of the historical and current theoretical positions in political science. Among the possible topics are: classical theory of government, non-western theories, revolutionary theory, American political theory, and the European political tradition.
   
• POS 350 The American Presidency (3 credits) – The study and analysis of the development of the contemporary presidency, presidential powers, responsibilities, and political relationships.
   
• POS 355 Politics of the Supreme Court (3 credits) – This course focuses on the political forces that shape the Supreme Court’s decision-making process. Landmark cases will be closely examined and placed in their political, cultural, and historical context. In addition, students will examine different theories of adjudication, the selection process, and the Supreme Court’s relationship with the other political branches.
   
• POS 360 Congressional Politics (3 credits) – Analysis of the decision-making structure and process in Congress with a focus upon the organizational constraints on legislative behavior, recruitment of congressional candidates, congressional elections, legislative voting behavior and presidential influence in Congress.
   
• POS 365 Comparative Government and Politics (3 credits) – Analysis and comparison of the political systems and processes of selected countries.

• POS 420 American Constitutional Law (3 credits) – A study of the U.S. Constitution and the impact of the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the Constitution: judicial review, governmental powers, and rights of citizens, including both civil and criminal rights.
   
• POS 425 Rights and Liberties (3 credits) – A study of the Bill of Rights and the impact of the Supreme Court’s interpretations on its provisions. Subjects include freedoms of religion, freedoms of speech, freedom of the press, the right to keep and bear arms, search and seizure, the right to counsel, cruel and unusual punishment, discrimination, and the right to privacy.
   
• POS 390 Public Budgeting and Finance (3 credits) – Study of the public budgetary process, public revenue sources, and financial processes of governmental relations perspective.
   
• POS 402 State and Local Politics (3 credits) – The study of the political institutions and process at state and local levels.
   
• POS 410 Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation (3 credits) – Public policy analysis consists of systematically exploring alternatives to defined public policy problems. Program evaluation consists of post hoc examination of the process and impact of public policy. This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and practice of public policy and program evaluation. Students will learn qualitative and quantitative methodological skills used in these processes and employ these skills in research. Prerequisite: POS 430 Public Policy.
   
• POS 444 Topics in Political Science (3 credits) – Current or special issues in political science will be examined. The course offers students the opportunity to discuss relevant issues facing society. This course may be repeated, by advisement, with different topics.
   
• POS 445 Public Administration and Management (3 credits) – Concepts of public administration and management processes, introduction to administrative processes of personnel, budgeting, and program management; analysis of public bureaucracy’s function from a public policy perspective.

Credits: 3

Description: An overview of human behavior from various psychological perspectives. Topics covered to include: learning, maturation, biological foundations, motivation, perception, personality development, personal awareness, abnormal behavior, and social behavior.

You must take one of the following upper-level (300/400 level) psychology courses, by advisement, for a total of 3 credit hours:

• PSY 300 Evolutionary Psychology (3 credits) - Focuses on the origins of behavior and mental processes, the adaptive value they have or had, and the purposes they serve or served.
   
• PSY 316 Social Psychology (3 credits) - The scientific discipline that investigates social influences that appear to produce similarities and differences in human behavior. Prerequisites: PSY 101 General Psychology or SOC 101 Intro to Sociology.
   
• PSY 345 Health Psychology (3 credits) - Health Psychology emphasizes the role of psychological factors in the maintenance of good health; the prevention of illness; and the treatment of, recovery from, and adjustment to existing and ongoing illness.
   
• PSY 401 Theories of Personality (3 credits) - Distinctive themes of selected theories of personality will be presented. Emphasis is placed on those themes that foster knowledge of individual behavior.
   
• PSY 402/502 Learning (3 credits) - A study of the principles, theories and research on learning and behavior. The course will emphasize basic principles of learning and real-world examples and applications of them. Topics include habituation, classical conditioning, reinforcement, punishment, stimulus control of behavior, biological constraints on learning, and animal memory and cognition.
   
• PSY 403/503 Cognitive Psychology (3 credits) - This course is organized around the information-processing framework of human cognition. The purpose of the class is to introduce substantive fundamental issues in human cognition, learning and memory. Selected experiments and their implications for conceptual issues will be discussed in depth in order to draw their direct pertinence to and potential impact upon human affairs.
   
• PSY 405 Experimental Psychology (3 credits) - An introduction to the methods of experimental psychology as a means of obtaining information about behavior. The laboratory section will allow students to learn to apply and report research methods by initiating, conducting, analyzing, and reporting experimental research procedures. Prerequisite: SSC 319 Statistics for the Social Sciences or equivalent taken concurrently or prior to taking this course.
   
• PSY 406/506 Death and Dying (3 credits) - This course examines various causes of death (including “natural causes,” AIDS, suicide, violent deaths), dying with dignity, and our attitudes about death, rituals, and grief processes. Prerequisites: PSY 101 General Psychology or SOC 101 Intro to Sociology.
   
• PSY 408/508 Forensic Psychology (3 credits) - Forensic Psychology is any application of psychological knowledge to issues within the legal system. Topics include psychological profiling, psychological autopsies, lie detection, insanity and competency, violence, eyewitness identification, and law enforcement selection and training.
   
• PSY 410/510 Psychology of Small Group Behavior (3 credits) - This course provides a critical overview of theory and research on small groups. Cohesiveness, conformity, power, inter-group and intra-group conflict and cooperation are studied. Students will observe and participate in small group processes. Prerequisites: PSY 101 General Psychology or SOC 101 Intro to Sociology.
   
• PSY 415/515 Human Sexuality (3 credits) - Human sexuality is examined from a multicultural perspective to include the historical, biological, psychological, cultural, and sociological viewpoints.
   
• PSY 430/530 Positive Psychology (3 credits) - The study of positive human functioning, including human strengths, assets, and resilience that maximize mental health. Prerequisite: PSY 101 Intro to Psychology.
   
• PSY 435/535 Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3 credits) - A study of the application of the methods, facts, and principles of psychology to people at work. Research in Industrial-Organizational Psychology includes an examination of job analysis and evaluation, selection, training and performance appraisal of personnel, the structure and context of organizations, organizational culture, organizational change, career development, motivation, job satisfaction, and team dynamics from a psychological perspective. Students will also examine the impact of factors such as increasing government influence, technology improvements, shifting economic conditions and the changing nature of the workforce on industry. This area of psychology will be shown to have a direct impact on business, industry, labor, public, academic, community and health organizations.
   
• PSY 440/540 Psychopharmacology (3 credits) – A study of the physical changes and psychological effects that drugs have on the brain and nervous system. Topics will include the basic organization and function of the brain and nervous systems and a history of the use of drugs. The course will emphasize how the functions of the brain are altered by the use of drugs, from both illegal and prescription uses. An overview of the mental disorders for which drugs are prescribed, and the mental disorders that result from drug use is included.
   
• PSY 444/544 Topics in Psychology (3 credits) - Current or special issues in psychology will be examined. The course offers students the opportunity to discuss relevant issues facing society. This course may be repeated, by advisement, with different topics.
   
• PSY 450/550 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits) - Approaches to the assessment and treatment of emotional, social, psychotic, organic, and development disorders are examined.
   
• PSY 460/560 Physiological Psychology (3 credits) - Coursework will focus on the relationship between the nervous system and behavior. Theories of interactions between the brain and behavior, the research methods and results of such studies, and the implications of the findings will be examined.
   
• PSY 470/570 History and Systems (3 credits) - A study of the ideas and contributions of individuals who influenced the development of psychology as a science. Topics include important theories and schools of thought on which psychology is based.

Credits: 3

Description: An introduction to the study of human social behavior, society and its values, social organization, institutions, and processes. Some topics included are socialization, minorities, deviance, gender roles, the family, social stratification, and social change.

Credits: 3

Description: Students are introduced to teaching as a profession through the historical, cultural, and philosophical foundations of educational systems. Students will explore various aspects of education, as well as their beliefs and values about teaching and learning through the exploration of professional knowledge, practice, and values. This course may include a field experience.

Credits: 0

Description: This course is designed for students in Level 1 of WSC’s educator preparation programs who are progressing into Level 2. Students will receive valuable information including, but not limited to, admission, program progression, degree and certification requirements, the use of portfolio software, professional dispositions for success, etc.

Notes: Graded S/NC

Credits: 3

Description: Students construct a conceptual basis for understanding the growth and development of learners. Theories of physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development are explored in order to better understand the importance of the nurturing role of the teacher in human development and learning. Students begin to understand the human learning process and individual differences in how learners think and behave based on their unique characteristics. Students study theoretical models and the integration of models for planning and facilitating effective and differentiated experiences for diversified learners. This course will include field experience.

Prerequisite: EDU 150 Introduction to Professional Education
Corequisite: EDU 245 Preparing for Level 2: Teacher Candidacy

Credits: 3

Description: Students will practice instructional design methodologies or analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. To explore and learn to recognize their biases, including but not limited to sexism, racism, prejudice, and discrimination, students will develop an awareness of the impact such biases have on their interpersonal relations. Students will be challenged to reflect on how they can relate more effectively to other individuals and groups in a pluralistic society in order to promote equitable approaches to instructional design. This course fulfills the human relations component established by the Nebraska Department of Education. This course may include a field experience.

Prerequisites: EDU 150 Introduction to Professional Education and EDU 250 Human Development and Cognition must be taken concurrently or prior to this course.

Credits: 2

Description: This course outlines the essentials of the reading processes and skills necessary for secondary students to become proficient learners of content, the incorporation of reading instruction into content delivery, and examination of the Nebraska Language Arts standards. The course also provides candidates with a solid foundation in educational assessment.

Prerequisite: Acceptance to Educator Preparation (successful completion of Level 1 Benchmarks)

This course must be taken to meet the requirement for 3 semester hours of professional education coursework in pedagogical content knowledge.

Credits: 3

Description: This course examines the essential knowledge, skills, dispositions, and innovative applications of content needed for effective teaching in the 21st century. Specific content-area topics include instructional planning for differentiated instruction; effective strategies, techniques, materials, and assessment methods; reading and writing in the content area; classroom management; and the relationship of the content area to standards-based curriculum. To be taken concurrently with EDU 414 Content Area Practicum Experience.

Prerequisite: Acceptance to Educator Preparation (successful completion of Level 1 Benchmarks)

Credits: 1

Description: This 80-clock hour minimum content specific clinical experience (60 hours in classroom plus 20 hours in activities related to teaching) is designed to induct students into classroom teaching and develop an awareness of the many roles of a professional educator. Under the mentorship of a practicing K-12 educator, students will assist/co-teach/teach. Students will also actively participate in school-related activities commonly encountered by professional educators.

Prerequisites: Acceptance to Educator Preparation (successful completion of Level 1 Benchmarks), and successful completion or concurrent enrollment in EDU 409 Content Area Methods and Materials

Credits: 0

Description: This course is designed for graduate students in Level 2 of WSC’s educator preparation program who are progressing into Level 3 and those completing clinical practice to change endorsement levels. Two virtual sessions will be held at the beginning of each academic session for graduate teacher candidates planning to student teach in the following semester. Graduate teacher candidates will attend one of the two virtual sessions to receive valuable information including, but not limited to, how to apply for Clinical Practice, an overview of Clinical Practice requirements, rules regarding placement choices and department approval requirements.

Dual-listed: EDU 545
Notes: Graded S/NC

Credits: 12

Description: A semester course of full-day learning experiences in a secondary setting under the supervision of a cooperating 7-12 classroom teacher, a supervisor from the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences, and a faculty member from the appropriate content area. On-campus seminars will be offered periodically throughout the semester. This is the culminating experience of the secondary pre-service educator preparation program. Students in the Career Scholars Program will enroll for 3 credit hours in their first semester and 12 credit hours in their second semester (this course may be repeated by residency students only). All other students will enroll in 6 or 12 credit hours in one semester. Graded S/NC.

Prerequisite: Acceptance to Clinical Practice (successful completion of Level 2 Benchmarks)

Notes: Graded S/NC. Students in the Growing Together residency program will enroll for 3 credit hours in their first semester and 12 credit hours in their second semester (this course may be repeated by residency students only). All other students will enroll in 6 or 12 credit hours in one semester

Credits: 3

Description: The course will explore applications of methods and strategies within elementary and secondary settings to provide equitable learning opportunities within least restrictive learning environments for all students. An emphasis is placed on communication and collaboration among professionals and families to ensure the needs of all students are met.

Prerequisite: Acceptance to Educator Preparation (successful completion of Level 1 Benchmarks)

Credits: 3

Description: Understanding social and emotional development of all learners while considering Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Emphasis on implications for the inclusive learning environment, promotion of social competence, awareness of prosocial skills, and effective utilization of responsive relationships. Completing the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) process and developing the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) product to meet the needs of secondary learners.

Prerequisite: Acceptance to Educator Preparation.