[BSU Logo]BSU Catalog Home | Social Studies Program

Social Studies Areas of Study

Social Studies Major, B.S. (Teacher Licensure)

Note: A minimum of 22 semester credits used to meet social studies subject matter course requirements (I and II below) must be completed at Bemidji State University. No course grade below a C may be used to meet these requirements and a minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for graduation in this program. Students who desire a second field of emphasis are encouraged to consider completing a minor in the second field.

Alert: New State of Minnesota teacher licensure rules may go into effect Fall 1998. Before registering for classes, please consult the revised Handbook for Teacher Education Students, available in the office of the Department of Education.

For requirements for entry into and completion of teacher licensure programs, see Professional Education: Admission, Retention and Completion, this catalog.

Note: With proper student planning and in consultation with the academic advisor in Social Studies a student may complete his or her academic degree in 128 semester credits. It is possible, in some circumstances, that courses in a student's Liberal Education program may be used in his or her academic major.

I. Required Core Courses

ANTH 1100 Becoming Human (3 credits)
ANTH 1110 Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)
or GEOG 2200 Introduction to Human Geography (3 credits)
ANTH 3207 Old World Prehistory (3 credits)
or GEOG 3810 Geography of Europe (3 credits)
ECON 2000 Markets and Resource Allocation (3 credits)
GEOG 1224 Introduction to Map Use (3 credits)
GEOG 2100 Introduction to Physical Geography (3 credits)
GEOG 3410 Geography of the United States (3 credits)
HST 1114 United States History I to 1865 (4 credits)
HST 1115 United States History II since 1865 (4 credits)
HST 4671 Computer Use for the Historian (2 credits)
POL 1200 Introduction to American Politics (3 credits)
PSY 1100 Introduction to Psychology (4 credits)
SOC 1104 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

Select one of the following courses emphasizing the non-western world in the modern contemporary period:

GEOG 3820 Geography of East Asia (3 credits)
GEOG 3830 Geography of South Asia (3 credits)
HST 3409 Colonialism and Modernization in the Non-Western World (3 credits)
HST 3419 China (3 credits)
HST 3429 South and Southeast Asia (3 credits)
HST 3439 Japan and Korea (3 credits)
HST 3449 Middle East (3 credits)
HST 3469 Africa (3 credits)

Subtotal 44 Credits

II Required Field of Emphasis

Select one of the following fields of emphasis:

Note: No course used to meet core requirements may be used in field of emphasis.

A. Anthropology

1. Required Courses
ANTH 2100 Native North Americans (3 credits)
ANTH 3207 Old World Prehistory (3 credits)
or ANTH 3208 North American Prehistory (3 credits)
ANTH 3000 Qualitative Research Methods (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 6 credits of electives from Anthropology.

B. Broad-Field

Required Electives
Select 3 credits from each of Political Science, Economics, and Sociology, with consent of advisor:

Select 6 credits from Social Studies (Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology) with consent of advisor.

C. Economics

1. Required Courses
ECON 2100 Macroeconomics and The Business Cycle (3 credits)
ECON 3000 Economics of the Financial Sector (3 credits)
ECON 3450 Comparative Economic Systems (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 6 credits of electives from Economics.

D. Geography

1. Required Courses
GEOG 1400 World Regional Geography (3 credits)
GEOG 2200 Introduction to Human Geography (3 credits)
GEOG 2300 Economic Geography (3 credits)
GEOG 2400 Introduction to Planning (3 credits)
or GEOG 3510 Geography of Minnesota (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 3 credits of electives from Geography.

E. History

1. Required Courses
HST 1304 World History I (4 credits)
HST 1305 World History II (4 credits)
HST 2610 Minnesota History to 1900 (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 4 credits of electives from History courses numbered 2500 or above.

F. Political Science

1. Required Course
POL 3200 State and Local Politics (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 12 credits of electives from Political Science.

G. Psychology

Required Courses
PSY 2227 Learning and Cognition (3 credits)
PSY 2237 Lifespan Development (3 credits)
PSY 3367 Social Psychology (3 credits)

Select either

PSY 2217 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
PSY 4467 Personality Theories (3 credits)

or PSY 3312 Advanced Research Methods (3 credits)
PSY 4487 History and Systems of Psychology (3 credits)

H. Sociology

1. Required Courses
SOC 3002 Methods of Social Research (3 credits)
SOC 3010 Contemporary Sociological Theory (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 9 credits from the following courses:

SOC 1105 Contemporary Social Problems (3 credits)
SOC 1500 The Sociological Enterprise (3 credits)
SOC 2230 Ethnic and Minority Group Relations (3 credits)
SOC 2600 Social Change (3 credits)
SOC 3001 Social Statistics (3 credits)
SOC 3100 Sociology of Violence (3 credits)
SOC 3130 Deviant Behavior (3 credits)
SOC 3200 Social Inequality (3 credits)
SOC 3220 Sociology of Marriage and Family (3 credits)
SOC 3260 Sociology of Religion (3 credits)
SOC 4010 Social Psychology (3 credits)
SOC 4880 Seminar in Sociology (2 credits)

Subtotal 15 Credits

III. Required Professional Education Courses

ED 3460 Teaching of Secondary School Social Studies (2 credits)
For additional specific courses, see Professional Education: Secondary, this catalog. (34 credits)

Subtotal 36 Credits

Total Semester Credits Required for Major 95 Credits

SUGGESTED SEMESTER SCHEDULE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES MAJOR, B.S. (TEACHER LICENSURE)

See schedule listed after Social Studies Major, B.A.

Social Studies Major, B.A. (Non-teaching)

Note: A minimum of 22 semester credits used to meet course requirements in I and II must be completed at Bemidji State University. No course grade below a C may be used to meet these requirements and a minimum GPA of 2.5 in this major is required for graduation. Students who desire a second field of emphasis are to consider completion a minor or a second major in that field. Such action may complement and increase the marketability of this major.

I. Required Core Courses

Note: Students with a Psychology Field of Emphasis should consult with advisor regarding selection of a statistics course.

ENGL 2000 Expository Writing (2 credits)
ECON 2000 Markets and Resource Allocation (3 credits)
or GEOG 2300 Economic Geography (3 credits)
GEOG 2400 Introduction to Planning (3 credits)
or GEOG 3320 Regional Planning Methods (3 credits)
GEOG 3800 Regional Geography (3 credits)
or any regional geography course within the 3800 series.
HST 1304 World History I, Prehistory to 1700 (4 credits)
or HST 1305 World History II, 1700 - present (4 credits)
POL 3210 Public Administration (3 credits)
or POL 3200 State and Local Politics (3 credits)
SOC 3001 Social Statistics (3 credits)
INTL 4100 International Studies Seminar (4 credits)

Subtotal 25 Credits

II. Required Field of Emphasis

Select one of the following fields of emphasis. All references to Social Studies include Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Note: No course used to meet core requirements may be used in field of emphasis.

A. Economics

1. Required Courses

ECON 2100 Macroeconomics and The Business Cycle (3 credits)
ECON 2200 Methods of Economics Analysis (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 15 credits of electives from Economics.

B. Economics-Political Science-Sociology-Anthropology: Broad Field

Required Electives
Select 3 credits from each of Anthropology or Sociology, Political Science, Economics, and Psychology, with consent of advisor:
Select 9 credits from Social Studies with consent of advisor.

C. Geography

1. Required Courses
GEOG 2200 Introduction to Human Geography (3 credits)
or GEOG 4120 Urban Geography (3 credits)
GEOG 2100 Introduction to Physical Geography (3 credits)
or GEOG 3410 Geography of the United States (3 credits)
GEOG 3800 Regional Geography (3 credits)
or any regional geography course within the 3800 series.

2. Required Electives

Select two of the following Systematic/Applied courses:
GEOG 1224 Introduction to Map Use (3 credits)
GEOG 2225 Aerial Photo and Remote Sensing (3 credits)
GEOG 3231 Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
GEOG 3310 Land Use Analysis and Planning (3 credits)
Select 6 additional credits of electives in Geography.

D. History

1. Required Courses
HST 1114 United States History I (4 credits)
HST 1115 United States History II (4 credits)
HST 4671 Computer Use for the Historian (2 credits)
SOC 1104 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 8 credits of electives from History courses numbered 2500 or above.

E. Political Science

Required Electives
Select 21 credits of electives in Political Science.

F. Psychology

1. Required Courses
ANTH 1100 Becoming Human (3 credits)
PSY 1100 Introductory Psychology (4 credits)
PSY 2237 Lifespan Development (3 credits)
PSY 3367 Social Psychology (3 credits)

Select either group

PSY 2217 Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
PSY 4467 Personality Theories (3 credits)

or PSY 3312 Advanced Research Methods (3 credits)
4487 History and Systems of Psychology (3 credits)

2. Required Electives

Select 2 credits of electives from Psychology.

G. Sociology-Anthropology

Required Electives
Select 21 credits of electives from Sociology and Anthropology with a minimum of 6 credits in Anthropology.

Subtotal 21 Credits

Total Semester Credits Required for Major 46 Credits

SUGGESTED SEMESTER SCHEDULE FOR SOCIAL STUDIES MAJOR, B.A.

The following is suggested for logical and effective scheduling but can be interpreted as flexible for meeting requirements and a student's particular needs. Students should meet with the Social Studies coordinator and advisor as early as possible in their planning.

Freshman - Sophomore

Geography and History constitute the "matrix" of Social Studies and students should complete required core courses in these subjects first.

Complete Liberal Education requirements

Junior - Senior

Complete remaining core course requirements and courses for area of emphasis.

Complete Professional Education courses

Students pursuing the B.S. Teacher Licensure in Social Studies should complete ED 3460 no sooner than their junior year, preferably just prior to their student teaching.

Students pursuing the B.A. in Social Studies should complete ENGL 2000 by their junior year. Well developed writing skills are considered extremely important for successful performance in completing this program.

Social Studies Minor

A minimum of 12 semester credits used to meet requirements in this minor must be completed at BSU. No course grade below a C may be used to meet the requirements of this minor.

I. Required Courses

GEOG 2100 Introduction to Physical Geography (3 credits)
or GEOG 2200 Introduction to Human Geography (3 credits)
ECON 2000 Markets and Resource Allocation (3 credits)
or GEOG 2300 Economic Geography (3 credits)
HST 1304 World History I, Prehistory to 1700 (4 credits)
HST 1305 World History II 1700 to present (4 credits)
POL 1200 Introduction to American Politics (3 credits)

Subtotal 17 Credits

II. Required Electives

Select 10 credits of electives from at least two of the following disciplines:
Anthropology
Economics
History
Political Science
Sociology

Subtotal 10 Credits

Total Semester Credits Required for Minor 27 Credits

Social Studies Program
BSU Catalog Home | BSU Home
Catalog Editor: catalog@bemidjistate.edu