inside.ewu.edu

Social Studies

Dr. Jacki Hedlund Tyler, Director
Patterson Hall 103M
509.359.2414
program web page



Required courses in these programs of study may have prerequisites. Reference the course description section for clarification.


Undergraduate Program

The Social Studies Education program is housed in the History, Anthropology, Modern Languages & Literature Department and supported by the following departments: Economics, Geosciences, Political Science, and others. Students interested in pursuing an in-depth study of the social sciences or Social Studies Education should consult with the Social Studies Director to develop an individual program of study. The program offers a major in Social Studies Education and a minor in History Education.

The Social Studies Education program at Eastern Washington University assists students seeking a bachelors degree with a Teaching Certificate in Social Studies Secondary Education or a History Minor Endorsement. This program provides a broad-based preparation for teachers of Social Studies and History in grades 5–12.

Social Studies teachers have the awesome responsibility of teaching multiple disciplines (including History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and Anthropology) and producing informed global citizens capable of taking an active role in their communities. Social Studies teachers must provide students with the skills to think about as well as learn from past and present cultures, governments, and global issues. Social Studies Education helps students learn to see and interpret the world, to understand how humanity arrived at this moment, and to make reasoned decisions for the public good.   

For information on program requirements, contact the Director of Social Studies Education.

The Social Studies Education program also supports the Add-On Endorsements for Social Studies Education and History Education for those who have already earned a Washington State Teaching Certificate. Additionally, all Master’s in Teaching candidates seeking the Social Studies endorsement must work with the Social Studies Education program to complete required coursework.

Distribution List of Acceptable Upper Division Social Science Requirement Courses:

American, Asian, Civics and Diplomatic Studies, European, Latin

American History

HIST 313ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY (UGR–Diversity)5
HIST/IDST 316AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY I5
HIST/IDST 317AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY II5
HIST 380THE U.S. CIVIL WAR5
HIST 381RACE & CULTURE IN THE AMERICAN WEST5
HIST/GWSS 383WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY (UGR–Diversity)5
HIST 443NEARBY HISTORY: EXPLORING THE PAST AROUND YOU5
HIST 484COLONIAL AMERICAN HISTORY, 1607-17635
HIST 485AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1763-18245
HIST 486AMERICAN EMPIRE SINCE 18985
HIST 488U.S. HISTORY SINCE 19455
HIST 489VIETNAM WARS, 1945-19755

  Asian History

HIST 310IMPERIAL CHINA (UGR–Global Studies)5
HIST 321DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA5
HIST 311COLONIALISM AND NATIONALISM IN SOUTHEAST ASIA (UGR–Global Studies)5
HIST 410CHINA IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES5
HIST 416MODERN JAPAN (UGR–Global Studies)5

 Civics and Diplomatic StudiesHIST 477 is the preferred course for this requirement.

AAST 321AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICAL AWARENESS5
CHST 320/POLI 350CHICANX-LATINX POLITICS IN U.S5
HIST 477U.S. CONSTITUTION, 1787 TO THE PRESENT (preferred course for Civics and Diplomatic Studies requirement)5
POLI 304U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES5
POLI 330FEDERALISM, STATE AND LOCAL POLITICS5

 European History 

HIST 372FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NAPOLEON5
HIST 374IMPERIAL RUSSIA5
HIST 37520TH CENTURY RUSSIA5
HIST 422CITIES AND THE MAKING OF MODERN GERMANY5
HIST 424HISTORY OF SPAIN5
HIST 472RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION EUROPE5

 Latin American History 

HIST/CHST 218CHICANO HISTORY (UGR–Diversity)5
HIST 318MODERN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY (UGR–Global Studies)5
HIST 361COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA5
HIST 418CULTURAL HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA5
HIST 462HISTORY OF MEXICO5

Social Studies Courses


SOST 199. SPECIAL STUDIES. 1-5 Credits.

SOST 206. CAREERS IN TEACHING. 3 Credits.

Cross-listed: ENGL 206, ART 206, GNML 206, MUSC 206.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 201.
Combines an introduction to a career in teaching with experience in K-12 Education. Focuses on teaching roles within the fields of English, Social Studies, Music, Art, and Languages. Students explore career pathways, educator responsibilities, educational systems and structures, and current professional teaching examples. Students complete research, readings, and class discussions, in addition to an experiential learning activity in a K-12 classroom setting.

SOST 299. DIRECTED STUDY. 1-5 Credits.

SOST 300. PEOPLES AND GOVERNANCE OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: ENGL 201.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–diversity.
Study of the history of the Pacific Northwest, with a specific focus on spaces that become the state of Washington, as well as the government structures and cultural practices developed by all peoples in the region. Students engage in tribal, territorial, state, and federal histories of governance as well as examine the experiences of diverse populations that have lived in the Pacific Northwest.

SOST 350. INQUIRY BASED LEARNING & DESIGN. 3 Credits.

Notes: a grade of ≥B- is required to count towards the program.
Pre-requisites: SOST 390.
Inquiry based learning encourages student-centered education focused on exploring and discovery. Inquiry, as the name suggests, resides at the heart of the Inquiry Based Learning method and design model as it promotes developing complex questions, building research skills, forming information literacy, and connecting curriculum to real-world problems. This course asks students to evaluate and engage with both current and emerging practices in Inquiry Based Learning.

SOST 390. SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. 4 Credits.

Pre-requisites: must complete HIST 103, HIST 111, HIST 112, HIST 204, each with a grade ≥B-, before registering.
This course will address teaching methods, classroom management, and lesson plan development specific to Social Studies Education.

SOST 396. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-5 Credits.

SOST 399. DIR STUDY. 1-5 Credits.

SOST 400. SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION ASSESSMENT. 1-3 Credits.

Notes: a grade of ≥B- is required to pass this course.
Pre-requisites: must complete SOST 390 with a grade ≥B-.
Addresses assessment methods, techniques, and practices specific to Social Studies Secondary Education. Students develop an understanding and implementation of state and national standards for Social Studies Education.

SOST 490. SENIOR CAPSTONE SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: must complete SOST 390 with a grade ≥B- before registering.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–senior capstone.
This course will include a quarter-long research project that addresses theories, methods, and content for Social Studies Education curriculum.

SOST 495. INTERNSHIP. 1-5 Credits.

SOST 496. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-5 Credits.

SOST 499. DIRECTED STUDY. 1-5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor and the department chair and college dean.