Dec 01, 2024  
2024-2025 General Catalog [Current] 
    
2024-2025 General Catalog [Current]

History Education (B.A., B.S.)

Location(s): Main Campus



Program Summary

The History program is committed to preparing undergraduate students to understand their historical and cultural heritage. It supports the University’s mission by emphasizing excellence in teaching with courses grounded in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Its curriculum is designed to foster knowledge of human cultures and instill intellectual and practical skills involving inquiry and analysis, critical thinking, written and oral communication, teamwork, and problem solving. The history discipline supports the General Education program at the University. In cooperation with the College of Education and Human Development, the department prepares students for teaching careers in elementary and secondary schools, and it works to qualify majors for graduate study and advanced administrative specialization. In keeping with the University’s mission, the program emphasizes personal and social responsibility by requiring students to complete projects involving civic engagement, experiential learning, and service learning that elevate students’ civic knowledge, intercultural competence, and ethical reasoning, experiences that together provide foundations for engaged citizens and lifelong learning.

Program Information

  • All courses must be passed with a “C-” (1.7) or better to be counted in the major.
  • No more than 15 lower-division (1000-2999) credits will be accepted towards the history teaching major.
  • History majors may be recommended for a state of Utah teaching licensure in the secondary schools by earning a bachelor’s degree. Students interested in teaching are required to take SOSC 4900  and SOSC 4980  and complete the sequence of professional education courses offered through the College of Education and Human Development.
  • This list identifies the history major credits and courses necessary to complete the history major portion of an undergraduate history teaching degree at SUU. The SUU College of Education and Human Development requires additional courses and credits in order to complete the education/licensure portion of this major (see Secondary Education Licensure ).

General Education Requirement (30-35 Credits)


See General Education  for course options.

  • Core Course Requirements (12-15 Credits)
  • Breadth Area Requirements (16-20 Credits)

Please note: All students must complete a minimum of 30 credits between the Core and Breadth Area requirements.

Bachelor’s Degree Type: Arts or Science Requirement (12* or 16** Credits)


Select one degree type from either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science:

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree Requirement (12 Credits*)


  • Bachelor of Science Degree - Math or Science minimum requirement 12 Credits

* Note: A portion of the B.S. requirements may be met by fulfilling the General Education  Core and Breadth Areas. Because of this, these credits are typically not counted in the degree total at the bottom of page. Some students majoring in non-science fields may need additional math/science courses to reach the minimum 12 credits. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details. 

or

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree Requirement (16 Credits**)


  • Bachelor of Arts Degree - Foreign Language Requirement 16 Credits

** Note: One semester of a foreign language may also fulfill the General Education  Humanities requirement. The 16 credits may be fulfilled by taking four semesters of a foreign language or by testing out of a language and purchasing the credits. These credits are typically counted in the degree total at the bottom of the page. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details. 

History Education Curriculum (42 Credits)


History Electives (12 Credits)


  • Complete 3 credits of lower-division or upper-division HIST offerings
  • Complete 9 credits of upper-division HIST offerings

Professional Education Requirements for Secondary Licensure (36-37 Credits)*


To qualify for a teaching license, students must also complete the sequence of professional education courses listed by the Department of Teacher Education . Please see the degree requirements for Secondary Education Licensure . Some classes required for the licensure cannot be taken until the teacher candidate has been admitted to the College of Education and Human Development. Please consult your advisor or the Department of Teacher Education for further instruction.

* Students who complete their teaching methods course(s) and student teaching as part of their major requirements will earn fewer than 36 credits. Those course credits are counted only once in the degree total.

Block Courses: Block Application Required (6 Credits)


Advanced Teacher Education Program Courses (12 Credits)


Registration for student teaching is contingent upon passing any required content area Praxis test(s). (Praxis requirements changed for students in content areas on January 1, 2020. See advisor for current rules.)

Total Credits, B.A. Degree with Licensure: 120-125


Total Credits, B.S. Degree with Licensure: 120


Licensure Notification


This program typically leads to licensure/certification and was designed to meet such qualifications for the state of Utah. Students who are or may be planning to pursue licensure/certification in any other U.S. state or territory may need to meet additional education requirements. This is not a reflection of SUU’s accreditation or quality, as each state and territory regulates their own education requirements for occupational licensure.

Students enrolled in a teacher preparation program may potentially be able to use a Utah educator license to obtain licensure through reciprocity. Additional information may be found through the Department of Teacher Education’s reciprocity table.

An overview of all of SUU’s programs that lead to licensure/certification and the programs’ current determination statuses may be found at www.suu.edu/provost/licensure.html.

Program Learning Outcomes


  • Students will possess factual and critical knowledge about past historical events, institutions, movements, figures, and societies and have the ability to identify key events that express change over time in a particular place or region, identify how change occurs over time, and explain historical continuity and change.
  • Students will understand, describe, and critically assess historical theories, principles, and concepts and possess the ability to apply historical theories, principles, and concepts.
  • Students will demonstrate effective oral and/or written communication skills.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to apply historical methods and research protocols to formulate historical questions, obtain data from primary and secondary sources, critically assess primary and secondary sources, and follow scholarly conventions of the discipline.
  • Students will possess and demonstrate critical and analytical thinking and reasoning skills and demonstrate the ability to construct well-organized historical arguments that utilize historic data in support of a thesis.