Our program will prepare you to engage 6-12 grade students in exploring historical and contemporary issues of democratic society. We value the vision of civic competence set forth by the National Council for the Social Studies: “The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.”
We stress theory-based knowledge, teaching skills, and guided practice in public schools. We focus on an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. Our faculty care about their students’ success, and you’ll graduate ready to prepare the next generation of democratic citizens.
Programs of Study
If you’re interested in social studies, history, and civic responsibility, our bachelor’s degree is the right program for you. We prepare you to teach in grades 6-12 through carefully planned experiences on campus and in classrooms of skilled social studies teachers. Along with your general social science education degree, you’ll earn a major in history. Using a problem-based inquiry approach, our students are prepared to engage 6-12 students in investigating and deliberating complex societal issues.
This program is offered on-campus only.
Build upon your undergraduate experiences in history, the social sciences, or Social Science Education by expanding your knowledge, abilities, and competencies to provide powerful instruction grounded in classroom-tested, research-based principles. As a graduate of our M.Ed. program, you’ll be eligible to apply for Alabama Class A professional educator certification.
The Alternative M.Ed. is designed for those with an undergraduate degree in history or one of the social sciences. Program completion leads to recommendation for Class A Alabama professional educator certification.
The M.Ed. degree is offered both online or on campus.
The Alternative M.Ed. degree is offered on campus only.
Earning an Ed.S. in History or Social Science Education will enhance your teaching competence beyond your master’s degree. Earn your Class AA teaching certification while expanding your skills as a teacher-leader in secondary and post-secondary settings. Your degree culminates in a field project that addresses a practical problem in your field.
Our Ph.D. program prepares graduates for faculty positions in post-secondary education and for leadership positions in secondary education. Candidates may specialize in general social science education or history education. Course work and close mentorship by program faculty provide graduates with a deep understanding of research literature and critical issues in the field, research methodologies, and research-based pedagogical practices.
Ph.D. programs are not part of the Auburn University approved Educator Preparation Programs. The state of Alabama does not have certification/license at this level and therefore this degree is not eligible for reciprocity in other states.
Undergraduate Advisor
Program Faculty
Auburn faculty members Dr. Jada Kohlmeier and Dr. Steven Brown, from the College of Liberal Arts, have been awarded more than $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education to conduct virtual professional development with secondary social studies teachers from across the nation. Kohlmeier and Brown are calling their project “Developing C.L.E.A.R. Thinking,” based on their goal of helping students to develop Civic, Legal, Ethical and Analogous Reasoning.
The World Affairs Youth Seminar (WAYS) is conducted by faculty, staff, and students from Auburn’s College of Education and members of the Persistent Issues in History Network for rising 10th – 12th graders. It uses the Model United Nations (MUN) forum to examine global issues in a “real world” context. Participants assume the role of country delegates and strive to accurately represent the viewpoints of their assigned country in daily MUN General Assembly sessions.
