BA in Social Science

In APU’s social science major, students learn how to teach history, political science, geography, economics, sociology, and psychology at the high school or junior high school level.

55 units

The social science major primarily prepares students to teach history, political science, geography, economics, sociology, and psychology at the high school or junior high school level. This major provides future teachers with an integrated study of these social sciences, which helps develop analytical skills, comparative perspectives, critical judgement, and a knowledge base about the world around them. Additionally, the major introduces students to teaching methodologies. The social science major is a subject-matter program in social science approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, allowing students to bypass the CSET exams that would otherwise be required by the state of California.

Career Opportunities

The primary career choice for social science majors is teaching at the secondary level. Other options include careers in history, education, government service, journalism, publishing, advertising, library science, law, and politics. Opportunities for research, consulting, and graduate study are also available to social science majors.

Requirements

The Department of History and Political Science maintains the following requirements for each of the majors it offers:

  1. Students must complete all prerequisites for any HIST or POLI course with a C- or better before taking the course (except as noted in the course description).
  2. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all political science and history courses required for the major.
  3. Students must complete each HIST or POLI course with a C- or higher for the course to meet a degree requirement in the Department of History and Political Science.
ECON 200Survey of Economics 13
EDLS 405Diversity in the Classroom 23
HIST 120World Civilizations to 1648 33
HIST 121World Civilizations Since 1648 33
HIST 151United States History to 1877 33
HIST 152United States History Since 1877 33
HIST 200The Varieties of History3
HIST 210World Geography3
HIST 338History of California3
POLI 150American Government 43
RELG 200World Religions 23
HIST 300Writing 3: Historical Research and Writing 53
HIST 496Senior Seminar in Faith and History 63
One Upper-division History Course (HIST 3XX or 4XX)3
One Upper-division Political Science Course (POLI 3XX or 4XX)3
Select one of the following:3
General Psychology 1
Introduction to Sociology 1
Select one of the following:4
Introduction to Teaching as a Profession K-12 4
Introduction to Teaching as a Profession (7-12) 4
Select one of the following:3
Modern Africa
History of the Middle East I: Early and Medieval Islam
Ritual and Re-enactment in Modern Latin America
Total Units55
1

Meets the General Education Social Sciences requirement. 

2

Meets the General Education Intercultural Competence requirement.

3

Meets the General Education Humanities: History requirement.

4

Meets the General Education Civic Knowledge and Engagement requirement. 

5

Meets the General Education Writing 3 requirement. 

6

Meets the General Education Integrative and Applied Learning requirement.