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School of Education History and Social Studies Education Degree

Major, Undergrad Teaching Certification

GET READY TO INSPIRE WITH YOUR TEACHING DEGREE FROM UW-STEVENS POINT

History and social studies education, offered through the Department of History and International Studies at UW-Stevens Point, is an undergraduate program that focuses on the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to teach social studies in middle and high school. Successful candidates in the program earn a bachelor’s degree and Wisconsin teaching license in social studies grades 4-12.

In addition to specific general education coursework, students complete a variety of courses that provide opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills needed to be successful certified social studies teachers. Students complete a rigorous social science and history curriculum. Additionally, students complete coursework designed to give them hands-on, practical experience in the application of social science concepts. Practicum experiences allow students to observe and teach actual students from the community to prepare for an eventual career in history and social studies education.

For marketability purposes, students interested in teaching any area of social studies are required to complete a major in history and social studies education.

School of Education

Why study History and Social Studies Education at UW-Stevens Point?

Praised for its program outcomes, graduation and retention rates, advising services, student organization opportunities and vast program options, UW-Stevens Point was ranked second in the U.S. on Study.com’s Best Colleges for Education Majors list. More than 80 percent of our recent social studies education graduates have been hired within one year of graduation.

School of Education

Field Experiences

The responsibility of the Office of Field Experiences is to provide quality field experiences for students enrolled in the teacher education program at UW-Stevens Point. These experiences, such as student teaching, involve our students and instructors in practical activities with cooperating teachers and administrators in actual schools and educational agencies.

Hired Before Graduation
History and Social Studies Education

Hired Before Graduation

Madison Allison ’21

Madison Allison was hired before graduation in the Necedah Area School District as a 6th and 7th grade social studies teacher.

Ranking

Ranked #2 in the U.S.

For the second year in a row, the education program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has been ranked second in the nation according to Study.com.

School of Education Gesell Institute

Community and Centers

Through many School of Education centers and programs, our students may observe the development process in young children and then apply principles discussed in teaching method classes to real life situations.

Alumni Map

Alumni Map

Where are they now?

UW-Stevens Point School of Education alumni live and work all over the world—so if you’re looking for networking opportunities close to a new home or contact info for fellow Pointer in another city, you’re in luck. Looking for a fellow UWSP teacher near you? Start with our map.

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WHAT TO EXPECT

Our program provides students with frequent opportunities for hands-on learning in middle school and high school classrooms. This includes practicum experiences working with school-aged children early and often throughout the program.

Student teaching is the culminating experience in the teacher candidate’s academic program of study at UW-Stevens Point. It provides an opportunity for teacher candidates to practice and refine their knowledge and skills under the supervision and guidance of cooperating teachers and our own faculty who have dedicated their careers to education and a lifetime of student learning.

UW-Stevens Point graduates in the School of Education typically have some of the highest placement rates of full-time teaching jobs within their first year after graduation across the UW System.​ See where our graduates are working on our alumni map.

GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS

Through volunteer opportunities and varied professional development opportunities, you’ll be an active learner closely involved in real-world situations designed to ensure your professional success.

Our students are academically engaged, highly motivated and actively involved at the local, state, national and international levels. Student organizations are vital to your pre-professional experiences. As such, the School of Education sponsors the following organizations: Aspiring Educators, Association for the Education of Young Children, Kappa Delta Pi, and Student Council for Exceptional Children. In addition, many social science education students also participate in the History Club.

You may be lucky enough to work with one of the Neale Fellows, select teachers whose projects make a difference at their schools and who work jointly with faculty teaching your classes.

More student group opportunities can be found on the Stevens Point Involvement Network (SPIN).

Major Map
History and Social Studies Education

Navigate Your Major

Major Maps help students map their first day to the first job in their chosen field. While a four-year plan outlines classes to get a degree, Major Maps help students learn how to build career-ready skills and experiences outside the classroom. Each Major Map shows how students can get the most of their UW-Stevens Point journey from enrollment to graduation and beyond. It’s a roadmap to discovering your purpose!

MEET OUR FACULTY

Faculty and staff from the School of Education and Department of History are caring, involved and committed to student success. They are dynamically responsive to the changes happening in education and offer outstanding support to our students’ professional preparation.

Jeff Leigh

  • Professor
  • Multicultural Resource Center adviser, UW-Stevens Point at Wausau
715-346-2334

Brett Barker

  • Professor of History
  • Chair, Department of History and International Studies
715-346-4478

E Jerry Jessee

  • Associate Professor
715-346-2334