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Social Studies Teacher Education Major

Social Studies Teacher Education

1,366 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
498 Master's Degrees Annually
#205 in Popularity

Types of Degrees Social Studies Teacher Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many social studies education graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 1,440
Master’s Degree 445
Graduate Certificate 44
Basic Certificate 13
Associate Degree 10
Doctor’s Degree 2
Undergraduate Certificate 1

What Social Studies Teacher Education Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to social studies teacher education and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Social Studies Teacher Education Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in social studies teacher education should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Social Studies Teacher Education Majors

social studies teacher education majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Abilities for Social Studies Teacher Education Majors

Social Studies Teacher Education majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Social Studies Teacher Education Major?

People with a social studies teacher education degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Professors 10.4% $74,440
Education Professors 10.3% $64,780
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $58,600
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies Teacher Education?

1,440 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
41% Percent Women
15% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major attracts more men than women. About 59% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of social studies teacher education majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 32
Black or African American 37
Hispanic or Latino 99
White 1,173
International Students 12
Other Races/Ethnicities 87

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Social Studies Teacher Education, too. About 0.8% of those with this major are international students.

Some careers associated with social studies teacher education require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to social studies teacher education have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 31.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 7.7%
Master’s Degree 21.1%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 2.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.3%
Doctoral Degree 34.1%
Post-Doctoral Training 1.2%

Online Social Studies Teacher Education Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 3 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 4 0
Bachelor’s Degree 25 2
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 80 7
Post-Master’s 10 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 3 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to social studies teacher education.

Major Number of Grads
Physical Education Teaching & Coaching 6,901
Reading Teacher Education 5,922
Music Education 4,649
Mathematics Education 3,159
English & Language Arts Education 3,104
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 2,398
Art Education 1,711
Health Education 1,536
Science Education 1,133
Agricultural Teacher Education 1,132
History Education 834
Trade & Industrial Teacher Education 778
Biology Education 773
Social Science Teacher Education 503
Technology Education 464
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist 401
Spanish Education 373
Modern Language Education 349
Technical Teacher Education 307
Computer Teacher Education 291
Family & Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 253
Chemistry Education 225
Drama & Dance Education 223
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 153
Earth Science Teacher Education 114
Physics Education 113
Environmental Education 96
Health Occupations Teacher Education 74
Speech Teacher Education 65
Driver & Safety Teacher Education 49
French Language Teacher Education 25
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education 9
German Language Teacher Education 8
Distributive Education 7
Psychology Teacher Education 6
Latin Teacher Education 6
Geography Teacher Education 2

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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