5-Year Program with Certification in Social Studies Education (K-12)
- Degrees & Programs
- Teacher candidates will build deep understanding of how their students learn and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually (across cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical domains) and are shaped by diverse cultures, communities, and experiences.
- Teacher candidates will develop, expand, and deepen content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, drawing on current research to plan and implement high-quality P-12 instruction and design effective learning environments.
- Teacher candidates will understand the historical and philosophical contexts of the discipline that they are teaching and how their curriculum and pedagogy can support equity and justice.
- Teacher candidates will develop strategies for communicating and collaborating with their students, families, community members, and other educators to support inclusive learning environments that empower each learner.
- Teacher candidates will participate in professional, scholarly, and community-engaged networks and activities using all modes of communication, while centering the experiences of their students, families, and communities (e.g., research, presentations, and service).
- Teacher candidates will examine social justice issues and act guided by the importance of the role of social justice in educational settings.
- Teacher candidates will strive to ensure educational equity by creating an environment where diverse backgrounds and perspectives (personal, social, economic, educational, linguistic, cultural, immigration, racial/ethnic) are an integral part of the learning experience.
- Teacher candidates will develop an understanding of what culturally responsive teaching is and how instruction can be responsive, consequential, and just for their students.
- Teacher candidates will seek to proactively interrupt practices, policies, and curriculum that silence, discount, or harm the diverse students in their classrooms.
- Teacher candidates will conduct original research and use that research, as well as interpret and evaluate evidence from other research studies, to inform their professional practice and address problems of practice that may require change in policy, programs, and practice.
- Teacher candidates will engage in inquiry/research experiences to better understand how discipline-specific knowledge develops.
- Teacher candidates will develop knowledge of how to apply the results of current research to their practice.
- Teacher candidates will evaluate, identify, and use models and approaches that will be effective in the successful design and implementation of assessment.
- Teacher candidates will use multiple methods of standards-informed assessment and data sources in making educational decisions and in the monitoring of student learning progress.
- Teacher candidates will proactively seek out opportunities for continuous professional learning and development, including reflective self-inquiry, in order to improve their practice and contribute to the teaching profession.
- Teacher candidates will understand their intersectional identities and positionality, recognizing the implicit biases that may result from that positionality, and mitigate how implicit bias can adversely impact their planning, instruction, and assessment.
- Download the program guide (includes course list and application requirements)
- Contact Ken Tufo, Student Counselor in the Office of Student and Academic Services
Program Overview
The 5-Year Program with Certification in Social Studies Education (K-12) is designed for undergraduate students who seek careers in the field of education and more specifically, a comprehensive, empirically motivated understanding of social studies education. In addition to foundational courses in social studies education and curriculum analysis, and in alignment with the GSE’s mission, the program challenges students to think critically about individual student experiences and identities, and their effect on classroom learning and student development. Students will explore topics including the anthropology of education, gender and education, civic learning, the history and philosophy of education, and race, ethnicity, and equity in education, among others. This program is well suited to students with career interests in teaching, curriculum, and educational research at the elementary, secondary, and college levels.Successful completion of this program will lead to a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree in education, and initial teacher certification in K-12 social studies education. Graduates can expect to be effective practitioners knowledgeable about current research in learning and teaching, and prepared to make informed decisions about their educational practice.
To complete the program in 5 years, Rutgers undergraduates must complete specific pre-admission coursework and field placements during their sophomore and junior years. Students then apply for the 5-year program before the Spring semester of their junior year and if admitted, enter the professional education sequence in the summer before senior year. After senior year, students qualify to have their bachelor’s degree awarded by the undergraduate liberal arts college and continue with the professional sequence in the summer after graduation. Students will return in the fall to complete a full-time student-teaching internship and continue with full-time graduate study, including a field-based research project in the spring.
After the master’s degree is awarded, the GSE will make a recommendation to the New Jersey State Department of Education on behalf of the graduate to receive their Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) as a teacher.
Program Goals as of 2022-2023
(Last updated: 7/28/2022)
Knowledge/Understanding
Communication/Community Building
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Research/Professional Practice
Assessment
Professional Development/Self-Reflection
For more information about this program:
Program Details
Application Deadline
Februrary 1, 2025
Entry Term(s)
Summer
Program Level
Masters
Program Type
Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree + Teacher Certification
Format
On-campus
Credits
56
-
What You’ll Learn
Students enrolled in this program will explore topics within the specified area of study including social studies curriculum development and analysis, the materials, methods, and assessments for teaching social studies at different grade levels, and the various socioeconomic influences and experiences that can impact student learning and development as they related to social studies education. Students are also required to take a minimum of two elective courses outside of the GSE, encouraging deeper exploration into subjects including Africana Studies, anthropology, American Studies, Latino and Hispanic Caribbean studies, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology.
For more information about the courses in this program, please visit the course catalog and online schedule of classes.
-
Program Requirements
- 23 Undergraduate Course Credits
- 6.5 Credits – Completed Pre-admission in Sophomore or Junior Year
- 6.5 Credits – Completed in the Fall of Senior Year
- 10 Credits – Completed in the Spring of Senior Year
- 2 no-credit Course Modules – Completed in the Summer Before Senior Year
- 30 Graduate Course Credits
- 3 Credits – Completed in the Summer Before the 5th Year
- 15 Credits – Completed in the Fall of the 5th Year
- 12 Credits – Completed in the Spring of the 5th Year
- Portfolio
- Students will archive artifacts from various GSE courses via an online instructional and evaluation system as directed by faculty
Graduates are expected to complete the required course sequence and satisfy their general education requirements and liberal arts credits, as well as complete HIB training, an edTPA performance-based assessment, and their portfolio concurrently through completion of their coursework.
- 23 Undergraduate Course Credits
-
Careers and Outcomes
Students enrolled in this program will explore topics within the specified area of study including social studies curriculum development and analysis, the materials, methods, and assessments for teaching social studies at different grade levels, and the various socioeconomic influences and experiences that can impact student learning and development as they related to social studies education. Students are also required to take a minimum of two elective courses outside of the GSE, encouraging deeper exploration into subjects including Africana Studies, anthropology, American Studies, Latino and Hispanic Caribbean studies, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology.
-
Admissions Requirements
- Personal Statement
- One Letter of Recommendation
- Passing Praxis Core test scores* in Reading, Writing, and Math
- or SAT scores* greater than 50th percentile in both Math and Verbal or both Math and Reading
- or ACT scores* greater than 50th percentile in both Math and English
- or GRE scores* greater than 50th percentile in both Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning
- Official Undergraduate Transcripts**
- Every candidate for certification in Social Studies Education must complete a full major in one of the following: history, political science, economics, sociology, geography, anthropology, American studies, or area/gender/ethnic studies such as Africana studies, women’s studies, Latino and Caribbean studies, etc. Students must include in their studies at least 30 credits of coursework in the five core content areas: American history/New Jersey history, world history, civics/government, economics, and geography; students must complete at least 15 credits in history, and at least one course in each of American history/New Jersey history, world history, civics/government, and geography.
*Any test scores submitted must be less than 5 years old as of the application deadline
**The New Jersey Department of Education requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 to be admitted to a teacher education program -
How to Apply
- Collect the materials required for admission
- Submit your application online at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/
- Submit supporting materials online
- Any supporting materials that cannot be submitted electronically should be mailed to Graduate Admissions’ New Brunswick office. Their mailing address can be found here: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/about/contact-us
-
Tuition & Financial Assistance
Tuition:
For tuition and fees information please visit the tuition landing page.
Financial Aid:
While students are encouraged to apply for federal student aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there are a number of other merit- and need-based support options, including loans and college work-study programs within and external to Rutgers. For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid website.
Scholarships, Fellowships & Assistantships:
Generous GSE alumni, friends, and community members have established and continue to donate to more than one dozen fellowships and scholarships to help deserving students reach their goals. These awards are granted on the basis of academic achievement and or financial need. While these awards are competitive, interested students are encouraged to apply for consideration and submit the required materials. Students must also submit a FAFSA application to be eligible.
To review all current awards and learn more about the donors that established them, please click here.