Sociology (B.S.) - Teaching Specialization

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus

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Program Coordinator/Contact

Carter Huber, Professional Advisor
School of Psychology, Sociology and Rural Studies
Agricultural Engineering 110
605-688-6296

Program Information

Sociology majors often make strong teachers because of their understanding of how people behave and interact. Students in this specialization gain mastery of sociology by studying and applying contemporary sociological theory and research to social issues such as globalization, social inequality, diversity, family, religion, or population. Additionally, students complete pedagogy courses to prepare for employment in middle school or senior high level teaching.

Student Learning Outcomes

In the Sociology major, students will:

Apply sociological theories to understand social phenomena.
Critically evaluate explanations of human behavior and social phenomena.
Apply scientific principles to understand the social world.
Evaluate the quality of social scientific methods and data.
Rigorously analyze social scientific data.
Use sociological knowledge to inform policy debates and promote public understanding.

Academic Requirements

A grade of “C” or better is required in CMST 101 , ENGL 101 , PSYC 101 , and MATH 103 or higher (if these courses are in your plan of study), and all courses for the major (classes with school/program prefix).
An overall GPA of 2.5 is required to enroll in any education courses.

Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure

Accreditation

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
South Dakota Department of Education

Certification and Licensure

Completion of an approved bachelor’s Secondary preparation program.
Completion of an approved Indian Studies course.
Pass the state designated content knowledge test or 2.7 GPA in content major coursework.
Pass the state designated pedagogy test.
Completion of a Suicide Awareness and Prevention training, available free online through the South Dakota Department of Education.
Apply online with the South Dakota Department of Education.
Written recommendation from institution of higher education (SDSU) verifying program completion.

Course Delivery Format

Coursework for the program is delivered in multiple formats including face-to-face lecture and online courses.

Requirements for Sociology Major - Teaching Specialization: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication: SGR #1 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #2 Oral Communication: SGR #2 Elective Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences/Diversity: SOC 100 - Introduction to Sociology (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3 and SGR #3 Elective Credits: 3
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities/Diversity: SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics: SGR #5 Elective Credits: 3
Goal #6 Natural Sciences: SGR #6 Electives Credits: 6

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements

Bachelor of Science Requirements: 13+

Natural Sciences Credits: 10+
- Any two lab sciences.
- Coursework must include 2 prefixes.
- MATH and STAT courses do not count toward the science requirement.
AIS 211 - South Dakota American Indian Culture and Education (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
One declared minor outside of the major discipline OR a second major OR a teaching specialization. The minor may be a traditional minor within one department or school or it may be interdisciplinary involving more than one department or school. The minor can be in a different college. The minor must be declared no later than the student’s third semester of enrollment.
Capstone course in the major discipline
Upper division coursework Credits: 33

System General Education and/or major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Consult program advisor for details. See the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences for additional information about Bachelor of Science specifications.

Major Requirements

SOC 284 - Investigating the Social World Credits: 3
SOC 307 - Research Methods I (COM) Credits: 3
SOC 308 - Research Methods II (COM) Credits: 3
SOC 403 - Sociological Theory (COM) Credits: 3
SOC 489 - Capstone (COM) Credits: 3 (Capstone)
SOC/ANTH Electives: 18

Teaching Specialization Requirements

AIS 211 - South Dakota American Indian Culture and Education (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3 (College Requirement)
EDFN 101 - Exploration of Teaching and Learning (COM) Credits: 1
EDFN 340 - Adolescent Development in Educational Contexts Credits: 3
EDFN 351 - Teaching and Learning I Credits: 1
EDFN 352 - Teaching and Learning II Credits: 3
EDFN 352L - Teaching and Learning II Lab Credits: 2
EDFN 453 - Teaching and Learning III Credits: 3
EDFN 453L - Teaching and Learning III Lab Credits: 4
EDFN 454 - Teaching and Learning IV: Student Teaching Credits: 11
SEED 415 - 7-12 Social Science Methods (COM) Credits: 3 (Teaching Content Methods Requirement)
SEED 450 - Reading and Content Literacy (COM) Credits: 2
SEED 456 - Capstone/Action Research Credits: 1

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Total Required Credits: 120

Summary of Program Requirements

Bachelor of Science
System General Education Requirements	30 Credit Hours
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements*	13+ Credit Hours
Major Requirements	33 Credit Hours
Teaching Specialization Requirements	34 Credit Hours
Electives**	16 Credit Hours

*System General Education Requirements, Major Requirements, and Supporting Coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements.
**Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.