MAT in Social Studies Education

Programs in social studies education prepare educators in the disciplines of history, government/civics, geography, economics, and the other social sciences, including classroom teachers and educators who work in museums, nonprofit organizations, and informal educational settings.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program in Social Studies Education is intended for prospective teachers and, in collaboration with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, fulfills academic requirements for an initial teacher license in Massachusetts, which has reciprocity with most other states.

Mentored field experiences begin early in the program, include pre-practicum experiences in schools, and culminate with full-time practicum in a social studies classroom, affording preservice teachers the opportunity to design and implement inquiry-based, content-rich units of study, and to assess students’ learning.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of successful completion of this program, students will achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high-quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, and providing students with constructive feedback on an ongoing basis.
• Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency.
• Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
• Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice.
• Demonstrates subject matter knowledge.

Degree Requirements

Total Credits: 42

Education Coursework (12 cr)

• SED CT 534 A Practical Approach to Classroom Management (2 cr)
• SED DS 502 Introduction to Adolescent Development (2 cr)
• SED ED 502/503 Professional Teaching Seminar: Analyzing Foundations of Teaching (2 cr)
• SED SE 510 Special Education: Curriculum and Instruction (2 cr)
• SED TL 525 Teaching English Learners in the Middle/High School (4 cr)

Social Studies Coursework (20 cr)

• SED SO 520 Project Citizen: Promoting Civic Engagement (2 cr)
• SED SO 566 Developing Historical Literacy, 5–12 (4 cr)
• SED SO 567 History Laboratory (2 cr)
• SED SO 571 Curriculum and Special Methods for History and Social Science, 5–12 (4 cr)
• Two social studies content-based electives at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (8 cr)

Practicum (10 cr)

Student teaching experiences are supervised by licensed classroom teachers and Boston University faculty. Students select practicum experiences from one of the two options listed below. Students take one of the following:

• SED SO 509 Student Teaching Practicum: History and Social Science, 5–8 (8 cr) or
• SED SO 510 Student Teaching Practicum: History and Social Science, 8–12 (8 cr)

Additionally, all students take:

• SED SO 574 Pre-Practicum in Social Studies Education (2 cr)

Add-On License in Teaching English Language Learners (ESL)

The TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Program offers a six-course, 26-credit add-on license pathway that allows MAT students in content-specific areas (e.g., Modern Foreign Languages, English Education, Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education, and Science Education) to meet requirements for a Massachusetts licensure endorsement as Teacher of English Language Learners (ESL). In this course of study, students are exposed to a theoretical introduction to the nature and structure of language, key factors affecting second-language acquisition, and communicative approaches to the teaching of English as a second or foreign language. In addition to the six courses, students are required to complete an ESL Practicum. This pathway requires MAT candidates to add one additional summer and part-time semester to their regular MAT program timeline.

This pathway consists of the following courses:

Total credits: 30–32

• SED BI 504 Seminar: The Student Teaching Experience (2 cr)
• SED BI 530 English Language Development: Grade 5–12 English Language Learners (2 cr) OR
• SED BI 535 Literacy Development for Bilingual Students: Instruction and Assessment (4 cr)
• SED BI 620 Educational Issues in Bilingualism (4 cr)
• SED LS 658 Second Language Acquisition (4 cr)
• SED TL 508 Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language (4 cr)
• SED TL 582 and 583 Student-Teaching Practicum I and II: ESL, 5–12 (6 cr)