Social Studies Teaching (BS) Political Science

Catalog Year

2021-2022

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Credits

74

Total Credits

120

Locations

Mankato

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Program Requirements

Required General Education

This course surveys human biological and cultural diversity through time and space. You will learn about questions like: how did humans evolve? and how do anthropologists collect and interpret information about human beings and their ancestors?

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-08

Diverse Cultures: Purple

An introduction to Geography and its themes of study. The course will familiarize students with where places are located in the world together with their cultural and physical features. Students will be tasked to think critically and diversely about various cultures and features of the modern world.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-08, GE-10

Diverse Cultures: Purple

Become informed enough to play your part in governing the United States. Start by learning about the Constitution, our rights and freedoms, how the national government works and the opportunities and challenges of citizen influence. Political Science methods, and the challenges of citizenship are emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-09

This course is designed to provide a thorough introduction to the broad spectrum of theories and applications that make up the field of psychology

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

U.S. History to 1877 - Choose 4 Credit(s).

This course is designed to provide an overview of America's political, social, economic, and cultural development from earliest colonization to 1877.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-07

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This course is designed to provide an overview of America's political, social, economic, and cultural development from earliest colonization to 1877. Same content as HIST 190. Students may not take both HIST 190 and HIST 190W for credit.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-07

Diverse Cultures: Purple

U.S. History Since 1877 - Choose 4 Credit(s).

A survey of American History from the end of Reconstruction to the present with a special emphasis on political and social developments.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-07

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This course is designed to provide an overview of America's political, social, economic, and cultural development from 1877 to the present. This course has the same content as HIST 191. Students may not take both HIST 191 and HIST 191W for credit.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-07

Diverse Cultures: Purple

Major Common Core

Emphasis on forces influencing employment and inflation. Current problems of the economy are stressed along with tools government has to cope with them.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

Examines decision making by the individual firm, the determination of prices and wages, and current problems facing business firms.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

Students will develop a knowledge of the similarities and contrasts in regional landscapes and cultures of the United States.

Prerequisites: none

Review of World History as a field of study.

Prerequisites: none

Students learn about active citizenship from readings and discussions on the theory and practice of democracy. Students should become more motivated to participate, feel a greater sense of empowerment, improve political skills, and to better understand and appreciate democracy.

Prerequisites: none

Overview of the nature and characteristics of human societies; the structure and processes of social life; impact of social forces on individuals and groups; interdependence of society and the individual; emphasis on cultural diversity and globalism.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-08

Diverse Cultures: Purple

Acquaints students majoring in social studies (teaching) with the social studies major and fundamental ideas that will help students integrate what they are learning in social sciences and history within the context of secondary social studies classroom.

Prerequisites: none

Organization and presentation of social studies in secondary schools. Preparation of units for teaching purposes, examination of materials useful to the social studies teacher. Application of national and state standards to teaching social studies. Prereq: Concurrently with KSP 420

Prerequisites: Concurrently with KSP 440

Major Restricted Electives

Expansion Course - Choose 3 Credit(s).

Students will examine the forces which create and maintain prejudice, discrimination and racism within global perspectives. Special attention will be given to the work of Paulo Freire.

Prerequisites: ETHN 100 or ATHN 400 

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This course will examine women's lives and activism, past and present, throughout the world. We will explore and evaluate individual and collective efforts to achieve social justice in the context of interlocking systems of oppression. Fall, Spring, Summer

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-08, GE-09

Diverse Cultures: Purple

This course will examine women's lives and activism, past and present, throughout the world. We will explore and evaluate individual and collective efforts to achieve social justice in the context of interlocking systems of oppression. Fall, Spring, Summer

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-08, GE-09

Diverse Cultures: Purple

Emphasis Common Core

Institutions, processes, intergovernmental relations, and politics of U.S. state and local governments.

Prerequisites: none

Political thought in the United States from the colonial period to the Civil War. Puritans, American revolution, republicanism, debate over United States Constitution, Jacksonian Democracy, Thoreau, reformers and religious and secular utopias, womens' rights, states' rights, abolitionism, proslavery.

Prerequisites: none

United States Congress and state legislatures, with some cross-national comparisons. Legislative structure, powers; districting, elections, representation, constituency relations; committee system, parties, law-making process, rules and procedure, decision-making, relations with executives and courts. Reforms.

Prerequisites: none

Emphasis Restricted Electives

Choose 4 Credit(s).

An introduction to the dynamics of interactions among sovereign states and other global actors.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to acquaint undergraduates with the data and methods of comparative politics. Approaches to the study of comparative politics may include country studies, regional studies, global surveys focusing on specific policy areas or other issues, and general comparative theory.

Prerequisites: none

Choose 4 Credit(s).

Elections in the United States at the federal, state and local levels. Election law, history, factors affecting elections, voting behavior, campaign finance, role of parties and groups, campaign strategy and tactics. Analysis of contemporary elections.

Prerequisites: none

Political parties at United States, state, local levels. Cross-national comparisons. Decline and revival of parties. What parties do. Is the two party system the best? Are third parties the answer? Party organization. Voting behavior. Legislative, executive parties. Minnesota focus.

Prerequisites: none

Review of selected U.S. Supreme Court decisions interpreting areas such as substantive due process, abortion, speech, press, religion, and equal protection. Focus is on the rationale which underlies decisions and the development of individual analytical abilities. Same as LAWE 436

Prerequisites: none

Examination of executive politics in United States at a federal and state level, with some cross-national comparisons. United States presidency and executive branch, governors and state executive branches, mayors, and other local executives.

Prerequisites: none

Other Graduation Requirements

See the K-12 Teaching Programs section of the catalog for admission requirements for professional education and for a list of required professional education courses.
All students seeking a teaching license must meet and maintain the requirements to be admitted into professional education.

4-Year Plan

The 4-Year Plan is a model for completing your degree in a timely manner. Your individual 4-Year plan may change based on a number of variables including transfer courses and the semester/year you start your major. Carefully work with your academic advisors to devise your own unique plan.
* Please meet with your advisor on appropriate course selection to meet your educational and degree goals.

First Year

Fall - 16 Credits

Become informed enough to play your part in governing the United States. Start by learning about the Constitution, our rights and freedoms, how the national government works and the opportunities and challenges of citizen influence. Political Science methods, and the challenges of citizenship are emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05, GE-09

Emphasis on forces influencing employment and inflation. Current problems of the economy are stressed along with tools government has to cope with them.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

General Education Course * 3 credits

General Education Course * 3 credits

General Education Course * 3 credits

Spring - 15 Credits

Discussion of theories of value and obligation.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-06, GE-09

Examines decision making by the individual firm, the determination of prices and wages, and current problems facing business firms.

Prerequisites: none

Goal Areas: GE-05

Elective Course in Major * 3 credits

General Education Course * 3 credits

General Education Course * 3 credits

Second Year

Fall - 15 Credits

Basic statistical methods including measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, probability distributions, sampling, problems of estimation and hypothesis testing in the case of one and two sample meaans and proportions. Chi-Square, one-way analysis of variance, simple regression and correlation analysis, and brief introduction to multiple regression analysis. Use of computer statistical packages required.

Prerequisites: MATH 112 or equivalent

Goal Areas: GE-02, GE-04

Elective Course in Major * 3 credits

General Education Course * 4 credits

General Education Course * 4 credits

Spring - 15 Credits

A survey of imperfect competition, multiple-product firms, multiple-plant firms, and interest theory, designed to develop a system of economic thought.

Prerequisites: ECON 201, ECON 202 and ECON 301

Elective Course in Major * 3 credits

General Education Course * 2 credits

General Education Course * 3 credits

General Education Course * 4 credits

Third Year

Fall - 15 Credits

Elective Course in Major * 3 credits

Elective Course in Major * 3 credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

General Education Course * 3 credits

Spring - 15 Credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits

Fourth Year

Fall - 15 Credits

Advanced study and research on topics not currently available in existing courses. May be repeated with a change of topic. Requires advisor and instructor approval of topic.

Prerequisites: none

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits

Spring - 15 Credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

Course in Emphasis * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits

General Elective Course * 3 credits