Social Studies Teaching (BS) Psychology

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Credits

74

Total Credits

120

Locations

Mankato

Career Cluster

Education and Training

This program satisfies licensure-to-practice standards for Minnesota and may satisfy standards for other states or US territories.

Licensure/Certification Disclosure

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

US History to 1877 - Choose 3 - 4 Credit(s). 3 credits available for transfer students.

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

US History Since 1877 - Choose 3 - 4 Credit(s). 3 credits available for transfer students.

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 structure and processes of social life; impact of social forces on individuals and groups; interdependence of society and the individual; social significance of social class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality; emphasis on critical analysis of social inequalities and injustice.

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

Diversity Elective - Choose 3 - 4 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 Restricted Electives

* Emphasis Restricted Electives must add up to 15-16 credits.

Biological - Choose 4 Credit(s).

This course will introduce students to the relationship between the structure and function of the nervous system to the underlying biological processes of behavior.

Prerequisites: PSYC 201

How the senses respond to environmental stimuli and how the information they provide is organized into meaningful patterns that make up our experience of the physical world. The effects of maturation and learning in altering those patterns as also considered.

Prerequisites: PSYC 201

Biological foundations of the actions of psychoactive drugs. Neuroanatomy structure and function, neurophysiology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics will be covered in detail. Relevant classes of drugs will be highlighted with an eye toward their history, mechanisms of action, effects, and treatments.

Prerequisites: PSYC 211W

Biological basis of psychological processes and behavior. Neuroanatomy, neural function, and laboratory methods of investigation will be explored in relation to topics such as sleep, memory, language, intelligence and psychological disorders.

Prerequisites: PSYC 201, PSYC 211W

Cognition - Choose 4 Credit(s).

Explores the scientific study of human cognition and provides students with broad coverage of the mental processes used to acquire, process, and retain knowledge. Students will examine basic concepts and research findings in topics of human cognition such as perception, attention, memory, reading, and problem solving. Concepts in Cognitive Psychology will be related to everyday behaviors and experiences.

Prerequisites: either Psy 101 OR Psy 206, not both

This course provides a broad overview and analysis of the major theories of human and animal learning.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

This course covers experimental and behavioral studies of human memory including long-and short-term memory, memory for text, pictures, spatial information, and autobiographical events. Emphasis on real-world situations, including education, in which memory and learning play a role.

Prerequisites: PSYC 211W

Developmental - Choose 4 Credit(s).

This course examines changes in human behavior over the entire lifespan from conception to death. Topics cover developmental changes in physical, cognitive, and social domains. Traditional theories are integrated with current findings of developmental researchers.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

Physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and personality development from conception to preadolescence. Focus on interplay between maturation and experience.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

This class covers the development of the individual from the age of 11 to 19 years of age. Discussion will include aspects of both normal and abnormal development.

Prerequisites: none

Aging process and development during the adult years; psychology and psychological concerns of the aging individual; dealing with death.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

Social/Cultural - Choose 3 - 4 Credit(s).

An exploration of theories and research related to the ways that the social environment affects people's behavior.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

This course provides an overview of the diagnostic criteria, etiology, and interventions for sexuality-related concerns, including sexual dysfunctions, paraphilic disorders, and compulsive sexual behavior. Cultural diversity within the context of sexuality is emphasized.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to increase the student's awareness and understanding of abnormal psychology. Students will become familiar with clinical descriptions, course of onset, and treatment regimens specific to various disorders.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

A critical examination of current psychological approaches to the study of women's behavior and experience. The course will emphasize empirical ways of knowing and address psychological questions of central concern to women. Development of gender differences also will be explored.

Prerequisites: PSYC 101

Diverse Cultures: Purple

Other Graduation Requirements

Policies

Admission

Admission to the major is granted by the program.  Students enrolling in SOST 450 (KSP Level 3) must be admitted to the Social Studies program, a process in addition to admission to the KSP Program.  Admission to the Social Studies teaching program is limited.  Preference for admission to the program is given to students who have a 3.0 GPA and how have been involved in global, multicultural, civic and/or community service experiences.  Students are encouraged to work closely with the Director of Social Studies Education to prepare for admission into the KSP and SoST programs.

GPA Policy

A grade of “C” or better is required in all courses in the major.

P/N Grading Policy

No more than 12 credits may be taken P/N.