Joseph Stuart teaching a history class with his students listening attentively.
  • Program Type
    Major
  • Degrees Offered
    B.A., B.S.
  • School
    Liffrig Family School of Education & Behavioral Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences

Explore the past to help your students navigate current opportunities and challenges. Gain the skills you need to teach history and social studies to middle and high school students.

What You’ll Learn

Colleges of Distinction Education Seal

History and social studies education majors learn the importance of asking questions about the past and seeing the world through the eyes of others, as well as how to pass those abilities on to their students.

  • Explore history and the social sciences alongside other disciplines, including philosophy, classics, and literature.
  • Learn best practices in teaching and classroom management to prepare for a successful career as a secondary school educator.
  • Graduate ready to teach history, economics, political science, geography, anthropology, sociology, and psychology to middle- and high-school students.
Develop Breadth of Understanding and Depth of Expertise

Our combined program in history and social studies education comprises a broad range of courses in history, politics, economics, geography, and psychology, preparing graduates to teach across disciplines or to focus on a particular subject.

Prepare Yourself for Classroom Success

Our students work in small classes and in close collaboration with peers and faculty from the Liffrig Family School of Education & Behavioral Sciences and the School of Arts & Sciences. You’ll gain the experience and confidence to teach courses including U.S. History, North Dakota Studies, Global Education, and more to learners in grades five through 12.

See the World from New Perspectives

You will also develop your critical thinking and historical analysis skills while gaining deeper exposure to and understanding of cultural diversity. At the University of Mary, we promote respect for others through the lens of our Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine values.

Become Licensure Eligible

Upon completion of the program, you’ll be eligible for North Dakota licensure for middle and high school teaching across a range of history and social studies subject areas.

Program Information

Please visit our catalog for admission requirements and a full list of our courses.

Accreditations

Careers & Outcomes

Employment Trends

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the employment for high school history and social studies teachers to remain steady through 2032. A University of Mary history and social studies education degree also prepares you with research, communication, and critical thinking skills that are valuable in a wide range of careers.

Career Paths

  • High School History Teacher
  • Researcher
  • Journalist
  • Public Relations Director
  • Marketer
  • Museum Curator
  • Paralegal
  • Nonprofit Director

Featured Faculty

Joseph T. Stuart, PhD

Director of History, Professor of History, Fellow in Catholic Studies

I teach in the history and Catholic studies programs. I believe culture is the driving force of history, and that cult, in the sense of "worship," is the wellspring of culture. The vocation of the historian is enriching the world of the present through knowledge and preservation of the past.

Alexander Mains, MEd

Assistant Professor of Education, Director of Secondary Education

As the director of the secondary education program, I have the opportunity to work with prospective middle school and high school educators to help them grow in their skills and develop a love of learning for their future students. I work within eight different subject areas for my program, teaching various methods courses and education courses and visiting practicum schools where my future educators observe classroom teachers and practice teaching their lessons to real students.

Take Your Next Step in History and Social Studies Education