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 Units: 42

Education Coursework (12 units)

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

Social Studies Coursework (20 units)

• WED SO 520 Project Citizen: Promoting Civic Engagement (2 units) AND WED SO 567 History Laboratory (2 units) or WED SO 578 Teaching Media Literacy (4 units)
• WED SO 566 Developing Historical Literacy, 5–12 (4 units)
• WED SO 571 Curriculum and Special Methods for History and Social Science, 5–12 (4 units)
• Two social studies content-based electives at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (8 units)

Practicum (10 units)

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:

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

Additionally, all students take:

• WED SO 574 Pre-Practicum in Social Studies Education (2 units)

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

The TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Program offers a five-course, 18-unit add-on license pathway for licensure-seeking graduate students. Through this pathway, licensure-seeking students also meet requirements for an initial license in English as a Second Language (ESL) (PreK–6 or 5­–12) in Massachusetts.

In this course of study, students are introduced to the key factors affecting second-language acquisition, learn techniques for fostering language development through rich academic content, and practice strategies relevant to teaching English as a second or foreign language. In addition, they learn how to support students’ literacy skills in their home languages, and how to integrate best practices of culturally sustainable teaching into their classrooms. As part of the program, licensure-seeking students complete a 150-hour ESL practicum.

This pathway consists of the following courses:

• WED BI 504 Seminar: The Student-Teaching Experience—Bilingual (ESL) Language (2 units)
• WED BI 515 Methods in Bilingual and English as a Second Language Education (ESL), PreK–6 (4 units) OR WED TL 508 Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language, 5–12 (4 units)
• WED LS 658 Second Language Acquisition (4 units)
• WED TL 571 Student-Teaching Practicum: ESL, PreK–6 (4 units) OR WED TL 573 Student-Teaching Practicum: ESL, 5–12 (4 units)