2022-2023 Catalogue Requirements

To view the most current program requirements, please visit the USC Catalogue.

HSSE | CURRENT

The Van Hunnick History Department’s Bachelor of Arts in History and Social Science Education (HSSE) is designed to emphasize those courses in its curriculum that will be of most use to a teacher of social studies.

The American Historcial Association and other organizations have drawn recent attention to the critical importance of attracting talented undergraduates into high school and middle school teaching. It is an occupation particularly suited to those who want their future profession to present an intellectual challenge and an opportunity to make a difference in society.

All of the courses are drawn from the regular curriculum in history, economics, and political science, providing a major which will prepare students for a profession in teaching while obtaining a strong liberal arts background. The required capstone seminar has been created specifically for the major and focuses on the requisite skills for teaching in a secondary school environment.

The HSSE major does not provide a waiver of single subject tests, though it will make it much easier when students do take them.

Required Courses

  • ECON 203g Principles of Microeconomics Units: 4
  • ECON 205g Principles of Macroeconomics Units: 4
  • HIST 201 Approaches to History Units: 4
  • HIST 488 Teaching History in the Secondary Schools Units: 4

Additional Requirements

Surveys of U.S. and World History

Choose THREE from the following:

  • HIST 100gm The American Experience Units: 4
  • HIST 240gp The History of California Units: 4
  • HIST 349 Colonial North America 1600–1760 Units: 4
  • HIST 360 19th Century U.S. History Units: 4
  • HIST 361 20th Century U.S. History Units: 4
  • HIST 440 Early Modern World History Units: 4
  • HIST 441 Modern World History Units: 4

Pre-modern World History

Choose ONE of the following:

  • HIST 101gp State and Society in the Ancient World Units: 4
  • HIST 102gm The Worlds of Medieval Europe Units: 4
  • HIST 103g The Emergence of Modern Europe Units: 4
  • HIST 180 The Middle East Units: 4
  • HIST 275g The Worlds of the Silk Road Units: 4
  • HIST 335 History and Law in Japan Units: 4
  • HIST 338 China to 960 A.D. Units: 4
  • HIST 339 China, 960–1800 A.D. Units: 4
  • HIST 369 History of the Indigenous Peoples in the Americas Units: 4
  • HIST 382 The Middle East, 500–1500 Units: 4

Modern World History

Choose ONE of the following:

  • HIST 104gp Modern Europe Units: 4
  • HIST 333 Korea: The Modern Transformation Units: 4
  • HIST 336 History of Japan, 1550–1945 Units: 4
  • HIST 340 History of China since 1800 Units: 4
  • HIST 370 Colonial Latin America Units: 4
  • HIST 372 Modern Latin America Units: 4
  • HIST 383 The Modern Middle East Units: 4

Political Science

Choose ONE of the following:

  • POSC 100g Theory and Practice of American Democracy Units: 4
  • POSC 300 Principles, Institutions, and Great Issues of American Democracy Units: 4
  • POSC 340 Constitutional Law Units: 4

Required Capstone Seminar

(see under “required courses”)

A capstone seminar, HIST 488 Teaching History in the Secondary Schools, will be taught by a member of the history department and will focus on the ways in which historical research is brought into middle and high school curriculum. Seminar participants will examine textbooks and other materials designed for history instruction; engage in independent research; write curriculum and/or classroom units or lesson plans; and visit classrooms to assist with history instruction in the schools.

Honors Thesis

In addition to the 10 courses required for the major, students pursuing departmental honors must complete one additional course, HIST 492 Honors Thesis. This course will be taught by a history department faculty for select students choosing to research and write an honors thesis.

  • HIST 492 Honors Thesis Units: 4