Social Studies Education

Why social studies education at ONU?

Every day our students, faculty, and alumni are making a real world impact--and you can join them! Click on the photo captions to discover the exciting opportunities at ONU.

Learn from a world class faculty. Read about Professor Crawford's extensive research into women's football.

Design your direction. Discover how one student skipped standard student teaching to explore a rare, advanced curriculum.

Study abroad. See the journey of the history class that embarked on a World War II tour across Europe.

Jacob Wagner: Bringing the past to life

Our social studies education program will prepare you to be an outstanding social studies teacher. Our program is different from what you’ll find at most universities. In addition to social studies, you’ll earn a secondary major in history.

Here, you’ll experience a well-rounded program with courses in history, political science, economics, geography, psychology and sociology. In addition, you’ll take education courses and spend time observing and teaching in local classrooms. You’ll learn about adolescent development, curriculum, classroom strategies, methods of teaching and more. You’ll graduate ready to be licensed to teach social studies to students in grades seven to 12 in Ohio.

Large institutions just can’t provide the individualized attention and opportunity you’ll find here. Our social studies education majors observe and teach in rural, suburban and urban school districts. They assist professors with research, co-author academic papers, and present at regional and national conferences. They study abroad and lead student organizations. All of these can help you get that first job!

From the time you arrive on campus until you graduate, you’ll be guided by a faculty advisor. You’ll enjoy small class sizes and amazing friendships with your classmates. Our dedicated professors will get to know you. They will support you in your coursework, research, student teaching and career preparations. They will become personally invested in your success and help open doors for you.

It takes a special blend of knowledge, passion and skill to teach. Rest assured; when you graduate from ONU, you’ll be ready to take your place in the classroom.

Become an exceptional teacher

Our education program produces outstanding teachers who have spent extensive time in real classrooms teaching, seeing and experiencing.

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SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES, CURRICULUM & PROGRAM RESOURCES

Discover a combination of courses in history, political science, geography and education. Take classes like: East Asia; United States History; World Regional Geography; African American History, and American National Government.

Personalized attention, renowned professors

Forge relationships with professors who are nationally-recognized experts in their fields, sought out by local, regional and national media. They’ll teach your classes and become your mentors.

Dr. Crawford primarily teaches courses in Sport History, Public History and War History. Most recently he has published a book about women athletes who are breaking barriers on the gridiron. Learn more about Dr. Crawford here.

Lead & Learn

If you’re ready to say “yes” to new experiences, you’ve picked the right major. Be prepared to join, lead, debate and travel.

Photo of student and professors at museum

Gain perspective on the U.S. justice system by participating in Mock Trial. You’ll develop research and communication skills that will help you be a better teacher. Each year, we send ONU teams to the American Mock Trial Association’s intercollegiate mock trial competitions. Each team prepares either a civil or criminal case for litigation before a panel of two or three judges. With the resources of our Pettit College of Law, our Mock Trial teams receive excellent preparation and they excel at these competitions.
Learn about diplomacy and multiculturalism by participating in Model UN. Model UN is an academic organization that simulates the actions of the United Nations. Each year, ONU’s team attends different conferences and represents one of the countries currently recognized by the UN. Our team prepares to represent that country’s stance on real-world issues in mock committees at competitions in Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC in the fall and spring semesters. We also host a Model UN event on campus every year for high school students!
Find yourself in the center of activity in the nation’s capital by participating in The Washington Center (TWC) program. TWC’s goal is to be a bridge between higher education and professional careers. TWC provide opportunities to work in the heart of government, meet people from all over the world, develop professional skills, build your resume and create a network of contacts.
Expand your worldview and experience different cultures. We encourage our history majors to spend a semester or summer living, studying and traveling in another country. ONU’s extensive Study Abroad program has direct arrangements with several universities across the world. Our students have studied in Spain, South Korea, Cuba, England, Chile, France, China, Germany, Scotland, Costa Rica and Iceland. We teach travel courses dealing with World War Memory. Dr. Strittmatter took students to Belgium and France in 2022, and Dr. Crawford will take students to London, Normandy, and Paris during Spring Break 2026.
As a social studies education major, you’ll be considered for two honorary societies that recognize academic achievement. Membership opens the door to opportunities for professional development, attendance at regional and national conferences, networking and more. The two honoraries are: Phi Alpha Theta (the oldest and most prestigious honor society in history) and Phi Beta Delta (honor society of international scholars).

End game: a fulfilling social studies career

Our social studies graduates teach all over the country and are making a difference in students’ lives. ONU graduates are in high demand and have recently taught in the following states:

– Ohio
– Florida
– North Carolina
– Pennsylvania
– Delaware
– California
– Georgia
– Maryland
– Massachusetts
– Virgina
– Alaska
– Nevada
– New York
– Arizona

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