History / Social Science Credential Program

A History/Social Science single-subject credential enables you to teach middle and high school History/Social Science classes. The credential has two major parts - content (what to teach) and pedagogy (how to teach). You can demonstrate subject matter competency through coursework, CSET exams, or a combination of both. Credential course descriptions can be found below.

Although courses in the subject matter program align with social science majors such as Political Science, Economics, and Geography, the closest alignment is History because it is the core discipline in the California State History/Social Science curriculum.  The Social Science Subject Matter Program consists of 54 units directly related to courses taught in California schools in grades 6 to 12:

  • Grade Six--World History and Geography: Ancient History
  • Grade Seven - World History and Geography: Medieval and Early Modern Times
  • Grade Eight - U.S. History and Geography: From Independence to 1900
  • Grade Nine - Elective
  • Grade Ten - World History, Culture and Geography: The Modern World
  • Grade Eleven - U.S. History and Geography: The Twentieth Century
  • Grade Twelve - American Government (one semester), Economics (one semester)

Subject matter courses may be taken concurrently with Education courses as long as the program is completed prior to the onset of student teaching.  Interested students will find the full list of subject matter courses.

Students must earn a teaching credential in history / social science to teach in California secondary schools. This web page provides information about the CSULB History/Social Science Credential Program.

To obtain a credential to teach social science, students must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Bachelor’s Degree
  2. Complete the Basic Skills Requirement 
  3. Either complete the Social Science Subject Matter Program or obtain a passing grade on the CSET examinations in Social Science.  Students are encouraged to undertake the Subject Matter Program as undergraduates or post-bac students for certification.  For information on efficiently incorporating the subject matter into their major, undergraduates should seek credential advising early in their career at CSULB.  Students will find additional information about this requirement at the Subject Matter Competency link.
  4. Complete the Education Program.  Students will find information about the required sequence of Education courses here.

EDSS 300S serves as the prerequisite for all other education courses. Students may take EDSS 300S concurrently with other courses in the Social Science Subject Matter Program, but they may not enroll in any Core education courses until after successfully completing EDSS 300S and admission to the program. CSULB undergraduates may take EDSS 300S beginning in their junior year. Candidates must pass EDSS 300S with a B grade or better to be admitted to the Social Science Credential Program.   

Students may take the following co-requisite classes at any time prior to or after admission to the program:

H SC 411B - Health Science for Secondary School Teachers
ETEC 444 - Computer Technology in Education, Level I.  Note: This requirement may also be met by passing ETEC 411, a one-unit proficiency course.
EDSP 355B - Collaborative Models of Inclusive Education
EdP 301, 302, or 305 Child / Adolescent Development / Educational Psychology

Note: All candidates must have an overall GPA of 2.67 in all college courses and major or a 2.75 in their last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units. The Basic Skills Requirement, previously met by CBEST, as of July 1, 2024 can now be met with the candidate's BA (Senate Bill 153). Once a candidate is admitted to the Social Science Credential Program, the following courses must be completed:

  • EDSE 435 - US Secondary Schools/Intercultural Education
  • EDSE 436 - Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment & Classroom Management
  • EDSE 458 - Reading and Writing in Secondary School (in the humanities)
  • EDSS 450S* - Methods in Teaching Social Science
  • EDSS 472 (A, B, C) plus EDSS 473S - Student Teaching. (15 units) and S.T. Seminar (3 units)
    OR
    EDSS 572 (A, B, C) plus EDSS 473S - Intern Student Teaching (15 units) and S.T. Seminar (3 units)

* It's recommended that students take 450S just before Student Teaching.