Academic Programs - Social Studies Education
Admission Policies
The Social Studies Education major is designated as a high demand major at the University of Georgia. The University identifies high-demand majors as those that receive or expect to receive more applications for major status from fully qualified rising juniors than the program can accommodate without endangering the quality of instruction offered.
Application Deadlines
The Social Studies Education program is a designated High-Demand Major. As such, the program admits no more than twenty-five students per application round. Applications to the program are accepted once per academic year. The deadline to apply is December 1st each fall.
Eligibility Requirements
Minimum requirements for application include the following:
- No more than 9 hours to complete in Core Areas I through VI after being admitted into the program.
- 2.80 GPA (overall, cumulative, and in areas V and VI combined)
- Satisfactory completion of ESOC 2450/2450L – Initial Field Experiences in Social Studies Education
- Passing scores on or exemption from the GACE Program Admission Assessment (http://gace.ets.org/about/assessments/).
The program must receive GACE scores no later than the application deadline. Applicants may exempt the GACE if they have earned a qualifying score on one of these tests:
- SAT (Critical Reading and Mathematics scores combined ≥ 1000)
- ACT (English and Mathematics scores combined ≥ 43)
- GRE (Verbal and Quantitative scores combined ≥ 1030).
ESOC 2450/2450L is a prerequisite for admission to the program; students can register for the course through Oasis. The department offers ESOC 2450/2450L each fall and spring semester. Each class has a limited enrollment of 20 students.
Application Requirements and Materials
Applicants who meet the application deadline and the minimum eligibility requirements will be evaluated by the program faculty on the following artifacts:
- Application Written Essay Responses (prepared in ESOC 2450/2450L)
- Combined GPA in areas V and VI of the core
Three copies of your Application Written Essay Responses (two without your name, one with your name) must be submitted along with the Application Form by the deadline.
Social Studies Program faculty review, rate, and rank the applications by academic achievement evidenced by content GPA (60%) in Areas V and VI, and by quality of the Application Written Essay Responses (40%). Criteria for assessing the application written essay responses are further discussed in ESOC 2450/2450L. The applicants with the top scores will be admitted to the major.
Please keep in mind that Social Studies Education is a high-demand major. Students are encouraged to have an alternate plan should they not gain acceptance into the major.
Program Requirements for Admitted Students
Admitted students must continue to meet the minimum entrance requirements. Students will be dismissed from the program for just cause, including violation of University of Georgia rules or procedures or for committing acts that would make them un-certifiable (e.g. felony crime).
Admitted students must meet the professional dispositions expectation for pre-service teachers adopted by the Social Studies Education program faculty.
B.S.Ed. Program Expenses
Please keep the following expenses in mind as you plan to apply to Social Studies Education B.S.Ed. program:
- StudentCheck Background Check
- Tort Liability Insurance
- Official UGA Name Tag ($14)
- FolioTek Subscription ($59 for two years)
Contact Information
Questions about the program can be directed to the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, 630 Aderhold Hall, Athens, GA 30602-7177, 706.542.4244, or e-mail at esse@uga.edu.
