Online Master's in Middle and Secondary Social Studies Education

Preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens begins with exceptional social studies teachers. UNC Greensboro’s Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Middle and Secondary Social Studies Education empowers licensed educators to deepen their expertise in history, civics, geography, economics, and the social sciences while advancing their instructional practice. Through a flexible online format, the program combines discipline-specific scholarship, innovative teaching strategies, and classroom-based research to help teachers create meaningful learning experiences, foster critical thinking, and prepare students to participate thoughtfully in a democratic society.

Participants will graduate with a solid foundation in core social studies coursework for children in grades 6-12. Additionally, they will learn how to promote critical thinking. Required coursework options in special education services, English-as-a-second-language, and technology will ready them to create immersive learning experiences in today’s classrooms.

The Master of Education in Middle and Secondary Social Studies program is for students holding an undergraduate degree who currently teach social studies at the middle or high school level.

MASTER’s in MIDDLE and SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES Program Distinctions

One of the program’s strongest features is that it is offered fully online, making it accessible for full-time teachers throughout North Carolina and beyond.

Students will study within the UNC Greensboro School of Education, rated one of the nation’s “Top Graduate Schools of Education” by the U.S. News & World Report.

PATH TO A MASTER’s for TEACHING MIDDLE and SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES

Students studying for their master’s in middle and secondary social studies education will take pedagogical courses that will satisfy the requirements of M-level licensure in the state of North Carolina. They need 30 credit hours to complete the program. In addition, they must choose two courses from either English as a Second Language, Special Education Services, or Technology.

Courses include:

• Education Implications of Learning and Developmental Theory
• Learning in Schools and Communities
• Trends in Teaching Practices and Curriculum in Secondary School Social Studies

Students may choose from content from 500- or 600-level courses in anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, or sociology. Their options include:

• African American History
• American Diplomatic History: The Twentieth Century
• Ancient World: Selected Topics
• Architectural Conservation
• Contemporary Issues in Anthropology
• Empirical Health Economics
• Ethnography
• History and Systems of Psychology
• Latin America and Caribbean
• Physical Geology for Educators
• Political Geography
• The Practice of Public History
• Social Conflict and Social Change
• Urban Political System
• Weather and Climate for Educators

In order to graduate, they will engage in an action research project of their own teaching.

Funding and Scholarships For Earning Your M.Ed.

Each year, the School of Education awards over $1 million in scholarships and graduate assistantships to students.

The Haggai Academy is a scholarship program that provides scholarships of up to $8,000 per year, as well as a wide range of additional enrichment opportunities, for non-traditional students (24 years of age or older) pursuing an initial teacher license.

After Graduating With an M.Ed. in Middle and Secondary Social Studies Education

Graduates of UNCG’s M.Ed. in Middle and Secondary Social Studies Education are well positioned to advance within K–12 education by strengthening both their classroom expertise and their leadership capacity. Because the program is designed for licensed teachers, most graduates use the degree to enhance their current careers rather than change professions.

Common career outcomes include:

• Middle or high school social studies teacher
• School social studies department chair
• District instructional specialist or curriculum leader

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the initial teaching license. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. Review the Licensure Reciprocity Information.