Additional Teaching Requirements
Requirements | Teaching Endorsements and General Education
It is to your advantage to enter the job market certified to teach at least three or four social science areas. Your History Teaching major will earn you separate endorsements in American History and World History. You can earn other endorsements by either passing 15 hours of coursework in specific Social Science areas or by completing the All-Social Studies Endorsements (a total of 51 hours, 18 of which are fulfilled by your History major ).
Minimum standards endorsements are set by the State of Iowa. Endorsements are added to Iowa teaching licenses on the recommendation of the appropriate Records Analyst in the UNI Office of the Registrar.
If you are completing extra endorsement areas beyond declared majors and minors prior to graduation, you must request recommendation for these endorsements on your Application for Graduation, on the line asking for certifications other than your majors and minors. If you complete the requirements for further endorsements after you have graduated, you will need to contact the appropriate Records Analyst in UNI's Office of the Registrar.
Iowa minimum standards may or may not be recognized by other states. You will need to contact specific states to determine their requirements.
Requirements for Additional Endorsements
1. |
You may pursue state endorsements separately. If you take 15 hours in American Government, Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Psychology, or Sociology, the State of Iowa will certify you to teach that area. |
2. |
The All-Social Studies Endorsement (5-12) requires you to complete 51 hours spread across 7 different areas, all of which you would be certified to teach: American Government (9 hours), American History (9 hours), World History (9 hours), Economics (6 hours), Geography (6 hours), Psychology (6 hours), and Sociology (6 hours). By completing a History Teaching major, you will have all 18 hours required in American and World History. If you plan your Liberal Arts Core carefully, you can use 3-4 hours in Category 3 and 9 hours in Category 4 to fulfill 12 more hours towards this broad certification. |
The Iowa AH-Social Studies Endorsement/Grades 5-12 (51 hours)
American Government (9 hours) |
American History (9 hours) |
World History (9 hours) |
Economics (6 hours) |
Geography (6 hours) |
Psychology (6 hours) |
Sociology (6 hours) |
In practive, any courses taught at UNI (or other accredited colleges and universities) in the specific content areas required for an endorsement will count. At UNI, for example, any course numbered 920 counts towards Economics, 970 towards Geography, etc. Note that American Government is more narrowly defined by the State than the others, meaning in practice that only Political Science courses mainly concerned with the United States count, whereas those more focused on international of philosophical areas do not. Click HERE for more information.
Teaching Endorsements and the General Education Program
A few courses from the Liberal Arts Core (LAC) can be used towards state endorsements. It is highly recommended you consider taking some of the courses listed below as part of your LAC program, and to build hours towards certification in whatever areas you choose. Approximately 12 hours of LAC can be counted toward the All-Social Studies Certification by carefully choosing courses in categories 3 and 4.
Category 1: Civilizations and Cultures
Group 2: Non-Western Cultures
990:132 - Native North America (Anthropology)
990:137 - Native Central and South America (Anthropology)
Category 3: Natural Sciences and Technology*
Category A: Natural Sciences
990:010 - Human Origins (Anthropology)
Category B: Physical Sciences
970:026 - Physical Geography (Geography)
*Note that one course in Category 3 must have a lab.
Category 4: Social Science
Group A: Sociocultural and Historical Perspectives
970:010* - Human Geography (Geography)
970:040* - World Geography (Geography)
980:058 - Principles of Sociology (Sociology)
990:011 - Culture, Nature, and Society (Anthropology)
*You cannot count both courses, 970:010 and 970:040, towards this General Education category.
Group B: Individual and Institutional Perspectives
400:008 - Introduction to Psychology (Psychology)
920:024* - Introduction to Economics (Economics)
940:015 - American Government in a Comparative Perspective (American Government)
*920:053 and 920:054 Micro/Macro Economics may count here if BOTH are taken.
Group C: Topical Perspectives
980:045 - American Racial and Ethnic Minorities (Sociology)
980:060 - Social Problems (Sociology)