Concentration vs Major -- problem for teaching degree?

[mattbrent]

If one wanted to teach (we're in MN), is it necessary to have a BA in History vs. a BA in LA with a concentration in History? I'm planning a clep path for my son through TESC, but I wonder if this will eventually be a stumbling block?

Advice from those who have been there?

Hi! I'm a high school history teacher in Virginia. I was hired under a provisional license my first year and obtained my licensure by taking a few courses through the University of Phoenix. However, in Virginia, to obtain the license to teach a certain content, you must meet the requirements for a content area. For History you can do History, Political Science, or History and Social Sciences. I'm currently certified to teach history. I'm qualified to teach everything in social sciences, but I didn't get that endorsement because I didn't want to teach things like geography and economics (although my school made me do that my first year anyway!).

Check with your state's department of education, as has been mentioned before. I know in Virginia you don't necessarily need a major in history. You simply need to have "X" amount of coursework, specifically 18 credits in history, 18 in poly-sci, 9 in geography and 6 in economics for a total of 51 credits. However, if you just want History, like I have, you'd just need 30 credits in it OR a major. At CNU the major was 36 credits, so either was I was covered. Then if you wanted an add-on endorsement in any of the social studies, you'd need 21 credits in the additional area, though it'd probably be easier to just go for the whole social studies endorsement. You also need to pass the praxis 2, which is a piece of cake. The passing rates depend on your state. Virginia's passing score is a 161, which is actually pretty high compared to other states.

Bottom line, if the college accepts CLEP tests and gives you credit for them, I don't forsee that being a problem when it comes to getting the credits necessary for the history teaching certification. However, call the DOE first, or ask the university itself. If you complete a "state-approved" program, it'll lead to licensure automatically after you complete it.

-Matt