Endorsements

Additional Teaching Endorsements for Social Science Plan A and History Teaching Majors

It is to your advantage to enter the job market certified to teach at least three or four social science areas. You can earn other endorsements by either passing 15 hours of coursework in specific Social Science areas or by completing the All-Social Studies Endorsement (a total of 51 hours). Minimum standards endorsements areas 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.

In practice, 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 that listed ECON counts towards Economics, GEOG 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 or philosophical areas do not. [See the handout on the American Government endorsement for details.]

1.     You may pursue state endorsements separately. If you take 15 hours in American Government, American History, Economics, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, or World History,  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. The History teaching majors completes the US History and World History certification. If you complete the rest (33 hours) in all of the other 5 areas you would be certified to teach:  American Government (9 hours), Economics (6 hours), Geography (6 hours), Psychology (6 hours), and Sociology (6 hours). If you plan your Liberal Arts Core carefully, you can use 3-4 hours in Category 4 and 9 hours in Category 5 to fulfill 12 more hours towards this broad certification.

The Iowa All-Social Studies Endorsement with History Teaching Major/Grades 5-12 (33 hours)

American Government (9 hours)                                                                                                  

Economics (6 hours)

Geography (6 hours),                                                

Psychology (6 hours)

Sociology (6 hours)

            Liberal Arts Core (Students entering Fall 2004 and after)

A few courses from Liberal Arts Core can be used towards state endorsements. It is highly recommended you consider taking some of the courses listed below as part of your Liberal Arts Core  program, and to build hours towards certification in whatever areas you choose. Approximately 12 hours of Liberal Arts Core can be counted toward the All-Social Studies Certification by carefully choosing courses in categories 4 and 5.

Category 4:  Natural Sciences and Technology*

Group B:  Physical Sciences

                    GEOG 1210 Physical Geography [Geography]

*Note that one course in Category 4 must have a lab.

Category 5:  Social Science

Group A:  Sociocultural and Historical Perspectives

               GEOG 1110* Human Geography [Geography]

               GEOG 1120* World Geography [Geography]

     [* You cannot count both courses, GEOG 1110  & GEOG 1120, towards this Liberal Arts Core category.]

                 SOC 1000 Introduction to Sociology [Sociology]

Group B:  Individual and Institutional Perspectives

             PSCYH 1001 Introduction to Psychology [Psychology]

             ECON 1031 * Introduction to Economics  [Economics]

            [*ECON 1041 & ECON 1051 Micro/Macro Economics may count here if BOTH are taken.]

            POL AMER 1014 Introduction to American Politics

Group C:  Topical Perspectives

               SOC 1045 American Racial and Ethnic Minorities [Sociology]

               SOC 1060 Social Problems [Sociology]

Requirements for Iowa's American Government Teaching Endorsement

The State of Iowa requires 15 hours of course work in American Government to grant an endorsement to teach in this field at the middle or secondary level. There is no endorsement area in Political Science, only in American Government. The following UNI Political Science courses are acceptable to the State for a teaching endorsement in American Government. The bulk of the course's content must be clearly related to American Government. Please contact the Records Analyst (115 Gilchrist) for Social and Behavioral Sciences (319 273-2241) with questions concerning applicable courses. Be prepared to bring along a course syllabus and description for evaluation.  For courses transferred from other colleges and universities, bring the same evidence to the Records Analyst for evaluation. You are encouraged to check before taking the transfer course, if possible, to see if it will count for this endorsement. After taking a course at another college, an official transcript must be sent to the Records Analyst, Office of the Registrar.

Acceptable courses:

POL AMER 1014           Introduction to American Politics

POL AMER 1048           Introduction to Public Administration

POL AMER 2131          American State Politics

POL AMER 3112          Campaigns and Elections

POL AMER 3130          Iowa Politics

POL AMER 3132          Community Politics

POL AMER 3134          Legislative Politics

POL AMER 3141          Constitutional Law

POL AMER 3146          Law and Politics

POL AMER 3147          Law and Politics  Law and the Courts

POL AMER 3150          Public Opinion & Voting Behavior

POL AMER 3151          Modem Presidency

POL AMER 3166          Political Parties & Interest Groups

POL AMER 3172          Public Budgeting

POL AMER 3173          Public Policy Analysis

POL AMER 3174          Public Personnel Administration

POL AMER 4142          Problem in Juvenile & Family Law

POL AMER 4143          Citizen Participation and Civic Engagement

POL AMER 4144          Civil Rights and Liberties

POL AMER 4153          Public Organizations

POL AMER 4176          Topics in Public Policy

POL AMER 4177          Political Psychology

POL AMER 4188          Seminar in Public Administration

POL INTL 3127            U.S. Foreign Policy

POL THRY 3129          American Political Thought