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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Geography-Anthropology, Social Studies, Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, B.A.
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The Geography-Anthropology program offers a teacher certification track for prospective social studies teachers at the secondary education level. The Secondary Teacher Education Program is designed to prepare early middle and high school teachers, grades 7-12 teachers who are knowledgeable of the social studies content they will teach and who have the skills to apply that knowledge to teaching. Secondary education students major in Geography-Anthropology (choosing one of three specializations), take a series of teacher education courses that satisfy their University Core Curriculum requirements, and fulfill the requirements for teacher certification in social studies. These courses introduce students to aspects of teaching and learning and give them hands-on experiences in community agencies and schools where they can connect what they are learning to the real world. At the time of degree completion, students will have met the degree requirements for a Geography-Anthropology major and for initial teacher certification.
The Bachelor of Arts in Geography-Anthropology emphasizes the integration of the two disciplines and the common interests in examining the relationship between human populations and their natural and built environments. The major is an interdisciplinary degree program. Students enrolled in the major may specialize in one of three tracks:
- Sustainable Cultures and Communities
- Cultural and Natural Heritage Management
- Applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geospatial Analysis
Upon graduation, students find employment in fields that involve archaeology work, cultural resource management, historic preservation, heritage and conservation management, museum, curation and archival work, education, environmental and land use management, community development work, non-profit advocacy, city and regional public service, tourism and recreation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) related careers in federal, state, local government, and private sector industries.
We focus on developing strong analytical, writing, oral and technical skills and prepare our students to enter the workforce or for future graduate work. Courses emphasize both conceptual and applied learning. Students engage in case studies, community-engaged and client-based projects, and intensive field and lab analysis.
Students have the opportunity to design, develop, research and communicate professional level projects with faculty mentors. As a result of data collection in the field or analysis in our specialized learning laboratories, students also have the opportunity to engage in scholarship through publications and conference presentations, and often receive assistantships and fellowships funded by such organizations as the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Maine Space Grant Consortium.
The program of study beyond the basic requirements should be planned carefully, in close consultation with the student’s program advisor, and should be approved by the latter. Such an arrangement allows for flexibility according to the student’s interests while also providing close guidance and a control of educational quality by the Geography-Anthropology program.
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USM Core Curriculum (including pre-internship education courses):
Geography-Anthropology - Major Requirements:
All students with majors or specific discipline minors in the social sciences must achieve at least six credits with grades of B or better in the requirements of those majors or minors. No grades of D will be counted toward fulfillment of the major or minor requirements. Except for Independent Studies, no required course may be repeated more than one time.
All students are reminded that, in addition to meeting departmental requirements for the major, they must also meet the University’s minimum readiness requirements and the Core curriculum requirements.
The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University’s Core curriculum & Professional Education Internship requirements) required for the major: 36-39.
Students may concentrate in any one of the following specializations:
- Sustainable Cultures and Communities
- Cultural and Natural Heritage Management
- Applied Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geospatial Analysis
For all specializations, students in the social studies, secondary education track complete the major requirements for a BA in Geography-Anthropology. One methods course for the major may be met with an EDU methods and one topical elective may be met with an EDU internship in secondary education. Similarly, the major capstone requirement may be met with an EDU capstone.
Additionally, all Geography-Anthropology majors are required to demonstrate writing competence by completing either two research papers or one research paper and one research product (e.g., poster, media project) in the major with grades of C or better, from two different professors, at least one semester prior to graduation. The maximum number of credit hours of internships, field experience, and/or independent studies that can be applied toward the major is 9 credits. All students must meet with their advisors before registering for courses each semester.
Electives:
In addition to in-depth knowledge of ANT and GEO gained through the major, students will complete coursework in HTY and other Social Studies disciplines to become highly qualified to teach. With prior approval, 2 POS/ECO electives at or above the 300-level may be used to fulfill topical elective requirements in the GYA degree. Required courses include: Secondary Teacher Education (6-12) Requirements
The Secondary Teacher Education Pathway is designed to prepare middle and high school teachers, grades 6-12 (PreK-12 for world language teachers) who are knowledgeable of the content they will teach and who have the skills to apply that knowledge to classroom teaching. Secondary education students major in the discipline they plan to teach and take a series of teacher education courses that satisfy their University Core Curriculum requirements as well as fulfill the requirements for Maine teacher certification in their discipline. These courses introduce students to aspects of teaching and learning and provide hands-on field experiences in schools and community agencies where they can make connections between theory and practice. At the time of degree completion, students will have met the degree requirements for a major and for initial teacher certification.
Program Declaration and Withdrawal
All students must formally declare their entry into a teacher education pathway by completing the Declaration and/or Dropping of Undergraduate Teacher Education Pathway Form through the registrar’s office. The form is located in the forms section of the Office of Registration and Scheduling Services. https://usm.maine.edu/registration-services
Academic Requirements
The minimum academic requirements to be a student in good standing in the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway are as follows:
- A grade of B- or better in all professional education coursework.
- A grade of C or better in content courses required for the area of teacher certification.
- An overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
Failure to maintain the above requirements may result in program dismissal. Appeals may be made in writing to the Director of Educator Preparation.
Pre-Internship
Upon declaring the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, a student becomes a pre-intern. The pre-internship phase of the program is the first three years of the program prior to the professional internship. Pre-internship coursework is as follows:
Each of the courses with a * includes required service learning or practicum hours in a partner school or community setting to give pre-interns hands-on experience with students and create connections between theory and practice. These formal placements are arranged by the Field Experience Coordinator in the Office of Educator Preparation. Other education courses may require observation experiences in field settings that students arrange on their own. Students are required to be fingerprinted prior to starting a course that includes a field experience placement. For more information on the fingerprinting process see: https://usm.maine.edu/educator-preparation
Progress Checks
Upon declaring their Secondary Teacher Education Pathway, pre-interns will have progress checks completed to ensure adequate progression through the pathway. These progress checks will be completed at the end of each academic year. Assuming a four-year program, the checks will be as follows:
- Year 1: GPA check, documentation of CHRC/fingerprinting completion, and field placement feedback
- Year 2: GPA check and field placement feedback
- Year 3: GPA check, successful completion of EDU 442, field placement feedback
Please see the Maine Department of Education site for more information about fingerprinting: http://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/fingerprinting.
Professional Seminar
When pre-interns have successfully completed their required coursework and are set to begin their student-teaching internship the following Fall, they will enroll in the Professional Seminar.
Professional Internship
The professional internship is a full-year experience that fulfills Maine’s student teaching requirement and provides secondary education teacher candidates the opportunity to apply what they are learning in their teacher education courses in a more sustained and in-depth setting. The first semester internship is the equivalent of 20 hours per week in a partner school district, and the second semester internship is a full time, five days per week experience in a partner school. Students take the following internship courses concurrently.
Content Area Methods Course: Choose one of the following (3 credits)
Majors
The following majors have Secondary Teacher Education Pathway options:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- English
- Environmental Science
- Geography - Anthropology
- History
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Natural and Applied Sciences
- Physics
Please see each major’s section of this catalog for their requirements.
Content Requirements
Secondary Teacher Education Pathway students (grades 6-12) need a minimum of twenty-four credit hours in the content areas they plan to teach.
Content Recommendations
It is recommended that those interested in teaching at the middle level complete coursework in a second content area (e.g. English, mathematics, social studies or science) to become highly qualified to teach an additional content area. Students should consider taking additional education courses, which will support them in becoming more well-rounded teachers, in topics such as literacy and technology.
Online Data Management System for Educator Preparation Programs and Pathways
All undergraduate and graduate students who matriculate into an Educator Preparation program at USM and are accepted as a candidate for their internship/student teaching year are required to subscribe to an online data management system. Students upload assignments and other artifacts to this system as evidence that they have mastered state and professional standards for their profession. There is a one-time subscription fee related to the administration and assessment of the program that must be paid by each student before their internship begins. For loan purposes, this system is eligible for consideration as part of educational costs. Subscription instructions (including the current fee) are posted on the Office of Educator Preparation page on MyUSM at https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/usm/office-of-educator-preparation.
Please note Professional Education Council Policy: In order for USM’s Educator Preparation Unit program completers to be recommended by the institution to the Maine Department of Education for certification or licensure, the candidate must provide evidence of meeting all certification requirements including proficiency on the standards relevant to their state-approved professional program. This evidence must be compiled and assessed within the context of the Unit’s data management system.
Recommendation for Certification
Graduates who successfully complete all the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway requirements are eligible for recommendation for teacher certification in Maine. In order to be recommended for certification, students must complete the Recommendation for Certification form. Students who fail to meet the academic or professional requirements for the Secondary Teacher Education Pathway or choose not to pursue teacher certification may withdraw from the pathway and graduate with their major.
NOTE–Course requirements are subject to change based upon changes in teacher certification regulations.
USM Core Requirements
The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general education degree requirements.
Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.
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