Overview

Coursework is in history, economics, geography, and political science as well as in the social studies specific pedagogy.

Students choose from a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Those seeking the B.A. must demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language.

Students seeking teacher certification also complete the professional program offered by the College of Education and Community Innovation. The Social Studies major meets State of Michigan content standards for teacher preparation in social studies.

Why Study Social Studies at Grand Valley State University?

Students at Grand Valley State University study the world from a variety of perspectives, giving them strong interdisciplinary training and skills.
Our majors are trained to research problems and engage in problem solving through written and verbal communication.
The curriculum prepares students to teach a complex subject in a changing world.
Students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members to learn the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching social studies.
Social studies majors are highly sought after by schools that want to hire teachers capable of teaching a variety of courses.

Programme Structure

The major includes credit hours in:

Economics
Geography
History
Political science
Social studies teaching methods

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-31 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-07-31 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-01-11 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-01 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

105

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TOEFL^® IBT

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PTE Academic

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Credits

162 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Allendale, United States

Disciplines

Social Work Sociology View 1527 other Bachelors in Sociology in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

Other requirements

General requirements

High school courses completed
Cumulative grade point average
Standardized test scores
Grade point trend

Rank in class

The middle 50 percent of admitted freshmen students scored between:

3.4 and 3.9 high school grade point average
21 and 26 ACT
1050-1240 SAT

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

22770 USD / year

≈ 22770 USD / year
Out-of-State

22770 USD / year

≈ 22770 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

16122 USD / year

≈ 16122 USD / year

Living costs

Allendale

United States

1000 - 1500 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Social Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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