Is History or History Secondary Education the Major for YOU?
The history curriculum at The College of New Jersey is cross-cultural, transnational, and comparative, allowing students to gain a global perspective.
To Become a History Major
Entering Freshmen: Follow the TCNJ application process.
External Transfers: Follow the TCNJ application process.
Internal Transfers:
- Complete the Change of Major form and come to the History Department office in Social Science Building room 205 for the Department Chair’s signature.
Requirements for the History Secondary Education Major
Professional courses needed to earn certification to teach secondary social studies are taken during the second, third and fourth years of college.
Students planning to teach at the middle or high school level should consult with their advisor in planning their academic program. These plans should take into account requirements for the major, liberal learning, professional courses, and state certification. The student must establish a minimum 3.0 GPA in order to be allowed to student teach.
Candidates for a teacher-education certificate must have a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average to successfully complete their teacher education program. They also must meet the state hygiene/physiology requirement, and pass the appropriate Praxis examination before the New Jersey State Department of Education will issue the appropriate certificate. Teacher-education candidates will receive a “certificate of eligibility with advanced standing” which requires a candidate to be provisionally certified for his or her first year of teaching. After one year of successful teaching, the candidate is eligible for a permanent certificate.
Program Entrance, Retention, and Exit Standards
Every major program at the College has set standards for allowing students to remain in that program, to transfer within the College from one program to another, and to graduate from a program. The following are the standards for history programs. Minimum grades are noted in parentheses:
- Retention in the program requires a C or better in HIS 210 Craft of History.
- Graduation requires a GPA of 2.0, in history courses and overall, for students in History Liberal Arts. Students seeking secondary education certification need a GPA of 3.0 overall.