The Social Studies Education program incorporates interdisciplinary study of schooling and society with a focus on issues surrounding teaching and curriculum development in social studies. The program encourages critical examination of social expectations, school practice, and the forms of knowledge available in social education. The program is concerned with pervasive social issues, academic freedom, democratic ideas of political economy, and the examination of knowledge as these have importance for preparing thoughtful teachers of history, social sciences, and social studies. The masters degree program involves extensive academic preparation in history and social science as well as professional work in educational foundations, psychology, applied studies of schools and teaching, and social studies education. The doctoral program emphasizes the study of theory and practice in social studies through research and scholarly work. This program expects students to have graduate level understanding of history or social science knowledge. Dissertation committees are expected to include faculty from those disciplines. The SSE program shares with the Departmental programs in Social and Philosophical Foundations and Educational Administration and Supervision an interest in conceptual frameworks drawn from the social sciences and humanities.