Graduates of the UCA Department of History social studies education program are excellent representatives of the strength of the BSE social studies degree at UCA and the quality of the graduates of that program. Even in a tight job market for teachers, most of our graduates find jobs their first year out of school at public and private institutions across the state. Some of them jump right back into graduate programs at UCA, working toward either a MA in history or a MSE in teaching or education administration.
The UCA Department of History’s reputation for scholarship has brought two recent James Madison Memorial Fellowship scholars to our graduate history program. Charles Williams, 2009 UCA graduate, received the Madison Fellowship in 2011, and is currently completing his BA history degree. Charles teaches history at Conway Junior High, where he and his students participate in the National History Day program.
Ty Hendricks, 2012 BSE social studies graduate, is a James Madison Fellow, working toward his MA history degree at UCA. Hendricks teaches at AHLF Junior High in Searcy, Arkansas, where he also engages his students in the National History Day program.
The 2014-15 cohort of eleven BSE social studies candidates are almost ready for their semester of student teaching. They have attended a profession teaching conference this fall, and are learning to network through membership in the Arkansas Council for the social Studies.
Their internship assignments include schools in Little Rock, Conway, Maumelle and Morrilton. Next year they will be entering the great adventure of the secondary classroom.