Social Studies Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Our Social Studies Education Program focuses on research, theory, and teacher preparation. Our students and faculty explore the contextual and contested meanings of “history” and “citizenship” in U.S. public schools. Students engage in coursework and research that explore topics such as social studies curriculum, multicultural education, and improving literacy through social studies.
Our urban teacher education, master’s, and doctoral programs draw from a variety of disciplines. All of our degree programs pursue theoretical, historical, empirical, and pedagogical questions that seek to excavate and analyze current issues in education. Topics such as race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and cultural differences inform the field of social studies education.
Degrees
Program Affiliations
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS)
- College and University Faculty Council (CUFA)
- The John Warfield Center for African and African American Studies (JWCAAAS)
- African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS)
- National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME)
- National Council for the Teaching of Social Studies (NCSS)
Faculty
![]() Anthony L. BrownProfessor Focuses on historical and contemporary issues and discourses concerning African American students in schools and society. |
![]() Katherina A. PayneAssociate Professor, Area Chair and Advisor Researches civic education, early childhood/elementary education, and teacher education to examine the role of relationships, community, and justice to make classrooms democratic and equitable spaces. |
![]() Cinthia SalinasProfessor Ruben E. Hinojosa Regents Professor in Education Research focuses on inclusive citizenship narratives in diverse, bilingual and/or ESL K-12 social studies classroom settings. |
Additional Information