U.S. Social Studies endorsement to QTS

[Alchemeister]

Hey guys. When applying for a QTS, which subject should people with a U.S. license with a Social Studies endorsement apply for? History… Social Sciences…both?

[PsyGuy]

It doesnt hurt to apply for both options if you can. It doesnt really matter though, they will compare your credential and refer to your transcripts after verifying the subjects your credential authorizes (and after they have verified everything else). In very general terms, youre more likely to get social science than history, aside from all other factors. There have been candidates who held a biology credential but their QTS profile showed PHE because their degree was in sports science.
Regardless it doesnt really matte for IE. QTS is age and subject indiscriminate. Your QTS certificate will not list any subject or age ranges. In the UK it would matter for DE because a DS is responsible for determining what youre eligible to be assigned to. So a HT could assign an arts DT to a maths class, but they would have serious issues if they appointed a DT to a class they werent competent in. That issue doesnt really come up in IE. Youre essentially eligible to teach what your academically prepared in whether its your PGCE, degree, major. So for QTS it doesnt really matter what you apply for except for a few entries (there are fields for three) in your profile, which you can see, and an IS could call the TCL/TRA to inquire about but QTS checks are rather bland. The TCL/TRA will verify the number and holders bio-graphics and that the credential is valid and the status (absence/presence)of any barring orders.

[motionless]

Thanks so much to you both for your in-depth responses. It was well and truly appreciated. I am now looking into doing my QTS!

Thanks again!

[kiaolsp]

Depending on the details of your educational background and teaching experience, you might choose to teach both social sciences and history if you feel comfortable doing so.

[Alchemeister]

Ok so, I’m licensed in several states in Social Studies, English, and ESL. My BA is in communications and my Masters in Education. Do you think they would just not let me transfer my license if i dont have a degree in the subject area?

[PsyGuy]

@Alchemeister

No, they should give you something, most likely English and maybe Media Studies. Social Studies isnt a thing (not in the way that the US typically categorizes it as a composite of anything and everything in the phenomenological sphere of humanities), there is a social science dimension that mostly includes psychology and sociology though can include anthropology, criminology, and other humanities that are further away from those subjects closer to history and economics (business, law, geography, poli.sci, government, civics, citizenship, etc.). ESOL is grouped within English.

[Alchemeister]

My Illinois license includes endorsements in Social Science: History, Social Science: Geography, and similar fields, so I’m hopeful they’ll convert those directly. The only issue is that my Mississippi license simply says ‘Social Studies,’ though it will reach the twenty-month mark before my Illinois one. I’m wondering if they’ll recognize the Illinois endorsements alongside the Mississippi license since, by that time, I’ll have been a licensed teacher for over 20 months.

[PsyGuy]

@Alchemeister

Thats not really possible. There are only three fields in your dossier for subjects. Youre credentialed in English and have a subject matter degree in Communications. I see you getting English (which includes ESOL which is better than English Language by itself) and based on your degree maybe getting Media Studies. Then maybe Social Science.