2023 - 2024 MCPS High School Course Bulletin

Social Studies


The goal of social studies is to help create literate and well-informed citizens who actively participate in a democratic society.  Students learn how to become effective citizens through—

  • active engagement in the learning processes and skills of the social sciences and history by using the inquiry process;
  • development of a useful knowledge base in culture, economics, geography, history, and politics that incorporates a broadened narrative by 
    • including marginalized groups;
  • learning the fundamental structures of human systems of interaction and how these systems have developed over time;
  • application of concepts and knowledge of the past to problem-solving real-world issues of the present;
  • application and evaluation of the role of an effective citizen, including putting citizen participation theory into practice;
  • effective use of multiple sources of investigation for research and learning, including technology, primary and secondary source materials,
    • the arts, film, and oral history; and
  • development and communication of social studies concepts and knowledge using a variety of formats, with a special emphasis on analytic
    • and argumentative writing.

The required social studies courses include state requirements for environmental literacy and financial literacy instruction.

Additional information regarding the MCPS Social Studies program can be found at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/socialstudies/.


Three credits in social studies are required for graduation, including 1 U.S. History credit, 1 National, State, and local Government credit, and 1 World History credit. Courses that satisfy those requirements are listed below.
U.S. History 
• United States History A and B
• AP United States History A and B
National, State, and Local Government 
• National, State, and Local Government A and B
• AP United States Government and Politics with NSL A and B
World History
• Modern World History A and B
• AP World History
• IB History 1 A and B and IB History 2 A and B


Social Studies Courses

SOC2067Comp Religion
SOC2062A / SOC2062BCultural Anthropology A
SOC2052Economics
SOC2064AP Macroeconomics
SOC2065AP Microeconomics
SOC2071A / SOC2071BGlobal Issues A
SOC2003A / SOC2003BNSL Government A
SOC2004A / SOC2004BHon NSL Government A
SOC2021A / SOC2021BAP GovPolitics US NSL A
SOC2023Government Politics US AP
SOC2024A / SOC2024BAP GovPolitics Comp A
SOC2030Africa South of Sahara
SOC2019African American History
SOC2033Ancient Medieval History
SOC2031Ancient Mediterranean Civ
SOC2038Eastern Asia
SOC2034European History
SOC2036A / SOC2036BEuropean History A
SOC2037A / SOC2037BAP European History A
SOC2028Latin American History
SOC2032Medieval History
SOC2029Russian History
SOC2041The Middle East
SOC2040World Military History
SOC2006A / SOC2006BMod World History A
SOC2007A / SOC2007BHon Modern World A
SOC2000A / SOC2000BUS History A
SOC2001A / SOC2001BHon US History A
SOC2022A / SOC2022BAP US History A
SOC2047A / SOC2047BAP World History A
SOC2068A / SOC2068BAP Human Geography A
SOC2066A / SOC2066BHumanities SS A
SOC2026Intl Human Rights 1
SOC2027Intl Human Rights 2
SOC2059Law
SOC2060Law 2
SOC2042A / SOC2042BModel UN A
SOC2063Philosophy
SOC2053Psychology 1
SOC2054Psychology 2
SOC2069A / SOC2069BAP Psychology A
SOC2086Hon Seminar Peace Studies
SOC2055Sociology 1
SOC2056Sociology 2
NSS2005Student Leader A
NSS2006Student Leader B
SOC2020African American History 2
SOC2051A / SOC2051BWomens Studies A
SOC2087LGBTQ Studies

International Baccalaureate (IB) Social Studies Courses

SOC2045A / SOC2045BIB Economics A
SOC2073A / SOC2073BIB Geography A
SOC2018A / SOC2018BIB Global Politics A
SOC2043A / SOC2043BIB History 1A
SOC2074A / SOC2074BIB History 2A
SOC2044A / SOC2044BIB Psychology A
SOC2050A / SOC2050BIB World Religion A
BMF2016A / BMF2016BIB Business Management A
SOC2046A / SOC2046BIB Philosophy A
SOC2048A / SOC2048BIB Social Anthropology A