Overview: Secondary Education (English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies)

UW-Madison’s high school/middle school teacher preparation programs are among the most innovative in the nation. They are grounded in the latest education research. And they are continually reviewed and revised to give future teachers the experiences they will need to succeed in contemporary classrooms. Once admitted to the program, students pursue a full-time, four-semester sequence that combines education courses and school-based field experiences. The program emphasizes

• Integrated and coordinated course work. Students engage in a coherent, progressive series of courses and experiences that build on their increasing knowledge and skills.
• Course work that links directly and immediately to school practice. Because their courses tie directly to field experiences, students can better relate what they learn in class to the concrete challenges of schools, classrooms, and adolescents. Students have ample opportunities to test, revise, and reflect on their developing teaching and planning skills.
• Team learning that fosters dialogue and collaboration. Students are organized into learning communities and learning teams. During the first semester, smaller interdisciplinary learning teams are assigned to the same school and collaborate on projects. These groups offer students the opportunity for dialogue with faculty, peers, and cooperating teachers while preparing them for schools where curriculum is increasingly interconnected and teachers collaborate daily.
• A commitment to prepare future teachers who can help each child learn. In course work and field experiences, students explore teaching and learning issues related to ethnic, cultural, and language diversity, social class, and students' special needs and abilities.

Program Structure and Sequence

Program majors include English, Mathematics, Science (Biology, Broad Field Science [Natural Science], Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, and Physics), and Social Studies (Broad Field Social Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, and Sociology). Completion of these Secondary Education programs leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a major in the specific subject area.

Most of these Secondary Education programs have three components:

• Liberal studies/General Education courses expose students to a broad range of academic disciplines.
• Major course work offers in-depth study of the subject students will teach.
• Professional education courses include education foundation and teaching methods courses as well as experience in the schools through practica and student teaching.

A few programs also include “disciplinary course work”–classes that may be prerequisites to major courses or that support major course work, but which are not counted toward major requirements or the major grade-point average.

Students interested in Secondary Education usually begin their academic careers as School of Education students with a "pre-professional" designation. Pre-Secondary Education students enroll in liberal studies, general education, disciplinary, prerequisite, and major courses during their freshman, sophomore, and sometimes junior years. Because Secondary Education students must complete nearly all of their major course work to be eligible to apply to the professional program, freshmen begin work on their major course work immediately. Current on-campus students wishing to transfer to the School of Education can find a pre-professional application form at the "Forms" quick link on the front page of this site; choose the "Pre-Teacher Education" link.

Students generally apply to the professional program during their junior years and begin the four-semester professional sequence as a senior in the subsequent fall. Professional education course work is reserved for this four-semester professional sequence. The semesters of professional course work are followed sequentially and taken in consecutive semesters. Because of the program structure, students are expected to have completed most of their major and liberal studies course work by the start of the professional sequence.

It is anticipated that most students will require five years to complete the program, although students are sometimes able to finish in four to four-and-a-half years.

Program Admission

Limited and competitive admission to these Secondary Education programs occurs once each year in the summer. Students apply between early October and February 1, usually during their junior year. Applicants must meet minimum eligibility requirements to be considered for selection. These include 54 total earned credits by the end of the spring semester of application; a minimum number of credits in the major; a minimum 2.5 cumulative grade-point average or minimum scores on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST; also called Praxis I); and completed application materials submitted by February 1. Students are admitted each summer to begin the professional sequence in the fall.

Students will be selected to these programs based on a holistic judgment of each eligible applicant’s dossier by a panel of program faculty and staff. Applicants will be judged on their proficiency or potential proficiency on the criteria below.

1. Is the applicant well-qualified academically? Is this academic background consistent with the needs of the profession?
2. Is the applicant thoughtful and reflective about the meaning of teaching? Are the applicant’s motivations for entering the profession worthwhile and do they reflect a commitment to professional improvement?
3. Does the applicant show the ability and genuine commitment to work with all children, not just the privileged or highly motivated?
4. Is the applicant capable of working effectively with other professionals in the school, parents, caregivers, and members of the community outside of school?
5. Does the applicant bring unique qualities to the cohort and the profession? These may include ethnic background, being the first in the family to attend college, unusual work experiences, etc.

Advising

With the wealth of academic choices and experiences available, academic advising is critical for helping students fit together the complex and fascinating puzzle of undergraduate education at UW-Madison. All students interested in an education major are assigned a specific Education Academic Services advisor. Students are encouraged to meet regularly with their advisor. Find your EAS advisor in Room B117 of the Education Building, on the north side of Bascom Hill. Make an appointment by phoning 608-262-1651.

Once admitted to a professional program, students work closely with their program faculty advisor. Find advisor names and contact information listed under each specific major.

New freshmen discuss program options with advisors during the Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) Program. At SOAR advisors help students select courses and plan their first semesters at UW-Madison. Recognizing that students often have many academic interests and more than one possible career goal, School of Education advisors help students explore options and maintain academic flexibility. Prospective off-campus transfer students and on-campus students considering teacher education usually meet with an advisor in an individual advising session.

Next Steps

See the program requirements on the EAS website, www.education.wisc.edu/eas > Degree Requirements and Admission Information. Students should especially review the appropriate liberal studies and major requirements. Confer with an EAS advisor around your course choices; phone 608-262-1651 to make an appointment. Review your program's admission selection criteria. Consider the types of volunteer or work experiences that may (1) help you confirm your initial decision to teach, (2) provide opportunities for you to consider the educational issues to be addressed in your program application, and (3) obtain experience with individuals from cultural backgrounds different from your own. Consult with your EAS advisor about possible ways to gain these experiences. Congratulations for considering teacher education at UW-Madison!

More info on the web: www.education.wisc.edu/eas • Advising appointments: call 608-262-1651

Comments or Problems: easinfo@education.wisc.edu.
Site designed by External Relations Office

© Copyright 2006 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System