Liberal Studies, 40 credits
General Education Requirements
Environmental Education Requirement
Cooperatives Requirement
Major Course Work
Minor Course Work
Content Examinations and Portfolio Requirements
Professional Education Requirements—Secondary Major and Minor
Advisors: Professor Diana Hess, 256D Teacher Education Building, 263-4571, dhess@education.wisc.edu; Professor Alan Lockwood, 256A Teacher Education, 263-6262, lockwood@education.wisc.edu
Secondary admission eligibility requirements: minimum 54 transferable college-level credits (junior standing); minimum 28 credits in the major; Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) taken and scores submitted; 2.5 cumulative grade point average on all transferable college-level course work.
Both the cumulative GPA and the cumulative GPA based on the last 60 credits will be calculated. The higher of the two will be used for program selection; see Last 60 Credits Rule. Admission is limited and competitive. See Secondary and World Languge Education for additional information regarding the program's structure, requirements, admission procedures, and application deadlines.
Note: Admission criteria and program requirements may be modified from one admission period to the next. The most current program information is available in Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building, 608/262-1651; www.education.wisc.edu/eas. Students are encouraged to monitor the EAS Web site and confer regularly with an EAS advisor regarding changes.
Graduation requirements: 2.75 GPA overall, and 2.75 in each of the following: major, minor, upper-level major, and professional education course work (excluding practicum and student teaching). Degree candidates must meet senior and major residency requirements. Graduation grade point averages are based on UW-Madison course work and may be modified by the Last 60 Credits Rule. Certification also requires passing a content examination in the subject area(s) in which certification is sought and the development of a professional portfolio.
The liberal studies requirements combine academic strengths and interests with an opportunity to explore a wide selection of courses offered across campus. Students will complete course work in humanities, social studies, and science. Effective summer 2007, three additional requirements—ethnic studies, global perspectives, and U.S. or European history—will be required of all students in the School of Education. See Teacher Certification Liberal Studies Requirements for specific course work.
Effective summer 1996, new freshmen must complete a group of campuswide course requirements known as the General Education requirements. This initiative is designed to provide all UW-Madison students with a comprehensive, well-rounded program of studies. See General Education Requirements (GER).
All Secondary Education programs already require at least one course, Curric 313 or 305, that is also approved to meet the General Education Communication B requirement. The course can be used to meet both requirements.
Students seeking certification in any of the Science areas must complete one course in environmental education. Consult the list below for courses that fulfill this requirement. Only the courses listed have been approved to meet this requirement. This course selection may also be applied toward other requirements such as the liberal studies, major, or minor requirements.
S=Social Studies; P=Physical Science; B=Biological Science.
AAE 337 (S)
Atm Ocn 121 (P)
Botany 100 (B), 152 (B), 260 (B)
Conser 300 (B) (no longer offered)
Econ 337 (S), 343 (S)
Envir St 120 (P), 121 (P), 126 (B), 127 (P), 139 (S), 300 (B), 309 (S), 324 (P), 339 (S), 343 (S), 361 (B), 375, 502 (B), 507 (B)
Geog 120 (P), 121 (P), 127 (P), 139 (S), 309 (S), 339 (S), 435 (P)
Land Arc 300 (B), 361 (B)
M&Envtox 507 (B)
Pop Hlth 502 (B), 507 (B)
Soil Sci 301 (P), 324 (P), 435 (P)
Zoology 152 (B), 260 (B)
Select one:
AAE 323 Cooperatives, 3 cr
Ag Econ 422 Cooperation, 3 cr. Offered by correspondence through UW-Extension.
Ag Econ A40 Cooperatives, no credit. Offered by correspondence through UW-Extension on a zero credit basis.
Note: If taking UW-Independent Learning (Extension) course work, see Education Academic Services for academic action granting permission to enroll.
Minimum 34 credits. The credits required for program admission must be chosen from courses below. Students must complete at least 15 credits of upper-level major course work (numbered 300-699) in residence on the UW-Madison campus. The courses listed below are Political Science listings in the Timetable unless otherwise indicated.
Select any 100-level Political Science course, 4 cr, or 404 American Politics and Government, 3-4 cr
Complete one of the following statistics courses: Political Science 551; Sociology 359, 360, 361; Statistics 201, 224, 301; General Business 303; Economics 310; Geography 360; Psychology 210.
Complete at least one course from each of the four Political Science groups: Political Theory; American Government; Comparative Government; and International Relations. Courses taken to meet the above requirements may be applied toward the course distribution. See the Department of Political Science (College of Letters and Science) section of this catalog for the listing of courses in these groups.
Additional credits to total 34.
Note: Students interested in studying and teaching in a number of social studies disciplines may wish to combine the major listed here with a major in Broad Field Social Studies. This combination allows an individual to develop a depth of study in a particular area of interest while acquiring a broader understanding of the social sciences. The ability to teach a number of social studies courses may increase employment opportunities and this combination will also provide a foundation for certification in additional social studies subject areas at a later date.
The Political Science minor may be completed by students in Secondary Education Social Studies or Elementary Education licensing programs. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 is required, based on all Political Science minor course work taken on the UW-Madison campus. The graduation grade point average may be modified by the Last 60 Credits rule.
Secondary Education students may select this minor only if completing a major in another Social Studies certification area. It is not possible to be certified only in a minor area. Interested Secondary Education students must apply and be admitted to the Social Studies program. Admission is limited and competitive. See Admission Procedures under Secondary and World Language Education. All Secondary students, whether completing their first degree or adding on a teaching minor to a prior certification, should expect to complete a methods course, practicum and student teaching experience in the minor to be recommended for certification. Students wishing to complete a minor must consult with the faculty advisor/program coordinator to discuss its field experience component.
Contact Education Academic Services (EAS), B117 Education, for additional information regarding the Elementary Education and Secondary Social Studies programs. Applications to both Elementary and Secondary Education are on the EAS Web site, www.education.wisc.edu/eas beginning October 1 and are due by March 1. (This deadline may change to February 1.)
The Political Science minor requires a minimum 24 credits, including:
Any 100-level Political Science course, 4 cr, or 404 American Politics and Government, 3-4 cr
205 Introduction to State Government, 4, or 405 State Government and Public Policy, 3-4 cr
The statistics and all group distribution requirements of major listed above.
Elective credits to total 24 credits.
All individuals seeking an initial Wisconsin State teacher's license after August 31, 2004, are required to take and pass an approved content examination in the subject area(s) of interest. These tests, the Praxis II: Subject Assessments/Specialty Area Tests, are offered through the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Teacher education students at UW-Madison must take and pass the exam for their program area(s) and submit scores to EAS before entering their final, full-time student teaching semester. See Content Test for more information.
Certification also requires each student to develop and maintain a teaching portfolio. For more information, see Portfolio.
Secondary Education students will complete a sequential four-semester professional
program. See Secondary and World Language
Education for information on the professional education sequence. Practicum, Methods, and Student Teaching courses for this subject area are:
Curric 358 Practicum in Social Studies in the Secondary School, 3 cr
Curric 359 Teaching of History and the Other Social Studies, 3 cr
Curric 458 Student Teaching in History and Social Studies in the Middle School, 6-12 cr
Curric 459 Student Teaching in History and Social Studies in the High School, 6-12 cr
Curric 559 Advanced Practices in the Teaching of Social Studies, 3 cr
Curric 660 Independent Field Work, 1 cr