Credit Requirements
Residence Requirements
Pass/Fail Policy
Requesting to Drop a Course After the Deadline (Late Drop)
Withdrawals from UW-Madison
Incompletes
Failures
Audit
Directed Study
Final Examinations
Academic Standing
Dean's List
Graduating with Distinction—School of Education
Student Grievances in the School of Education
School of Education programs require a minimum of 120 credits in all programs for graduation. Most students will complete additional credits. To earn 120 credits in four years (eight semesters), students must average 15 credits per semester. The number of credits carried each semester may depend upon a student's preparation, motivation, course selection, employment, and extracurricular activities. The School of Education allows students to carry a maximum of 18 credits per semester without special permission or extra fees.
Major residency. Students must complete at UW-Madison at least 15 credits in upper-level courses in the major. Some programs, e.g. Art, require more credits to meet major residency requirements. Upper-level courses are generally defined as those numbered 300 and above. The School of Education requires a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in all major and all upper-level major course work; however, some programs require a minimum GPA that is greater than 2.5.
Senior residency. Seniors in Education must take the last 30 credits in residence. Special permission to take a portion of senior work either at another institution or by correspondence must be obtained in advance from Education Academic Services.
Retroactive credits and credits granted by examination do not count toward the residency requirements.
Students may take elective courses on a pass/fail basis if they have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average based on UW-Madison course work. Students who qualify may enroll on a pass/fail basis as follows:
Pass/fail course registration must be completed by the end of the fourth week of classes. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Courses completed on a pass/fail basis do not apply toward liberal studies requirements, or toward either the major, minor, professional education, or other course requirements for graduation. Students planning graduate study should not take courses on a pass/fail basis if these are pre-professional requirements for admission to graduate and/or professional programs. Individuals who are undecided about a major should avoid taking a course on a pass/fail basis which might later become a required course needed to complete a major.
Eligible students wishing to take a course on a pass/fail basis should print three copies of the online pass/fail form (see www.registrar.wisc.edu ). Bring these forms to Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building, after enrolling in the course. Instructors will report letter grades to the registrar and will not know whether the students are enrolled on a pass/fail basis. The registrar will convert the letter grade to the appropriate Pass (S) or Fail (U) designation. A, AB, B, BC, and C are passing grades in courses taken on a pass/fail basis. Once a grade has been recorded as a Pass or a Fail, it cannot be converted to a letter grade or included in computing a grade point average. Degree credits will be recorded only for grades of S (satisfactory).
Web registration and Timetable regulations are in effect when adding and dropping courses. Students are responsible for knowing and complying with the published drop deadlines and should check their academic records routinely to minimize the need for late drops based on registration errors.
After the drop deadline, courses may be dropped only with the permission of Education Academic Services. Such permission is not granted routinely, but only in unusual circumstances. Students seeking a late drop will be required to complete a formal request form, and may be asked to supply a written justification, medical or other documentation, and/or proof of having consulted with the course instructor.
Drops may be backdated occasionally for purposes of remission of tuition. This is officially termed a compassionate refund and is also granted only in unusual circumstances. The compassionate refund policy recommended by the campus Associate Administrative Council and approved by then-provost Ward on October 8, 1991, states that there are two sets of circumstances in which refunds contingent upon withdrawal are warranted: (1) a life-threatening or disabling illness/accident for an enrolled student, or (2) death of an immediate member of the family or household of an enrolled student. The definition of family or household should include spouses, children, partners/significant others, parents, step-parents, and in-laws. Students seeking a compassionate refund may be required to supply a written justification, medical or other documentation, and/or proof of having consulted with the course instructor.
Requests for backdated drops because campus drop deadlines were missed or simply to remove the drop designation (DR) from the student's record will not be honored.
Formal withdrawal procedures must be observed by individuals who wish to leave the university before completing the semester in progress. Students who leave the university without formally withdrawing may receive failing grades in all courses.
For School of Education students, an Incomplete will automatically lapse to a Failure unless it is removed before the end of the next semester (excluding summer) in which a student enrolls. This policy relates to all courses for which a School of Education student is enrolled, not just those taken in the School of Education. Students have until the end of the instructional period of the next semester to remove the incomplete. Extension of the time limit is granted by Education Academic Services only under unusual circumstances and with the consent of the course instructor. In some cases, the student may be required to remove all Incompletes before enrolling in further course work.
A grade of "F" carries no degree credit but is calculated into the cumulative grade point average. If a failed course is repeated, both grades are computed in the cumulative grade point average; the first grade of Failure will remain on record.
A student may audit a course only if the instructor consents and if no laboratory or performance skills are required. Auditors do not participate in classroom discussions or take examinations, but are expected to attend with reasonable regularity and to do some assigned work.
Note: Audited courses carry no degree credits, are not graded, and do not count in determining minimum or maximum credits permitted each semester.
Directed Study offers the student an opportunity to work with a School of Education faculty member on an individual study program. Most School of Education departments make directed study courses available to students on the basis of the student's preparation and motivation and a faculty member's willingness to accept the student in such an endeavor. Directed Study courses are numbered 299, 399, and 699.
Directed Study is taken as a supplement to, but not as a replacement for, available course offerings. In this way, it may be used to expand areas of particularly strong interest. Extra responsibility is required from the faculty member involved, and no member of the faculty is obligated to accept a proposal for a directed study project. Students should have a well-defined outline of the topic to be studied before discussing the project with a faculty member.
This study option is intended primarily for advanced students who have a depth of knowledge in a field, the self-discipline necessary for independent work, and strong motivation to pursue a special project. Many majors limit the number of Directed Study credits that can be earned in the major.
Students who wish to pursue Directed Study must:
Independent study by correspondence. Students may enroll in an independent study course offered by the UW-Independent Learning (Extension) without additional tuition costs if concurrently enrolled for at least 12 credits at UW-Madison. If carrying fewer than 12 credits at the university, students must pay an additional fee to Independent Learning. Some administrative fees must be paid, regardless of full or part-time status. For any given semester, total credits, including correspondence courses, may not exceed 18 without permission of Education Academic Services, and additional fees will be assessed for each credit over 18. Majors in Kinesiology must secure formal permission from their advisor for independent study through UW-Independent Learning.
Any students with three examinations scheduled in one 24-hour period may request that one examination be moved to a later date. Each semester's Timetable indicates when the final exam for each course will be given. Students who find it impossible to take a final examination at the scheduled time must arrange with the instructor to receive an Incomplete in the course or to take a makeup examination after the scheduled exam date.
School of Education students must maintain specified minimum standards to remain in good standing. Students not meeting these standards are subject to the following end-of-semester actions:
Probation: semester GPA less than 2.5 and cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 2.5 with no previous action.
Strict Probation: semester GPA less than 2.5 and previous probation or cumulative GPA less than 2.5 with no previous action.
Continued Strict Probation: semester GPA equal to or greater than 2.5 and cumulative GPA less than 2.5 with previous Strict Probation or Continued Strict Probation.
May Not Continue in the School of Education: semester GPA less than 2.5 and previous Strict Probation or Continued Strict Probation.
Cleared of Probation: semester GPA equal to or greater than 2.5 and cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 2.5.
Some programs require students to maintain a stated GPA higher than the minimum to remain in good standing and in the School of Education. Students receiving these end-of-semester actions are strongly encouraged to contact Education Academic Services, B117 Education Building, to verify the accuracy of the records and to discuss possible alternatives. Students on strict probation, continued strict probation, and "may not continue status" will not be permitted to enroll for the subsequent semester until they have met with an EAS advisor.
The Dean's List is created at the end of each semester, including summer. To be eligible for the Dean's List in the School of Education, a student must have a semester GPA equal to or greater than 3.5 and a cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 2.5. Students must have received no incompletes in graded courses, no unreported grades, or end-of-semester academic actions for the semester. Credit/no credit and pass/fail courses are not considered in meeting the requirements for the Dean's List since they do not affect the student's GPA.
Students whose cumulative grade point average places them in the top 20 percent of the graduating class will "Graduate with Distinction" from the School of Education. This grade point average is calculated only on credits earned at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, a minimum of 60 credits, including courses in progress, must have been earned at UW-Madison. Because of this outstanding academic achievement, students are eligible to receive convocation honors and may wear the cardinal stole with their academic attire.
Any student who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly by a faculty or staff member has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing of the grievance, following these grievance procedures. The complaint may concern course grades, classroom treatment, program admission, or other issues.
To ensure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect both the rights of the student and the person at whom the complaint is addressed, the procedures below are used in the School of Education.
The person whom the complaint is directed against must be an employee of the School of Education. Any student or potential student may use these procedures unless the complaint is covered by other campus rules or contracts.
The following steps are available within the School of Education when a student has a grievance:
Questions about these procedures can be directed to Associate Dean Mariamne Whatley, 123 Education Building, 262-2463, whatley@education.wisc.edu.
State law contains additional provisions regarding discrimination and harassment. Wisconsin Statutes 36.12 reads, in part: "No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the system or its institutions or center because of the student's race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status."
In addition, UW-System prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression.
Students have the right to file discrimination and harassment complaints with the Office for Equity and Diversity, 179A Bascom Hall, 263-2378.