School of Education

Admission requirements and additional details about applying to AWLME programs

• Art Education (grades K-12)
• French Education (grades K-12)
• French Education (grades K-12) & TESOL (grades K-12)
• Music Education (grades K-12) - Choral & General Emphasis
• Music Education (grades K-12) - Instrumental & General Emphasis
• Spanish Education (grades K-12)
• Spanish Education (grades K-12) & TESOL (grades K-12)

Applying for Admission to the School of Education
Art, World Language, and Music Education (AWLME) programs

A How-To Guide for Students

Education majors must apply for and be accepted into the School of Education in order to register for certain education courses (typically field experience and methods) and complete degree and licensure requirements.

The application for admission to the School of Education is open every semester for the first three weeks of the semester. A link to the admission application survey is on the SOE website (www.uwlax.edu/soe).

STEP 1: Are you eligible to apply for admission?
Consult with your academic advisor and your advising planner sheet to determine when/if you are eligible to apply for admission.  You must meet the minimum requirements below:

• EDS 203 (completed or enrolled at the time of application)
• EDS 206 (completed or enrolled at the time of application)
• Completed at least 40 credits of course work with an earned grade (ie: not including pass/fail or S/U courses)
• Earned a combined cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (including transfer credits)
  NOTE: If your GPA is less than 2.75, you can still apply by requesting a GPA waiver – see STEP 2 below!!

STEP 2: Write your GPA waiver request letter (if applicable)

***Skip STEP 2 if your CGPA is 2.75 or greater***

If your combined cumulative GPA is less than 2.75, you will need to write a short statement requesting admission with a GPA waiver.  Here are some guidelines:

• The statement should be no more than 500 words
• You will copy and paste your statement into the application survey so no need to worry about formatting
• Your statement should address the following to help the committee understand more about your situation and how you plan to be successful in the program:
  • What factors contributed to your current cumulative GPA?
  • What supports did you seek out to help you improve your coursework?
  • Moving forward, what are your plans for improving your GPA?
  • What are some personal qualities or experiences you would bring to the classroom that we might not find with other applicants?

STEP 3: Complete the application survey

The link to the AWLME application survey is on the SOE webpage. You will be asked to provide the following information:

• Name
• UWL Student ID number
• Mailing address and phone number
• Email address (use your UWL email address)
• When you plan to take Field I – use your advising planner or consult with your advisor to find this information)
• Your combined cumulative GPA – you can find this in WINGS in your Student Center under “Academics”)
• Your major
• Whether you are requesting a GPA waiver
• Criminal Background Check (CBC) release – a CBC is required by the Department of Public Instruction

What happens after I apply?

Applications are reviewed by the AWLME admissions committee and recommendations are sent to the SOE Dean.

Decisions are sent to students from the School of Education no later than the end of the 8^th week of the semester.

 You may apply for Field Experience during the same semester that you are applying for admission!  Please consult with your advisor to determine when you should be applying for Field Experience.

Questions?

Consult with your academic advisor, or email the School of Education: soe@uwlax.edu

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Admission requirements and additional information  about applying to the EDS programs listed below:

• Early Childhood Education (birth-grade 3)
• Early Childhood Education & Special Education (birth-grade 3)
• Elementary/Middle Education (grades K-9)
• Elementary/Middle Education (grades K-9) & Special Education (grades K-12)
• Elementary/Middle Education (grades K-9) & TESOL (grades K-12)
• Elementary/Middle Education (grades K-9) & French Education (grades K-12)
• Elementary/Middle Education (grades K-9) & Spanish Education (grades K-12)

Application Checklist: Educational Studies Department Programs (ECE, EME, and EME dual certification)

STEP 1: Check your academic advising planner in Excel to determine the semester you should apply or contact your advisor.

STEP 2: Check to make sure you have met the minimum requirements to apply.

• Sophomore standing
• Completed EDS 203, EDS 206, and EDS 308 with a C or better
• Currently enrolled or completed EDS 318
• Combined Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher

(NOTE: If this requirement is not met, complete *Request for Admissions Waiver)

STEP 3: Prepare a written response of 500 words or less to answer the prompt below.

The UWL School of Education has the goal of preparing teacher candidates to be globally responsive teachers.

Globally responsive teachers show respect for learners’ varied strengths, perspectives, and backgrounds, and are committed to the pursuit of excellence for all learners.

• How does being a globally responsive teacher resonate with your beliefs about teaching and/or the reasons you want to be a teacher?
• How can teachers show they are respectful of learners’ varied strengths, perspectives, and backgrounds? Support your response with an example (what you have observed, read, and/or learned) from an education class you have
• How can teachers show that they are committed to teaching robust content to ensure all students’ learning? Support your response with an example (what you have observed, read, and/or learned) from an education class you have taken.

STEP 4: Prepare a written response of 200 words or less to answer the prompt below.

Describe your experience working with children, including ages of children and estimated hours of experience. Applicants are encouraged to specifically address experiences in structured settings in which they are/were responsible for the planning and/or implementation of programming for children, including volunteer and paid experiences prior to entering UWL and/or since entering UWL. Include contact information for one reference who can speak about your experience.

STEP 5: Complete the Application for Admission on the School of Education homepage by 4:00p.m. on Friday of Week 3 of the semester you are applying, Fall or Spring.

*Request for Admissions Waiver:

Work with your advisor and submit a statement responding to the following prompts (500-word limit):

• What factors contributed to your current cumulative GPA?
• What support did you seek out to help you improve your coursework?
• Moving forward, what are your plans for improving your GPA?
• What are some special qualities or experiences you would bring to the classroom that we might not find with other applicants?

Applicants to all Educational Studies programs will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee using the following criteria:

• Watch a video with tips on applying
• Help with writing your essay

Admission requirements and additional information about applying to the triple licensure PASHE program

• Physical Education (grades K-12)
• Adapted Physical Education (grades K-12)
• Health (grades K-12)

Admission Checklist for the PASHE Program (PE, APE, and SHE certification)

• STEP 1: Talk with your academic advisor to determine if you are eligible and ready.
• STEP 2: Check to make sure you have met the minimum requirements to apply.
  • Completed a minimum of 30 credits
  • Completed or concurrently enrolled at time of application, foundational coursework with a C or better:

EDS 203 – School, Society, and Teachers
EDS 206 – Multicultural Education
ESS 118 – Foundations of Physical and School Health Ed
ESS 200 – Intro to Teaching Methods in PE and SHE
ESS 212 – Teaching Fundamental Movement Skills in PE
ESS 231 – Intro to Teaching Adapted PE

• Combined Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher (NOTE: If this requirement is not met, complete *Request for Admissions Waiver)
• Completed at least 8 hours of active involvement with PK-12 children in a physical activity setting.
• STEP 3: Prepare your application materials:
  
  • Current Resume (visit Career Services): name the file as:
    Lastname_Firstname_Resume
  • Reflection Paper (800 words max) name the file as Lastname_Firstname_Reflection
• STEP 4: Complete the Application for Admission on the School of Education homepage by 4:00 p.m. on the 3rd Friday of the semester you are applying.
• STEP 5: As part of the application, identify a person/supervisor who can serve as a reference. This person must have observed you teaching/working with school-aged children in a physical activity setting. They will automatically be sent an email with a reference form upon completion of the application.

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*Request for Admissions Waiver (GPA between 2.70 and 2.75): Prepare the following and include in the application survey

A statement that addresses the following:
• What are the reason(s) why the GPA requirement was not satisfied?

PASHE Application Rubric

Student Name: __________________

Total: /20

*Note: At the time of application, an average level of “Emerging” is necessary for admission (i.e., 10/20 points).

**Cohorts will still have a maximum capacity of 16 students in each semester. Priority will be given to students with a higher criteria score.

Detailed Interview Rubric

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Admission requirements and additional information about applying to the STEP programs listed below:

• Biology - Science Education Emphasis (grades 4-12)
• Broadfield Social Studies Education (grades 4-12)
• Broadfield Social Studies Education (grades 4-12) - History Emphasis
• Broadfield Social Studies Education (grades 4-12) - Political Science Emphasis
• Broadfield Social Studies Education (grades 4-12) - Sociology Emphasis
• Chemistry - Science Education Emphasis (grades 4-12)
• English Education (grades 4-12)
• English Education (grades 4-12) & Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (grades K-12)
• Mathematics Education (grades 4-12)
• Physics - Science Education Emphasis (grades 4-12)

Admission Checklist for Admission to STEP

All materials must be completed by the 3rd Friday of the semester you are applying in (including waiver information)

• Step 1: Check with your academic advisor to determine the semester you should apply for admission into STEP
  • Decide what semester you will begin field
• Step 2: Check sure you have met the minimum requirements to apply
  • Complete ENG 110 or 112 with a grade of “C” or higher
  • Complete a minimum of 40 earned credits (includes transfer credits)
  • Completed or be concurrently enrolled in EDS 203 or EDS 206
  • Have a combined cumulative GPA 2.75 or above. A GPA Waiver process exists for students whose GPA is below 2.75. For more information see the end of the checklist.

 Step 3: Prepare your documentation:

• • Current Resume (include experiences working with children and adolescents)
  • Unofficial Transcript (get from WINGS)

Educational Experience Reflection Paper responding to the following prompts – see also STEP reflection paper guidelines

• Prompt 1: Reflect on how your decision to pursue a teaching career has been affected by your experiences as a learner (including the role of influential experiences or teachers) and any prior teaching experiences.
• Prompt 2: Submit a teaching philosophy that highlights your perspective on teaching with regards to your subject area (i.e., science, mathematics, social studies, or English language arts).

BROADFIELD SOCIAL STUDIES MAJORS ONLY:

References: Ask any two people who can comment on your abilities as a teacher or student (one must be a UWL faculty member). Consider former employers or current and former teachers/professors. After you have completed the Qualtrics Survey, references will be notified to fill out a reference form.

• Step 4: Complete the admission application Qualtrics survey (including uploading documents and providing reference contact information if appropriate) by the 3rd Friday of the semester from the SOE website
• Step 5: You may be invited to an interview based on the admission committee/STEP faculty review of your application. You will be emailed within two weeks after you complete the Qualtrics survey to schedule your interview.
  • Prepare by considering how you decided to become a teacher, what are your future plans, experiences with children or adolescents, and your thoughts on the importance of diversity and

All decisions about admission will be sent from the School of Education no later than the end of the 8th week of the semester. Application or meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

BFSS Admissions Pre-Interview Tally Sheet

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The WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) requires that candidates for admission to a teacher education, administration, or pupil services program successfully pass a criminal background check (CBC) as one criterion for admission. By applying for admission to one of these programs, candidates agree to provide the necessary personal information to UWL in order to initiate their CBC, and to complete their portion of the process prior to the deadline specified in their admission letter.  Teacher candidates are responsible for all costs associated with their criminal background check(s). 

Teacher candidates who are admitted to the School of Education are required to have an iPad that meets SOE specifications (follow this link for a detailed description of the iPad program). The fee for the iPad is financial aid eligible and will appear on the student bill in the semester following admission to the candidate's teacher education program. If the acquisition of an iPad is a financial hardship, please contact SOE to discuss options. Students who are admitted to SOE are provided information on how to purchase the appropriate iPad through the SOE iPad order survey.  Teacher candidates who purchase their own device outside of the SOE process and without pre-approval do so at their own risk. 

SOE faculty and staff recognize that some students pause their studies at UWL for a variety of reasons and later seek to re-enter SOE under their previous or a new program. In addition, students may wish to change to a different education major after being admitted to SOE.

In order to best support students and meet programmatic outcomes in these situations, the following policy was developed. Re-entry/re-admission is reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the SOE Dean’s office and may include program faculty in decision making.

Factors that may affect re-entry/re-admission decisions include: program capacity, changes in curriculum since last enrollment, and changes in admissions processes since last admission to SOE.

This policy applies to:

• Education majors who have been unenrolled in classes for at least one semester and seek to re-enter an SOE program
• Education majors who have been admitted to SOE and wish to change to a different education major (continuous enrollment or pause in enrollment)

Step 1: Students identified above complete the SOE re-entry/admissions_application

This application collects basic information on the student’s situation such as:

• Name, email address, last academic advisor
• Current/most recent education major
• Desired education major 
• SOE admission status (ie: if previously admitted to SOE)
• Last semester attended (if not continuously enrolled)
• A brief description of the reason for pausing (if not continuously enrolled)

Step 2: The Dean's Office notifies the aligned program director of the student’s application, and completes the first review of the application to determine the circumstances of the request and what factors need to be considered.

Step 3: The Dean's Office consults with program faculty/staff, the Office of Field Experience, and/or the Teacher Certification Officer/Academic Services Director to review the situation and make recommendations to the Dean concerning the re-entry/re-admission request.