A Bachelor of Science degree program for teachers, administrators, and owners of child care organizations

Have you taken Wisconsin Child Care Registry courses? This program accepts these in the major, allowing students to graduate more quickly.

In the child-care submajor in the BS in Community Engagement and Education you will:

  • Advance your career with relevant content
  • Inform your passion for the development of young children
  • Develop skills in:
    • Leadership
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Program Development
  • Learn strategies for working with diverse communities and families
  • Thrive in a supportive environment with experienced faculty

The program is offered fully online or hybrid. The hybrid format generally consists of 4 face-to-face meetings for each course in a semester.  

Students can earn up to 42 lower-division elective credits for prior professional experience (all credits free after the fi­rst 3 credits).

Transfer your Wisconsin Registry credentials

  • The child-care sub major is acknowledged by the Wisconsin Child Care Registry as a "related" degree for professionals.
  • 18 credits of child care credentials courses are taken at or transferred from other institutions into UWM.

Students are eligible for the TEACH Scholarship Administered by the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA).

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Requirements

General Education Requirements (GERs)

UW-Milwaukee has General Education Requirements that must be met in order to earn a bachelor’s degree. Some of the requirements of your program may fulfill the campus GERs. Please review the requirements and consult with your academic advisor.  

Program Core

Advanced Expository Writing
Select one of the following:3
Strategies for Academic Writing (OWC-B)
Business Writing (OWC-B)
Technical Writing (OWC-B)
Health Science Writing (OWC-B)
Writing in the Professions: (subtitle, OWC-B)
Lower Division Required Courses
ED POL 111Introduction to Community Action and Change3
ED POL 112Introduction to Community Education, Engagement, and Development3
ED POL 113The Milwaukee Community (GER-SS)3
or ED POL 203 Communities and Neighborhoods in America
ED POL 114Community Issues, Policies, and Solutions3
Lower-Division Electives 1
Lower Division Child Care Electives 2
Upper Division Required Courses
ED POL 375Cultural Foundations of Education3
ED POL 534Students Placed At Risk: Deconstructing Risk, Defining Promise3
ED POL 506Research Techniques for Community Organizers and Community Educators3
ED POL 601Foundations of Community-Based Organizations3
Race Relations/Antiracist Education
ED POL 625Race Relations in Education (GER-CD)3
or ED POL 626 Antiracist Education
Upper Division Child Care Credential Credits 312
Total Credits42
1

Students may earn elective units through upper- or lower-division Educational Policy and Community Studies courses, including Prior Professional Educational Experience (see below), transfer units, or other UWM courses.

2

Students must complete one approved Wisconsin Registry credential (12-18 credits) and a total of 18 credits for the submajor. Six of these credits will count as Lower Division Electives. These lower-division credits may come from any of the Wisconsin Registry credentials.

3

Students must complete the credits for one of the “Foundations” or “Administrative” credentials developed and overseen by the Wisconsin Registry at an institution that offers these to complete the submajor. (“Specialty” credentials cannot be used for this purpose.) Child-care Registry credits are completed at other institutions and transferred in - UWM does not offer these courses. Twelve credits from “Foundations” or “Administrative” credentials will count as upper-division credits in the major once the full credential is completed. Credentials do not need to be “commissioned.” Eighteen total credits of child care credential courses must be completed for the submajor. All credits must be completed with a grade of C or better. (Child care registry courses completed by students at UWM when they were offered will also count.) The “Administrative” credentials are: Administrator, Leadership, Program Development. The “Foundations” credentials are: Preschool, Infant Toddler, Family, and Afterschool & Youth Development. Visit the Wisconsin Registry for the list of all credentials offered under the auspices of the Registry, as well as the institutions that offer each of them.

 
 

Additional Requirements for Graduation

  • Minimum 2.0 UWM cumulative GPA
  • Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 credits

Opportunities

Prior Professional Education Experience (PPEE)

A student who has been accepted as a major in Community Engagement and Education is eligible to earn credit for their professional/life experience by demonstrating their competency through essay examinations (PPEE). Credits earned, by passing individual exams with a grade of C or better, will be counted toward the Community Engagement and Education degree in 3-credit blocks. Students pay for one 3-credit course, and all additional credits they receive through the course are awarded without cost. In order to "pass" the course and receive at least 3 credits, a student must attempt 7 of the 14 competency area essay exams listed below.

Competency Areas
Community Perspectives on Human Resource Programs3
Resource Development3
Local Community Systems3
Political/Economic Analysis3
Personal Growth Competency3
Philosophies of Change3
Group Process Skills3
Leadership Issues3
Research Skills3
Change Strategies 3
Educational Advocacy 3
Administrative Skills3
Social Problem Analysis3
Conflict Resolution3

Community Engagement and Education majors wishing to demonstrate their competencies for these credits are required to enroll in the competency examination course, ED POL 100 Community Education I, during their first or second semester of study. PPEE students have the opportunity to earn a maximum of 42 credits, which will only apply toward a Community Engagement and Education degree and only as lower-division electives. Students who leave the CEED program will not be able to use these credits in other programs.

Undergraduate Advising

Our purpose is to provide collaborative, mentoring relationships which promote educational, career, and professional development. We value a student-centered, holistic, and ethical approach to advising based on strong partnerships with students, faculty and staff, and the larger campus community. We are committed to creating a respectful and supportive environment. We encourage students to be self-reliant through informed decisions and choices based upon dissemination of accurate information. We value our own continuous professional development to enhance the quality of the advising experience.

How to Prepare for an Advising Meeting

  • Review your Advisement Report in PAWS.
  • Come prepared with questions or topics for discussion.
  • Make a list of courses you think you should take.
  • Investigate opportunities to prepare for the job you want.
  • Keep a record of your academic progress.
  • Understand you are ultimately responsible for creating your educational, life, and career plans.
  • Maintain honest and open communication with your advisor.
  • Take responsibility for choices you make as a student and member of the UW-Milwaukee community.

Scheduling an Appointment

Office of Student Services
Enderis Hall, Room 209
(414) 229-4721
soeinfo@uwm.edu

Graduate Advising

If you are a School of Education graduate student, you may schedule an appointment with your faculty advisor by contacting your faculty advisor directly. Faculty contact information can be found in the Directory. Your faculty advisor will be listed in your PAWS account. 

Transfer of Child-Care Registry Credits

Child-care Registry credits are completed at other institutions and transferred in - UWM does not offer these courses. Students must complete one of the “Foundations” or “Administrative” credentials developed and overseen by the Wisconsin Child Care Registry at an institution that offers these. Eighteen total credits of WI Registry credits are required to fulfill the Child Care submajor. Students who complete a 12-credit credential through the Registry must transfer in additional Registry credits. Visit the Wisconsin Registry for the list of all credentials offered as well as the institutions that offer each of them.

Honors in the Major

Honors in the Major are granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.200 or above on all School of Education credits. 

High Honors in the Major

High Honors in the Major are granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above on all School of Education credits. 

College of Community Engagement and Professions Dean's Honor List

GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.

Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction

Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.

Commencement Honors

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).

Final Honors

Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.