The Submajor in Community-Based Organizations in the Community Engagement and Education (CEED) Program is designed for students who already work or plan to work in community-based organizations working on a range of issues. The specific submajor courses will prepare you to work within and provide leadership in these organizations, understand budgeting and fundraising, and a range of other related issues. This CEED submajor is the only BS degree focused on community-based organizations in the State of Wisconsin. Courses focused on community-based organizations are combined with other CEED courses on collective action for social change, community development, and a range of related topics. 

Courses in the CEED BS program are offered during the day as well as online, in the evening, and on weekends. We also give academic credit for prior professional experience.

Community-Based Organization submajor graduates work as youth leaders and educators, administrators in community-based organizations, community organizers, and state and local elected officials. To learn more about careers, go to www.uwm.edu/ceed and click on the “Careers” tab to see a list of actual jobs held by alumni, or click on the “Alumni” tab to read stories about some of our alums.

Program Highlights:
  • Can be completed fully online, face-to-face, or in combination. Courses offered in the evening, on weekends, online, and in hybrid format
  • Extremely diverse student body—learn with other students from a wide range of backgrounds
  • Up to 42 lower-division electives (free after the first 3) can be earned through our Prior Professional Educational Experience program
  • Accepts a wide range of transfer credits, from military transcripted credits to credits from Associates degrees that do not usually transfer. A number of articulation agreements allow additional credits from completed associates degrees in human services, early childhood education, business, and other programs from specific technical colleges. Go to www.uwm.edu/ceed for more detail.

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
Upper Division Required Courses
ED POL 375Cultural Foundations of Education3
ED POL 506Research Techniques for Community Organizers and Community Educators3
ED POL 534Students Placed At Risk: Deconstructing Risk, Defining Promise3
ED POL 601Foundations of Community-Based Organizations3
Educational Policy Foundations
Select 3 credits of ED POL level 300 or higher courses 23
CBO Policy Analysis
ED POL 602Proposal Writing and Fundraising Skills for Community-Based Organizations3
ED POL 605Community-Based Organization Funding3
Select two of the following:6
Fieldwork/Practicum in Education and the Community 3
Community Policy Analysis
Reproduction of Minoritized Communities
Community Policies and Urban Minority Youths
Community Participation and Power
Gender and Education
Antiracist Education
Community Development: History, Structure, Process-Empowering Communities
The Rise and Fall of America's Southern Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement in Northern Cities
Management and Leadership
Select two of the following:6
Introduction to Group Leadership
Leadership and Management of Volunteer Programs
Administration and Supervision in Early Childhood Programs
Leadership in Youth-Serving Organizations
Evaluation of Adult, Continuing, and Higher Education Programs
Program Planning in Adult Education
Communication in Organizations
Communication in Groups and Teams
Introduction to Mediation
Operations Management in Early Childhood Programs
Marketing for Community-Based Organizations
Social Media and Technology for Community Engagement
Community Partnerships
Race Relations in Education
Ethics and Responsibility in Public Administration
Upper Division Electives
Select 6 credits of 300-level or higher courses from any school/college 46
Total Credits54
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

ED POL 499 cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.

3

Only 3 credits of ED POL 509 can be used to fulfill this requirement.

4

Including upper-division transfer units. These courses should be chosen by the student in consultation with an advisor. 

Additional Requirements for Graduation

  • 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. 

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.