The Science Education program is available for students who plan to teach middle or high school science. Science Education students gain real world experience in the classroom through student teaching or on-the-job experiences at area schools. Students who satisfactorily complete the program requirements also meet the Wisconsin teacher certification requirements for teaching science subject areas in those grades. Students at this level of certification may add the following licenses while pursuing or after obtaining their Science licensure as their initial certification:

• Bilingual
• English as a Second Language
• World Languages

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 Admission Requirements

Program Core

Content Area

Students complete the core science coursework and then select two specializations (if undergraduate) or one specialization (if post-baccalaureate). The selections are made in consultation with a faculty advisor prior to applying for admission to the School of Education. Contact your faculty advisor for the "MACSTEP Program Packet," which includes course lists and specific details regarding the core science content and the specializations.

Specializations

Specializations are in either Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Environmental Science, or Physics.  Each specialization is at least 10 additional credits in that area (not including the Core Content Courses in that discipline). Courses are selected with consultation with a faculty advisor.

Undergraduate students take 2 specializations (minimum 20 credits). Post-baccalaureate students take 1 specialization (minimum 10 credits).

Professional Education Requirements

MACSTEP Sequence - Milwaukee Area Collaborative Secondary Science (and Math) Teacher Education Program. Formal admission to the School of Education required. A grade of C or better must be met for all professional requirements, including student teaching.

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Students must complete paperwork in order to be assigned a student teaching placement. To be approved for placement, additional criteria must be met. See Benchmarks for details.

Additional Requirements for Graduation

• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 in all professional education courses. This includes any transfer coursework that is counted towards certification at UWM, as well as grades earned in student teaching or field experiences; 
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 in all science content area courses;
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum 120 credits; and
• Completion of the last year of coursework (30 credits) in residence at UW-Milwaukee.

Advance to Major

Program Admission Requirements

Application to the Science Education program requires satisfactory completion of the requirements listed below. For more information about the application process, visit our website.

• Satisfaction of QL-A, QL-B, OWC-A, and OWC-B.
• Completion of COMMUN 103 , with a grade of C or better. Note: Completion of this course also fulfills part of the Humanities GER requirement.
• Completion of CURRINS 328, Introduction to teaching Science in Middle and High School, with a grade of C or better. 
• A 2.5 minimum cumulative GPA in all UWM and transfer courses at the time of admission application.
• A 2.75 cumulative GPA in all Science content courses.
• A minimum of 58 credits (UWM and transfer credits) at the time of admission application. It is not required to have all the Core Curriculum courses completed at the time of application.
• Meeting with faculty advisor to review admission application. Faculty signature required on application.
• Pass a Criminal Background Check (CBC) as required by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for all applicants to a professional education preparation program.

Benchmarks

Student Teaching

Students must complete paperwork in order to be assigned a student teaching placement. To determine your deadline (February or April), visit the Office of Clinical Experiences website.

To be approved for placement, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be admitted to the School of Education;
• Completion of all required coursework;
• Cumulative GPA of a minimum 2.75;
• A minimum of 2.75 in all  professional education courses;
• Content Knowledge Requirement: A minimum of 3.0 in all your science content used for certification or passing score on the Praxis II General Science Content Test;
• C or better in all science content being used for certification;
• C or better in all professional sequence courses;

• TB test results submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences; and 

• Passing Criminal Background Check submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences.

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 Department of Teaching and Learning

Departmental Honors are granted to students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester.

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.