The Global Educator Certificate prepares future educator professionals in K-12 schools or other educational settings to integrate global content and approaches into their professional practice. The certificate is designed for learners studying in graduate programs in the School of Education.

This 15-credit certificate will be available at two possible levels under the following terms:

• Graduate Students: Students formally admitted to and enrolled in a graduate program may count Global Educator Certificate credits toward their graduate degree program as allowed by the home department of their degree and Graduate Faculty Committee certificate policy.
• Post-Graduate: Teachers and others, who have completed a master’s, doctoral degree, advanced certificate, or equivalent. Other post- graduates may seek the certificate as part of their preparation for National Board Certification. It is conceivable that a student holding a graduate degree and seeking additional advanced training short of another full graduate degree may be interested in this certificate.

Learning Objectives and Competencies

Students who have completed this certificate will be able to:

• Demonstrate their own awareness of the interconnectedness between communities, societies, economies, and events and trends that cross national borders.
• Embed global perspectives and practices in their teaching.
• Prepare students to become model global citizens who are culturally sensitive and informed about world affairs.
• Develop students’ understanding of different cultures and languages, enhancing their ability to communicate across cultures.
• Create scholarship that engages in critical inquiry, creativity and intellectual development and includes world trends, issues and events; past, present and into the future.

 Admission Requirements 

 Eligibility

To pursue this certificate, students must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at UWM. Applicants must also complete the reason statement in the application.

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Application

• Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
• All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School.
• Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
• Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.

Credits and Courses

1. Graduate Students: Students formally admitted to and enrolled in a graduate program may count Global Educator Certificate credits toward their graduate degree program as allowed by the home department of their degree and Graduate Faculty Committee certificate policy.
2. Post-Graduate: Teachers and others, who have completed a master’s, doctoral degree, advanced certificate, or equivalent. Other post-graduates may seek the certificate as part of their preparation for National Board Certification. It is conceivable that a student holding a graduate degree and seeking additional advanced training short of another full graduate degree may be interested in this certificate.

Additional Requirements

Transfer Credit

A maximum of 3 credits may be transferred to count toward the Global Educator certificate program’s 15-credit requirement. Transfer credits will be evaluated by the departmental faculty advisor for consideration, if the applicant can provide acceptable evidence that the course is substantially the same as one of the certificate courses and was taken within the last five years with a grade of B or better. Other credits earned prior to their intent to pursue the Global Educator certificate will not be awarded retroactively. 

Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.

Articulation with Degree Programs

1. Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
   • Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
   • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
   • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.

Time Limit

Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:

• 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
• 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.

For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.