The World Languages Program is available for students as a major or a minor.  A World Language major is for students who plan to teach a world language to children from birth to age 21, in PK through 12th grade. The World Language minor will result in the additional certification at the same level as your initial license.

Students who satisfactorily complete the undergraduate program (as a major or minor) will be granted a license in one of the following languages: American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Russian, or Spanish.

Students seeking a World Language certification (major or minor) may also add the following licenses:

• Bilingual (only available for Spanish, World Language Licenses; a bilingual license will allow you to teach Spanish for Heritage Speakers only)

• English as a Second Language

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

Language Content Area

Complete total credits in chosen language, plus any prerequisites. Initial language courses (levels 1-4) may be satisfied through language proficiency examinations. See academic advisor for details.

Professional Education Requirements¹

¹

A grade of C or better is required for all professional education requirements, including student teaching. Prerequisites may be required.

²

Courses must be taken concurrently with student teaching. 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

• Program Portfolio - based on the 10 Wisconsin Teacher Standards.
• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 including any transfer coursework that is counted towards certification at UWM, as well as grades earned in student teaching or field experiences.
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum 120 credits.
• Completion of the last year of coursework (30 credits) in residence at UW-Milwaukee.
• Successful completion of a pedagogical knowledge assessment is required for certification.  

English as a Second Language Minor - option

World Language majors wishing to complete an English as a Second Language minor would also need these additional requirements:

Advance to Major

Program Admission Requirements

Application to the World Languages program requires satisfactory completion of the requirements listed below. For more information about the application process, visit our website at http://uwm.edu/education/academics/second-language/.

• GER: OWC-A Completion of Oral-Written Communication part A competency.
• GER: QL-A: Completion of Quantitative Literacy part A competency. Note: MATH 103 or MATH 105 are recommended as they also meet core curriculum requirements.
• Completion of CURRINS 300  with a grade of C or better.
• Completion of COMMUN 103  with a grade of C or better.
• A 2.75 minimum GPA in all World Language content courses completed prior to program admission.
• A 2.5 minimum GPA in all UWM and transfer courses at time of admission application.
• A minimum of 48 credits (UWM and transfer credits) at the time of admission application. It is not required to have all content area courses completed at the time of application.
• The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requires that all applicants to a professional education preparation program pass a Criminal Background Check (CBC) prior to admission. 

Benchmarks

Student Teaching

Prior to requesting/being assigned a student teaching placement, students must:

• Take the Department of Public Instruction Mandated Content Exam (language proficiency) - ASL students require a 3 on the ASLPI. Other languages require a minimum score of Intermediate-High on both the ACTFL OPI and the WPT.
• Complete an Immersion Experience - Required for all prospective language teachers, this requirement must be met by spending a semester or a year in a country where the chosen major language is spoken. Submit documentation of experience to your academic advisor prior to student teaching placement.
• Complete and submit an application. Deadlines for submission are posted by the Office of Clinical Experiences.

To be approved, students must ALSO meet the following criteria:

• Be admitted to the School of Education
• Complete all required coursework. An exception to allow a student to take a course concurrently with student teaching requires approval by the student's faculty advisor.
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on all undergraduate coursework, including transfer courses.
• Minimum score of Intermediate-High on the ACTFL OPI and WPT tests or a minimum score of 3 on the ASLPI for ASL students; a or a minimum GPA of 3.0 in languages content courses.
• Removal of all F and/or I (incomplete) grades in courses that count toward graduation or certification.
• TB test results submitted to the Office of Clinical Experiences (may take up to 6 weeks).
• Criminal Background Check submitted to the Office of Clinical Experience

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 People 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.

Honors in the School of Education

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.