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Master of Science in Education-General

 

This degree is for licensed teachers with at least two years of full-time elementary or secondary teaching experience. Substitute teaching will be considered for this requirement, but student teaching and interning will not. The program allows you to design a plan of study that meets your specific needs. You may incorporate credits from several disciplines into the 30 required graduate credits provided you can verify a professional need for them.

Admission to the Program
You must submit an application to pursue graduate study at UWSP before you can be admitted to the MSE (General) program. Obtain admission applications from the Admissions Office, Room 102, Student Services Center or the School of Education Graduate Advising Office, Room 438, College of Professional Studies. You must submit official transcripts covering your undergraduate coursework and any additional coursework listed on your application. The Admissions Office will process your application and then notify you that your materials will be forwarded to School of Education Graduate Advising. At that time, your application will be reviewed by School of Education Graduate Advising for admittance to the "program." You will also need to:

  1. Send a copy of your teaching license to the School of Education Graduate Advising Office.
  2. Have an employing official provide a letter certifying that you have two or more years of full-time teaching experience. Interning and student teaching experience do not apply, but substitute teaching will be considered. For substitute teaching, have an employing official provide a letter documenting the number of days of substitute teaching with less than five hours a day and the number of days with five or more hours per day.
  3. Have an employing official provide a letter of reference for you.
  4. Have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 or higher. If your undergraduate GPA is below 3.00, you may be admitted on probation. You will then need to establish a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA on your first 9 resident graduate credits at UWSP to be fully admitted.

The Program Earn 30 credits in graduate courses:

  • Option A, professional and subject matter content: Requires a minimum of 6 credits outside education–credits without an EDUC prefix.
  • Option B, specialization or certification: Minimum of 18 credits leading to a state certificate or credits in a specialty area which includes reading teacher (316), reading specialist (317), any of the special education certifications, the gifted/talented certification, or the English as a Second Language (ESL) as part of your master's degree.
  • Option C, content specializations outside the School of Education: 21 credits from outside education–courses without an EDUC prefix. Secondary candidates will pursue this option.

Admission to Candidacy
Program planning: Admission to candidacy (program planning) does not occur until after you have applied to pursue graduate study at UWSP (Admissions Office) AND been admitted to the elected program of study (School of Education Graduate Advising). Once you are admitted you will receive a "working copy" form and program planning guidesheet which you are to use for preparing your proposed plan of study.

You must submit a rationale statement with the proposed plan of study which explains how the proposed courses will enhance your professional expertise and how they reflect your personal, professional, and academic interests and needs. Generally, you can group courses into categories (curriculum, math, reading, etc.) and write a rationale for each group. You may prepare the rationale statement in paragraph format and attach it to the "working copy."

Please note that the "working copy" is NOT the final Program of Study. It is a tool used to assign an adviser whose background most closely parallels your area of interest and/or expertise. The "working copy" will be used at your advising conference to develop a formal plan of study which your adviser will approve.

Adviser assignment: The School of Education Graduate Advising Office makes all official adviser assignments after your proposed plan of study and rationale statement have been received. You may request a specific adviser at this time. School of Education Graduate Advising will send you a letter of adviser assignment which includes the address, phone number, and e-mail address of your adviser. You will need to schedule an advising conference with your assigned adviser in order to have your plan of study officially approved.

Because you may include no more than 9 completed graduate credits in your official Program of Study, submit your proposed plan of study and rationale statement BEFORE you complete 9 graduate credits.

You will receive a copy of the official Program of Study once the advising process has been completed. The original will be retained in the School of Education Graduate Advising Office. If you want to change your officially approved Program of Study, you must fill out a "change of study" request and forward it to School of Education Graduate Advising for processing prior to enrollment. Contact School of Education Graduate Advising if you have further questions regarding changes to your Program of Study.

Culminating Experience
Complete one of the following options:

Thesis Option:Write a thesis and a comprehensive examination covering liberal arts.

Nonthesis Option:Enroll in either Education 707 or 782 (as approved by your adviser) and complete a comprehensive examination covering 12 credits from your Pro-gram of Study which includes required foundations, curriculum components, and an additional 6 credits from Area 2 of your Program of Study. You may not write on practicum, independent study, or research work. You must have at least 24 credits completed toward your Program of Study, including the required component area coursework, before you can register to write your exam. Register for the exam one semester before you plan to take it. For more information, contact the School of Education Graduate Advising Office at 715-346-4403.

Exit Interview (credit check for graduation)
You must complete an exit interview one semester prior to the semester in which you plan to graduate. This interview will generate a credit check on your progress and requirements and provide a one-semester "cushion" to cover discrepancies. You will receive the application for graduation at the exit interview and you apply for graduation after the interview.

Deadlines: Decide on the term in which you anticipate receiving your diploma. Schedule your credit check, sign up for exams and apply for graduation by the month indicated.

  • Apply by August for December diploma and graduation ceremony.
  • Apply by December for May diploma and graduation ceremony.
  • Apply by December for August diploma. There is no ceremony in August, however, candidates may request to participate in either May or December ceremonies.