Fuel Your Mind for Science and Teach
Do you think all kids should have experiences in science that engage their curiosity? Their sense of wonder? Do you think that science literacy is a social justice issue and a core element of democracy? Have you had science teachers or experiences that made a big impact on you? Would you enjoy the challenge of shaping the future? If so, teaching science is for you!
Great science teachers are often naturally curious individuals passionate about how the world works. They are also people who want to help others. Teaching science matters! Good science teaching can literally change the trajectory of a kid’s life. The most powerful middle and high school science teachers connect with students in exciting and inspiring ways.
The secondary education program in science will give you the knowledge and skills you’ll need to become a science teacher who makes a difference. The science teacher program will also help you develop effective strategies for connecting with students in ways to use science to better appreciate the world and to open up new opportunities for their futures. You will also learn that science teachers are always learning too. Join us to see how teaching science can blend your own interests in science with an intellectually stimulating career trajectory; and the opportunity to do work that matters.
Science Program Prerequisites
Candidates for the science program must demonstrate specific criteria to be accepted, such as a relevant undergraduate degree, certain coursework or experience, and GPA requirements.
Non-US Graduates: Review the graduate school’s application requirements for specific information about comparable degrees in your country and which academic documents are required.
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Earn a Relevant Undergraduate Degree
Applicants need to have (or have completed by June of the year they enter the program) a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution with a major or a minor in one or more of an area associated with the certification area.
These include:
- Biology or other life science-related major
- Environmental science
- Geology or another geoscience
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Engineering
- Or some other natural science or science-related degree
If you do not have one of these degrees and believe you have a special case for consideration, including significant professional experience, or comparable university courses, you may email Mark Olson explaining your situation.
Demonstrate Competency in Relevant Content Domains
Prior to admission, applicants must demonstrate competency within certain areas of their chosen subject. This may be demonstrated through coursework or significant life experiences.
All science applicants must demonstrate competency in the following general areas:
- Structure and properties of matter
- Chemical reactions
- Forces and interactions
- Energy
- Waves and electromagnetic radiation
English Proficiency
Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score. Your score must be from within two years before the start of the admission term. The language of instruction at the college or university level and how recently the language instruction was taken are the determining factors in meeting this requirement.
Non-native English speakers must also show adequate instructional verbal skills, by passing a verbal interview with the Secondary Education ESL team.
Applicants may be exempt if:
- English is the exclusive language of instruction at the undergraduate institution.
- You have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university no more than five years before the anticipated semester of enrollment.
- You have completed at least two full-time semesters of graded coursework, exclusive of ESL courses, in a U.S. college or university, or at an institution outside the U.S. where English is the exclusive language of instruction. Completion of graded coursework cannot be more than five years before the anticipated semester of enrollment.
- An exemption is contingent on the Secondary Program’s discretion.
TOEFL scores must be submitted electronically via ETS. IELTS scores can be submitted electronically or by paper. Our office address is:
UW-Madison Graduate School, Office of Admissions
232 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Get the Added Value of a Dual Certification/ESL Certification
Our program is infused with a philosophy that teachers must be able to engage and value all students in the classroom. Our approach allows you to work with a wide range of students that engage in US public schools. For the secondary content areas, this also includes skills and techniques to work with students learning English, including the opportunity to earn a dual English as a Second Language (ESL) Certification along with your content. This certification increases your potential impact as a teacher and gives you a competitive advantage in the job market.
ESL Teacher Certification Pathway
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Program Overview
- The certification pathway integrates 4 ESL instructional courses, 4 content area instruction courses, and 5 teacher education courses with a practical fieldwork component in Dane County schools.
- ESL COURSES:
- CURRIC 736 Educating Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Learners
- CURRIC 737 Linguistics for Educators
- CURRIC 673 Learning Second Language and Literacies
- CURRIC 674 Advanced Methods in Teaching English as a Second Language
Certification and Licensing Insights
- Completing our program earns you an ESL K-12 certification, aligning with Wisconsin’s ESL license (number 1395). This certification qualifies you to teach English to speakers of other languages across all K-12 levels, supporting academic subject instruction.
- For those seeking a bilingual license, additional steps are needed: a specific bilingual methods course, bilingual fieldwork, and proof of language proficiency.
- For more detailed information on licensure requirements and licensing in Wisconsin, please visit the Wisconsin DPI pages on Teaching License pathways.