ELEMENTARY EDUCATION/MIDDLE SCHOOL
Bachelor’s Degree Program
If you’re looking to major in Elementary Education or have an interest in a Middle School Education degree, you’ll find a comprehensive program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater that prepares you to teach in all of these levels.
Officially called our Elementary Education: Middle Childhood / Early Adolescence (MC/EA) program, this bachelor’s degree leads to licensure to teach in grades one through eight.
We encourage our students to seek additional certifications or specialties so they leave UW-Whitewater as sought-after educators.
CAN WE BRAG A LITTLE?
Hands-on experience
Education majors get field experience starting in their first year.
In-demand graduates
96% career placement rate for graduates of the College of Education and Professional Studies (2018-19).
Best value for the money
We’re ranked No. 1 for value among all schools in the University of Wisconsin system.
Why study Elementary / Middle School Education at UW-Whitewater?
When you study at UW-Whitewater, you’ll have the resources of a large university while being part of a close-knit, student-centered education program.
We prepare you for in-demand areas.
It’s important that you leave school prepared for success in the competitive education field. As an Elementary Education major / Middle School Education major at UW-Whitewater, you’re required to complete an approved minor, including:
- Adaptive Education*
- English
- English as a Second Language/Bilingual (ESL/BE)*
- Library/Media
- Math*
- General Science*
- Social Studies
- World Language
This added expertise and additional licensure will be an asset as you explore teaching positions.
(The * denotes an area especially high in demand)
Serving and teaching: Embedded in the community
UW-Whitewater’s education programs are heavily involved in our local community. One way we demonstrate this is a unique program in which our teaching faculty take over classrooms at a nearby school. In “Practicing What We Teach,” our faculty members serve as subs for the day so that the regular classroom teachers can participate in an in-service activity, and students from a variety of our undergraduate and graduate education programs come along to observe.
Here are a few other advantages to earning your degree in Elementary / Middle School Education at UW-Whitewater:
- Access an instructional technology resource center, which includes a computer lab and other resources
- Explore the library’s robust curriculum collection, complete with innovative games, technologies and books, and get help from a dedicated librarian who specializes in education
- Broaden your worldview: The College of Education and Professional Studies is committed to inclusivity, and our director of diversity and inclusion leads various college and university-wide initiatives to promote and advocate multicultural competence
- Participate in our annual Project Showcase and Graduation Celebration where seniors share their student teaching work and other accomplishments with their peers and faculty and staff members
What Elementary / Middle School Education majors do
Gain first-hand teaching experience in local schools
Focus on a specific subject or technical area
Student-teach abroad
Field study, student teaching and internships
Elementary Education and Middle School Education majors at UW-Whitewater get plenty of hands-on experience, from observing in local classrooms to putting your skills and knowledge into practice during student-teaching.
Teacher internship program: Enrich your experience
MC/EA students with outstanding academic performance can apply for the UW-Whitewater Teacher Internship Program. While similar to a student-teaching experience, this exclusive program offers students greater responsibilities at their full-time placement site, as well as a $4,500 stipend.
Campus inolvement
Education majors at UW-Whitewater will find a variety of career-related campus organizations such as:
CARE: Creative and Resourceful Educators
Advocates for the community of young children and their families through education, fundraising and service.
Best Buddies
As part of this national organization, our chapter matches college students with people with intellectual disabilities for one-on-one friendships.
Aspiring Educators of Wisconsin
Provides educational and social opportunities to future teachers, and is a branch of both the National Education Association and the Wisconsin Education Association Council.
Cross-cultural experiences
We’re proud to prepare our students to be global citizens. Many of our students want to see the world beyond Wisconsin and take part in short-term study abroad programs.
Our elementary education majors and middle school majors have observed classrooms, gained teaching experience, and learned about international education systems in Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico and Sweden.
What our graduates do
Classroom teachers, first through eighth grade
Center director or owner
Tutor
Middle School teaching jobs / Elementary Education careers
Our graduates become elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, reading specialists and other educational professionals in Wisconsin and throughout the country — and even abroad.
Many of our graduates continue on to graduate school, such as earning a master’s degree in special education or education leadership.
Leading Wisconsin forward
Stephanie Maney-Hartlaub is a UW-Whitewater elementary education alum who was recently named one of Wisconsin’s Most Influential Black Leaders. She is senior vice president and executive director of City Year Milwaukee. Stephanie is an experienced nonprofit leader with exceptional educational and team leadership experience.
Our faculty
You’ll work with faculty and staff members from the Curriculum and Instruction Department, as well as with instructors from throughout our education programs.
In addition to our full-time faculty, you’ll also learn from current educators and experts in the field, including a reading curriculum coordinator and state-level early intervention policy makers.
Our faculty members have expertise and research interests in many areas, including:
- assessment
- evidence-based practices
- early intervention
- social-emotional development
- emotional/behavioral disorders
- literacy
- race, culture and identity in early childhood education
To learn more about Elementary Education / Middle School Education at UW-Whitewater, Contact us »
The Elementary Education: Middle Childhood / Early Adolescence programs leads to a:
Bachelor of Science in Education
The elementary education: MC/EA program follows a structured four-year plan that will prepare you for state licensure; this includes traditional major and minor coursework, field study and directed teaching. Here’s a small sample of classes you might take:
- Introduction to Education and Teaching
- Child Development
- Technology for Teachers
- Ecology and Society
- Children’s Literature
- Introduction to Special Education
Explore individual full degree requirements
While you can officially declare MC/EA, you’ll need to be admitted to Professional Education separately.
To apply, you’ll complete the UW-Whitewater application for admission and indicate your interest in earning a degree in Elementary Education— Middle Childhood / Early Adolescence.
