UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
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This graduate certification with optional master's degree will prepare people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees to become math, computer science or science educators in middle schools and high schools. Courses were developed in collaboration with the UTeach Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. STEMteach students begin the program in the summer of each year and continue throughout the academic year to finish in the spring.
This program is the first UTeach-inspired program in the upper Midwest. The UTeach model is designed to increase the number of STEM program majors interested in becoming secondary science or mathematics teachers. Candidates with expertise or training in a content-specific subject such as mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, or computer science obtain the preparation and hands-on experience to gain an initial teaching license in secondary education.
Admissions requirements include:
NOTE: A criminal background check is not required as part of the application, but will be required for all accepted students prior to formal admission. Accepted students will receive an email from the College of Education and Professional Studies Associate Dean about this process. Indications of any criminal history on the background check are not considered in the application review process but may require a meeting with the college Associate Dean. Additionally, the program cannot guarantee any graduate an educational license nor job opportunities. Some licensing agencies and some school districts may choose not to consider applicants with criminal histories.
Submit all documents to the Graduate Admissions Office via email or mail to 103 David Rodli Hall, 410 S. 3rd Street, River Falls, WI 54022.
Please submit the following application materials:
If provided, test scores and optional documents (letter of intent, resume and letters of support) will be reviewed. Passing scores from a basic skills exam must be received by June 1 and scores from any content exams must be received by September 1.
Priority applicants will receive notification on their admissions status by April 15. Applications submitted after April 1 will be considered for the upcoming summer cohort only if fewer than 20 students have been accepted.
Follow this checklist to ensure that your application process is accurate and complete.
After admission, you will receive instructions on how to register for classes. If you are admitted under probation, you will be advised on the conditions you must meet to move off probationary status.
The following worksheets are required as part of your application process. You are invited to meet with the program coordinator first to confirm which licenses you may be eligible to receive.
Forms are Microsoft Word documents. You should download the form to your own computer to complete the worksheet. If you need these documents in a different format, please contact the program coordinator for assistance.
Wisconsin Teaching Licenses |
Major Equivalence Worksheet Required |
Biology (1605) License | |
Broadfield Science (1601) License | |
Chemistry (1610) License | |
Computer Science (1405) License | |
Earth and Space Science (1635) License | |
Environmental Studies (1615) License | |
Life and Environmental Science (1606) License | |
Mathematics (1400) License | |
Physical Science (1637) License | |
Physics (1625) License |
Targeted training in a high-demand field is a wise investment. For many individuals, a teaching license provides a new and fulfilling career path.
Students pay $525 per credit plus campus fees, regardless of where they live.
Graduate students who take at least four credits each term may apply for financial aid, which may include loans, grants and scholarships. All students who complete a UWRF scholarship application will be eligible to receive the $5,000 Bruce F. Vento Science Educator Scholarship which is awarded in January (find out more). Candidates are also eligible to receive the $18,000 STEMteach Noyce Forgivable Loan which is awarded in June and paid out three times throughout the year (below).
Find additional scholarships at the UWRF Scholarship System.
This financial opportunity is funded through the National Science Foundation's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Grant Program.
Students will receive a stipend (or forgivable loan) of $18,000 cover costs of tuition, books, travel, and other expenses associated with enrollment in the UWRF STEMteach program. Repayment of the stipend amount is excused if recipients meet certain requirements after completing their program of study.
Candidates may apply beginning April 1. Preliminary awards will be made beginning June 15 and will continue, contingent on space remaining in the cohort and availability of funds.
The university will transfer the stipends to the student’s tuition account three times in the year, on dates coinciding with tuition payment due dates. Students will receive the first installment after the university receives the passing scores from a content exam to ensure that only candidates who are eligible to complete the licensure program (and the service commitment) receive stipend funds.
Instead of meeting the above conditions, students may repay the stipend as a loan. The amount due would be full or prorated, depending on the duration of the teaching commitment completed.
*A high-need school district is defined as one that has:
UWRF will support students in finding teaching positions in qualifying high-need districts.
Developed in cooperation with the UTeach Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.
Partial support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation's Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program under under Awards 1439768 and 1660135.
Pamela Bowen
Program Manager
Email
715-425-0633