Education and Educational Services (EES) Certificate Program

Education is one of the hotly contested subjects in today’s politics & society.

The Education and Educational Services (EES) Certificate Program provides an organized program of study for undergraduate students interested in the many aspects of education, but who choose not to major in Education during their undergraduate career. Students interested in child development, neuroscience and the process of learning, or education-related policies, for example, may wish to complement their current major with this substantive program in Education.

EES Certificate Declaration Form (submit this to declare the certificate – it will soon appear on your DARS report)

The EES Certificate program was designed to address a variety of key issues related to education, as well as national changes in teacher education. This program contributes to the cultivation of informed and engaged citizens and enriches public dialogue around critical issues in educational policy and practice.

Upon completing the EES Certificate program, students will

  • ​Understand individual processes of teaching and learning
  • Understand the social context of education and educational institutions
  • Understand educational decisions including the selection of concepts taught, as well as research and policy prescriptions

General Information

Education is a topic of widespread interest to UW–Madison students and is one of the hotly contested subjects in today’s politics and society. The Education and Educational Services (EES) Certificate Program was designed in response to this campus-wide interest in issues related to education, as well as national changes in teacher education and the emergence of post-baccalaureate teacher-preparation programs. It was created to contribute to the cultivation of informed and ethically engaged citizens and to enrich the public dialogue around critical issues in educational policy and practice.

The EES certificate also addresses the goals of the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates by expanding access to instruction in education and educational services, providing better preparation for potential careers in education, and improving advising for students interested in these careers and instructional programs.  The EES certificate prepares students to enter such programs by allowing them to complement content majors with a substantive program in Education.

The Education and Educational Services (EES) Certificate Program provides an organized program of study for undergraduate students interested in the many aspects of education, but who choose not to major in Education during their undergraduate career. Students interested in child development, neuroscience and the process of learning, or education-related policies, for example, may wish to complement their current major with this substantive program in Education.

Requirements

This 15-credit certificate program offers a variety of course options, customizable based on your education area of interest. You have the opportunity to engage with faculty and staff experts in the fields of:

  • Counseling Psychology (Coun Psy)
  • Curriculum & Instruction (C&I)
  • Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis (ELPA)
  • Educational Psychology (Ed Psych)
  • Educational Policy Studies (EPS)
  • Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education (RPSE)

You are required to complete a total of 15 credits comprised of Foundation Course Work (9 credits) & Focus Course Work (6 credits) – see detailed outline of course requirements below. For detailed course descriptions as well as past/present/future semester offerings of these courses, please look them up using the UW Course Guide or your MyUW account.

Foundation Course Work

Establish a solid understanding of key education issues by completing 9 credits of foundation requirements. Select one course from each of the following subcategories:

  1. Critical Aspects of Teaching, Schooling & Education – Select one course (3 credits)
    • Introduction to Education |  C&I 240
  2. Social Context of Education –  Select one course (3 credits)
    • Legal Rights and Responsibilities for Teachers | ELPA 640
    • School and Society |  Ed Pol 300
    • Globalization and Education |  Ed Pol 335
    • History of American Education |  Ed Pol 412
    • Education and Learning in Out-of-School Contexts |  Ed Pol 210
    • Introduction to Education Policy | Ed Pol 145
  3. Individual Processes in Teaching and Learning – Select one course (3 credits)
    • Human Development:
      • Infancy to Early Childhood | Ed Psych 320
      • Adolescence | Ed Psych 321
      • Childhood through Adolescence |  Ed Psych 331
    • Human Abilities and Learning | Ed Psych 301
    • Mind, Brain, and Education | Ed Psych 326 (offered as Ed Psych 506: Contemporary Issues)
    • Individuals with Disabilities | RP&SE 300

Any Foundation Course can also count as a Focus class below (though you can’t count any single class as both)

Focus Course Work

Gain a specialized area of study by completing 6 credits of Focus courses or additional Foundation courses. Students may also substitute up to 3 credits of independent study with faculty from the departments of Counseling Psychology, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, Educational Policy Studies, Educational Psychology or Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education.

Counseling Psychology

  • Human Resources Development:
    • Career Strategies | Coun Psy 110 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
    • Educational Effectiveness |  Coun Psy 115 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
  • Coming to Terms with Cultural Diversity | Coun Psy 225
  • Educational Equality and Diversity | Coun Psy 325
  • Theory and Practice in Interviewing | Coun Psy 650
  • Race and the Developing Child | Coun Psy 230
  • Special Topics: Counseling and Counseling Psychology | Coun Psy 300

Curriculum & Instruction

  • Integrating the Teaching of Reading |  Curric 305
  • Videogames and Learning |  Curric 277
  • Current Topics in Curriculum & Instruction |  Curric 375 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
  • Internationalizing Education Knowledge| Curric 366
  • Chicano/Latino Educational Justice | Curric 321

Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis

  • Peer Leadership and Mentorship with Transitioning Students |  ELPA 350
  • Workshop in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis | ELPA 502 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
  • Foundations of Education for Work | ELPA 660
  • Organization and Operation of Education for Work Programs |  ELPA 661
  • Career Development throughout the Life Span |  ELPA 665

Educational Policy Studies

  • Introduction to Education | Ed Pol 140
  • Education and Public Policy | Ed Pol 150 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
  • Race, Ethnicity and Inequality in American Education | Ed Pol 200
  • School and Society | Ed Pol 300
  • Globalization & Education |Ed Pol 335
  • History of American Education | Ed Pol 412
  • ​Topics on Social Issues and Education | ​Ed Pol 500 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
  • Issues in Urban Education | Ed Pol 505
  • Introduction to Debates in Higher Education Policy | Ed Pol 518
  • Anthropology and Education | Ed Pol 570
  • Sociology and Education | Ed Pol 648
  • The History of the University in the West | Ed Pol 107
  • Human Rights in Education | Ed Pol 220
  • Rethinking  “After-School” Education | Ed Pol 450
  • Political Communications | Ed Pol 479
  • Urban School Policy | Ed Pol 510
  • Religion & Public Education | Ed Pol 516
  • History of African American Education | Ed Pol 567
  • Education Policy and Practice | Ed Pol 575

Educational Psychology

  • Human Abilities and Learning | Ed Psych 301
  • Human Development:
    • Infancy to Early Childhood | Ed Psych 320
    • Adolescence | Ed Psych 321
    • Childhood through Adolescence |  Ed Psych 331
  • Mind, Brain, and Education | Ed Psych 326
  • Contemporary Issues in Educational Psychology | Ed Psych 506 (all topics are eligible for certificate)
  • Introduction to Professional School Psychology | Ed Psych 540
  • The Biological Basis of Behavior | Ed Psych 542
  • Foundations of Educational Measurement |Ed Psych 570
  • Applied Behavior Analysis in Classrooms | Ed Psych 541
  • Quantitative Ethnography | Ed Psych 551
  • Foundations of Educational Measurement | Ed Psych 570
  • Design of Educational Games and Simulations | Ed Psych 563

Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education

  • Individuals with Disabilities | RP&SE 300
  • Rehabilitation-Counseling Psychology: Foundations | RP&SE 500
  • Rehabilitation Counseling Psychology – Substance Abuse and Disability | RP&SE 521

Any Foundation Course can also count as a Focus Course (though you can’t count any single class as both)

NOTE: All course work must be taken for a letter grade (not credit/no-credit or pass/fail) and students must earn at least a C grade in each course of the certificate.

At least 12 credits of the certificate must be earned in residence at UW–Madison. There is no formal prerequisite structure to the certificate, although students will generally be expected to take Curric 240 first, followed by the two remaining Foundation courses and then the two Focus courses.

Students completing a course of study designed to lead to teacher certification are not eligible to complete the EES certificate. Other students completing a major within the School of Education are limited to 6 credits of overlap between their major and the certificate. That is, no more than 6 credits of coursework used to satisfy requirements for a major within the School of Education may also be counted toward completion of the EES certificate.

Advising

This program provides a coordinated advising program. Students will have the chance to work with a staff person to assist them in exploring their interests in education-related content or preparing them for other educational service-related careers beyond their undergraduate coursework.

An advising session at Education Academic Services (EAS) or the Office of Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention (OURR) is recommended before declaring the EES certificateCall the EAS reception desk at 608-262-1651 or visit 139 Education Building to make an appointment.

For more information regarding advising appointments, contact School of Education Student Services:
139 Education Building
1000 Bascom Mall
Advising Appointment Desk: 608/262-1651; 7:45 am-4:30 pm

Questions or Concerns? Call, Email or Visit:

School of Education Student Services
608/262-1651, M-F 7:45 am-4:30 pm
139 Education Building 
1000 Bascom Mall

or email the EES administrator.