FAQ

The School of Education Student Services Office is on the first floor of the Education Building, located halfway up Bascom Hill.

This is not to be confused with the Educational Sciences Building located between Johnson St and Dayton St and the Teacher Education Building located between Mills St and Charter St.

You can find semester deadlines on the Office of the Registrar’s Dates and Deadlines webpage. This includes information and deadlines related to the first day of classes, course add/drop, tuition and fee payment, withdrawal, enrollment, and more.

You can declare many of our majors or certificates at any time. Some programs have specific declaration periods and admit once per year. See this website for timelines, eligibility, and support materials.

Before declaring, meet with a School of Education academic or departmental advisor to discuss your major or certificate of interest and graduation plan.

To schedule an appointment, you can use Starfish or visit our advising page.

The School of Education Career Center is located in Room 181 of the Education Building. The Career Center team and their online resources are helpful as you explore internships and careers, build professional connections, and prepare for post-graduation work or graduate studies. The Career Center team hosts many programs and events including career fairs, job shadow experiences to explore career fields of interest, and other career development opportunities.

Career Center staff can help students and alumni with:

• Exploration: discovering and articulating one’s values, interests, skills and potential career paths
• Job or internship search strategies: connecting/networking, application materials, interviewing, and evaluating and negotiating offers
• Graduate school: deciding to apply, searching for and choosing a program, and the process of applying
• Application materials: developing and reviewing documents such as your resume or curriculum vitae, cover letter, personal statements, electronic profiles (eg., LinkedIn), and applications, etc.
• Building professional connections: identifying and engaging with alumni, professionals in the field, or hiring managers who can help you explore opportunities and skills, prepare for, and thrive in the workplace.

Yes, you can fill out this form to request a virtual, in-person, or phone advising appointment. We advise prospective students starting their junior year in high school and beyond.

Please note: Peak enrollment advising for current students is late-October through November and late-March through April. During these times we will put your name on a wait-list and contact you when we are available.

For questions about Graduate programs in the School of Education, please contact the program coordinator for that program. This can often be found on a department’s website.

You may visit our buildings at any time. For a campus tour or to join one of our School of Education Information Sessions, please check the Visit Bucky website.

If you are wishing to transfer to UW-Madison’s School of Education from another university, resume studies after withdrawing from UW-Madison, or seeking a second undergraduate degree should view the Office of Admission’s Transfer & Reentry page.

Prospective teachers at Madison College should also check out the UW-Madison School of Education and Madison College Transfer Agreement 

UW-Madison grants college credit for the successful completion of some AP, IB, A-Level, and CLEP exams. Scores determine how credit is awarded. Please see the Credit by Exam website.

AP and IB must be completed while in high school. CLEP exams must be completed before completing 16 semester hours of college credit.

Scores must be sent directly from the service to UW-Madison. At Student Orientation Advising and Registration (SOAR), your academic advisor will help you understand any credits earned.

For courses that have a wait-list option:

• Add yourself to the wait-list
• Continue looking for other open sections and checking for open seats (more information about wait-lists on this page)
• Enroll in a back-up course in case you are not able to get into your first choice. You can always swap into the wait-listed course if a spot becomes available
• If you have additional questions, departments display their contact information for permission requests in the “Subject Notes” area of the main course panel

Academic advisors do not have control over closed courses, wait-lists, or granting enrollment permissions for classes.

The department will email your wisc.edu email if/when a spot is available, and then you will have a short time to enroll in that course. Check your email at least once a day, as you don’t want to miss your window! For more information about wait-lists see this wait-list FAQ.

There are a number of reasons why you have an enrollment error, like not meeting the prerequisites for a class, trying to enroll in a section that’s reserved for a specific group, etc. Often, you just need to click “re-validate”.

The Common Issues and Error Messages page is a good resource for understanding those messages. It also offers some helpful advice for how to move forward if you receive an enrollment error.

You will need to contact the unit/department that placed the hold (e.g., Housing, Office of Student Financial Aid, etc.). You can find who placed the hold, as well as how to contact them, in your Student Center.

Remember to complete your pre-enrollment checklist before enrolling. The hold will automatically be removed once you complete the tasks on the checklist.

For step-by-step instructions to make schedule changes see the Enrollment Actions page.
If you are adding or dropping a course, we recommend first speaking with your advisor to avoid unexpected consequences.

The Enrollment Overview on the Registrar’s website has more answers to common (and uncommon) enrollment questions.

If you have an incomplete, it is your responsibility to finish the course. Work directly with the instructor to create a course completion plan.
If you are unable to speak with the instructor, schedule an academic advising meeting on Starfish to speak with an advisor.

Currently: Incompletes must be finished by the end of your next semester of residence (the last day of class), excluding summer term. If you do not complete the work by the deadline, the Incomplete will lapse into an F. Your instructor may request to extend your deadline.

Effective Fall 2025: Incompletes for courses taken this term and beyond will need to be resolved by the 8th week of the next term, excluding summers.

Taking a course on a pass/fail basis is possible in a few limited situations and can only be used as an elective-not for major, liberal studies or other requirements. Meet with your advisor to discuss this option before proceeding. You must request it before the deadline and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.

You can find out more information about Pass/Fail Grading in School of Education Guide under Grades and Grading.

If you are dropping a course, we recommend first speaking with your advisor to avoid unexpected consequences, especially for students who have an F-1 or J-1 visa status, association with athletics, or have financial aid.

For step-by-step instructions to drop a course see the Enrollment Actions page.

You can drop a course without permission until 11:59 PM Central Time, on Monday of the 13th week of classes.  See the Registrar’s dates and deadlines page for specifics dates.

After this deadline, you will need Academic Dean permission.  You can start the process by filling out this form.

It depends on the student and if they have requirements to be full-time (12 credits).

Some students are required to attend full-time based on visa status, association with athletics, scholarship requirements and financial aid, insurance etc. If you are receiving financial aid, we recommend checking in with the Office of Student Financial Aid to make sure that dropping below full-time status will not impact your future aid eligibility.

We recommend connecting with your academic advisor to discuss how taking courses part-time for a semester might impact degree progression.

You can visit the Exploring External Courses page on the Office of the Registrar’s website for more information on eligible institutions and courses. Some courses with transferable credits can be looked up on Transferology. Before enrolling at another institution, you should meet with an advisor to discuss your plan and options.

Remember: Credits may transfer, grades do not.

Your academic advisor is a great resource if you have questions about degree requirements. In addition to your advisor, the School of Education section of the campus Guide provides information about degree and major requirements. You can also run a Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how you are progressing towards those degree requirements.

DARS is a tool used to track your progress toward degree requirements and help advise course selection. The Office of the Registrar has tutorials on how to access and understand a DARS report.

For a major you haven’t declared yet, you can run a “What-If” DARS. You can view your progress towards requirements by following these instructions:
To produce a what-if DARS report
To interpret the results

Yes, students complete their degrees at different rates. We need to make sure you receive information about commencement and verify you completed your degree. Apply at the beginning of the term you expect to graduate through your Student Center in My UW–Madison. For more information, check out the School of Education’s Graduation Requirements page.  For commencement information see the Commencement page.

Degrees are posted within a few weeks following your graduation date and generally cannot be expedited. This process is completed by the Registrar’s Office. Get more information about your degree in the Registrar’s graduation section.

Before your graduation date you will be notified via email if you are graduating with honors or distinction. The Registrar’s Office handles honors and distinction designations as well as cap and gown information.

The McBurney Disability Resource Center is dedicated to assisting students with disabilities.  Additional campus resources to support students with accommodation needs or disabilities can be found on the Accessibility@UW hub page.

If you need an accommodation for your advising appointment, please reach out to Nicole Spear, our Office Operations Manager, for assistance at nspear@wisc.edu.

UW’s Academic Support website is a great place to start. If you have more concerns about any of your courses, it’s also a good idea to connect with your instructors and your academic advisor.

You are not alone! You can speak with your advisor, our Student Success and Support Manager, Amy Shannon or the Office of Student Assistance and Support. We help refer students with many types of challenges (personal, academic, or other concerns) to resources on-campus and in the community.

• The resources on this page can provide support, guidance, and help for challenges you or someone you know are facing
• Basic Needs Support can help with emergency funds, food insecurity, housing issues, access to health insurance, etc.
• University Health Services can also assist with medical or mental health issues

Withdrawing from UW is sometimes the best course of action, and there are many reasons that people withdraw, including medical reasons or other personal challenges.

To begin the withdrawal process, go to the withdrawals page on the Registrar’s Office website. There are step-by-step instructions.
You will then meet with a member of the Academic Dean Support team to process your request, connect you to resources, answer any questions, and discuss options for your education.

For questions about refunds or other tuition payment questions, please contact the Bursar’s office. If you use financial aid or want to consider financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

For more information about scholarships and grants, please take a look at our Scholarships page for School of Education specific scholarships and grants.

The Wisconsin Scholarship Hub features a wide variety of scholarships available to UW-Madison students. Learn more about applying for scholarships here.

The Teacher Pledge is unique to the UW Madison School of Education. The School of Education pledges to pay the equivalent of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for all our teacher education students. In return, you pledge to work at a Wisconsin PK-12 school for three to four school years after graduation. We want to empower you to make a difference.  Learn more about the Teacher Pledge. Contact Carly Marco to discuss the teacher pledge.

While resources are limited, there are options available to provide some assistance. Check out the emergency funding support page or the Get help page to find details.

Basic Needs Support can help with emergency funds, food insecurity, housing issues, access to health insurance, etc.

Note that there is no guarantee of funding, but each funding request will be reviewed by a financial aid professional.

Speaking with one of our academic advisors can help you understand your options. Current UW-Madison students can schedule an appointment through Starfish. Prospective students, please fill out the form.

Each student has their own unique goals and educational record, and advisor can best help you navigate your plans. Previous coursework or degrees will be factored into your advising. We have five different teacher preparation programs at the Bachelor’s degree level (Art Education, Elementary Education, Elementary and Special Education, Physical Education, and Special Education) and options for Master’s Degree programs for Secondary Education  and Special Education. To explore program options, please see the guide.

Did you become licensed through another institution?
For general questions, the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) issues licenses for educators in the state of Wisconsin. They can also be reached at 800-441-4563.

If you graduated or are graduating from a teacher education program at UW-Madison:
We support questions about assistance with testing, obtaining exam results, getting licensure in another state, or proving you graduated from an accredited teacher education program. Refer to the Applying for Your Wisconsin License page for more information. If you have additional questions that are not answered on that page, email educatorlicensing@education.wisc.edu.

The Teacher Pledge is unique to the UW Madison School of Education. The School of Education pledges to pay the equivalent of in-state tuition and fees, testing, and licensing costs for all our teacher education students. In return, you pledge to work at a Wisconsin PK-12 school for three to four school years after graduation. We want to empower you to make a difference.  Learn more about the Teacher Pledge. Contact Carly Marco to discuss the teacher pledge.