School of Education

Application and Admission: Art Education

Admission to Art Education (AED classification) is limited and competitive. Because the number of qualified applicants exceeds program resources, meeting or surpassing the minimum eligibility criteria will not guarantee admission.

Students may apply to the program beginning in March, 2009, and are admitted once a year during the fall semester 2009 to begin a three-semester professional sequence in spring semester 2010. Eligible applicants who submit applications before October 1, 2009, will be given priority admission consideration. Eligible applicants who submit applications after the initial October 1 deadline may be considered, but only if program openings remain. No applications will be accepted after December 1. All application materials must be received in Education Academic Services (EAS) by the deadlines indicated. Applicants will be notified of their admission status no later than the end of fall semester.

Program Admission

To be eligible for admission to the Art Education program, a student must

In addition to the above requirements, applicants also must submit the following:

  1. The Art Education application form. To obtain the application form, click here.
  2. A resume or biographical statement detailing educational background; educational related work and experience; employment history; volunteer work; awards; travel, interests, skills; and other related life experiences.
  3. A written statement, maximum of two pages in length, relating to the applicant's life experiences that are relevant to one or more of the following:

    The above might include work with individuals in an educational capacity; work in positions that relate to art, education, or related fields; leadership roles; professional involvement in fine arts, design, and/or community arts; publishing; travel; and other related experiences. The written statement will be reviewed for clarity of communication and quality of writing as well as depth and variety of life experiences relevant to teaching.

  4. Additional support materials documenting the above experience or the applicant’s own art production in one of the following formats:

These materials are to be labeled with applicant's name; include a large self-addressed stamped envelope for return of materials. Submit all program application materials to Education Academic Services, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchard Street, Madison, WI 53715. Transcripts for all college-level course work must accompany the program application and supporting materials.

Students not yet eligible to apply to the Art Education program will be admitted to the School of Education as an Art student (ART classification). This classification does not guarantee acceptance to the Art Education program (AED classification) or benefit students in the application process. New freshmen and transfer students are admitted directly to the Art program at admission. Current UW-Madison students seeking the ART classification must complete an application form signed by the undergraduate advisor in the department. Call 262-1660 to schedule an appointment. This form can be obtained in and should be returned to EAS, Rust-Schreiner Halls, 115 North Orchard Street. Admission with an ART classification requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 based on all transferable college-level course work, as modified by the last 60 credits rule (below).

Last 60 Credits Rule

Two grade point averages will be calculated to determine candidates' eligibility and selection to programs. GPAs will be calculated using (1) all transferable college level course work attempted, and (2) the last 60 credits attempted. The higher GPA of these two will be used for purposes of admission. If fewer than 60 credits have been attempted, all credits will be used to calculate the GPA. Graded graduate course work will also be used in all GPA calculations. ("Attempted" course work indicates course work for which a grade has been earned.) For more information on this rule, click here.

Transfer Students

Applicants who are not already enrolled on the UW-Madison campus must be admissible to the University to enroll in a School of Education program. Admission to UW-Madison requires a separate application and admission process. See UW-Madison Undergraduate Admissions for application information. Find more detailed information for prospective transfer students at this link.  Prospective transfer students are strongly advised to meet with an Education Academic Services advisor in advance of their application.

Program Selection

All qualified applicants will be reviewed individually by the Art Education faculty. The committee will consider numerous factors when selecting a diverse student cohort, including the following:

  1. Grade point average (GPA)
  2. Course selection and performance
  3. Pre-Professional Skills Test/Praxis I scores
  4. Life experiences (resume and written statement)
  5. Supporting materials
  6. Consideration of student’s race, ethnicity, culture, geographic and economic background.

Candidates will be provisionally admitted and notified of their admission status by the end of the Fall Semester. Letters offering admission will specify a deadline for acceptance of this offer. Applicants must respond to EAS by this date; those who do not will forfeit their position. Admission is not final until the response card is received by EAS and program eligibility is confirmed through Fall Semester grades.

Criminal Background Investigation and Disclosure Statement

Criminal background checks will be run on all students at admission. Applicants must also complete a disclosure statement. See this link for more detailed information.

Students with a Previous Degree

Persons who already hold an undergraduate degree are admitted to the School of Education as either an Education Special student or a Second Degree student, depending on their interests and academic background. The term Special student indicates that the student has an interest in pursuing certification in a subject area studied during the initial degree; the student does not receive a degree for this "certification only" course work. Second Degree students are seeking a second, unrelated degree from the School of Education, which may, or may not, include teacher certification. Candidates for limited enrollment programs must meet all admission eligibility requirements for the program and must compete with the eligible applicants for program admission. See this link for more details.