School of Education
Earth and Space Science Discipline-Related and Major Requirements
Faculty advisor: Professor John Rudolph, 226A Teacher Education Building, 608-265-3431, jlrudolp@wisc.edu. Students not yet admitted to this program should consult with advising staff at Education Academic Services (EAS), Room 139 Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall, 608-262-1651.
IMPORTANT: The secondary education faculty members are restructuring their teacher certification programs at UW-Madison. These programs are moving to post-baccalaureate certification, which means that students will only be certified to teach these subjects through graduate-level work in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. The current undergraduate teacher licensing programs will be discontinued and certification will no longer be offered at the undergraduate level. Students will begin the new graduate programs in summer 2015.
The affected programs are English, Mathematics, Social Studies (Broad Field Social Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology), and Science (Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Broad Field/Natural Science, and Physics).
The last group of undergraduates will be admitted to the current professional programs in fall 2013. The application period for this admission period will extend from October 2012 to February 1, 2013.
Earth and Space Science Discipline-Related Course Work
Certification in Earth and Space Science requires both discipline-related and major course work. Related course work is not considered part of the major, may not be counted toward the credits required for admission eligibility, and is not calculated into the major grade-point average. Students may choose to incorporate these courses into the liberal studies requirements. Complete the following:
- at least 6 credits of any college-level mathematics and/or statistics, excluding Math 120-132
- Eight (8) credits of science course work in addition to those used for the major.
Earth and Space Science Major Prerequisites
Students must complete prerequisite course work before enrolling in some of the courses required for the major; for example, one year of college-level physics must be completed before taking Astron 200. Prerequisite course work may be used to meet liberal studies requirements.
Earth and Space Science Major Requirements
Complete a minimum of 34 credits. The credits required for program admission must be chosen from this course work. At least 15 credits of upper-level major course work (numbered 300-699) must be taken in residence on the UW-Madison campus to meet the major residency requirement. Students who are also considering an Earth and Space Science-related major in the College of Letters and Science are advised to do additional course work above the 300 level.
Introductory Courses
- Geog 127 Physical Systems of the Environment, 5
- Geosci 101 General Geology, 5 (Geosci 100, 3, may substitute)
- Select one:
- Atm Ocn 101 Weather and Climate, 4 (preferred)
- Atm Ocn 100 Weather and Climate, 3
- Astron 200 The Physical Universe, 4
Area of Concentration
Complete requirements in one of these two areas, Physical Geography or Geoscience:
- Physical Geography
- Geog 121 Atmospheric Environment and Society, 2
- Choose a minimum of 10 credits from the following Geography courses: 230, 321, 325, 326, 329, 431, 524, 531
- Additional credits in Astronomy, Geoscience, Physical Geography, or Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences to total the minimum of 34 credits required for the major. Fifteen (15) of the 34 credits must be upper-level course work (numbered 300 and above).
- Geoscience
- Geosci 204 Geologic Evolution of the Earth, 4
- Complete a minimum of 10 additional credits in Geoscience courses numbered above Geosci 204.
- Additional credits in Astronomy, Geoscience, Physical Geography, or Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences to total the minimum of 34 credits required for the major. Fifteen (15) of the 34 credits must be upper-level course work (numbered 300 and above)