Transfer and Re-Entry

Limited Enrollment and Competitive Admissions

Many School of Education programs limit enrollment and require competitive admissions. Applicants must adhere to strict guidelines, procedures, and deadlines. Limited enrollment programs usually require students to have some combination of course prerequisites, minimum credits, and minimum grade-point averages to apply.

Teacher education applicants must also take a basic skills test called the Praxis I or Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST). Students planning to transfer to UW–Madison should read all admission information carefully and always consult with a School of Education advisor as early as possible.

Two separate applications

Many students transferring to campus must complete two applications. All transfer students must apply for admission to UW–Madison. Visit the Undergraduate Admissions website for detailed information on transfer application and admission.

Students wishing to transfer directly into a professional program will often apply separately to this professional program. Thus, transfer students are commonly managing two application and admission processes simultaneously— one for the campus and one for their professional program.

These processes are parallel but not related, and School of Education staff and Undergraduate Admissions staff do not share information or materials. Application forms will be very different.

IMPORTANT: Students who apply for campus admission but fail to apply to their professional program will not be considered for program admission. Likewise, students admitted to their program must also be admitted to UW–Madison.

Transfer Course Equivalencies

Most potential transfer students wonder how their courses will transfer. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment assess the equivalence of transfer courses based on course evaluations by campus faculty. Students who have completed course work at UW–System or Wisconsin Technical College institutions can use the Transfer Information System (TIS) to determine many transfer course equivalencies.

School of Education advisors may have access to other course equivalency information and can sometimes do an unofficial review of courses to help students make class choices. Determinations by School of Education staff are tentative and unofficial; formal equivalency determinations are made by Undergraduate Admissions staff. Note that students admitted to a program may be required to complete UW–Madison professional courses, even if apparently equivalent courses were taken at another institution.

Transfer Course Grades

Grades from transfer courses are never posted to the UW–Madison transcript. However, the School of Education typically uses all attempted transferable course work to determine program eligibility and selection. Thus, grades earned at another institution will be included in admission calculations and selections for School of Education programs. See your advisor if you have additional questions.

Prospective students who already hold an undergraduate degree and wish to pursue one of our undergraduate programs are admitted to the School of Education as either a special student or a second degree student. The determination depends on the program, academic area of interest, and individual’s previous course work.

The special student designation indicates that the student is pursuing certification in a subject area studied during the initial degree; the student does not receive a second degree for this “certification only” course work. Second degree students are seeking a second degree from the School of Education in an area that is different from their first degree’s major course work. This degree may or may not include teacher certification. See the previous degree section of the ​Academic Guide for more information.

Most School of Education students are free to leave campus and then return without special permission. Students who leave after the first day of classes of one semester may simply enroll the following semester. Students who want to reenter UW–Madison after an absence of a semester or more must complete a reentry application process. This process is usually perfunctory and relatively simple. Visit the UW-Madison Office of Undergraduate Admissions website for more details.