Maddie Shaw from Stillman Valley, who is studying early childhood education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been admitted to the Professional Education program as part of her journey toward entering the workforce as an educator.

Shaw, a student in UW-Whitewater’s College of Education and Professional Studies, has now begun taking upper-level courses for licensure required for the early childhood education program on the way to student teaching, the final activity before teacher candidates earn their degree and teaching license.

This milestone in a student’s college career helps ensure students are confident about becoming educators and on track to meet both UW-Whitewater graduation and Wisconsin teaching licensure requirements.

Qualifications, which include credits completed, grade-point average and a completion of certain foundational coursework, differ based on major and licensure level.

Approximately 350 students per academic year are admitted to the Professional Education program. This fall, a total of 175 students were admitted for in-person and online enrollment.

UW-Whitewater licenses the most teachers in the state of Wisconsin. Educating teachers was the university’s original mission during its founding in 1868.