Social Studies Education - Teacher Licensure and Certification

General information:

Approved programs for licensing Wisconsin educators can be found here.

There is no set number of credits to be taken that allows a teacher to add certification in new areas; all of those decisions are made at the university/college level. Contact your local School of Education for more information on their requirements for adding social studies licenses. Here is a list of public and private colleges and universities in Wisconsin. Check here for more information on adding additional licenses.

Information on adding new licenses by exam will be posted as soon as the process is complete. In late 2010, a law was passed stating that social studies (and a few other subjects) teachers who hold a professional license in social studies (have taught more than 5 years) may obtain additional certification by passing a content-area test. Although the Praxis subject-area tests have been selected for social studies by the State Superintendent, the process is not yet complete.

Click here for information on emergency licensure.

What can I teach with my license?

SOCIAL STUDIES

• 700 Social Studies (all) (for program completers before 7/1/1972)
  May teach anything within the 700 social studies range at the appropriate grade range EXCEPT Psychology (740) and Religion (755).
• 701 Broadfield Social Studies (for program completers 7/1/1972-8/31/2004)
  May teach any social studies class up through grade 9 (within specific grade levels of the educator's license).
  May teach "fusion" courses for grades 10-12. (Fusion courses are those drawn from several of the social studies disciplines, e.g. American problems, civics, social problems, vital issues, etc.)
• 701 Broadfield Social Studies (for program completers 8/31/2004 - present)
  A person with a broad field social studies license issued under PI 34 rules may teach any social studies class at the early adolescence-adolescence level, up through grade 10, and any basic or fusion social studies class in grades 11-12 that is not: A) a semester long discrete course in a PI 34 social studies subcategory - e.g. psychology; B) an honors, IB, or advanced placement course; C) part of the college preparatory sequence and/or an elective course with more depth of content than basic courses. To teach a course under the criteria in A, B, or C (above), the teacher must hold a license based on completion of at least a concentration in that subject area.

Code	Program Completion	Description
700	Before 7/1/72	Social Studies (all) (renew only)
701	7/1/72 - current (see comments)	Broadfield Social Studies (7/1/84-8/31/04: can issue specific social studies subject license with 9 credits. After 8/31/04, endorsement)
702	Before 8/31/04	Anthropology
703	Before 6/30/04	Social Studies (through grade 9)
705	Current	Civics (citizenship) (renew only)
710	Current	Economics
715	Current	Geography
720	Current	International Studies
725	Current	History
730	Current	Philosophy
734	1/1/05 - current	Social Studies (use for minor for middle childhood - early adolescence 72-777)
735	Current	Political Science
740	Current	Psychology
745	Current	Sociology
750	Current	Social Problems (renew only)
755	Current	Religious Studies
760	Current	Other Social Studies
761	Current	African-American Studies (renew only)

Information on license renewal

Professional Development Plans

Questions? E-mail Kristen McDaniel, Social Studies Consultant or (608) 266-2207, contact our licensing team , or fill out the form found here.

Last updated on 12/12/2011 11:27:06 AM