Welcome to the College of Education and Professional
Studies
The college prepares undergraduates for professional
careers in teaching, social work, communicative disorders, counseling,
and school psychology. Teacher education has been a major commitment
of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls since its founding in 1874.
The university’s
teacher education programs have received national recognition for 
excellence,
and are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of
Teacher Education, North Central Association, and the Wisconsin Department
of Public Instruction.
The Bachelor of Science degree is granted after successful completion
of programs in elementary education, and middle/secondary education.
Teacher education students are required to complete a comprehensive
program of study in general education, a rigorous series of field-based
professional education courses and experiences, and extensive academic
study in the areas of certification. Professional education course
work and experiences are field-based, requiring numerous laboratory
and school-site experiences that apply classroom content. Professional
organizations within the college offer students opportunities to become
actively involved in the education profession.
A teaching license in Communicative Disorders requires a Master’s
degree. Wisconsin and Minnesota require a terminal degree for licensure
as a speech pathologist. For more information on the Master’s
degree in Communicative Disorders, please contact the office of Graduate
Studies (715) 425-3843, or the Communicative Disorders department (715) 425-3801.
UW-RF offers students a Bachelor of Social Work degree (BSW - a major
in Social Work). At the undergraduate level, this liberal arts course
of study prepares a student for beginning, generalist, and professional
practice. The program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
(CSWE), the nationally recognized accrediting organization in social
work. Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals,
groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social
functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to that goal.
In general, social work is planned, purposeful intervention, based
on professional knowledge, values, and skill that is aimed at both
individual and social change. Social workers seek to strengthen and
improve the capability of people and systems to cope with the task
and problems they face in life and to promote improvements in the social
environment, which will enable human needs to be more adequately met.
