Wisconsin Educator Licensure
So, you'd like to teach Italian in Wisconsin? Depending on your qualifications and training, there are a few routes you may take. To teach in a private school, at the college or university level, or for an after school or continuing adult education program, you do not need a Wisconsin educator's license.
However, to teach in the Wisconsin public school system, you must obtain your Wisconsin educator's license.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency responsible for administering the educator licensure program. Most of the following information is from their website http://dpi.wi.gov/tepdl.
Where to Start?
- Propective Educators (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Provides a variety of resources for those who are considering a career as a professional educator (teacher, administrator, pupil services professionals) in the state of Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin Approved Educator Preparation Programs for Licensure (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Information for both traditional four-year campuses and alternative educator preparation programs. These approved educator preparation programs, sometimes referred to as "certification areas," are known in Wisconsin as approved programs leading to "licensure."
NOTE: There are only two universities in Wisconsin that have approved preparation programs for the Italian language that can lead to licensure: University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
More information is provided at the bottom of this page.
What if I Did Not Complete my Educator Preparation Program in Wisconsin?
- Wisconsin Licensure for Out-of-State Educators (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Information for someone who already has completed an educator preparation program outside Wisconsin (but inside the United States).
- Wisconsin Educator Licensure - Outside the United States (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Information for someone who completed a program outside the United States.
- Consulate, Embassy and Governmental Links - A listing of useful links to websites for someone who would like to teach Italian in Wisconsin, but is not a United States citizen.
What if I am Proficient in Italian, but Did Not Complete a Traditional Educator's Program?
- World Language Teacher Education: Alternative Pathways to Licensure - Addtional information for those people who already have a Bachelor's degree, but now would like to pursue a Wisconsin educator's license.
Additional Licensing Information
- Frequently Asked Questions about Licensing (exit WisItalia to DPI)
- World Languages Education - Teacher Licensure (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Summary of foreign language requirements for admission to, or graduation from, Wisconsin colleges and universities.
- World Languages Licensure - Grid of Required Elements (pdf) - An overview of essential experience, areas of knowledge and requirments for licensure in a world language (e.g., Italian).
- World Languages Education - Standards for Learning Languages (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Summary of Wisconsin’s standards for learning languages.
- Wisconsin's Ten Teacher Standards (exit WisItalia to DPI) - All teacher applicants must demonstrate proficient performance in Wisconsin's ten teacher standards in order to obtain an educator's license.
- Information on PRAXIS (exit WisItalia to DPI) - Testing requirements for teachers that 1) measure basic academic skills in math, reading and writing, which are essential to all teacher candidates; and 2) measure content knowledge of the subject areas in which the teacher candidates seek licensure.
- Information on Adding Program Areas to Your License (exit WisItalia to DPI)
- Emergency Educator License (exit WisItalia to DPI)
- Information on Master Educator License (exit WisItalia to DPI)
- Information on National Board Certification (exit WisItalia to DPI) - You may be eligible for funding to offset the assessment fee - view National Board for Professional Teaching Standards - Wisconsin (exit WisItalia to NMPTS) for details.
Approved Preparation Programs for Italian in Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-MadisonContact Information: 608 262-1651 or
easinfo@education.wisc.edu - Education Academic Services
- The University of Wisconsin-Madison is designated an approved program in Italian that can lead to licensure. It is approved at the following levels:
- Teaching Major
- Minor approved for ages 6 to 12/13 (middle childhood-early adolescence program)
- Minor approved for ages 10 to 21 (early adolescence-adolescence program)
- Some helpful links:
- Italian Education Degree Program Components (exit WisItalia to UW-Madison)
- Certification, Portfolios and Career Services (exit WisItalia to UW-Madison)
University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeContact Information: 414 229-2738 or
klb@uwm.edu - Kathy L. Berry
- The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is designated an approved program in Italian that can lead to licensure. It is approved at the following levels:
- Teaching Major
- Teaching Minor
- Minor approved for ages 10 to 21 (early adolescence-adolescence program)
- Some helpful links:
- Undergraduate Bachelor Degree and Post-Baccalaureate Certification (exit WisItalia to UW-Milwaukee) - Requirements for a bachelor's degree leading to licensure to teach a language, as well as requirements for students who already have a bachelor's degree and are interested in becoming licensed teachers in the state of Wisconsin.
- Coursework and Program Requirements (exit WisItalia to UW-Milwaukee)
- Do you have questions regarding second language acquisition or obtaining licensure as an Italian
teacher?
Contact: Sandra Liliana Pucci, Ph.D
Associate professor of bilingual education
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Enderis Hall, 349
2400 E. Hartford Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53211
Email: pucci@uwm.edu
Telephone: 414 229-6650
Fax: 414 229-5571
Licensing Questions?
- Pamela.delfosse@dpi.wi.gov or 608 266-3079 - Questions about the World Languages Program, contact Pam Delfosse, World Languages Education Consultant.
- licensing@dpi.wi.gov or 800 266-1027 - Questions about teacher licensing in Wisconsin.


