Advising

Winona State University's Education Department offers a K-6 with Middle School specialty licensure program at the University Center Rochester Campus. Through a 2+2 agreement with Rochester Community and Technical College, students who plan for teacher licensure from the beginning of their freshmen year may complete one of the following teaching licenses in its entirety at the Rochester site:

• K-6 with Middle School Specialty in Social Studies
• K-6 with Middle School Specialty in Communication Arts & Literature

In addition, students who desire a K-6 with middle school specialty in Math or Science can enroll in the Rochester program with the understanding that they will need to complete additional course work in math or science at the Winona campus. Other programs listed below are offered only at the Winona campus:

• Early Childhood (infant to grade three)
• K-6 with Pre-Primary (preschool to grade six)
• K-12 Art, Music, Physical Education, or Special Education
• 5-12 secondary content area such as English, math, etc.

Students transferring from Rochester Community and Technical College or another institution must apply for admission to Winona State University and to the WSU Teacher Education Program. Teacher Education Admission meetings are scheduled once per semester at the Rochester University Center campus. Students must meet the admission criteria in effect at the time of their application. It is recommended that students completing their A.A. degree at RCTC attend an admission meeting after completing 30 semester hours of course work at RCTC.

Unique Characteristics of Rochester K-6 Middle School Programs
The Education Department's delivery of the K-6 Middle School licensure program in Rochester is uniquely configured. Courses for this program are offered only once per year in Rochester. Therefore, students must begin their sequence of courses in the Fall. Courses are typically scheduled to meet one or two evenings per week (Monday through Thursday). Some courses meet one night per week for the entire semester while others are scheduled in a sequence block that meets two nights per week for five weeks.

This allows full-time students to complete five courses per semester. In addition to evening courses, student are required to complete field experiences in local area schools during school hours throughout their education program. Most courses require a 15 hour field experience component. Therefore, a full-time student can expect to spend approximately 75 hours per semester in an assigned school setting. Students may complete the Rochester program in either a two-year or three-year sequence of courses. The three-year schedule is designed to meet the needs of those with extended family or job demands.