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UW Madison Special Education Teacher Residency Program (TRP)

UW Madison Special Education Teacher Residency Program (TRP)

A partnership between University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education (RPSE) and Milwaukee Public Schools

University of Wisconsin-Madison logo
Milwaukee Public Schools logo

Program Eligibility

To qualify for the Teacher Residency Program, you need to qualify for the UW-Madison master’s program first!  For our master’s program, we require:

  • a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher (if it’s below 3.0, please contact us to discuss)
  • 2 letters of recommendation
  • a statement of purpose explaining why you’re interested in becoming a special education teacher, including experiences in education and/or working with people with disabilities. Please mention that you are interested in TRP in your statement.
  • current resume
  • no GRE is required.

To then qualify for the Teacher Residency Program (TRP), you need to:

  • be a U.S. citizen
  • not currently be in a licensed position within Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)
  • agree to work in special education within MPS for 3 years after graduation
  • apply to and be hired by Milwaukee Public Schools. Here is the posting for the Teacher Resident position. 

Ready to Apply or Have Questions?

Apply by Jan. 31, 2025 to be considered in the next review period for this year’s cohort (2025-26) starting summer 2025. The final application date is Feb. 28, 2025, but you are encouraged to apply early due to limited space.

To be considered for this year’s cohort, you will need to complete both of the following steps:

  1. Apply to UW-Madison graduate school. Make sure to apply for the summer 2025 term and mention in your personal statement that you are interested in the TRP Program. Also, select “Special Education- MS Teacher Certification” as your program under the department Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education. Apply online.
  2. Apply to Milwaukee Public Schools online by searching Job ID #1028496. The job title is TEACHER – SPECIAL ED RESIDENTS (UW-MADISON
    TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM).

Have questions about the process? Please email Rebekka Olsen at rsolsen@wisc.edu.