Department: College of Letters and Science

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

The GIS Professional Certificate is awarded upon successful culmination of a series of courses that focus on professional competency and proficiency in using GIS. Valued by both private and public employers, it substantiates your expertise in using GIS to address a broad range of geographic-based issues and problems. Program participants will acquire abilities to communicate effectively with maps, represent earth’s cultural and physical features with GIS data, analyze geospatial patterns, trends, and relationships, and design geospatial models and scenarios for critical decision-making.

This certificate requires a minimum completion of 12 credits. This certificate is also available at the graduate level. View course catalog

Core Courses, 6 credits

  • GEOG 341 – Geographic Information Systems I Credits: 3
  • GEOG 343 – Geographic Information Systems II Credits: 3

Elective Courses, 6 credits

  • GEOG 260 – Introduction to Cartography: Map Conceptualization and Development Credits: 3
  • GEOG 342 – GIS Database Design and Data Modeling Credits: 3
  • GEOG 377 – Remote Sensing I Credits: 3
  • GEOG 433 – GIS and Geodesign for Sustainability and Resiliency Credits: 3
  • GEOG 477 – Remote Sensing II Credits: 3
  • GEOG 480 – Internship in Geography Credits: 1-12 or
  • GEOG 485 – Practicum in Geography Credits: 1-3

Related Graduate Certificates:

GIS Professional Certificate Program

Psychology Minor

Psychology is a minor that complements many disciplines and majors at UWSP such as business, health sciences, natural sciences, education, and the arts. The minor provides students with a strong core of psychology classes while also allowing students the flexibility to choose psychology classes which match their interests.  After completing the Introduction to Psychology course, students have substantial freedom to explore the many areas of psychology.
For more information visit the UW-Stevens Point course catalog.

The Psychology Minor consists of at least 18 credits, including:

Required Courses: Take all of the following:
PSYC 110: Introduction to Psychology
PSYC 200: Research Methods in Psychology

Core Content: Choose at least one course from each of the following two groups
Social Science Core:
PSYC 260: Introduction to Developmental Psychology
PSYC 320: Social Psychology
PSYC 301: Personality Psychology
PSYC 351: Abnormal Psychology

Cognitive Science Core:
PSYC 325: Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 330: Perception
PSYC 331: Cognitive Psychology
PSYC 375: Learning

Elective Courses: Take six additional elective Psychology credits, which may include courses listed above, not already used. [No more than 6 credits of 200-level courses will count toward these electives.]

English as a Second Language

The English as a Second Language program, also known as ESL, is housed in the Department of World Languages and Literatures and is an interdisciplinary minor at UW-Stevens Point.  Courses are designed to give students a framework in linguistics as it’s applied to second language education.  The program provides students with the skills, methods, strategies, and practicum experience for working with English language learners. 

Students get an introduction to linguistics, an introduction to theories of second language acquisition, and acquire the knowledge to work effectively with all age levels.  Present-day applications include working with, hiring, training, and servicing English language learners in a variety of vocations.

The minor is available to undergraduate students who are not pursuing teaching degrees or for those who are pursuing teaching degrees but not interested in pursuing the ESL teaching license.

Requirements 

Consists of a minimum of 16 credits (not including the World Languages prerequisite requirement). 

Prerequisites

  1. Demonstrated proficiency in English
  2. World languages requirement (totaling 8 credits)

For more information, visit the Course Catalog, search by the name of this program, and filter by semester.   

Sample Graduation Plan (Spanish Teaching Certification) with ESL Minor

For more information contact the ESL Advisor and Program Coordinator
Dr. Tobias Barske
Assistant Dean
School of Humanities and Global Studies
tbarske@uwsp.edu
715-346-2334

Collaborative Language Program

The Collaborative Language Program makes less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) available to students at all UW campuses through distributed learning technologies, where courses are taught here and transmitted to other schools or vice versa. Each course is facilitated by a qualified speaker of that language from a UW-System campus.

Currently, UW-Stevens Point receives the following courses from other campuses:

For information about the Universities of Wisconsin Collaborative Language Program click here. 

“Being willing to learn a second language is a window opening yourself to understanding.”
Justine Horvath ’07

World Languages Communicative Proficiency

The World Languages Communicative Proficiency Certificate helps you further develop your proficiency level in one of the target languages taught in the Department of World Languages and Literatures and deepen your understanding of the cultures of the people who speak this language. It can enhance the general education of any student and allow those who have already studied their target language in K-12 to continue their linguistic adventure. Higher proficiency in any second language prepares you from a variety of disciplines to work more effectively with others in your future workplaces – whether those workplaces are in business, higher education, government, or non-profit agencies.

Consists of 12 credits. View course catalog

Required Courses:

  • FLNG 250 – Introduction to World Languages  Credits: 3
  • 9 credits in one world language at 300-400 level taken at UWSP and/or one of our approved study-abroad programs.

Preferred Course Sequence

  • FREN 313/GERM 313/SPAN 313
  • FREN 314/GERM 314/SPAN 314
  • FREN 315/GERM 315/SPAN 315

Other Requirements

Global Seal of Biliteracy:  Apply, test, and receive the certification from the Global Seal of Biliteracy and provide a copy of the certification to the Department of World Languages and Literatures.

German Minor

CONNECT GLOBALLY WITH A GERMAN MINOR AT UW-STEVENS POINT

A minor in German offers students a background in the language at the undergraduate level, an introduction to the study of German literary classics, and knowledge of the history of German culture.  Students pursing music and the arts may be interested in a German minor for a better multi-cultural understanding of the arts.  Business and international studies majors interested in working with companies or in career fields with German affiliates may be interested in the minor as well.  

Consists of 18 credits.

In cooperation with the Office of International Programs, we offer a semester long language immersion program. Be sure to investigate study abroad opportunities in Marburg, Germany.

For more information, visit the Course Catalog, search by the name of this program, and filter by semester.   

UWSP Department of World Languages and Literatures

Spanish Minor

SEE THE WORLD THROUGH MORE THAN ONE LENS WITH A MINOR IN SPANISH AT UW-STEVENS POINT

A Spanish minor is an excellent option for a variety of majors.  Approximately 350 million people worldwide are native Spanish speakers and Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. In fact, 21 countries have Spanish as their official language: Spain, Equatorial Guinea (Malabo) in West Africa, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. The Spanish-speaking population is one of the fasting growing segments in the world, especially in the United States.

English as a Second Language teachers are in high need.  Additionally, the Hispanic market is today the most rapidly expanding market in the United States. Hispanic consumers have become a driving force in the largest national markets, including southern and northern California, New York, Chicago, Florida, Texas, and others. Some marketing studies show that Hispanics prefer to make buying decisions in Spanish and not surprisingly, there are many career fields in the U.S. are transitioning to bilingual services. 

Learning Spanish helps you to gain access to a wealth of Spanish art, music, literature, and film. Becoming bilingual means seeing the world through more than one lens; a skill that can help you in many areas and if you plan to travel, knowing the language of the places you visit will give you insights into the people and culture that a non-Spanish speaker would never have access to.

Consists of 18 credits.

For more information, visit the Course Catalog, search by the name of this program, and filter by semester. 

UWSP Department of World Languages and Literatures

Bilingual-Bicultural Education

Program participants acquire abilities to teach content both in English and another language (either Spanish or Hmong).  If you are an undergraduate student seeking ESL teacher certification or a practicing K-12 teacher with ESL certification, the Bilingual-Bicultural Education Certificate is only a few additional credits beyond the ESL teaching certification.

The certificate can be awarded after completion of coursework including FLED 345/FLED 545 (3 credits), FLED 397/FLED 597, and FLED 399 and requires a minimum of 5 credits. It is administered by the Department of World Languages and Literatures.

Attain this certificate by first successfully completing the English as a Second Language Minor with K-12 Teacher Certification.

For more information, visit the Course Catalog, search by the name of this program, and filter by semester.   

Basic Second Language Proficiency

The Basic Second Language Proficiency Certificate allows students to acquire a second language to reach a basic proficiency level and to focus on understanding cultural knowledge related to the people where this second language is spoken. The certificate provides preparation for students from a variety of disciplines to work more effectively with others in their future workplaces – whether those workplaces are in business, higher education, government or non-profit agencies. The certificate can enhance the general education of any student.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of how languages other than English are similar to and different from the English language.
  • Discuss the importance of speaking a language other than English to become a more engaged global citizen.
  • Discuss how basic language proficiency in a second language represents an asset to professional success.

Required Courses:

Complete first four semesters of a world language offered at UWSP including Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian or Spanish. View course catalog

  • At least one of the courses in the following sequences must be taken at UWSP.
  • If you have enough retro-active credits to cover the sequence and your placement is above this level, take a 300-level language course at UWSP. To receive retro-active credits, you need to earn B- or above in this course.
  • For languages not offered at UWSP (e.g., Hmong), an official ACTFL oral proficiency test score of beginning high may be substituted.
  • FLNG 101 – Intercultural Communication and Global Citizenship Credits: 3

UWSP Course Sequences

Chinese: CHIN 101, 102, 200, 201

French: FREN 101, 102, 211, 212

German: GERM 101, 102, 211, 212

Japanese: JAPN 101, 102, 211, 212

Russian: RUSS 101, 102, 211, 215

Spanish:  SPAN 101, 102, 211, 212

Environmental Justice

The Environmental Justice certificate examines the paired problems of social inequality and environmental pollution. Students take one core course, History 279 Environmental Justice, that provides historical context. Further courses deepen the investigation with perspectives from the humanities and social sciences. In completing courses for the certificate, students also satisfy several General Education requirements.

The 12-credit program is an interdisciplinary certificate administered by the Department of History and International Studies.

For more information, view course catalog. Search by the name of this program, and filter by semester.  

For advising questions contact:

Neil Prendergast
Associate Professor, History and International Studies
neil.prendergast@uwsp.edu