This policy defines the Graduate School’s admission standards.
Prospective students seeking admission/readmission to the Graduate School.
The Graduate School establishes as a threshold the minimum requirements for admission. Academic program admission requirements are often more rigorous than those set by the Graduate School.
Degree
A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution is required for admission to UW-Madison’s Graduate School.
The admitting degree must be completed and conferred before starting the first semester of graduate school.
Grade Point Average
A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 on the equivalent of the last 60 credit hours (approximately two years of work) or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. For applicants from international institutions, the Graduate School considers the grading scale of the applicant’s institution.
GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
The Graduate School does not require the Graduate Record Examination, however, programs may require it.
English Proficiency
Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment.
The required proficiency scores are:
Under certain circumstances, with program approval, admission may be granted with the following scores. However, to be admitted, an English assessment test (ESLAT) will be required upon arrival, and any recommended English as a Second Language (ESL) course must be completed successfully in the first semester. Below are the ranges in which an ESLAT will be required:
UW-Madison does not accept scores compiled from multiple tests to meet English proficiency requirements.
TOEFL or IELTS score are not required when:
Individuals previously enrolled as graduate students at UW–Madison with a break in enrollment for at least one fall or spring semester, must apply for re-entry to resume their studies at least six weeks prior to the start of the new start term. Individuals seeking admission to a new program must complete a new application for admission.
All Incomplete (I) grades must be completed during the first semester of enrollment upon return to the Graduate School.
Time Limits
Master's Degree Students
If there is a break in enrollment of five years or more, credits earned before the break cannot be counted toward the degree requirement.
Ph.D. Students
If there is a break in enrollment of ten years or more, credits earned before the break can no longer be counted toward the degree requirement.
07-31-2023