Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission

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Policy Number:
UW-1241
Responsible Office:
Graduate School

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

This policy defines the Graduate School’s admission standards.

Definitions:
Academic Program
An area of study that leads to a degree/major, certificate, minor, or named option.
Credit Hour
A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
(1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
(2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Alternatively, a credit hour is defined as the learning that takes place in at least 45 hours of learning activities, which include time in lectures or class meetings, in-person or online, laboratories, examinations, presentations, tutorials, preparation, reading, studying, hands-on experiences, and other learning activities; or a demonstration by the student of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study.
In all cases, learning in for-credit courses is guided by a qualified instructor and includes regular and substantive student-instructor interaction.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The total number of grade points earned divided by the number of credit hours attempted. 
Scope:

Prospective students seeking admission/readmission to the Graduate School.

Policy:

Requirements for Admission

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. 

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores must be submitted electronically via Educational Testing Service (ETS).
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores can be submitted electronically or by paper.
  • Duolingo English Test (starting spring 2025 admit term) scores must be submitted electronically via Duolingo. 

The required proficiency scores are:

  • Minimum TOEFL requirement: 92 internet (iBT)
  • Minimum IELTS requirement: 7.0
  • Minimum Duolingo English Test requirement (starting spring 2025 admit term): 125

For applicants to programs held in-person, admission may be granted with the following scores under certain circumstances and with program approval. 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:

  • TOEFL internet (iBT): 80-91
  • IELTS: 6.5
  • Duolingo English Test (starting spring 2025 admit term): 115-124

UW-Madison does not accept scores compiled from multiple tests to meet English proficiency requirements.

English proficiency scores are not required when:

  • English is the exclusive language of instruction at the undergraduate institution; or
  • The applicant earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university no more than 5 years prior to the anticipated semester of enrollment; or
  • The applicant completed at least two full-time semesters of graded course work, exclusive of ESL courses, in a U.S. college or university, or at an institution outside the U.S. where English is the exclusive language of instruction. Completion of graded course work cannot be more than five years prior to the anticipated semester of enrollment.

Previously Enrolled Graduate Students

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. 

Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Dean of the Graduate School
Policy Manager:
Associate Director of Admissions
Contact:
Associate Director of Admissions -- Katie Bourassa, katie.bourassa@wisc.edu, (608) 262-2433
Revised Dates:

07-31-2023, 02-09-2024

Retrieved:
04-27-2024 05:46:54