Graduate School Admission Requirements
Academic program admission requirements (see below) may be in addition to, or more rigorous, than the Graduate School requirements.
Grades
A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 on the equivalent of the last 60 semester hours (approximately two years of work) or a master's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Applicants from an international institution must have a strong academic performance comparable to a 3.00 for an undergraduate or master's degree. All GPA's are based on a 4.00 scale. We use your institution's grading scale; do not convert your grades to a 4.00 scale.
Degree
A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution.
International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor's degree.
For specific information on your country refer to this list:
Your school should provide an official translation of your documents; otherwise have a translation done by your school or an official translator. In some countries these people are also notaries. Do not submit an evaluation from a credential evaluation service in lieu of a translation
English Proficiency
Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate
instruction was not in English, must provide an English proficiency test score. Your score is considered too old, and will not be accepted, if it is more than 2 years old from the start of your admission term.
Country of citizenship does not exempt applicants from this requirement. Language of instruction at the college or university level, and how recent it has been, are the determining factors in meeting this requirement.
Applicants are exempt if:
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English is the exclusive language of instruction at the undergraduate institution; or
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they have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university not more than 5 years prior to the anticipated semester of enrollment; or
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they have 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, not more than 5 years prior to the anticipated semester of enrollment.
For specific information on your country refer to this list:
The required scores are:
Minimum TOEFL requirement: 92 internet (iBT);
580 paper-based test (PBT)
Minimum IELTS requirement: 7.0
Minimum MELAB requirement: 82
Under certain circumstances, and with program approval, admission may be granted with the following scores. However, as a condition for admission, 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 your first semester. Below are the ranges in which an ESLAT will be required:
TOEFL (iBT) 80-91
TOEFL paper based 550-579
IELTS 6.5
MELAB 77-81
International Financial Information
International applicants are required to have adequate financial resources to cover their expenses for the duration of their studies at UW-Madison. Do not send any financial statements until requested.
Academic Program Admission Requirements
Academic program admission requirements may be in addition to, or more rigorous, than
the Graduate School requirements.
Find your academic program of interest to check
on its specific requirements.
All supplemental materials, i.e. academic records, reasons for graduate study, resumes,
should be sent to the academic program.