Requirements for Admission

Use the country-specific dropdown list below to find specific information about comparable degrees in your institution's country, which academic documents are required, and whether an English Proficiency Test is required.

Degree

To be eligible for admission, you must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution or a degree comparable to an accredited U.S. bachelor's degree.

UW–Madison recognizes institutional accreditation from these agencies:

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• The Commission on Colleges and Universities
• WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)

You must complete your undergraduate degree, or similar, before starting graduate school.

If your degree and transcript are in a language other than English, your school should provide an official translation of your documents, or you must have a translation done by your school or an official translator. Do not submit an evaluation from a credential evaluation service, such as WES, in lieu of a translation.

Transcripts

No official transcripts are required as part of the application. The Graduate School will send an instructional email request after the program has recommended admission.

Note: All transcripts become property of the UW–Madison Graduate School, and will not be returned.

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 is required. Applicants from an international institution must demonstrate strong academic achievement comparable to a 3.00 for an undergraduate or master's degree. The Graduate School will use your institution's grading scale. Do not convert your grades to a 4.00 scale.

GRE

The Graduate School does not require the GRE. Your academic program may or may not require it. Please check your program's website for details. If your intended program of study requires the GRE, you should submit official GRE scores electronically via ETS (institution code 1846).

English Proficiency

To demonstrate English proficiency, all international degree-seeking applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution.
• Earned a Masters, PhD, or professional degree from an accredited U.S. institution. The qualifying degree must have been earned within five years of the anticipated start of graduate enrollment.
• Earned the equivalent of a bachelor's degree from an institution outside of the U.S. where English is the exclusive language of instruction. The language of instruction must be stated on the official transcript or verified as the only language of instruction.
• Completed at least two full-time semesters of graded coursework from an accredited institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction within five years of the anticipated start of graduate enrollment. This coursework cannot include English language learning classes.
• Provided official and admissible results of an English proficiency exam to the Graduate School. Scores must be within two years from the anticipated start of enrollment.

Accepted English Proficiency Tests

The Graduate School accepts test results from TOEFL, IELTS, IELTS Indicator, and Duolingo English Test to fulfill the English proficiency requirement. The minimum required proficiency scores are listed below. UW-Madison does not accept scores compiled from multiple tests to meet English proficiency requirements. Scores are valid if they are less than two years from the first day of the anticipated enrollment term.

• Minimum TOEFL requirement:92 for tests taken before January 21, 2026
• Minimum TOEFL requirement:5.0 for tests taken on and after January 21, 2026
• Minimum IELTS requirement:7.0
• Minimum IELTS Indicator requirement:7.0
• Minimum Duolingo English Test requirement: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:80-91 for tests taken before January 21, 2026
• TOEFL:4.5 for tests taken on and after January 21, 2026
• IELTS:6.5
• Duolingo English Test:115-124

How to Submit English Proficiency Test Scores

You must submit your scores following the directions below:

• TOEFL scores must be submitted electronically via ETS. Our institution code is 1846.
• IELTS scores can be submitted electronically or by mail via IELTS. To send electronically, select our account name University of Wisconsin Madison Graduate Studies. To send by mail, use the following address:
  UW-Madison Graduate School, Office of Admissions
  232 Bascom Hall
  500 Lincoln Drive
  Madison, WI 53706
• Duolingo English Test scores must be submitted electronically via Duolingo to University of Wisconsin – Madison – Graduate Admissions.