Graduate School | UW–Madison

Graduate Programs & Services at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
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In addition to a $1 billion annual investment in research, UW–Madison enjoys a strong global reputation for preeminence in graduate education.

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Our approach blends a top–notch education with the deep, sophisticated research opportunities so crucial to a meaningful graduate student experience.

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Being part of the intellectual community at UW–Madison means connecting to the broader world through the Wisconsin Idea.

COVID-19 Information for Graduate Students

Fall Classes: For the latest news regarding fall classes and campus operations at UW–Madison, please visit the Smart Restart website.

The combination of a superb graduate education and one of the world’s most successful research enterprises is the signature of the Graduate School at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

About the Graduate School >>
160+ graduate programs
9,200+ students
30% international students
2,165 master’s degrees awarded
852 PhDs awarded

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Professional Development

When you participate in professional development at UW–Madison, you build skills needed to succeed academically and thrive in your career.

About our Professional Development program >>
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News and Announcements

Stay informed important issues affecting graduate students with news and priority announcements from the Graduate School.

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Alumni career profiles

Explore the variety of career paths open to you as a UW–Madison graduate by reading the success stories of some of our alumni.

  • Chantell Evans

    Postdoctoral Researcher, Holzbaur Lab, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
    Chantell Evans graduated with her PhD in Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology in 2015. She is now a postdoctoral fellow in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and was selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as one of 15 early-career scientists in the first cohort of Hanna Gray Fellows, a program that supports scientists with the potential to become leaders in academic research.

  • Jared Knowles

    President, Civilytics Consulting LLC
    Jared Knowles founded Civilytics Consulting, LLC, in 2016 to pursue his passion of providing high-quality public performance metrics for government services. Knowles completed his political science PhD in 2015 at UW–Madison, where he was also a fellow in the Interdisciplinary Training Program in Education Sciences.

  • Iva Ugrčić

    Board Liaison and Strategic Initiatives at the Overture Center for the Arts; Founder and Executive Director of the LunART Festival
    Iva Ugrčić moved to the U.S. in 2014 to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UW–Madison, which she earned in 2017. While on campus, she also earned a minor in Business in the Arts from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the Wisconsin School of Business. She now serves in the Board Liaison and Strategic Initiatives role for the Overture Center for the Arts.

  • More alumni career profiles

Research and Innovation

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Our philosophy is clear and time-tested: the creation of new knowledge through research depends on educational excellence and graduate education is perfected through research. Our graduate students, and the work they do, illustrate this synergistic relationship. This Wisconsin tradition is built on a foundation of world-class faculty, diverse students determined to succeed, research innovation and facilities and programs second to none.

Read more research news >>

Investing in Graduate Education

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) plays an essential role in supporting the innovative research and graduate education that are cornerstones of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. 

These profiles illustrate the diverse and important ways that WARF contributes to graduate student success at UW–Madison.

Aruna Kallon

PhD student, Educational Policy Studies
Aruna’s research will focus on the effects of free secondary education on the quality of education in Sierra Leone. He will examine what is free in this free education package, how educators and students make sense of it, how the program will be sustained, and what will indicate success.

Rachelle Turnier

PhD student, Geoscience
Rachelle studies the crystallization of gem corundum, more commonly known as ruby and sapphire, to help determine the geochemistry of gems from different deposits. Her work may help identify a gem's country of origin, helping hold the industry to fair prices and ethical mining practices.

Galen Poor

PhD candidate, History and History of Science, Medicine & Technology
Galen studies Chinese history and the history of science. His dissertation describes how ancient China’s four great inventions – paper, printing, gunpowder, and the compass – were drawn into modern Chinese nationalism.

Read more WARF-funded student profiles >>