About the Graduate School

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin–Madison Graduate School!

The Graduate School serves the students, faculty, and staff that make UW-Madison a world-class destination for graduate education, research, and scholarship. We accomplish our mission to foster excellence in graduate education by centering our work around student support and by collaborating with our colleagues in schools/colleges and departments/programs across campus.

Our committed staff work behind the scenes to support graduate students and programs in everything from admissions to degree completion. We set high standards for graduate education on campus. Our activities include processing applications, clearing degrees, setting academic policies, coordinating academic planning and assessment of graduate programs, managing graduate student funding opportunities, coordinating career and professional development opportunities, and encouraging graduate students to build community and find a sense of belonging. More broadly, we advocate for graduate students and graduate education campus-wide and nationally to ensure that graduate students receive the education, skills, and opportunities that will prepare them to lead.

The Graduate School’s work is done in collaboration with many others on campus. We are closely tied to the educational and research missions of the institution, both vital to graduate study. At UW–Madison, there is a long history of excellence in graduate education, scholarship, and research. The Wisconsin Idea is equally important, and our students do much to positively impact the state, nation, and globe.

These strengths in education, research/scholarship, and outreach combine to make UW–Madison a unique and wonderful place to pursue a graduate education. Our graduate programs consistently rank among the nation’s best. We prepare students to be on the cutting edge of knowledge creation and discovery, both during graduate school and after.

Our activities are guided by the Graduate School Strategic Plan for Graduate Education at UW-Madison (2023-2028). This plan outlines our broad priorities, such as advancing innovation in graduate education, recruiting and retaining a talented a diverse student body, supporting graduate student mentorship, strengthening student wellbeing, and facilitating access to funding. I look forward to continuing the work that will support these strategic priorities and maintain the excellent quality of graduate education at UW–Madison.

I encourage you to explore our graduate degrees, our student programming, and the stories of groundbreaking research on this website to learn more about graduate education at UW-Madison.

William J. Karpus
Dean of the Graduate School
Vice Provost for Postdoctoral Affairs
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine