Academic Policies and Procedures Glossary

Breadth is a required component of doctoral training at UW–Madison. Given there are multiple paths to breadth, the Graduate School leaves the choice of whether students achieve breadth through a minor or other means up to the specific program.

See Minors

Dissertators who do not plan on finishing their degree may request a Certificate of Doctoral Candidacy in recognition of their completion of all requirements toward the doctoral degree except for the dissertation (sometimes called all but dissertation/ABD at other institutions). The certificate shows the date of the preliminary examination as well as the issue date, but does not substitute for an official transcript from the Office of the Registrar. To obtain the certificate, students, advisors, or graduate coordinators should contact the Graduate School Degree Coordinator.

See Dissertator Status

If you have completed all degree requirements and deposited your thesis or dissertation and are waiting until the next degree conferral date to receive your degree, you may request from the Office of the Registrar a Degree Completion Letter (Degree Verification) indicating that all requirements have been completed. Important: All grades from the semester in which you are depositing your dissertation (and all other outstanding grades) must be reported before you can receive a completion letter.

Since master’s and doctoral degrees do not appear on transcripts until 4 to 6 weeks after the end of a semester, students may wish to obtain this letter from the Registrar’s Office to provide to employers or other universities to verify degree completion before the transcript posting, but after all grades are finalized and their dissertation (doctoral degree) or thesis (if required for the master’s degree) is approved and deposited.

See Degree Conferral/Payroll End Dates, Holds

Degree Level (Plan)

A student may change their degree level, for example, if students with a master’s degree plan have completed their master’s degree and want to continue in the same program for the doctoral degree. To change degree level, see Applying to Add/Change Program, Plan, or Named Option.

Named Option (Sub-Major)

A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. The Graduate Faculty Executive Committee approves official named options. Many programs may also have unofficial specializations, concentrations, or tracks; unlike named options these do not appear on the transcript. Find more information on named options. To report a change in degree named option, see Applying to Add/Change Program, Plan, or Named Option.

For questions, please contact the Graduate School Degree Coordinator.

See Applying to Add/Change Program, Plan, or Named Option, Programs (or ‘Majors’)

Committees advise and evaluate satisfactory progress, administer preliminary and final oral examinations, evaluate a thesis or dissertation, and/or sign a degree warrant. A student’s program arranges a committee with appropriate expertise to afford the breadth and depth needed in degree examinations. The responsibilities of individual committee members are determined by the program. The executive committee (or its equivalent) of a program/department is responsible for approving the composition of all graduate committees. The final warrant request which includes committee membership must be submitted to the Graduate School at least three weeks before the examination date. Students should consult their advisor and their program’s student handbook for the specific function of degree committees in their program.

Use this online tool to help you determine whether the proposed committee would meet the following criteria.

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE COMMITTEES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

For doctoral committees/final oral examination committees:

1. The chair or one of the co-chairs of the committee must be graduate faculty¹ from the student’s program.  (Note:  Faculty who retire or resign retain graduate faculty status for one year and can serve as chair or a co-chair during that time.)^4,5
2. The committee must have at least four members. The committee must have members from at least two University of Wisconsin—Madison graduate programs.^3,5   
3. Three of the committee members must be UW–Madison graduate faculty or former UW–Madison graduate faculty up to one year after resignation or retirement.
4. At least three committee members must be designated as readers.⁶
5. The fourth member and any additional members may be from any of the following categories, as approved by the program executive committee (or its equivalent): graduate faculty, faculty from a department without a graduate program¹, academic staff² (including emeritus faculty), visiting faculty, faculty from other institutions, scientists, research associates, and other individuals deemed qualified by the executive committee (or its equivalent).
6. All committee members have voting rights. To receive a doctoral degree, students cannot receive more than one dissenting vote from their committee on the final degree warrant.

For MFA final committees:

1. The chair or one of the co-chairs of the committee must be graduate faculty¹ from the student’s program.  (Note:  Faculty who retire or resign retain graduate faculty status for one year and can serve as chair or a co-chair during that time.)^4,5
2. The committee must have at least four members.
3. Three of the committee members must be UW–Madison graduate faculty or former UW–Madison graduate faculty up to one year after resignation or retirement.
4. The fourth member and any additional members may be from any of the following categories, as approved by the program executive committee (or its equivalent): graduate faculty, faculty from a department without a graduate program¹, academic staff² (including emeritus faculty), visiting faculty, faculty from other institutions, scientists, research associates, and other individuals deemed qualified by the executive committee (or its equivalent).
5. All committee members have voting rights. To receive a MFA degree, students cannot receive more than one dissenting vote from their committee on the final degree warrant.

For master’s thesis committees:

1. The chair or one of the co-chairs of the committee must be graduate faculty¹ from the student’s program.  (Note:  Faculty who retire or resign retain graduate faculty status for one year and can serve as chair or a co-chair during that time.)^3,5
2. The committee must have at least three members.
3. Two of the committee members must be UW–Madison graduate faculty or former UW–Madison graduate faculty up to one year after resignation or retirement.
4. The third member and any additional members may be from any of the following categories, as approved by the program executive committee (or its equivalent): graduate faculty, faculty from a department without a graduate program¹, academic staff² (including emeritus faculty), visiting faculty, faculty from other institutions, scientists, research associates, and other individuals deemed qualified by the executive committee (or its equivalent).
5. All committee members have voting rights. To receive a master’s degree, students cannot receive more than one dissenting vote from their committee on the final degree warrant.

For master’s non-thesis committees:

1. The committees must have at least one graduate faculty¹ from the student’s program.^3,5
2. To receive a master’s degree, students cannot receive more than one dissenting vote from their committee on the final degree warrant.

Footnotes:
¹ Graduate Faculty: The UW–Madison Faculty Policies and Procedures 3.05 contains the policies and exceptions regarding the graduate faculty status.
² Academic Staff: The UW–Madison Faculty Policies and Procedures 3.05H contains the policy related to academic staff serving on the committees.
³ Program: Programs are officially approved courses of study and research leading to a master’s or doctoral degree. They may be administered from within a disciplinary department or across departments by an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary cluster of faculty. Some programs have official areas of concentration within them (called named options or subplans) at the master’s and/or doctoral levels. Both programs and named options appear on the student’s transcript. Some programs have unofficial tracks, specializations, or concentrations, but these are not listed on the transcript. Contact the program’s graduate coordinator for more information.
⁴ The advisor does not have to be chair of the committee, although it is often the case. Moreover, the co-advisors/co-chairs will be designated in the dissertation document.
⁵ Note that affiliate appointments may be used to satisfy this requirement.
⁶ Readers: Committee members who commit themselves to closely reading and reviewing the entire dissertation. The rationale for specifically designating non-reader status is to facilitate faculty participation in dissertations without automatically expecting the level of commitment associated with deeply engaging a PhD thesis. Given faculty workloads, designating a non-reader in some cases may permit faculty participation where engagement would otherwise be impossible. As long as the Graduate School minimum of at least three committee members that are readers is upheld, programs will remain in compliance with Graduate School policy. Programs may choose to have stricter requirements.

See Advisor

Students are not allowed to enroll for more or fewer credits than indicated for a course in the Schedule of Classes.

For more information and questions, contact the Office of the Registrar or Graduate School Office of Academic Services. Demos & Tutorials for course changes are available here. For instructions on how to late add/change/drop a class, visit the Late Enrollment/Late Course Change/Late Drop section.

See Auditing Courses, Course Changes, Dean’s Approval, Late Enrollment/Late Course Change/Late Drop, Pass/Fail, Variable Credit Courses, Tuition and Fee Information

The Graduate School acts as the academic dean’s office for all graduate students. If a student needs a dean’s approval or authorization, they should contact the Graduate School Office of Academic Services at gsacserv@grad.wisc.edu.

For master’s students

In lieu of enrollment, the Graduate School may approve payment of a degree completion fee for a master’s degree candidate who has completed all of the degree requirements except thesis defense, comprehensive examination(s), presentation of a final project, or removal of an incomplete grade. To be eligible students must have submitted their final thesis or project paper to their advisor while they were enrolled. This fee is comparable to 2 graduate credits at the current resident tuition rate. This fee is established annually and assessed per semester. Students should ask their program to submit a Degree Completion Fee Request Form to the Graduate School on their behalf before the beginning of the semester when students are completing a master’s degree. After the Graduate School approves the request, the fee will be added to the student’s account. Students must pay the completion fee before the program requests a warrant.

For dissertators

The Graduate School requires all dissertators to maintain continuous enrollment (see the continuous enrollment policy for dissertators). Dissertators must enroll in the semester(s) in which they defend, submit their dissertations, and graduate (see enrollment requirements for dissertators). In rare circumstances where this is not possible, a degree completion fee is assessed to recognize the inevitable use of university facilities (including faculty and staff time) up to and including the successful defense and submission of the dissertation. The fee is equal to 12 times the current per-credit dissertator rate in effect at the time the dissertation is submitted. The fee is assessed at the time dissertators are ready to complete the degree and is based on the resident or nonresident tuition status dissertators had at their last term of enrollment. If dissertators break enrollment and then reenter and enroll for less than 4 continuous terms before completion, they will pay a prorated rate (the 12-credit fee minus all continuous enrollment credits paid since the time of readmission). If enrollment is broken, but a dissertator reenters and enrolls for at least 4 continuous terms, then a completion fee is not assessed.

See Continuous Enrollment Requirement for Dissertators, Enrollment Requirements

Graduate students who complete all degree requirements at any point during a term remain officially enrolled and retain student status through the official degree conferral date for that term, as determined by the Secretary of the Faculty and posted as conferral date on the transcript. Degrees are granted three times per year in May, August, and December. The official conferral date can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s Dates & Deadlines webpage.

Funding for graduating students

Graduate assistants, fellows, and trainees may remain on the payroll until the end of the term, as stated above, or may be removed if necessary for a change of status (e.g. to a postdoc or academic staff position) or end of grant funding. If a student is removed, the Bursar’s Office will check with the Graduate School to confirm graduation at the end of the given term and will maintain tuition remission for appropriately funded students if the student remains on payroll through the dates listed below:

• Doctoral candidates: through the date of dissertation deposit or through the official conferral date of term
• Non-thesis master’s candidates: through the completion date stated on warrant or through the official conferral date of term
• Thesis master’s candidates: through the date thesis is received by the Memorial Library or through the official conferral date of term

International students: contact International Student Services for guidance on the degree completion date and its impact on the visa status. The dates listed above may be different for international students.

Window Period degrees

The “Window Period” is the time between the end of one degree period and the beginning of the next. Students are eligible to complete their degree requirements during the window period if they were registered for the previous semester (fall, spring, or summer). If all degree requirements are met by the end of the window period, a student’s degree will be granted for the following semester. Students will not have to register or pay fees for the next semester.

Students receiving window period degrees may remain on payroll and retain student status only through the dates listed below:

• Doctoral candidates: through the date of dissertation deposit or through the last day of the window period
• Non-thesis master’s candidates: through the completion date stated on warrant
• Thesis master’s candidates: through the date thesis is received by the Memorial Library

International students: contact International Student Services for guidance on the degree completion date and its impact on the visa status. The dates listed above may be different for international students.

See Certification of Graduation (or ‘Degree Completion Letter’), Graduation

A computerized graduate degree summary is not prepared for graduate students (e.g. the Degree Audit Reporting System, or DARS). Students’ programs, particularly their advisors, are responsible for ensuring timely fulfillment of Graduate School and program requirements. Students should consult their program’s satisfactory progress criteria in their program’s student handbook, or in the Graduate Guide.

Students and programs can check academic progress using the Graduate Student Tracking System.

See Advisor, Satisfactory Progress

Students with disabilities are encouraged to inform their faculty advisor and instructor of their need for disability-related accommodations in a timely manner. Implementation of reasonable accommodations is a shared faculty and student responsibility. Faculty, either directly or in coordination with the McBurney Disability Resource Center, are expected to work with students to identify and provide reasonable accommodations.

The McBurney Disability Resource Center provides disability-related services and accommodations to undergraduate, graduate, professional, special and guest students. The Center works closely with students and faculty on the provision of reasonable accommodations to ensure access to the learning environment. The Center makes referrals to other campus offices or community resources for non-classroom accommodations such as housing, transportation, personal care attendants, etc. Students should contact the Center upon admission to begin the eligibility for services process. Early notice is essential in order to have services and accommodations in place prior to the start of the semester.

McBurney Disability Resource Center
702 West Johnson Street, Suite 2104
608/263-2741 (voice)
608/225-7956 (text)
mcburney@studentlife.wisc.edu

See Discrimination

A doctoral dissertation must be a dissertator’s own work. If it is the result of research enterprises in which others have collaborated, a substantial portion must represent the dissertator’s own contribution and the other research participants must be identified.

Effective September 1, 2017, dissertations must acknowledge contributions received from other individuals, including co-authors of published work that appears in the document, such as in designing the research, executing the research, analyzing the data, interpreting the data/research, or writing, proofing, or copyediting the manuscript.

Publication of the doctoral dissertation is required. The university uses ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator to publish the dissertation electronically and on microfilm and to publish an abstract of the dissertation in Dissertation Abstracts, a monthly publication. Dissertators must pay the cost of processing the dissertation and publishing the abstract by ProQuest.

All doctoral dissertations are reviewed by the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Services. More information can be found on the Graduate School’s Completing Your Degree webpage.

Most master’s theses at UW–Madison are not published through ProQuest, although a student may choose to do so. If students want to publish their master’s thesis through ProQuest, they should contact the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Services.

See Copyright, Deadlines

Dissertator is a unique fee status for students who have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree except for the dissertation. To be eligible for dissertator fee status, a student must:

• Pass the preliminary examination(s);
• Satisfy the doctoral minimum graduate residence credit requirement;
• Complete all minor requirements, if the major program requires a minor;
• Complete all program requirements except the dissertation;
• Clear all Incomplete grades or Progress grades in non-research courses (progress grades in 990 research may remain);
• Earn at least a 3.0 cumulative graduate GPA;
• Return the signed and dated preliminary exam warrant to the Graduate School.

Dissertator status is effective at the start of the semester following completion of all dissertator requirements for the doctoral degree except for the dissertation. In order to initiate the change to dissertator status, the prelim warrant must be sent to the Graduate School in a timely fashion. Students can check on dissertator status by contacting their graduate program coordinator. All dissertator requirements must be met before the first day of classes to be a dissertator for any given semester. If all dissertator requirements are completed before the first day of classes but the signed prelim warrant does not reach the Graduate School by that deadline, the student can still become a dissertator that semester. Submit the warrant to the Graduate School as soon as possible and enroll for at least 3 credits (usually 990 research) for that semester. Removal of Dissertator Status: A dissertator who enrolls for more (or fewer) than 3 credits will be removed from dissertator status for the fall or spring term in which the enrollment is not exactly 3 credits. During the summer, however, an enrolled dissertator may ask their advisor to request an overload of 1-2 additional credits in a short session and still retain dissertator fee status, if the course is related to dissertation research or professional training that is not offered in regular semesters. The removal of dissertator status may have the following consequences:

• Graduate assistant (TA/PA/RA) stipend rates may have to be adjusted to the non-dissertator rate, or percent limitations
• Fees are assessed at the non-dissertator rate
• Full-time status may change to part-time, possibly affecting loan deferral, visa status, etc.

If a dissertator wants to pursue a graduate degree or certificate in another area, the dissertator fee status will be discontinued and regular graduate fees will be assessed, with possible consequences listed above. Find more information about the tuition and fees for a dissertator and non-dissertator on the Bursar’s Office Tuition and Fees webpage.

See Addition/Change of Program, Plan, or Named Option, Enrollment Requirements, Maximum Levels of Appointments, Minimum Graduate Residence Credit Requirement

The Graduate School surveys all students graduating with a doctoral or master’s degree. The survey collects information on academic experiences, advising, and future plans.

Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED): The SED is a federally-sponsored national survey of individuals receiving research degrees from all U.S. institutions and the results are used to assess characteristics and trends in doctoral education. The SED is to be completed by PhD students, not DMA, DNP or AuD students.

Graduate School Doctoral Exit Survey (DES): The Graduate School surveys all students graduating with a doctoral degree. The DES collects additional information on academic experiences, e.g., advising and other academic support.

Master’s Degree Completion Survey: All students completing master’s degrees are asked to answer a brief online survey about their plans for employment or for additional education. Students will receive an email with a link to the survey at the time of the final warrant request.

The doctoral exit surveys must be completed before submitting your dissertation electronically. Each individual survey will provide a certificate of completion once you have submitted the survey. The individual certificates of completion should each be saved as PDF documents to be uploaded in the administrative documents section of the ProQuest/UMI ETD Administrator website.

Directions for completing the doctoral surveys are in the Graduate School’s Guide to Preparing your Doctoral Dissertation.

See Final Oral Examination (Defense)

The final examination (often called “defense”) normally covers a student’s dissertation and areas of study. Students may not take the final examination until they have satisfied all other requirements for their degree. Students’ records must be cleared of incomplete grades and progress grades (other than research) before they can take the final exam.

Doctoral students have five years from the date of passing their preliminary examinations to take their final examination and deposit their dissertation. Arrangements for the final examination and the  examination committee’s approval of the dissertation are the responsibilities of the student and the program. The graduate program coordinator must submit the final doctoral warrant request to the Graduate School at least three weeks before the final examination.

After the graduate program coordinator submits the doctoral degree warrant request, the Graduate School will review this request and send the approved doctoral degree warrant to the graduate program coordinator. The final warrant should be printed out and committee member signatures should be obtained the defense. To pass the examination, students must receive no more than one dissenting vote from their committee. A missing signature is considered a dissent. Once the final warrant has been signed, an electronic copy should be uploaded in the administrative documents section of the ProQuest/UMI ETD Administrator website. The original signed hard copy of the final warrant should be kept with the student or the graduate program coordinator. For further information, visit the Graduate School’s Guide to Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation.

See Preliminary Examinations, Time Limits

Students have five years from the date of their preliminary examination to take their final oral examination and deposit their dissertation.

See Preliminary Examinations, Time Limits

Graduate/professional certificates are available to all degree-seeking graduate and professional students (GRAD, LAW, MED, PHARM, VMED careers) and may be used by doctoral students in meeting their breadth requirement (see policy on Breadth Requirement in Doctoral Training). Graduate/professional certificate programs coordinate teaching and research among scholars active in interrelated disciplines. Consult the certificate program regarding recognition of program completion. Certificate programs monitor their own course and satisfactory progress requirements.

Students wishing to pursue a certificate must submit a request to add it to their academic career through the Add/Change/Discontinue application process in the MyGradPortal. This should be done as soon as a student knows they wish to add the certificate and before completing the classes for the certificate.  The certificate must be on the student’s academic career before the prelim (doctoral students) or degree warrant (master’s students) is requested.

A list of all graduate/professional certificates with specific information for each is  available in the Graduate Guide on the Graduate/Professional Certificates page.

See Capstone Certificates

To receive a master’s degree, students contact their program coordinator at the beginning of the term in which they intend to graduate. The program coordinator will check that they have met program requirements and will request a warrant from the Graduate School on the student’s behalf. Students need to be enrolled in their program and taking a minimum of 2 credits (graded courses taken at 300 or above; audits and pass/fails do not satisfy this requirement) during the term in which they intend to graduate. For more information and deadlines visit the Graduate School’s Completing Your Master’s Degree webpage.

Doctoral candidates’ major programs should request a final doctoral warrant at least 3 weeks before the anticipated date of their final dissertation defense. Doctoral candidates must be enrolled during the term in which they intend to defend or graduate. For more information and deadlines visit the Graduate School’s Completing Your Doctoral Degree webpage.

See Certification of Graduation (or ‘Degree Completion Letter’), Deadlines, Degree Completion Fee, Degree Conferral/Payroll End Dates, Dissertation and Thesis Standards and Publishing, Dissertation Defense (Final Examination)

UW–Madison recommends all graduate students and postdoctoral researchers utilize Individual Development Plans to set academic and career goals and facilitate conversations with their mentor(s). All graduate students and postdoctoral researchers supported by NIH funding are required to have an Individual Development Plan (IDP). Other funding agencies may have additional requirements related to the IDP.

IDPs are written plans that give mentees ownership and structure to assess their skills, interests, and values, define clear and actionable goals, explore career options, and facilitate conversations with their mentor(s). IDP forms vary greatly, although many are structured around core competencies or learning outcomes. The onus for writing, maintaining, and implementing the plan is on the mentee, and conversations with and feedback from the mentor(s) are essential.

The Graduate School will identify individuals who must complete an IDP and will notify them of tools and resources available. The Graduate School will offer graduate students, postdocs, and PIs tools to track IDP progress. The IDP tracking tool will log activity related to the IDP, but the actual contents of the IDP will not be captured by the tracking tool. The contents of the IDP are private to the mentee, who chooses which parts of the IDP to share with his or her selected mentor(s). Find the IDP template for graduate students and postdoc mentees, guidelines and other supporting resources for mentors and mentees, resources for PIs and grants administrators, including the IDP tracking tool.

Each program sets its own language requirements. Some programs require competence in one or more languages before students can take preliminary examinations. Students must check with their major program’s criteria for satisfactory progress in the program’s student handbook, or in the Graduate Guide.

The minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement states that at least 50% of credits applied toward the program’s graduate degree credit requirement must be courses designed for graduate work (this includes but is not limited to online, thesis/research, independent study, and practicum/internship credits).  Courses taken as a University Special student are not allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken at the 700 level or above.

For students taking coursework through the fall 2015 term, the official university record which identifies programs documented “graduate level” coursework is each program’s Minimum Degree Requirements and Satisfactory Progress chart in the 2014-2016 Graduate School catalog.  The official University documentation of “graduate level” coursework is identified with the graduate course attribute (G50%) in the University’s Course Guide and Class Search. More information regarding the course attribute can be found on the Academic Planning and Institutional Research (APIR) website.

Students should be aware that some programs may require more rigorous credit minimums than the Graduate School’s minimum. Students should visit their program’s Minimum Degree Requirements and Satisfactory Progress chart and contact their graduate program coordinator for program specific degree requirements.

See Minimum Graduate Degree Credit Requirement, Prior Coursework, University Special Student Status, Time Limits

The Graduate School’s minimum graduate degree credit requirement is a degree requirement instituted by the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee to ensure that a graduate degree meets institution accreditation standards (this includes but is not limited to online, thesis/research, independent study, and practicum internships credits).

Graduate Degree Credit Minimums

Master’s Degree: 30 credits
(except MFA)

M.F.A. /Specialist Certificate: 42 credits
(may include master’s degree credits taken at UW–Madison)

Doctoral Degree: 51 credits
(may include master’s degree credits taken at UW–Madison and credits take while a dissertator)

The doctoral degree minimum graduate degree credit requirement may be achieved with credits earned before or after dissertator status. The credits applied towards a master’s degree, a doctoral minor, or taken as a dissertator shall count towards the related doctoral graduate degree credit requirement.

Students should be aware that some programs may require more rigorous credit requirements than the Graduate School’s minimum requirements. Students should contact their graduate program coordinator for further information.

See Dissertator Status, Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement, Minimum Graduate Residence Credit Requirement, Prior Coursework, Time Limits

The Graduate School’s minimum graduate residence credit requirement for graduation can be satisfied only with courses numbered 300 and above taken as a graduate student at UW–Madison (this includes but is not limited to online, thesis/research, independent study, practicum/internship credits).

Graduate Residence Credit Minimums:

Master’s degree: 16 credits
(except MFA)

MFA/Specialist certificate: 24 credits
(may include Master’s degree credits taken at UW–Madison)

Doctoral degree: 32 credits
(must be completed prior to achieving dissertator status; may include master’s degree credits taken at UW–Madison)

In rare circumstances, courses taken as a University Special student maybe allowed to count toward the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. These credits generally are not allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum.

Credits applied to the minimum graduate residence credit requirement must be earned while enrolled as a graduate student at UW–Madison and can also count toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement.

Students should be aware that some programs may require more rigorous credit requirements than the Graduate School’s minimum requirements. Students should contact their graduate program coordinator for further information.

See Dissertator Status, Grading System, Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement, Minimum Graduate Degree Credit Requirement, Pass/Fail, Prior Coursework, Progress (P) Grades, Time Limits, Traveling Scholar Program

The preliminary examination is a significant milestone in a doctoral student’s academic career. It is given to assess knowledge of areas within the academic discipline. Passing of the preliminary area exam, obtaining approval of the minor if the major program requires it, and completing all the major course requirements culminate in admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree.

Students’ eligibility to take the prelim examination(s) is determined by their program. The program notifies the Graduate School of a student’s admission to candidacy on the preliminary warrant, which must be requested 3 weeks prior to the exam date. The number of examinations and their content vary from program to program. A student’s program administers the examination(s).

After passing the preliminary examination, students have 5 years to take the final examination (i.e. dissertation defense) and deposit their dissertation. The 5-year clock starts on the first day of instruction of the term (Fall, Spring, or Summer) immediately following the completion of the preliminary examination. Failure to complete their degree within this period may result in students having to retake the preliminary examination and be re-admitted to candidacy.

Time limit extension for dissertators impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

To offer flexibility amidst the major disruption that COVID-19 may have had on doctoral candidates’ research and scholarship progress, students who achieved dissertator status by the end of the 2020 summer term have automatically had the 5-year time limit extended by 8 months. Dissertators given this 8-month extension who need more time due to continued COVID-related disruption to their progress may request a further extension from the Graduate School. Decisions to extend the deadline beyond the additional 8 months are made on a case-by-case basis upon request of the student and approval of their advisor. Upon advisor approval, the advisor then requests an extension from the Graduate School by submitting the request to the PhD degree coordinator at gsacserv@grad.wisc.edu.

See Certificate of Doctoral Candidacy, Dissertator Status, Time Limits, Warrants

The Graduate School does not transfer credits for previous coursework.  However, a student’s program may decide to accept coursework completed outside of the student’s graduate career at UW–Madison under the conditions detailed below.  Any prior coursework accepted under these parameters must have been rigorous and meet the expectations of a graduate work for the degree. Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree or coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Satisfying Requirements with Prior Graduate Coursework from Other Institutions
A student’s program may decide to accept graduate coursework completed at another institution (earned post-baccalaureate) toward fulfillment of minimum degree, minimum graduate coursework, and minor credit requirements. This work will not appear on a UW–Madison transcript nor count towards the graduate career GPA. The Graduate School’s minimum graduate residence credit requirement can be satisfied only with courses taken as a graduate student at UW–Madison. The only exception is graduate-level coursework taken as a Big Ten Academic Alliance Traveling Scholar.

Satisfying Requirements with Coursework from Undergraduate Career at UW–Madison
For well-prepared advanced students, a student’s program may decide to accept up to seven credits numbered 300 or above of required or elective courses from the undergraduate work completed at UW–Madison towards fulfillment of minimum degree and minor credit requirements. However, this work would not be allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken at the 700 level or above. This work will not appear on the graduate career portion of UW–Madison transcript nor count towards the graduate career GPA. The Graduate School’s minimum graduate residence credit requirement can be satisfied only with courses taken as a graduate student at UW–Madison.

Satisfying Requirements with Coursework from Undergraduate Career outside of UW-Madison (Policy on Exceptions for Specialized Accreditation to Allow Undergraduate Credits Towards a Graduate Degree)

When considering the undergraduate category of prior coursework, the Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC) restricts the seven credits of undergraduate work to UW-Madison courses because of the challenges associated with assessing the rigor of courses taught at other institutions.

Accredited programs may request an exception to this policy to allow up to seven credits of undergraduate coursework from other institutions to count toward a graduate degree based on specialized accreditation.  The process for requesting an exception was approved by the GFEC in 2014 and is as follows in italics:

An exception to allow up to seven credits from an undergraduate degree earned at a non UW- Madison institution to count toward a UW-Madison graduate degree can be requested on a program-by-program basis when the following two conditions are met:

1) students have received their undergraduate degree in the same discipline as they are pursuing graduate work, and 

2) the undergraduate degree has been granted from a program which is accredited by the same accrediting body as the UW-Madison program.

Should a program decide to request an exception to this policy, it must provide the Graduate School with information requested on the undergraduate credit exception form to be eligible for consideration. Please note submission of an exception request does not provide assurance of its approval.

If a program believes a student situation meets these criteria, it must request this exception by completing the steps as outlined in the undergraduate credit exception form.  A request may be made at any time, but please note that the earliest date for implementation is the term AFTER Graduate School approval.  Please direct any questions to Emily Reynolds at emily.reynolds@wisc.edu.

Transfer from University Special Student Career at UW–Madison
After admission to a graduate program, the student’s program may decide to accept up to fifteen University Special student credits as fulfillment of the minimum graduate residence, graduate degree, or minor credit requirements on occasion as an exception (on a case-by-case basis). In all these cases, the student would have to pay the difference in tuition for the terms in question. Those credits earned in a University Special student semester still appear in the transcript history as “University Special” student, but the Registrar’s Office will add a statement in the beginning of the transcript “All credits taken in [term] as a University Special student have been accepted by the Graduate School toward a degree program” after the student has paid the difference in tuition. UW–Madison coursework taken as a University Special student would not be allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken at the 700 level or above. This work will not appear on the graduate career portion of the UW–Madison transcript nor count towards the graduate career GPA.

*Fulfillment of requirements is allowed in these instances only if approved by the student’s graduate program.

**Coursework earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree or coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Programs may decide to count previous graduate work from another institute toward fulfillment of degree credit requirements; however, this work will not appear on a UW–Madison transcript, and it does not count toward the Graduate School’s minimum graduate residence credit or graduate coursework (50%) requirements.

Prior coursework can be used toward the minor requirement in accordance with the Prior Coursework policy chart.

The credits used towards a master’s degree and the prior coursework used toward it may also be applied to a related doctoral degree. However, if the prior coursework credit maximums were already reached for the master’s degree (seven UW–Madison undergraduate credits and/or fifteen University Special student credits), then no more prior coursework credits are permissible for the doctoral degree.

Students should be aware that some programs may require more rigorous credit requirements than the Graduate School’s minimum requirements. Students should contact their graduate program coordinator for further information.

See Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement, Minimum Graduate Degree Credit Requirement, Minimum Graduate Residence Credit Requirement

Qualifying examination requirements differ for each program. Students should contact their program to learn about specific requirements.

See Preliminary Examinations

Some master’s degrees require a thesis to be deposited in the Memorial Library. The Graduate School produces materials that describe the preparation of a thesis. See the Graduate School’s guide to Completing Your Master’s Degree.

See Dissertation and Thesis Standards and Publishing

The Big Ten Academic Alliance sponsors the Traveling Scholar Program as part of a continuing effort to increase cooperative use of its member institutions’ resources. This program enables doctoral-level students at any Big Ten Academic Alliance university to take advantage of educational opportunities (specialized courses, unique library collections, unusual laboratories) at any other Big Ten Academic Alliance university without additional tuition expenses. Find a list of member universities.

Credits earned by Traveling Scholars are transferred by the home university upon receipt of transcript from the host university. Courses and grades are posted directly on a student’s UW–Madison transcript and, if graduate level, count toward the Graduate School’s minimum graduate residence, degree, and coursework credit requirements. Terms are limited to two semesters or three quarters regardless of the number of courses taken.

Students interested in the Traveling Scholars Program should contact the Graduate School Degree Coordinator for an application or more information.

See Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement, Minimum Graduate Degree Credit Requirement, Minimum Graduate Residence Credit Requirement, Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework

A warrant is a program’s recommendation that a student be admitted to doctoral candidacy (a preliminary examination warrant) or be granted a degree (master’s or doctoral degree warrant).  Warrants are requested electronically by the Graduate Program Coordinator.  Once reviewed and approved by the Graduate School Degree Coordinator, the warrant serves as the Graduate School’s notification that a student has met both the Graduate School and program requirements with the exception for  degrees requiring a thesis/dissertation defense or final oral exam/exhibit. Approved warrants for doctoral degrees and master’s degrees requiring a thesis/dissertation defense or final oral exam/exhibit are made available to committee members for signature after evaluating the thesis/dissertation or final oral exam/exhibit.   If the committee decides the student has met this final requirement, the warrant is returned to the Graduate School for final review before the degree is approved (cleared) and awarded (posted).

See Certificate of Doctoral Candidacy, Dissertator Status, Dissertation Defense (Final Examination), Preliminary Examinations