Degree and Certificate Types
The Graduate School offers master’s degrees, PhDs, and an Educational Specialist degree. Professional schools at UW–Madison offer degrees in medicine, law, professional nursing, veterinary medicine, public health, and more.
Graduate/Professional Certificates
Earning a certificate is a great way to foster interdisciplinary connections during your graduate study.
A graduate/professional certificate shows your commitment to a specific discipline in addition to your major and demonstrates your knowledge of that topic when on the job market. Plus, doctoral students may be able to use a certificate to meet the Graduate School’s breadth requirement in doctoral training.
How to add a certificate
You must add the certificate to your academic career through the Add/Change/Discontinue process in MyGradPortal. For any additional steps needed to enroll in a particular certificate, contact the certificate-specific coordinator.
When to add a certificate
- You must add the certificate to your academic career before you complete the classes for it.
- Master’s students: Add the certificate before your degree warrant request.
- Doctoral students: Add the certificate before your preliminary exam.
Double, Joint, and Dual Degrees
2 degrees, 2 majors
Double degrees
For a double degree, you need two advisors, two committees, and two theses or dissertations.
1 degree, 2 majors
Joint degrees
For a joint degree, you need two advisors but only one committee and one thesis or dissertation.
You must submit a proposal for a joint degree before beginning your second year of graduate school.
1 graduate + 1 professional degree
Dual degrees
For a dual degree, you enroll in and complete both a graduate degree program granted through the Graduate School and a professional degree program granted through a professional school such as the Law School, School of Medicine and Public Health, or School of Veterinary Medicine.
Master’s students in service-based pricing programs are not eligible for double, joint, or dual degrees. See the list of programs with service-based pricing.
Special Graduate Committee Degrees
These degrees address an individual student’s unique needs that cannot be satisfied by existing combinations of programs. They usually span across multiple disciplines or focus on a new or emerging field.
Apply to the program closest to your interest. Once you enroll at UW–Madison, you can work with your advisor to propose a special graduate committee degree.
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