Applying to Add/Change Program, Plan, Certificate or Named Option

Currently enrolled graduate students who want to apply to add, change, or discontinue a program of study, or add a certificate, do so through the Graduate Student Portal (in the MyGradPortal in MyUW).  An admissions application and fee are not required.

Students must check with the intended program concerning admission requirements (for example, letters of recommendation or statement of purpose) and eligibility. Upon receipt of a recommendation from the program, the Graduate School will notify the student of the decision. Questions regarding the status of an application are best directed to the program.

If dissertators want to add a program, typically a master’s program or a certificate program, they cannot concurrently hold dissertator fee status while pursuing the graduate degree or certificate. Dissertators who add a program or a certificate program will be removed from dissertator status and must enroll and pay fees as a regular graduate student.

International students who add/change a program or a certificate program should contact International Student Services to discuss the possible effects this change of program could have on immigration status.

Steps to Add/Change Program, Plan, or Named Option

Access MyUW and the Graduate Student Portal:

  1. Go to my.wisc.edu.
  2. Enter your NetID login information.
  3. Click on the tile “Graduate Student Portal”. If you do not see the tile, you can search for it in the top search bar and add it to your page.

Initiating a request:

  1. Once in your Portal page, select the tile on the home page titled “Add/Change Programs.”
  2. In the “Enrolled Programs” section, you will have options to add a Graduate/Professional certificate, doctoral minor (PhD students only), or major. You also have the option to discontinue a program in which you are already enrolled.
  3. Choose an action button, which will display an associated window and show fields appropriate for the type of request.
  4. Fill out the fields and click the “send” button to complete the initial request.

The request will show up as “In Review” in the Requests section on the Add/Change Programs page. Your Graduate Program Coordinator will follow up once your request is decided. More detailed instructions on this process, including example screenshots, can be found in the Add/Change/Disconnue Program Training.

See Change of Degree Level (Plan)Change of Degree Named OptionDissertator StatusNamed OptionPrograms (or ‘Majors’)