Welcome new grad students!
Congratulations on your admission to the University of Wisconsin–Madison! The Graduate School offers support and resources to help you transition to life as a graduate student.
Welcome messages
Starting in May, newly admitted graduate students receive a series of emails from the Graduate School. New students for spring receive emails starting in November. | View the November welcome message. | View the December welcome message. | View the January welcome message.
Find a place to live
The University Apartments community serves UW–Madison graduate students, students with families, postdoctoral researchers, academic staff, and faculty. More information on housing in Madison is available in Graduate Student Life’s housing section.
Explore your new community
Find the vibrant student life in Madison!
Find funding
The Office of Fellowships and Funding Resources is the place to start when looking for graduate assistantships or fellowship funding for your graduate education. The Office of Student Financial Aid can also help.
Utilize professional development
It’s never too early to start planning your path to success! Check out the Office of Professional Development’s online resources and mark your calendars for workshops.
Watch for GradConnections Weekly
This weekly e-newsletter is a valuable source for information related to fellowships/funding, professional development workshops and events, academic deadlines and other timely information of interest to graduate students. New students for fall begin receiving GradConnections Weekly in September. New students for spring begin receiving the newsletter in January.
Graduate Student Life
Graduate Student Life is a valuable resource throughout your time at UW–Madison. Find information on housing, transportation, what to do on a night out, and tips for staying healthy.
Get the app
Graduate Student Life is also available through our Guidebook mobile app. Download the app to have it handy, plus get access to an interactive checklist for new students.
New Graduate Student Checklist
To add your own items to this checklist and track your completed tasks, download the Graduate Student Life Guidebook app for new graduate students.
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For all new graduate students
- Follow campus protocols regarding testing and use of the Safer Badgers app, which will be used to access campus buildings. More information about Safer Badgers and testing will be available soon.
- Activate your NetID and set up multi-factor authentication.
- Engage with New Graduate Student Welcome. New students will receive an official email invitation to participate in this special event for new graduate students.
- Connect with your program, meet your graduate coordinator and faculty advisor, and plan to participate in program orientation activities.
- Submit your final official transcript showing your posted degree and conferral date to transcripts@grad.wisc.edu. Transcripts need to be submitted directly by the institution. If your institution does not offer electronic transcripts please send them to the address listed below.
Graduate Admissions
University of Wisconsin – Madison
232 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706 USA - Enroll in classes (New grad student enrollment for spring 2021 opens Dec. 7).
- Use (or forward) your WiscMail account, the university’s official method of correspondence.
- Pay your tuition and segregated fees (even if you have tuition remission, you usually still have to pay segregated fees). Find tuition rates here.
- Students with graduate assistantships (TAs, PAs, RAs, and LSAs) have three months of paychecks each semester to pay segregated fees. See the Bursar’s Office policy for more information.
- If you have a need related to a disability, contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center.
- Fill out the Immunization and Health History Form
- Request your Wiscard (campus ID card). New students will receive more information in January about requesting their Wiscard. You must register for classes before you can get your Wiscard. Note: If you come to campus, the Safer Badgers app will be used to access campus buildings.
- Update your mailing address and phone number in MyUW if you moved.
- Request your free Madison Metro bus pass for the spring semester. Note: If you come to campus, the Safer Badgers app will be used to access campus buildings.
- Complete the online sexual violence prevention program. Newly admitted graduate students will receive an email from University Health Services with instructions on accessing the online program, Graduate and Professional Students Preventing and Responding to Sexual and Relationship Violence, closer to the start of the semester. This program is required for all new graduate students.
For international graduate students
- Check in with International Student Services (ISS) within 1-2 days of your arrival.
- If you are employed and on a J-1 or F-1 visa, apply for a social security number.
- If you are required to take the English as a Second Language Assessment Test (ESLAT) as a condition of your admission, do so immediately upon arrival.
- If you have questions related to your immigration record as impacted by the pandemic, please review these ISS FAQs for international students.
For graduate students with funding
- If you received federal or state financial aid, update your mailing address in My UW and contact the Office of Student Financial Aid with questions.
- If you are a TA, PA, RA, Fellow, or Trainee learn about benefit plans you are eligible for from the Office of Human Resources.
Additional resources
New Graduate Student Welcome – Spring 2021
January 18-24, 2021
Online, asynchronous
The Graduate School invites all newly admitted graduate students to participate in the New Graduate Student Welcome event each year.
This year’s virtual Welcome is an opportunity to hear from the Graduate School and campus leaders, get advice from a panel of current students about grad student life, and learn about the many campus and community resources available to you. All sessions are virtual and available on demand.
Welcome sessions
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Welcome Remarks
Campus leadership will welcome graduate students to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
- Dean of the Graduate School William J. Karpus
- Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs John Karl Scholz
- Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor
- Interim Deputy Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Cheryl Gittens
Captions are available.
Resource Fair
Learn about the campus and community services that are available to help graduate students succeed at UW–Madison. Resource Fair information will be presented online in an asynchronous format with captions available for videos.
Graduate Student Panels: Question & Answer Session
A panel of seasoned graduate students will answer the large and small questions you have about everything from what can make your graduate student life easier and less stressful to establishing and maintaining relationships with faculty and staff in your program.
- Master’s student panel (Asynchronous, captions available)
- Arts & Humanities and Social Sciences PhD student panel (Asynchronous, captions available)
- Biological Sciences & Physical Sciences PhD student panel (Asynchronous, captions available)
Graduate Student Welcome Week
Each fall the Graduate School offers a line-up of events during the week before classes begin to welcome and help acclimate new graduate students to campus and to welcome back current graduate students.
In addition to New Graduate Student Welcome, new students in spring 2021 can find recordings of some of the fall 2020 Welcome Week events below to watch on-demand, with suggested dates to view each workshop.
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Tuesday, Jan. 19 - Time Management for Graduate Students
In this interactive workshop, you will learn tips and techniques for staying on track and managing your time. We’ll cover goal-setting, minimizing distractions and staying focused, and overcoming some of the most common challenges to staying on task. Participants will leave with strategies that they can apply immediately. The strategies we’ll cover are appropriate for students in any discipline.
View the recording: Time Management for Graduate Students
Tuesday, Jan. 19 - Successful Online Learning
Explore strategies to prepare to learn remotely, engage in your courses, and maximize your time. This module, from the Graduate School, is for grad students taking their first online course or those looking for some new resources on online learning.
Enroll in the Canvas course at any time: Enroll in Successful Online Learning
Thursday, Jan. 21 - How to Develop a Mentor Network for Academic and Career Success
In this live webinar for graduate students, Fatimah Williams, founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track will help graduate students discover how to build meaningful, robust relationships with a diverse network of mentors and how to draw on mentorship to achieve academic and career goals. Attendees will leave the workshop better able to identify potential mentors from the university and beyond, confidently build meaningful relationships with career advocates, and develop a professional presence.
View the Recording: How to Develop a Mentor Network
(NetID Login Required)
Thursday, Jan. 21 - Flourishing in Graduate School: How to Manage Stress and Maintain Your Mental Health
Want to make graduate school a time to thrive and not just survive? This workshop will focus on promotion of psychological well-being in graduate school. Topics covered will arm graduate students with strategies to thrive through the challenges of graduate school, including managing the transition/adjustment process, coping with stress, promoting work/life balance, and establishing habits to maintain or improve mental health.
View the Recording: Flourishing in Graduate School
(NetID Login Required)
Friday, Jan. 22 - Cool Tools: Apps and More to Increase Productivity
Prepare to maximize your time and energy this semester by taking advantage of software available to UW–Madison graduate students that can help streamline your workflow. This virtual workshop, presented by Pete Valeo from Software Training for Students (STS), will introduce you to both basic and advanced software tools, including cloud storage services, notetaking apps, mobile scanners, research tools, tasks managers, password managers, lifestyle apps, and more.
View the Recording: Cool Tools
(NetID Login Required)
On Demand - Enhancing your Graduate Degree with a Certificate
What are graduate certificates, and how can they add value to your graduate degree? In this virtual session, faculty and staff representing several graduate certificate programs (and their equivalent doctoral minors) discuss the multiple benefits that these programs provide to graduate students across campus—including expanding interdisciplinary knowledge, mastering new skills, creating community and networking opportunities, and building cultural competence. Attendees will also have the opportunity to speak with each certificate representative in smaller groups.
View the Recording: Enhancing Your Graduate Degree with a Certificate
Password: aPmwxTZ6
For more information about graduate/professional certificate programs at UW–Madison, please visit the Graduate Guide.