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. View the May 2019 message.
Find a place to live
The University Apartments community serves UW–Madison graduate students, students with families, postdoctoral researchers, academic staff, and faculty.
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 and postdoctoral scholars. New students for fall begin receiving GradConnections Weekly in September.
For New Students
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 and a schedule for New Graduate Student Welcome closer to the event.
Important Checklist
To add your own items to this checklist and track your completed tasks, download the Graduate Student Life app for new graduate students.
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For All New Graduate Students
- Activate your NetID and set up multi-factor authentication.
- Attend New Graduate Student Welcome.
- Visit your program’s office, meet your graduate coordinator and faculty advisor, and plan to attend program orientation activities.
- If you haven’t done so yet, submit final transcripts to the Graduate School Office of Admissions, 217 Bascom Hall.
- Enroll in classes (fall 2019 new grad student enrollment opens June 24).
- 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.
- If you have a need related to a disability, contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center.
- Fill out the Immunization and Health History Form
- Get your Wiscard (campus ID card). Note: You must register for classes before you can get your Wiscard.
- Update your mailing address and phone number in MyUW.
- Pick up your free Madison Metro bus pass during Welcome Week.
- Complete the online sexual violence prevention program, 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.
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 2019
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Union South, 1308 W. Dayton Street
The Graduate School invites all newly admitted graduate students to attend the Fall New Graduate Student Welcome event each year.
The Welcome is an opportunity to mingle with Graduate School deans and staff and other campus leaders, hear from a panel of current students about grad student life, learn about the many campus and community resources available to you, and meet other new graduate students from across campus.
Below is a sample agenda from the 2018 New Graduate Student Welcome, as well as information session resources for graduate students. Check back for details about 2019 New Graduate Student Welcome in summer.
Tentative Welcome Schedule
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11:00am Fellows Meeting
This session is specifically designed for new graduate students who have fellowships in the 2018-2019 academic year. Information will be provided about the rights and responsibilities you have as fellows. Topics will include: your pay schedule, tuition and seg fees, health insurance eligibility, full-time study and satisfactory progress, income tax issues, concurrent appointments, and funding beyond the fellowship years, and more.
11:00 am-1:00 pm Check-In and Resource Fair
Representatives from more than 40 campus and community services answer your questions and provide assistance. Visit their tables and talk in person with informative individuals. View a list of organizations and campus units that were represented at the fair.
11:45 am & 12:30 pm Information Session: Research, Funding & Professional Development
NOTE: Both 35-minute sessions have the same content, so plan to attend either at 11:45 or at 12:30.
Hear directly from staff about the ways their offices can help you find and apply for funding, use databases and other tools to gather information related to your research, write better and smarter, and develop your professional and career-related plans and skills. Presenters include:
- Office of Professional Development, Graduate School
- Writing Center
- Libraries and Grants Information Collection
- Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Funding, Graduate School
- Division of Information Technology (DoIT) and Software Training for Students (STS)
- Dean of Students Office
1:15 pm-2:15 pm 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.
2:30 pm-3:00 pm Welcome Remarks
Campus leadership will welcome graduate students and kick off the reception.
- Dean of the Graduate School, Bill Karpus
- Provost, Sarah Mangelsdorf
- Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Lori Reesor
- Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer, Patrick Sims
3:00 pm-4:30 pm Meet & Greet Reception
Enjoy refreshments at this informal reception as you get to know people from the Graduate School, from your own program, and from across campus.
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. Check out the fall 2019 lineup and event registration information below.
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Monday, August 26 - Starting Strong and Staying on Track: Strategic Goals and Planning for Productivity
11 am – 12:30 pm
1310 Sterling Hall
In this presentation for graduate students, Fatimah Williams, founder and CEO of Beyond the Tenure Track, will introduce you to holistic strategies and tools for strategic goal-setting and planning so you can achieve your vision of success in graduate school and beyond.
Learning objectives:
- prioritize responsibilities so that productivity is not sacrificed
- understand the presenter’s 7 Domains of Professional Development: Academic, Network, Leadership, Career, Funding, Personal, and Well-Being
- develop strategies to enjoy yourself while working toward your goals
Reception with refreshments and time to speak with Fatimah Williams will follow.
Tuesday, August 27 - Flourishing in Graduate School: How to Manage Stress and Maintain Your Mental Health
1 – 2:30 pm
Union South (Check Today In The Union)
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.
Tuesday, August 27 - Time Management for Graduate Students
3 – 4:30 pm
1310 Sterling Hall
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.
Thursday, August 29 - Cool Tools: Apps and More to Increase Productivity
3 – 4:30 pm
1310 Sterling Hall
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 hands-on workshop, presented by 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.
Thursday, August 29 - Multicultural Graduate Network Welcome Celebration
5 – 7 pm
Union South, 1308 W. Dayton St.
The Multicultural Graduate Network kicks off the start of a new school year with a large celebration to invigorate the vibrant community of graduate students on campus.
Read more about the Multicultural Graduate Network.
Friday, August 30 - Graduate School Degree Dash
8 am: Doctoral Derby
8:30 am: Master’s Mile
Library Mall
Get your semester off to a fast start! Join fellow graduate students, faculty and staff for the 4th Annual Degree Dash hosted by the Graduate School at UW–Madison.
Read more on the 4th Annual Degree Dash webpage. Registration opens July 8.
Tuesday, September 3 - Recognizing and Reducing Implicit Bias
11 am – 12:15 pm, reception to follow from 12:15 – 1 pm
Industry Room, Union South
Building cultural competence is critically important for graduate students and professionals across all disciplines. This interactive talk introduces graduate students to the concepts of implicit or unconscious biases and assumptions about diverse groups of people by treating the application of such biases as a habit of mind. Students will learn how to uncover their own biases, discover the underlying concepts and language used in the psychological and social psychological literature to describe such processes, and learn evidence-based strategies for reducing the application of these biases as they cultivate relationships with people from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Stick around after the event for a reception where you can enjoy lunch (with vegetarian and gluten free options) and network with other graduate students who value diversity and inclusion.