Incoming Master’s Students

Starting on June 28, 2023, incoming graduate students can register for fall courses. Please register for 8 credits in the research course, Chem 990, before you arrive on campus. Registering for 8 credits of research in the summer will make you a full-time student in the fall and allow you to get your UW-Madison ID card as soon as you arrive on campus. During Orientation, you will receive guidance about which lecture courses you should take for the fall 2023 semester. At that time, you will sign up for  a total of 15 credits and may need to change the number of research credits.

Please sign up for section 1 in the research course Chem 990. Section 1 is the section for the incoming graduate students. The professor listed in section 1 is the associate chair of the graduate program and will serve as your advisor for the first semester.

If you need verification of income to rent an apartment, please contact Marc Willadsen (mwilladsen@wisc.edu or 608-265-9227) or have the rental agency contact Marc.

A graduate student can receive a waiver from the Department for up to 12 credits toward UW-Madison Ph.D. course requirements for graduate courses taken at other institutions. These courses will not appear on the UW-Madison transcript nor count toward the Graduate School cumulative GPA or credit requirements, but will fulfill the Department’s requirement toward coursework if approved. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

To confer credits, you will need to fill out the Chemistry Course Waiver Form and:

1. Identify a graduate course at UW-Madison that is similar to the course taken at another institution.
2. Identify a faculty member who has taught the UW-Madison course.
3. Email the faculty member asking for credit for the similar course. Include the following:
   • UW-Madison course number and number of credits
   • Course name, instructor, number of credits, grade, a short description, and syllabus of the course taken at the other institution
4. Ask the UW-Madison faculty to email Graduate Program Office with permission granted and the number of credits.

Graduate assistants, including TAs and RAs, and graduate fellows have the option to receive excellent benefits through the university’s state group health insurance plan. This is the same health insurance that covers faculty and staff. For the calendar year 2023, the typical state group health (HMO) insurance rates for graduate assistants are $50/month for an individual or $124/month for a family (including spouses and children).

For individuals and families who need the flexibility to select specific health care providers, or who need to access health care throughout Wisconsin or nationwide, the Access Plan provides a second option for coverage through the state group health insurance program. For the calendar year 2023, the monthly rates for the Access Plan are $138.50 for individuals and $344 for families.

Graduate students are required to pay student fees called University Segregated Fees, which amount to approximately $1,900 for the 2022-23 academic year (depending upon course hours enrolled). These fees are paid fall and spring semester and summer term.  The payment schedule is here.

Graduate students can receive support by teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships. The assistantships and fellowships pay an annual stipend and provide tuition remission. Graduate students without an assistantship or fellowship are responsible for their tuition. Most chemistry graduate students receive teaching assistantships, but this is not guaranteed. Please contact Dr. Jeanne Hamers in the summer before the fall admission if you wold like to be considered for a teaching assistantship.

A limited number of teaching positions are also available from the department for new students who have accepted the department’s offer for the following year. Contact the Graduate Program Office for more information.

• Learn more about UW-Madison Graduate School Financial Aid.

Graduate Student Life is a microsite for new and incoming graduate students. It includes information on housing, transportation, living in Madison, being a student at UW–Madison, thriving in graduate school, and a section for international students.

The Department of Chemistry encourages international students to apply to the graduate program and believes that the department is enhanced by the diversity and different perspectives that the international students bring. Approximately 20-25 percent of our graduate students are international students.

Incoming Students

First-year graduate students without a fellowship are expected to teach as a teaching assistants (TAs). International students are required to take a SPEAK test to demonstrate their ability to speak clearly and listen effectively, if the language of instruction at their undergraduate or master’s institution was not in English.

International students who receive a TOEFL score of 110 or less and/or a speaking score of 26 or less may be invited to attend a 5-week summer International TA (ITA) course, which occurs in July-August. If you are interested in the ITA course, please contact the Graduate Program Office.

The incoming students are required to attend an Orientation organized by the International Student Services (ISS) in August.

International Student Services

UW-Madison has an active International Student Services (ISS) organization that offers workshops, events, and information for international students throughout their academic career. They will answer questions about visas, employment, dependents, and other issues.

Improving English Skills

There are various organizations at UW-Madison and the community for international students to improve their English, PEACE, Conversational English, Madison Friends of International Students (MFIS), in additional to the English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. There are also student-run organizations at the Wisconsin Involvement Network (WIN).