Admissions and Aid

Minimum Requirements

1. Minimum undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0. Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate G.P.A. of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), although successful applicants generally have G.P.A.s above 3.0.
2. GRE Scores.
   1. MS/PhD in Population Health applicants
      • We will not accept GRE scores.
   2. MS/PhD in Epidemiology applicants
      • We will not accept GRE scores.

• TOEFL scores if needed. Applicants whose native language or language of study were not English must submit official scores from an English proficiency test. You can find further details on the Graduate School website.  Please note that the minimum test scores for our program are higher than those required by the Graduate School. Students can submit scores for the TOEFL or the IELTS exam. Scores must be no more than 5 years old at the start of semester for which you are applying.
  • For the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), a score of 580 (written), 237 (computer-based), or 92 (internet-based) or above is absolutely required. Use ETS institution code 1846. Find information on the TOEFL at http://www.toefl.org
  • For the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a a score of 7 is required.  Find information on the IELTS at http://www.ielts.org/.
• Quantitative Preparation.
  1. MS/PhD in Population Health applicants
     • At least one semester of advanced quantitative preparation (e.g., calculus, statistics, or other) with a grade of “B” or better is required.
  2. MS/PhD in Epidemiology applicants
     • At least one semester of calculus with a grade of “B” or better is strongly encouraged. Having passed AP Calculus AB is considered equivalent.
     • College level biology is strongly encouraged. This includes course work equivalent to UW-Madison Biology 151&152, covering cellular and molecular biology, mammalian anatomy and physiology, evolution and ecology.

Applications are welcome from students with diverse academic backgrounds. Students who have strong academic preparation in the biological/medical sciences, quantitative analysis, or population health related social sciences are strongly encouraged to apply. Historically, many applicants who have succeeded in our program have come to us with backgrounds in fields as diverse as microbiology, genetics, nutritional sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, environmental sciences, political sciences, business, sociology, education, engineering, psychology, economics, and actuarial science, to name just a few.

Students admitted to our degree programs are automatically considered for any available scholarships, traineeships, or graduate assistant positions in the department. However, students are also encouraged to explore their own funding opportunities. Unlike many departments, we do not have a policy of admitting only students for whom we have initial funding. We do our best to help students finance their education and are most successful with providing funding to PhD admits. Potential funding opportunities are considered during the admissions review process but funding decisions continue to be made throughout the spring and summer.

It has been found that if you are not offered or do not find funding the first year and you do well in the program, there is a good chance you will be able to find funding for the subsequent year(s).

International applicants must submit a financial statement to the Graduate School which shows sufficient funds to completely support themselves.

The most common forms of funding support for our students are assistantships and fellowships offered on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. There is no central clearinghouse for posting and filling the many assistantship opportunities that exist across campus. Some openings are filled through a formal application process, through informal networking channels or by departmental/faculty initiative. Students may wish to consider some of the following approaches when seeking assistantships:

• Check all sources of postings for campus positions, including The UW Student Job Center, the GradConnections newsletter and listservs.
• Network with faculty, mentors, staff support people (such as Departmental Assistants, Center Directors, office managers, etc.), and other graduate students in areas where you may possess appropriate skills, teaching experience, and/or technical expertise. Such individuals [e.g. faculty] are most likely to be aware of opportunities available to admitted PhD students . In addition, they might be aware of the colleagues’ needs or new grant opportunities. They may have other ideas to guide you in your search.
• Do not limit yourself to the Department of Population Health Sciences. Our students frequently possess experience, training, and expertise that may satisfy needs for appointments in other departments/centers.

Departmental Scholarships and Honors

• Considered upon Admission
  • The Elliot Dick Fellowship Award
  • Gordon Johnson Health Management Fellowship
  • The David A. Kindig Scholarship
  • Donn D’Alessio Student Award
  • The Catherine Allen Memorial Outstanding Student Poster Award

  Campus-Wide Student Scholarships and Honors

  • Excellence in Civic Engagement Student Award
  • Global Studies Scott Kloeck-Jenson Fellowships
  • Graduate Peer Mentor Awards
  • Institute on Poverty Graduate Research Fellows Program
  • Scholarships for Non-Traditional Students
  • Teaching Assistant (TA) Awards
  • Conference Presentation Funds

Financial Aid and Other Funding Sources

• Office of Financial Aid
• Child Care Tuition Assistance Program (CCTAP)
• Funding Resources and Proposal Development
• Funding and Scholarships for International Students
• Eduardo Neale Silva Scholarship Fund
• Grants Information Collection
• FastWeb and FinAid!
• UW Job Center