Copyright 2009 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
Date last modified: 09-Nov-2007 15:29:55
Date created: 30-Jan-2004
Content by: prpeters@engr.wisc.edu
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| Home : Prospective Students : Graduate | |
| Frequently Asked Questions |
Can I go from a BS straight to a PhD program without doing an MS?
Yes, but the path to the PhD is a long one and it is usually recommended by the student's faculty advisor that they get their MS along the way to a PhD.
What can I do to speed up the review of my application?
Send all your application material to us in a SINGLE application portfolio. Sending documents as and when you get them does not speed up the process because we do not review files until they are complete. Also, application materials that come in piece-by-piece are much more difficult to keep track of.
I've already filled out the online application, paid my fees, and sent in all my application materials. What else should I do?
Wait for our reply. We will contact you if we need any additional information. Meanwhile, you can keep track of your application status through the OASIS and Graduate Application Websites. After submitting your application, you will receive an email inviting you to login to these websites.
What if I only have one original copy of my academic transcripts?
For processing purposes, you can send a photocopy of your degree certificate. If you are admitted and attend UW-Madison, you need to bring your official degree certificate and the Graduate School will make a certified copy and give you your original back.
I paid my application fee with a credit card but it is not showing up in G-WIS.
It was probably a problem with timing and entering your credit card number. You are only able to go online once and the link "times you out" after so long. Now you will need to send a check or money order. You can't go back and pay online once the application is submitted. Please submit your payment directly to the Grad School at: UW Madison Graduate School, 217 Bascom Hall, 500 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706. Checks should be made payable to "University of Wisconsin - Madison".
I am an international student applying for Financial Aid. Do I still need to show adequate financial resources for the duration of my program?
Yes, you do.
What are the application deadlines?
Fall Application Deadlines:
December 1 is the online application deadline for PhD applicants who would like to be considered for a graduate school fellowship nomination. All supporting materials must arrive at our office by the end of the third week of December.
March 1 is the online application deadline for all other applicants (MS and PhD), including those applying for funding in the form of assistantships. All supporting materials for online applications must be received before a final decision can be made. International students should have their supporting materials to us by May 15 to allow time for processing the required travel documents.
Spring Application Deadlines:
October 1 is the online application deadline for all applicants (MS and PhD), including those applying for funding in the form of assistantships. All supporting materials for online applications must be received before a final decision can be made. International students should have their supporting materials to us by November 15 to allow time for processing the required travel documents.
How do I access my 'Status Page'?
Each applicant has his/her own personalized web address. Please refer to the original e-mail message from the Graduate School for your personalized web address. For applicants who apply via the online application system, you can always log back into your application and you will see a link to OASIS from there. OASIS is your status page provided by the Graduate School.
The department will also provide you with a status page that will allow you to see what materials we have received and track your application's progress.
I wish to defer my entry into the program by more than one semester. Can I still do this?
The Grad School has a rule that your application can only be deferred to the semester adjacent to the semester for which you originally applied. Therefore, to be able to attend in a non-adjacent semester, you need to submit another application online and pay another $45 fee.
How is the review process for MS applicants carried out?
After a student has made an official application to the university, the Industrial and Systems Engineering department reviews MS candidates to make sure their goals match those of the program and that their background meets our minimum requirements. If, after consideration of all application material, the review committee feels that the student will be successful in the program, departmental acceptance will be extended to the student. Acceptance offers are typically sent out between 3 to 4 weeks after the application deadline.
How is the review process for PhD applicants carried out?
After a student has made official application to the University, the Industrial and Systems Engineering department reviews PhD candidates in a two-stage process. In the first stage, a candidate is reviewed to make sure their goals match those of the program and that their background meets our minimum requirements. If the applicant meets these conditions, they move to the second stage, which is where the applicant is reviewed by the individual faculty members who share the candidate's interests. When one of the faculty chooses to 'adopt' a student, academically speaking, they will have been accepted into the grad program. If no faculty member is willing to be the student's advisor, the student is denied admittance.
It is very difficult to get admitted as a PhD student. The way to get through the second stage of the evaluation process is to contact a professor who is doing the type of work you are interested in or have experience in. Investigate the faculty and their research ( http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ie/faculty/ or http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ie/current/grad/programs/), determine who is doing work that is in your line of interest, and contact one or two professors. Approach them as though you are applying for a job, and convince one that you are the person who can help forward their research.
We will notify PhD applicants of their acceptance as soon as a decision is made by a faculty member; however, we will not be notifying PhD applicants who have not been 'picked up' — in effect denied — until about late June. This will give applicants time to contact faculty and create an interest in themselves.
How can I improve my chances of getting admitted into the PhD program?
PhD programs are tough enough to get into when you have a clear direction or goal. If you are applying to more than one department, it would indicate that you do not have a clear direction. Although a PhD student has a close working relationship with their faculty advisor, it is not the professor's job to give a student direction. They guide a student's research, not goals. Look at applying for a PhD like you were applying for a job. Find out who it is you want to do your PhD work with — who matches your interests and goals — research that person's work, contact them, and impress them with what you can do to further their research efforts.
How important are GRE scores in admissions? Is there a minimum score required?
We try to develop an overall picture of the candidate and their chance of success in our program by considering all the application materials presented. Although we like to see the Quantitative portion of the GRE test scores above 90%, we do not weight the GRE so heavily that scoring below that mark would cause us to deny a candidate.
What is the difference between IE/MPS and MSE?
The main differences between the two curricula are:
The MSE program has more of an emphasis on business, whereas the MPS area within IE focuses more on the use of computers in productivity.
The MSE program requires that you do an independent research project with a business or industry and this project has to be defended orally to 3 professors. IE does not require an independent study project.
What Financial Aid is available to me and how can I go about obtaining it?
Regarding financial support, about 95% of ISyE applicants request financial aid and there is very little assistance available, especially to incoming Industrial and Systems Engineering students through our department. Not counting all first semester grad students, approximately 1 in 3 ISyE students has financial aid in the form of assistantships. It is highly unlikely that you will get aid your first semester but the odds are better than one in three that you will receive aid in later semesters, depending on your performance.
Project, research and teaching assistantships are given by individual faculty who have funding to pay for this type of position; however, professors are unwilling to hire people for assistantships based strictly on their resumes, etc. It is too difficult to gauge a person's work ethics this way and has often led to unharmonious working relationships. The chances of getting funding usually increase after a student is here, performs well, and establishes a relationship with a faculty adviser. I have known students who were able to develop this relationship before they enrolled by communicating with a professor who is doing research in an area the student is interested in, usually by visiting campus the semester before they want to enroll.
The ISyE department has very limited fellowship money. We are able to nominate 5 PhD applicants each January for 1 or 2 fellowships that will be awarded by the Grad School. Obviously, competition for this/these fellowships is very tough.
If you choose to attend UW-Madison and plan to pursue funding on your own, the following sites could be very helpful:
http://www.cos.com/cgi-bin/international/view
http://www.grad.wisc.edu/admin/fellowships/
http://www.grad.wisc.edu/admin/fellowships/newsletadv.html (International Students: don't get too discouraged by all the "US citizen" requirements; there is some information here for you, too, but you have to dig for it).
I take deficiency courses Pass/Fail?
No. you need to have at least a B average in these courses.
How do I substitute a course for my degree requirements?
The following policy is subject to change once the faculty return and meet during the fall 2003 semester; substantial changes are not anticipated.
At least 50% of the credits for the degree or 16 credits, whichever is higher, must be taken at UW. Balance of requirements may be transferred subject to the following:
I need authorization for IE 699, 790, 890, 990, or 999. What do I need to do?
Once you have gotten the approval of the instructor, see the student status examiner in the ISyE office who will enter permission into the computer for you.
How do I change area and/or advisor?
See the Student Status Examiner in the ISyE office if you want to change your focus area. She will also have forms for advisor changes.
How do I go about signing up for a Co-Op?
See the Engineering Career Services office in M1002 Engineering Centers Building.
How much time do I need to complete my degree?
Average MS takes 2 years or 4 semesters. The average PhD takes approximately 4 years.
Will I graduate?
When you complete the requirements of the curriculum under which you enrolled, see your Student Status Examiner for a MS degree warrant request form.
How and where do I get the cap and gown for graduation?
Academic attire may be rented or purchased at the University Book Store, 711 State Street, (608) 257-3784. Orders for caps, gowns, and hoods should be made as early as possible. Candidates eligible for convocation honors will receive a letter from their dean's office concerning wearing the honors stole at commencement.
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Copyright 2009 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Date last modified: 09-Nov-2007 15:29:55 Date created: 30-Jan-2004 Content by: prpeters@engr.wisc.edu Accessibility Web services |