Master’s and PhD in Environmental Chemistry and Technology

Applicants must meet the requirements of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School.

In addition, the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program requires the following:

1. GRE scores
2. Letters of recommendation (recommendation form)
3. A Statement of interest

For admission, a grade point average of at least 3.0 is required. Most students admitted with support in recent years have had an undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher. The program receives approximately 100 applications per year and admits three to six students per year. Admission decisions are based on the applicants past academic performance, letters of recommendation, test scores and the program’s ability to match student interests with faculty research efforts and available funding.

The Graduate School offers information about tuition and cost of living on a costs and funding webpage.

Graduate students in the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program may be supported through research assistantships or fellowships. Some of our graduate students hold teaching assistantships in the Chemistry Department or other programs. Offers for research assistantships are made on the basis of letters of recommendation, grades, and GRE scores. Matching interests of the applicant (as conveyed in the letter of interest) with the research focus of the project providing funding for the assistantship is also important. Applicants with outstanding undergraduate records may be nominated for university fellowships awarded by the University Fellowships Committee. Competition for these awards is very high.

Students are required to have a background in the fundamental areas of chemistry. This requirement can be satisfied by completing UW-Madison or their equivalent:

• General chemistry – General and Analytical Chemistry (Chem 109 and Chem 110)
• Organic chemistry, for example, Introductory Organic Chemistry (Chem 341 or Chem 343)
• Analytical chemistry, for example, Intermediate Analytical Chemistry (Chem 524)
• Physical chemistry, for example, Physical Chemistry (Chem 561)

Course descriptions can be found in the course list for the Chemistry department. These requirements can be satisfied when the student is admitted or before completing the M.S. Degree.

Students are also required to have some background in the natural sciences and/or technology. This requirement can be satisfied by a minimum of six credits at or above the intermediate level in areas such as:

• Botany, for example, Introduction to Plan Physiology (Botany 350)
• Zoology, for example, Introduction to Entomology (Zoology 302) or Limnology – Conservation of Aquatic Resources (Zoology 350)
• Earth science, for example, Geomorphology (Geology 320) or Landforms – Topics and Regions (Geology 326)
• Bacteriology
• Biochemistry
• Earth science
• Engineering
• Materials science

These courses can be undergraduate-level courses taken prior to admission or during graduate studies.

Program Handbook

MS Forms

• MS Requirements Form
• MS Warrant Request Form
• Minds@UW Electronic Thesis Submission Form

PhD Forms

• PhD Minor Form
• PhD Requirements Form
• PhD Final Warrant Request Form

Preliminary Exam Requirements (PhD)

• PhD Preliminary Exam Proposal Requirements
• PhD Preliminary Exam Checklist
• Preliminary Exam Warrant Request

Additional Forms (MS/PhD)

• Prior Graduate Coursework Approval Form
• Request to Add/Change Program Plan (within the same department)

1. All applicants must use the UW-Madison Graduate School online application system. Within the application you will be asked to submit an unofficial copy of your transcript, the email addresses of the people who are writing your recommendation letters, and your statement purpose.
2. Your GRE and TOEFL scores should be sent electronically to UW Madison. The code for UW-Madison is 1846.
3. Please do not send any materials directly to our program at the time of application. All items should be submitted through the online application.
4. Please do not send your transcript directly to our program at the time of application, either electronically or paper copy. If you are admitted to our program, we will request an official copy of your transcript at that time.
5. If you took the IELTS test, please self-report your IELTS overall band score on your application. If you are admitted, we will request that you send us the official IELTS score report at that time. It is not necessary to send an IELTS report to us as part of your application.

The application deadline is January 1 for the fall term. Late applications may not be reviewed for funding opportunities.

$75.00 USD non-refundable application fee. Payable by credit card (Mastercard or Visa), debit/ATM card, personal check or money order, drawn on a U.S. bank. Please do not send cash. If you choose to send a money order or check, make it payable to University of Wisconsin-Madison. Please write your birth date on your check, so it can be matched to your application. A department cannot make a recommendation for admission until your application fee is received.

Graduate School Admissions Office
228 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Dr.
Madison, WI 53706

TAKE SPECIAL NOTE: Do not send transcripts, reasons for graduate study, letters of recommendations or any other departmental documentation to the Graduate School. These materials will not be forwarded to your department or program. International applicants: Please do not send financial documents until requested by the Graduate School. This information will be requested upon a positive admission recommendation from the department/program.

Cheryl Loschko

loschko@wisc.edu