Instructions for Applying
For all named options, please contact faculty advisors within your area of interest to inquire about specific requirements and lab openings prior to submitting the application. Faculty contact information and areas of research can be found on our website.
Once you have identified a faculty member to work with, please complete the following steps:
- Online Application. Applications are completed through the UW Graduate School Online Application. The Kinesiology department reviews applications and recommends admission for strong applicants to the UW-Madison Graduate School. The Graduate School makes the final admission decision. Please note that there is usually substantial time, sometimes months, between application completion and notice-of-outcome. During this time our faculty members review all applications.
- Named option. The Graduate School Application will require you to select an area of specialization when applying to the Kinesiology graduate program. You should discuss your specialization area of interest in your Personal Statement to explain to the Kinesiology faculty reviewers why you want to be considered for the area of speculation identified. If you are interested in more than one area, be sure to discuss the different areas during your personal statement.
- Personal Statement. Your statement is your formal application’s most consolidated, direct, intensive, and personal communication with the Kinesiology faculty. It tells them why you think they should admit you for graduate study and outlines your specific areas of interest. Your statement is a significant intellectual exercise, so we hope you will use considerable care and thought in making it compelling and persuasive. As part of your personal statement, you should discuss why you want to be considered for the named option(s) identified in the online application. One to two pages is considered an appropriate length for the personal statement.
- Letters of Reference. Three letters of recommendation are required for an application to the Kinesiology graduate program. The UW-Madison Graduate School requires online letters of recommendation, and the online application includes a section that you may use to request online recommendations.
Do not submit paper letters or other paper application materials to the Graduate School or to the Kinesiology Grad Program. If you do, they are likely to be delayed, sometimes substantially; or lost/unidentified. - Transcripts. You must upload unofficial transcripts as part of the application.
- English Proficiency: International degree-seeking applicants must prove English proficiency. See the Graduate School requirements for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Prerequisite Courses
A bachelors or master’s degree in Kinesiology or related field generally satisfies all the prerequisite requirements. If the bachelor or master’s degree was completed in an area outside of Kinesiology, the applicant must complete an Anatomy and Physiology course (either separate courses or combined) in addition to two courses from within one of our areas of specialization (see the list of named options).
Applicants who lack some prerequisite courses may still be considered for admission and would be admitted with deficiencies. The deficiencies must be made up before a graduate degree will be granted. Often the deficiencies are made up during graduate study, but early applicants with few deficiencies and access to an institution of higher education can sometimes take and document their deficient courses prior to graduate matriculation.
Bachelor’s Degree & Minimum GPA
The UW Graduate School requires all graduate students to have a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) prior to entry into a graduate program at UW-Madison. Applications may be submitted while the bachelor’s or other undergraduate degree is still in progress, but the undergraduate degree will need to be completed by the start of graduate study.
The Graduate School’s official minimum GPA for undergraduate work is 3.0 (if the grading scale was A=4.0 as a maximum). A department may seek a waiver of the GPA minimum if it feels that the applicant has a particularly compelling qualitative background.
Applicants whose undergraduate work was evaluated on a grading scale other than A=4.0 may submit transcripts with the original institution’s grades, marks, or scores, and UW will do its own conversion.
International Students
Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must prove English proficiency. See Graduate School Requirements for more information.
International students must comply with United States law that requires a showing of adequate funds to cover all expenses, including tuition, for the expected duration of studies here. If you are an international student (required to make a showing of funds), please visit the International Student services page listing the steps required for admission and entry.
A showing of funds is unnecessary when you first apply. It can be counter-productive to submit funding information too soon. The amount of funding that an international student must prove is offset by any offer of support that the department might make (for example, a teaching assistantship).
Application Fee Waiver
The Graduate School offers a limited number of fee grants to ensure the application fee is not a barrier for potential students. Please see the Graduate School site for more information. You can also contact the Kinesiology Graduate Program Manager to inquire about fee waivers if you are not eligible or do not receive a grant through the Graduate School.
STEM Designation
This is a STEM designated program.
Funding
Admitted research-based MS and PhD students are guaranteed funding. Please see our page on graduate funding and aid.
GRE
The GRE is not required for admission.
Applicants can direct additional questions to the Kinesiology Graduate Program Manager,
Dr. Erin McGowan, at erin.mcgowan@wisc.edu.