The University of Wisconsin at Madison is the flagship campus and the oldest university in the University of Wisconsin school system. It also goes by the names of UW-Madison and UW, though many call it either Madison or just Wisconsin. Founed in 1848, UW-Madison opened in the same year that Wisconsin became a state and now has a campus that measures more than 900 acres in size. Four of the older buildings on that campus are on the National Register of Historic Places and date back to the early days of the university. The campus was the birthplace of the Wisconsin Idea, which is a progressive movement that asks students and colleges to work together to improve the lives of all people.
Wisconsin ranks as one of the best colleges in the United States and one of the best schools in the world. Its global rankings include appearances within the top 50 on lists created by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, Time and U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report also ranked Wisconsin as the nation’s 44th best college. It ranks on national lists released by Washington Monthly and Forbes too. The university also ranks highly as a research institution. Many of its students work on their own individual research projects in their undergrad and later years. It receives more than $1 billion in funding for research projects done by students and professors every year.
University of Wisconsin at Madison Accreditation Details
Some students attending UW-Madison may want to transfer credits from one graduate school to this school, and as the university has regional accreditation, it’s easy for students to bring those credits with them. The regional accreditation that this university has comes from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). It also has accreditation from some of the professional programs that it offers as well as those that are open to graduate students and doctoral candidates. This type of accreditation comes from groups such as the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
University of Wisconsin at Madison Application Requirements
Students interested in becoming a UW-Madison graduate student must check with the university to find out if a program will accept new students. Some programs will only accept students willing to start classes in the fall semester, and some will not accept any new students for a year or two. This information is all available on the university’s graduate school website.
The university uses an online system that lets each department more quickly receive and review applications from prospective students. Students must select a user name and create a password that includes upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Those creating a new account must also provide a full name, valid email address, date or birth and his or her gender. Once the university processes the application, the student can log in and review the status through this system. This also lets them see when the university received any extra information they supplied.
That extra information will usually include an official transcript from the college a student last attended and any other colleges where that individual attended classes and earned credits. Some programs require an official test score from either the GRE, GMAT or another test. Students may need to give the university a personal statement or some type of writing sample too. Different departments can also ask for a resume and letters of recommendation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
One of the main factors that determines where a student goes to graduate school is the total cost that they pay. Wisconsin charges a tuition rate of around $485 per credit hour, but this rate only applies to students who are residents of the state and can prove that they lived in the state before signing up for classes. Anyone from a state other than Wisconsin or Minnesota pays around $1,500 per credit hour. The university has a discounted tuition rate for Minnesota residents that drops their tuition rates down to around $633 per credit hour. All students must also pay a fee based on the number of credits taken.
More than 54 percent of Wisconsin graduate students receive some financial aid each year. The university offers packages based on the need and merit that students demonstrate. There are training and fellowship programs for some students, but most of these students apply for a position as a research, teaching or project assistant. They usually receive funding that covers their tuition costs as well as a stipend for other expenses that arise during the school year. Students can also apply for and use unsubsidized student loans from the government and the alternative loans available from select lenders.
Read: 30 Best Online Master’s in Data Science Degree Programs
Data Science and Data Analytics Degree Options
Wisconsin offers three graduate programs that appeal to those with an interest in either data science or data analytics. The first of those is a Master of Science Data Science program, which the university calls is MS-DS program. This program combines elements of communications with statistics to teach students how to conduct their own research, analyze that research and share their findings with others. Some of the required courses that students in this program take include statistical methods for spatial data, introduction to time series, financial statistics and introduction to sample survey theory and methods.
The Master of Engineering that the university offers is available as an online program with a concentration in engineering data analytics. This program has no residency requirement and accepts students from all across the country each year. It features electives as well as some required classes such as database design and management, elements of software engineering, industrial data analytics and engineering applications of statistics.
Wisconsin also offers a Master of Business Administration with concentrations available that appeal to those interested in business analytics. Concentrations in both supply chain management and operations and technology management go over the basics of managing others and gives students a stronger understanding of the steps that business owners take to analyze markets and data. There is also a concentration available in market research for those who want to study what customers want and analyze the results of their findings. The University of Wisconsin at Madison’s MBA programs are available as executive and evening programs.
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