ADMISSIONS

REQUIREMENTS | APPLICATION | DEADLINES | FEE | ADMISSION PROCESS
LETTER OF ADMISSION | GSP | AMISSION WITH ADVANCED STANDING
TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY | USE OF SPECIAL PETITION | SPECIAL STUDENTS
ACTIVE/INACTIVE STATUS | TUITION AND FEES | GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Admission Requirements
Admission to a UW-Green Bay graduate degree program is a decision by the associate dean of graduate studies and the faculty for the specific program identified by the student on the application form. The decision is a judgment of the student’s suitability to succeed in graduate degree work at UW-Green Bay, based on educational background and educational objectives.

While UW-Green Bay has a basic admission policy for graduate study, a philosophy of personalized admission assures that each applicant is considered individually. Entry requirements for full admission include:
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
2. A 3.0 grade point average (gpa), measured on a 4.0 scale, for the final two years of study. Students from schools not using a grading system will be evaluated on an individual basis.
3. Additional prerequisites for entrance to the specific program chosen.

Students who do not meet the 3.0 gpa requirement or who have other deficiencies may be admitted on a provisional basis. Provisionally admitted students who receive at least a B grade in courses totaling nine credits of graduate work after acceptance will be fully admitted.

International students must be prepared to submit a minimum paper score of 550 or computer based score of 213 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). International applicants who meet TOEFL and academic admission requirements will be admitted but also must show official evidence of financial resources adequate to provide for their educational expenses before an I-20 form will be provided.

Application
Application forms can be completed online at www.uwgb.edu/gradstu/. Application forms also are available on campus in the Graduate Studies Office. Forms will be mailed in response to telephone requests to 920-465-2123. Written requests may be directed to: Office of Graduate Studies, IS 1144, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr., Green Bay, WI 54311-7001. Send e-mail requests to gradstu@uwgb.edu.

Required documents are:
1. The application, completed in full, and application fee.
2. A 200-300 word statement describing principal areas of academic interest, capabilities, experience, and reasons for pursuing the M.S. degree.
3. Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from each previous college or university attended, sent directly to UW-Green Bay from these institutions.
4. Three letters of recommendation from persons who can assess the prospective student’s academic potential.
5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test or Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) scores less than five years old are required by some programs. Consult the appropriate program description in this catalog. Scores will be used in conjunction with the required materials to better assess preparation.

Under requirements of the Buckley Amendment to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, student files are open to their inspection except for letters of recommendation for which the right of inspection has been waived.

Other supporting documentation such as personal records of professional or community achievement may also be submitted.

Deadlines
Application, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any test scores required for entry into the M.S. degree program should be submitted as early as possible in the semester preceding the desired beginning semester. Because of campus enrollment caps and possible program capacity limitations, priority is given to completed applications received before April 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester. Complete applications received by July 1 for the fall semester and by December 1 for the spring semester will be processed as time and space permit. A complete application includes the forms and all supporting documentation listed above. Students not meeting these deadlines may be able to take courses as graduate special students and apply to the degree program for the following semester.

Fee
A non-refundable application fee, presently $45, is required of all students who apply for admission to the graduate program of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay or any other graduate school within the University of Wisconsin System. The $45 fee does not apply to students who wish to be admitted as special students (i.e., non-degree students).

UW-Green Bay maintains records for two years for students who are admitted to the program but who do not enroll for classes. The application fee is valid for one year from the start of the initial semester on the application. Students who begin enrollment after a year elapses must pay another $45 fee and bring their applications up-to-date. Students who delay enrollment beyond two years must reapply for admission and pay another $45 application fee.

Admission Process
The admission process is initiated by submitting the completed application form to the UW-Green Bay Admissions Office. The office notifies applicants whose files are incomplete. When the file is complete, transcripts of previous undergraduate work and any graduate courses are examined and factors affecting either admission to the graduate program or acceptance of transfer credits are noted.

The file is forwarded to the Graduate Studies Office where the associate dean of graduate studies, on the advice of the Admissions Committee for the program specified on the admissions form, either admits the applicant to the graduate program, provisionally admits the applicant, or denies admission.

If an applicant is denied admission, reasons for the denial are provided along with an explanation of available options. Students denied admission may request reconsideration by writing to the associate dean of graduate studies. The request should include a rationale for reconsideration. Applicants who have been denied admission may reapply after the lapse of one semester.

Letter of Admission
A letter of acceptance is sent to each student upon admission to the graduate program. This information appears on the letter:

Student Number
The permanent student number of each applicant is a University-assigned identification number.

Starting Term
Indicates spring or fall term admission.

Type of Entry
Indicates the graduate degree program.

Tuition Status
Indicates resident or nonresident status.

Conditions
Indicates admission status such as provisional admission.

GSP
Graduate special student. This classification indicates that course work is being taken for graduate credit; however, the student is not participating in the UW-Green Bay degree program. A graduate special student who decides to pursue a UW-Green Bay graduate degree must submit an application form to enter the degree program. Often the credits earned as a graduate special student may be applied toward the M.S. degree; however, this is not guaranteed.

Admission With Advanced Standing
All graduate course work completed at UW-Green Bay or at other graduate schools prior to admission to the M.S. degree program is evaluated by the student’s adviser or graduate faculty committee when a program plan is prepared. The total number of credits earned prior to matriculation into the degree program either at other institutions or as a graduate special student (GSP classification) at UW-Green Bay cannot exceed 15 credits. Of the 15, a maximum of 12 credits may be accepted from other institutions.

Credit by examination or for prior learning may not be used to meet degree requirements. Prior learning and experience may be applicable to demonstrate competencies for admission or to meet course requisites.

Transfer Credit Policy
Transfer credit is defined as credit earned at an institution other than UW-Green Bay that is to be applied to UW-Green Bay master’s degree requirements. Acceptance of transfer credits is determined by a credit review by the Registrar’s Office and development of a program plan which includes the credits as part of a coherent program of study. Acceptance of the transfer credits is subject to review and approval by the associate dean of graduate studies. General guidelines for evaluating potential transfer credits are:

• A maximum of 12 semester credits of graduate work may be accepted as transfer credits.
• A letter grade of A or B must be earned in each course transferred.
• The courses must contribute to a coherent program of study.
• The institution granting the credit must be regionally accredited at the master’s degree level.
• The credits must be reasonably recent, usually earned within the five years prior to admission.
• Credits earned through extension courses offered or sponsored by universities outside of the state of Wisconsin will be subject to particular scrutiny.
• Credits earned under conditions that make them unacceptable toward a degree at the institution where the credits were earned will not be accepted by UW-Green Bay.

Use of Special Petition
Requirements sometimes may be modified or adapted to take into account a student’s special educational or program needs. A request to waive or modify a graduate program academic requirement is submitted to the associate dean for graduate studies on a special petition form. The forms are available online at www.uwgb.edu/advising/petitions.htm. If a change in a program requirement is being requested, the petition should include a statement from the major professor or graduate adviser and the graduate program chair explaining the change.

Special Students
Persons holding baccalaureate degrees or higher who wish to enroll in courses at UW-Green Bay but who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree may enroll as special students. Graduate credit will be awarded provided the student registers in graduate-level courses as a graduate special student (GSP classification) and pays graduate fees. Credits for which neither graduate fees were paid nor graduate credit awarded cannot be retroactively converted to graduate credits.

Active/Inactive Status
Matriculated students who do not enroll for four or more consecutive semesters without notifying the Graduate Studies Office by filing a request to leave, are considered inactive. They must be formally readmitted before they can re-enroll in classes. Inactive students who must reapply must meet admission standards in effect at the time of readmission and are expected to meet degree requirements in effect at that time as well. The $45 application fee does not apply to students seeking readmission after a period of inactivity.

Tuition and Fees
Costs
Tuition and fees for full-time graduate study (9 credits or more) for the 2002-2003 academic year were $2,682.75 per semester for residents of Wisconsin and $7,987.80 per semester for non-residents. Part-time students were assessed a fee of $298.25 per credit for residents of Wisconsin and $887.70 for non-residents. Fees and tuition are subject to change by action of the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and the Wisconsin Legislature. The actual costs for each academic year are announced in advance in the Schedule of Classes or on separate fee information sheets, and are available on request from the Registrar’s Office. The Schedule of Classes is also available on the UW-Green Bay Web site at www.uwgb.edu/.

Reciprocity
Minnesota and Wisconsin have a reciprocity agreement. Minnesota students may pay in-state Minnesota tuition and fees to attend public universities in Wisconsin. Students must apply directly to the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Suite 901, Capitol Square, 550 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101.

Non-Resident Tuition Waivers
A limited number of non-resident tuition waivers are available on a competitive basis to recipients of graduate assistantships. Recipients of waivers are responsible for resident fees.

Other Financial Aid
In addition to graduate assistantships, several other grant or aid programs are available. These include Perkins Loans, Stafford Loans, or University work/study awards. Students defined as minority group members may apply for Advanced Opportunity Grants or Wisconsin Indian Student Assistance Grants. For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 920-465-2075.

Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis to students in the Environmental Science and Policy program. Graduate assistantships carried a stipend of $10,081.50 in 2002-03. Students receiving assistantships are expected to devote approximately 20 hours per week performing assigned duties. Typical duties are serving as a classroom assistant in a laboratory or discussion section, assisting in a center or institute, or serving as a research assistant.

To be eligible for graduate assistantships students must:

• be fully admitted to the M.S. degree program;
• be enrolled for a minimum of six credits of course work each semester and no fewer than 15 credits during the entire academic year;
• maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average for graduate courses.

Applications for graduate assistantships should be filed as early as possible but no later than March 1 for the following September. Applications received after this date or at other times of the year will be considered for unfilled assistantships or possible assistantships funded from grant monies. Persons who wish information on availability of assistantships should inquire at the Graduate Studies Office. Application forms can be requested from the Graduate Studies Office and also are available online at www.uwgb.edu/gradstu/. Completed forms should be mailed directly to the Office of Graduate Studies, IS 1144, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr., Green Bay, WI 54311-7001.