Graduate Studies Common Questions
Prompt answers for your questions
Below are the answers to questions other students have asked about graduate school. If you are in doubt about how to apply or don't find the information you need here, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies or Admissions.
How long does it take to earn a Master's degree?
Most degrees can be completed within two calendar years, as a full-time student. Part-time students may complete a program, in conjunction with their full-time employment, in most instances within five years. However, all graduate coursework must be completed within a seven-year period prior to graduation.
What does it cost, and how do I know if I am eligible for financial aid?
Tuition varies each calendar year. The UW-Eau Claire Admissions website has a link to "Tuition + Fees Schedules" which describes the standard graduate tuition rates for our on-cam pus graduate programs and the several forms of financial aid assistance available to UW-Eau Claire graduate students. Most of the online graduate programs have their own unique tuition + fee rates.
Graduate students must be admitted to a graduate program, be in good academic standing, and be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for financial aid. Half-time is defined as being enrolled in at least four graduate credits during the fall or spring semester, or at least three graduate credits during the summer session. Full-time is defined as being enrolled in nine or more graduate credits during the fall or spring semester, or six or more credits during the summer session. Enrollment in a thesis course (XXXX799), or other full-time equivalent (FTE) course, also puts a student in full-time status.
Some employers reimburse their employees for job-related master-level education either through stipends or salary increases.
What is available for online graduate programs?
The College of Business offers an online MBA degree, the College of Arts and Sciences offers an online Master of Public Health and a collaborative online Master of Science in Data Science, and the College of Education and Human Sciences offers an online M.S. degree in Communication and Sciences and Disorders, as well as a hybrid cohort Master of Education in Professional Development program (meets one Saturday per month; rest of course is taught online). The rest of the graduate programs are primarily offered on-campus. More opportunities are opening for individual web-based courses, as well as graduate certificate programs, distance learning, and 24 hours a day contact.
What are the prerequisites?
A bachelor's degree appropriate to your master-level program and an undergraduate grade point average that meets the minimal requirement of the individual program. Prerequisites are determined on an individual basis, and in all cases are designed to assure your success in the program.
Currently, none of our graduate programs require the Graduate Record Examination or the Graduate Management Admission Test.
How and where do I apply, when is the deadline, is there an application fee, what do I need to submit for application materials?
You will need to apply to a specific graduate degree program, certificate, or special student via the University of Wisconsin-Online Admission Application and pay a $56 application fee. Application deadlines vary by the program, so please refer to the Admissions website for your program specific deadline. Unless you received a bachelor's degree from UW-Eau Claire, you will be required to submit an official transcript from each institution where you obtained a degree. Additional application materials vary by program, but may include letters of recommendation, a letter of intent, a resume, etc.. Please refer to the program's website or academic plan sheet for specifics. You may submit your application materials to: Admissions, Flesch Family Welcome Center, 127 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, or via email at admissions@uwec.edu.
If you are interested in taking a graduate course or two or three, but not planning to earn a master's degree, you should apply as a Graduate Special Student via the University of Wisconsin-Online Admission Application. Those applying as a Graduate Special Student need only verify they have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university by providing an official transcript. Some courses may be limited to students enrolled in a specific graduate program or may require prior approval or prerequisites, so you may want to check with the department offering the course before applying to be a Graduate Special Student. Once you have applied and enrolled as a Graduate Special Student, your application remains active for three years.
If you are applying to a graduate certificate, in addition to submitting an application for admission, an application fee, and an official transcript showing an earned bachelor's degree, you may be required to submit additional application materials to that program.