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Application Procedures and Deadlines
Applications for fall-semester admission are due by mid-December of the previous year. The SLA program does not accept applications for spring-semester admission.
Applications for admission to the Fall 2009 semester are due on December 15, 2008 All application materials must be received by this deadline.
To Apply
1. Consult the website for the Office of Graduate Admissions for detailed information on applying to graduate school at the UW-Madison.
2. Complete the UW-Madison Graduate School Electronic Application and submit the (non-refundable) $56.00 application fee.
3. Solicit three letters of recommendation from persons who can judge your academic qualifications with respect to this particular program, as well as your potential for employment in an academic setting, such as a research, project, or teaching assistantships. Letters of recommendation are typically submitted electronically, using a form provided directly to your recommenders. (Contact Dianna Murphy if you will need to submit hard copies of letters of recommendation.)
4. Applicants whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English, must provide official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) taken within the past two years. Unofficial scores (such as photocopies, faxes) cannot be accepted.
An admitted applicant whose TOEFL (paper-based) test score is below 580; TOEFL computer-based test (CBT) score below 237; or MELAB below 82 must take an English assessment test upon arrival. You must then register for any recommended English as a Second Language (ESL) course(s) in the first semester you are enrolled.
If you are a non-native speaker of English you do not need to provide TOEFL or MELAB scores if one of the following applies: (a) if the official language of instruction at the undergraduate level was English; (b) if you have completed two full-time semesters of graded work, exclusive of any ESL courses, in a U.S. college/university or American college/university within the past 5 years; or (c) if you have degrees from an accredited U.S. college/university or American college/university within the past 5 years.
Please note that U.S. citizenship by itself does not exclude applicants whose native language is not English from the requirement of taking the TOEFL or MELAB.
5. Submit the following documents to the SLA Program at the mailing address below:
- Statement of Reasons for Graduate Study, which clearly identifies your topical or methodological interest within the field. Your statement of purpose should describe in concrete terms how you see the relationship between our specific program, your research interests, and your professional goals. If at all possible, it would be good to hear which of the four strands of concentration in our program best fit your own profile and which area of study or which language (foreign, English) you might wish to minor in. You are not obliging yourself to follow this particular course in your actual studies but it helps us get a better idea of the match between you and the program. It is also useful to hear which sorts of (typically, language or ESL) courses you feel qualified to teach, with a view to potential graduate-student financial support. You may but need not refer to specific faculty members who you think share your research interests or specific courses which seem to contribute to your educational needs. In that vein, you might also choose to contact specific faculty members on your own (please see their respective departmental websites), to explore whether/how you might work together. If you have been in touch with specific faculty members, please mention it briefly in your statement of purpose.Last, a succinct review of your preparation, both in terms of research/academic work and work (e.g., teaching) experience is useful, though we really would like to emphasize that the statement of purpose should generally be oriented toward the future and not the past.There are no maximum or minimum word or page requirements. Two pages (double-spaced) may be a suitable goal to start with although particular circumstances may justify less or more.
- Curriculum vitae (summary of academic program and related work, especially teaching)
- Statement of whether funding is needed and what type of work is requested (teaching assistantship in a foreign language or ESL, project assistantship). International students who wish funding by teaching ESL must take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and receive the top score.
- Two copies of official transcripts from each institution attended. International academic records must be in the original language accompanied by a certified English translation. Documents must be issued by the school with the official seal/stamp and an official signature.
Send all print materials to:
SLA Admissions Committee
c/o Dianna Murphy
Language Institute
1322 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
6. GRE Scores (optional, but recommended): Use the code 1846 for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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