How to Apply

The Graduate School provides an overview of the application process.  The items below indicate the items required for a complete application.

1. Complete the electronic application through the Graduate School. You must pay a non-refundable application fee.  There are some additional steps for international applicants. If you are currently a UW-Madison graduate student in a master’s degree program, please contact the SLA Program Coordinator for instructions on how to apply.
2. Solicit three letters of recommendation from persons who can judge your academic qualifications with respect to this particular program, as well as your qualifications to serve as a research, project, or teaching assistant.
   • Letters of recommendation are typically submitted electronically, using a form provided directly to your recommenders. (Contact the SLA Program Director or Program Coordinator if you need to submit hard copies of letters of recommendation.)
   • It is important to provide your recommenders with as much notice as possible to write your recommendation letter. Giving your recommenders adequate lead time may help you avoid delays in submitting a complete application.
3. Complete and upload a Statement of Purpose for Doctoral Studies in Second Language Acquisition at UW-Madison to the application portal.
   • This statement should address how your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, have motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Wisconsin and how they have prepared you to contribute to our interdisciplinary program and its community.
   • Your statement should also identify your topical or methodological interest within the field. Describe how you see the relationship between our specific program, your research interests, and your professional goals.
   • Indicate your preparation in terms of research/academic work and relevant work experience.
   • You may, but need not, refer to specific faculty members among our Steering Committee Members who you think share your research interests or specific courses that seem to contribute to your educational needs. In that vein, you might also choose to contact specific faculty members 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.
   • 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.
   • If you are applying to more than one program at UW-Madison, you should write different statements of purpose for each one.
4. Upload your curriculum vitae to the application portal.
   • This should include an overview of your postsecondary education and relevant work experience including teaching, research and/or administration.
5. Upload an academic writing sample to the application portal.
   • You are required to provide evidence of your writing ability in academic English by submitting a sample of your work, such as a master’s thesis, academic paper from a graduate course, or a single-authored journal article.  You may submit an optional second writing sample in a language other than English.
6. Upload your unofficial transcripts of each postsecondary institution attended.
   • If the SLA program recommends admission, the applicant will be asked by the Graduate School to supply official transcripts for every postsecondary institution attended. International academic records must be in the original language; if the records are not in English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Documents must be issued by the institution with the official seal/stamp and an official signature.

The deadline for the complete application (including all supporting application materials) is December 15.