DEGREE Industrial Engineering, PhD

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Applicants from any discipline that provides foundations for research in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) topics are encouraged to apply. For example, applicants may come from industrial, electrical, or mechanical engineering, or mathematics, statistics, computer science, psychology, or economics. Applicants are strongly advised to review the prerequisites for each area of specialization at the department website.

Each application is judged on the basis of previous academic record, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores for the general test, three letters of recommendation, and the statement of purpose. Admission is very competitive and application deadlines are extremely important.

Reentry Applicants

Reentry applicants must notify an academic advisor and apply by the following application deadlines for the appropriate term. Read more information about the additional reentry information.

Although we accept summer applications we recommend applying for fall or spring as there are not many courses offered in the summer.

• Fall: December 1
• Spring: September 1

Application Requirements

Application deadlines are strictly enforced and ALL application materials including transcripts, GRE and English proficiency test scores MUST be included and submitted by the application deadline.

*Note that our office does not provide feedback to applicants as to their potential for admission. Applicants should review both the Industrial and Systems Engineering (I SY E) department and Graduate School requirements for admission and if you feel you meet the necessary criteria for applying, please do so.

1. Applicants must first meet all of the requirements of the Graduate School. Click here for more information about these requirements.
2. Applicants must also meet department specific requirements as outlined below:
   1. BS degree or equivalent

Application Steps

1. Complete an online application through the Graduate School website.
2. List three recommenders and their contact information as part of the online application. 
   1. ​An email will be sent to the recommender, asking that they submit their letter online using the Graduate School’s recommendation form. Applicants can log back into their online application to re-send the email request if the recommender loses the email. Letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically.
3.  Submit a statement of purpose with your online application. 
   1. In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) and discuss which UW faculty members they would be interested in doing research with during their graduate study. 
4. Submit test scores.
   1. ​Request scores from ETS to submit your GRE and/or TOEFL scores to the UW–Madison Graduate School (Institution Number 1846).
   2. If you have your scores sent to UW–Madison, they will be available online to all departments to which you have applied. The institution code, therefore, is the only number needed.
   3. For more information, visit the Graduate School Requirements page. Note that exam information must be valid at start date of the semester that you are applying for (nonexpired).
5. Submit GRE Exam information.
   1. ​The Industrial Engineering graduate program requires the GRE exam be taken by prospective students as part of the application. Note that there are no specific scoring guidelines for the exam as the GRE is only one part of consideration for admission into the program.
   2. Note that exam information must be valid at start date of the semester that you are applying for (nonexpired).
6. Electronically submit one copy of your unofficial transcript with your application.  
   1. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and previous graduate work are required. Unofficial copies of transcripts will be accepted for review, but official copies are required for admitted applicants.
   2. Do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or gradadmission@engr.wisc.edu.
7. Upload your resume in your application.
8. Pay the Application Fee.
   1. ​Submission must be accompanied by the one-time application fee. It is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card (MasterCard or VISA). By state law, this fee can only be waived or deferred through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School.

Do not send materials/documents to the Industrial and Systems Engineering (I SY E) Department or Graduate School until you are recommended for admissions. All documents should be uploaded with your application.

Questions

Check out the Admissions FAQ or contact us at iegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu.

Tuition

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Funding 

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Financial Assistance

If you choose to attend UW–Madison and plan to pursue funding on your own, the following sites could be very helpful:

• Graduate School Funding Resources
• Graduate School Costs and Funding

Program Resources

All ISyE PhD students are provided funding and tuition remission, provided they are making satisfactory academic progress. This funding may be in the form of a teaching assistant, research assistant, or project assistant position, or as an external fellowship. The type position providing the funding support may change from semester to semester and is determined based on a combination of factors including the availability of research funds by the student’s faculty advisor and the need for teaching assistants in ISyE courses.

For information specific to graduate assistantships within the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, please consult the department’s graduate program handbook. 

Additional Resources

Federal Loans

Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may be eligible to receive some level of funding through the federal direct loan program. These loans are available to qualified graduate students who are taking at least 4 credits during the fall and spring semesters, and 2 credits during summer. Private loans are also available. Learn more about UW-Madison financial aid here.

International Student Services Funding and Scholarships

For information on international student funding and scholarships, visit the ISS website.

The UW-Madison Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is a national leader in research funding. At the cutting-edge of industrial engineering and systems research, the department offers state-of-the-art facilities for faculty, staff and students to work in. Our faculty are leaders in their fields, respected nationally and internationally for their research.

View our research

Minimum graduate school requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Curricular Requirements

Required Courses

Students choose one of the following research areas. Work with your faculty advisors to answer any questions and to form a plan of study.

Operations Research, Optimization, and Analytics¹

¹

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

 

Health Systems Engineering¹

¹

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

²

Topics vary for this course. Obtain advance approval from your faculty advisor.

Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial AI¹

¹

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

²

Topics vary for this course. Obtain advance approval from your faculty advisor.

Human Factors and Ergonomics¹

Human Factors and Ergonomics Course Requirement

¹

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

²

Topics vary for this course. Obtain advance approval from your faculty advisor.

³

Various courses in the categories of Research Methods, Statistics, Qualitative Research, Biomechanics Methods, and Psychology count as “Tools and Methods.” The Human Factors and Ergonomics faculty group updates the list of “Tools and Methods” courses, and advisors decide which set of courses are appropriate for each student.  Work with your faculty advisor regarding non-I SY E course work.

Prior to defending their dissertation, Human Factors and Ergonomics PhD students must complete at least six seminar/special topics courses numbered 700 or above totaling a minimum of 12 credits; at least 6 credits of these must be in the Human Factors and Ergonomics area. Seminar credits outside the Human Factors and Ergonomics area may be used to satisfy the Industrial Engineering Breadth requirement. Other courses may qualify. Students may submit courses to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Area group for consideration. Transfer students should submit a course syllabus or description and transcript for any courses from other institutions that they would like to have considered for satisfaction of this requirement. The Human Factors and Ergonomics Area group will make this decision.

Additional Requirements for all Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) PhD Students

• Industrial Engineering Breadth Requirement: The breadth requirement is to make sure the PhD student achieves minimum competence in multiple areas of industrial and systems engineering. It consists of taking at least two courses (6 credits) in Methodology and two courses (6 credits) in Application. Students can choose from a select set of courses and must attain a grade of B or above in all courses. The courses selected by the student must be approved by the student’s advisor. These courses must be completed before a PhD student can request their preliminary warrant. Courses the student has taken before entering the PhD program can be counted toward this breadth requirement, including courses taken as an undergraduate. Students should submit the course title and syllabus to the student services coordinator who will then seek approval from the chair of graduate affairs.
  • PhD students must complete the Breadth requirement for their degree program by completing a cohesive group of courses outside the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) major in order to add breadth to their program.
• Teaching Assistant: Recognizing the importance of instructional training to our PhD students, each student in the PhD program is required to serve as a teaching assistant for at least one semester during their program. Requests for a partial or full waiver of this requirement should be submitted in writing to the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and will be reviewed by the Academic Affairs Cluster. 
• Colloquium/Lecture Series: For at least two semesters, students must regularly attend a colloquium series. The appropriate colloquium series must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor. It is not required to meet this requirement by registering for a course (indeed some colloquium series have no associate course). Instead, attendance at the approved colloquium series must be confirmed by the student’s faculty advisor when the student submits their PhD Plan of Study prior to their preliminary examination. Example of colloquium series that can be used to meet this requirement include the Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) Colloquia and the Systems, Information, Learning and Optimization (SILO) seminars.
• For additional information, contact iegradadmissions@engr.wisc.edu.

Graduate Student Services
iegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu
Room 3182 Mechanical Engineering Building
1513 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706

Doug Wiegmann, Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Affairs
assoc.chair.grad@ie.wisc.edu