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.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | This program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | December 1 |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
NOTE: These admissions requirements are only relevant for the MS-Industrial Engineering-Research named option. You can find the admissions requirements for the Human Factors and Health Systems and the Systems Engineering and Analytics named options on their respective pages.
This program offers admitted applicants extraordinary opportunities to pursue a course of study that is customized to the student’s interests and ambitions, under the auspices of the foremost experts in their field, in one of the top-ranked industrial and systems engineering departments.
The flexible graduate curricula enable admitted applicants to tailor their degree program to suit their particular needs and career objectives. Concentration areas in industrial and systems engineering includes: Decision Sciences and Operations Research, Health Systems Engineering, Human Factors and Ergonomics, Manufacturing, and Product Systems and Quality Engineering. Admitted applicants also have opportunities to take graduate courses in any other departments at UW–Madison, which has a comprehensive set of top-ranked graduate and professional programs.
Application Requirements
Application deadlines are strictly enforced and ALL application materials including transcripts, English proficiency scores MUST be included and submitted by the application deadline.
*Please note our office does not provide feedback to applications as to their potential for admission—please review both the department and Graduate School requirements for admission, and if you feel you meet the necessary criteria for applying, please do so.
- Applicants must first meet all of the requirements of the Graduate School.
- Applicants must also meet department specific requirements as outlined below:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Mathematical Statistics course (for example STAT 312)
- Computer Programming course
- Three introductory courses in Industrial Engineering, such as: I SY E 313, I SY E 315, I SY E 320, I SY E 323, I SY E/PSYCH 349, I SY E 415, I SY E 417
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for this master’s program. Please visit here for more information on taking the GRE exam. Please note: Applicants should plan to take their exam by December 1 to allow scores to be sent and processed.
Note: Depending on applicant background, applicants may be deficient in up to two prerequisite courses.
Application Steps
- Fill out an online application through the Graduate School website.
- List three recommenders and their contact information as part of the online application. 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.
- Submit a Statement of Purpose with your online application. In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in ISyE and discuss which UW faculty members they would be interested in doing research with during their graduate study.
- English Proficiency Scores: International degree-seeking applicants must prove English proficiency using the Graduate School’s requirements. Please note: Exam information must be valid at start date of the semester that you are applying for (nonexpired).
- GRE Exam Information: The program requires the GRE exam be taken by prospective students as part of the application. Note there are no specific scoring guidelines for the exam as the GRE is only one part of consideration for admission into the program. Please note: Exam information must be valid at start date of the semester that you are applying for (nonexpired).
- Electronically submit one copy of your unofficial transcript with your application. If admitted, official transcripts of all undergraduate and previous graduate work are required. Unofficial copies of transcripts will be accepted for review. Please do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or gradadmission@engr.wisc.edu.
- Upload your resume in your application.
- Pay the Application Fee: Submission must be accompanied by the one-time application fee. It is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card (Master Card or VISA) or debit/ATM. By state law, this fee can only be waived or deferred through the conditions outlined here by the Graduate School.
Note: Please do not send materials/documents to the 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.