UWM Graduate School Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information

The Graduate School’s office is located in Mitchell Hall, room 261
Office hours: Monday through Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm

If you have questions or need assistance you can contact us through email at: gradschool-staff@uwm.edu. Or set up an appointment with us at: uwm.edu/graduateschool/request-an-appointment/

For our graduate students who are interested in more information about the CARES grant and the UWM Emergency Grant funding please see the Dean of Students page regarding emergency grants.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Graduate Students and Programs Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Updated April 27, 2022

This FAQ communication builds on the Campus COVID-19 Academic Continuity Plan and expands it to address emerging questions specific to graduate education. Please also see Covid-19 Information Campus Updates Website for additional information about the 2021-22 academic year.

A. Applications | Admissions

A.1 What about graduate campus tours?

The Graduate School is offering limited campus tours and tour registration is available on our Graduate School Visit webpage. You may also explore campus with our virtual tour.

A.2 Will graduate applications and admissions processes be modified or interrupted?

Applications and admissions will continue as usual without interruptions. The Graduate School office is staffed Monday through Friday 9:00am – 4:30pm. The Graduate Education office can be reached via email at: gradschool-staff@uwm.edu, through a private Microsoft Teams chat at UWM Graduate School Appointments, or phone (414-229-6569).

A.3 I’m applying to UWM, but GRE or other standardized testing centers are closed in my area? What should I do?

The Graduate School does not require GRE or similar standardized test scores, but some programs do. Contact the program you’re applying to for more information. The GRE General Test from Home is available from home in selected areas. The GMAT Online may also be available. Contact test providers for more details.

A.4 Are applicants/students required to have their residency documents notarized?

During normal operations, we do require students to have their appeal and requests for consideration of extenuating circumstances documents notarized. We have waived that requirement and will continue to waive it until further notice, as long as it creates an undue burden for the student.

A.5 Can programs temporarily waive program-level admissions requirements?

The Graduate Faculty Committee has now passed the following resolution: “Graduate programs will have the right to waive any program‐specific admissions requirements temporarily because of challenges created by COVID‐19. Programs may waive their program‐specific admissions requirements for applicants submitting applications for Spring, Summer, and Fall 2022 enrollment. After that, programs will return to their normal admissions requirements unless governance has approved another extension or permanent revisions.”

B. Classes | Exams | Defenses

B.1 How will Graduate student classes be handled in spring?

Spring classes will be offered in their normal face-to-face, online, and hybrid forms that combine both online and remote learning. As we look forward to welcoming students back for the spring semester, we’re aiming to do it in the safest manner possible. That includes providing flexibility during the first week of classes for students and instructors to get tested, get vaccinated (including booster shots), and acquire N95 or surgical-style masks, which are now recommended. All instructional staff must communicate with their students by Jan. 21, confirming the mode of instruction if there is a change. Starting Jan. 31, classes will generally be held in the original format listed in PAWS. The UWM course catalog will indicate the delivery method of each class. For face-to-face and hybrid classes, instructors, program staff, and the managers of facilities will institute detailed safety measures, including frequent cleaning, and requiring masks in all campus buildings. As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in our community, even among those who are vaccinated, UWM is requiring that students, employees and visitors wear masks indoors while on campus. As an added layer of protection, unvaccinated faculty, staff and students who are not 100% online will be required to test weekly. For more information, see UWM’s interim COVID-related health & safety rules and UWM’s Campus COVID-19 website. For specific information about your classes, check with your program.

B.2 Can a student or members of a doctoral or master’s defense committee participate in the examination remotely?

Yes. A defense can be conducted remotely, preferably by video conference. The student and any or all members of a defense committee may attend the defense remotely. Any committee member attending remotely must supply the committee chair with their vote by email. For doctoral defenses, they must also give the chair permission to sign the warrant in their place.

B.3 What will happen if I’m enrolled for credit in an internship, practicum, clinical placement, fieldwork, or some other off-campus activity that I can’t complete because of COVID-19?

Students will not have to re-enroll for credit and pay tuition for these activities again if they received a grade of Incomplete. Campus instructors should issue grades of “Incomplete” for students who have made sufficient progress, and coordinate with off-campus partners later to allow students to complete the placement and receive a final grade. An Incomplete (I) will remain on the transcript for a full year, at which point it will turn into a Permanent Incomplete (PI). The PI can be changed to a grade by the instructor of record for a further full year, and for an additional year after that by filing a Request for Exception with the Graduate School. At the graduate level, it will not automatically change to an F at any point.

For 2021-22, students who intended to graduate at the end of a semester but who were delayed because of Covid-related interruptions to their internships or field placements can take advantage an additional accommodation. With confirmation from the Department (written on the graduation application or emailed to the graduation examiner), if a student had no choice in the placement ending date, the placement may end after the semester but before the first day of the next term and the student will still graduate for the application term. For example, students who apply to graduate in Spring 2022 but who cannot finish a placement by the end of the semester will have until June 25, 2022 to complete the placement and receive a final grade. Under those circumstances, they will still graduate in May.

However, if the student finishes the placement on/after the *first day of the next term, graduation must move to the next term, but registration will be waived.

*For Spring and Fall, “first day of the term” is the first day of classes. For Summer, “first day of the term” will be the first day of the 8-week session. First day of classes, and last day of the term dates are indicated on the Registrar’s Calendar. Last day of the term is the same as the conferral date.

B.4 Are students required to enroll in at least one credit in order to graduate?

The Graduate School will waive the requirement to enroll in at least one graduate credit for graduation for Summer 2022, subject to eligibility criteria specified in the Graduation Enrollment Policy Revision.

Other graduation requirements apply, and students are responsible for the usual $40 graduation fee. International students should consult the Center for International Education to review any additional requirements for graduation.

Please note that graduating students will still be charged tuition if they:
  • Choose to enroll
  • Need to enroll to meet program requirements for graduation
  • Need to enroll to show enrollment status for financial aid or continuing student loan deferment
  • Need to enroll to maintain their international student visa status

B.5 Do dissertators need to be enrolled in 3 credits in order to graduate?

Because of disruptions to doctoral education due to Covid during the 2021-22 academic year, and from a desire to lower as many barriers as possible to graduation, the Graduate School is temporarily waiving the requirement for dissertators who plan to graduate in Summer 2022 to enroll in three dissertation credits during Summer 2022. This waiver applies automatically to all dissertators who apply to graduate in Summer 2022.

This enrollment waiver applies only to those graduating in Summer 2022. Students who intend to graduate in Fall 2022 will need to enroll in 3 dissertation credits in fall as usual. Students who intend to graduate after Fall 2022 must remain continuously enrolled during the academic year until they graduate, in accordance with UW System policy. See Waiver of Doctoral Enrollment Requirement in 3 Dissertator Credits for Summer 2022 for more details.

B.6 Are there any changes to the limits on time to degree for graduate students?

The emergency time clock accommodation for graduate students in degree programs allows graduate students to extend their time to degree by one year in both doctoral and master’s programs. There is no extension for the relatively long time clock for graduate certificates. The preliminary examination clock already contains provisions for a one-year extension in extenuating circumstances, which can be used for students delayed by the COVID-19 emergency. Eligibility for emergency clock extensions requires entry into a UWM graduate degree program during or before Spring 2020.

C. Graduate Student Research

C.1 How will the response to COVID-19 affect graduate student research?

Research at all levels has been impacted by necessary limitations on travel and occupancy levels of facilities, and by the availability of personal protective equipment. UWM’s Office of Research has plans for research facilities and guidelines for field research. For more information and the latest updates, please see their Conducting Research During COVID-19 Pandemic page.

D. Graduate Assistants

D.1 Will Teaching Assistants have to teach in person in face-to-face or hybrid classes?

While campus will look and operate more like it did before the beginning of the pandemic, UWM has developed safety protocols and monitoring activities that will help ensure campus safety and flexibility. TAs who are sick, immune-compromised, or in a high-risk category and who are assigned to face-to-face teaching should discuss possible accommodations with their course leads, advisors, program directors, or other supervisors. For more information on campus policies for student employees including graduate assistants, see the Employment section of the Campus FAQ. See also the Human Resources Coronavirus FAQ. For more information about leave provisions for graduate student employees, see the question about leave policies below.

D.2 I’m a Research Assistant or Project Assistant and feel uncomfortable to come to campus to work due to health concerns. What do I do?

UWM’s Office of Research has developed procedures for the safe return to research activities. See their Covid-19 Research Guidance and Resources page for more information on safety provisions and necessary steps for research labs and spaces. UWM is open and work should proceed as normal, with the exception of the masking and testing (for unvaccinated) mandates. However, RAs or PAs who are sick, immune-compromised, or in a high-risk category should discuss possible accommodations with their supervisors. For more information on campus policies for student employees including graduate assistants, see the Employee section of the Campus FAQ. Human Resources has developed an extensive website on remote work that provides guidance and resources for employees and supervisors. Information found on the page includes how an employee may make a request to work remotely and how supervisors may consider such requests.

D.3 Are there any policies or guidelines regarding the requirements to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shot for Graduate Assistants?

UW System has indicated they are not requiring vaccinations for students or employees, which would include graduate assistants. Since vaccination status is a medical item, UWM is not permitted to ask employees their vaccination status except for very specific purposes, e.g., for an employee to gain exemption from the UW-System COVID-19 testing requirement.

Students, faculty, and staff who are fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms of COVID-19, no longer have to be tested on campus once they receive an exemption by completing this form. Otherwise, UWM’s current policy requires COVID-19 testing every other week for students, faculty and staff who come to a UWM campus at least once per week. Milwaukee campus students living in residence halls must be tested weekly.

E. Housing | Travel | Health | Technology

E.1 If I plan to live in university housing, how is that affected by COVID-19?

For more information on student housing, see the University Housing website, including the University Housing COVID-19 Information page.

E.2 What can the Graduate School’s Travel Awards be used for while travel is restricted due to COVID-19?

The restrictions on non-essential university-sponsored travel have been modified starting July 1, 2021. Domestic travel, including travel for graduate students, is permitted again for all locations in the U.S. and all U.S. Territories. International travel remains restricted, but exceptions may be granted for essential international travel that is critical to UWM’s mission and cannot be rescheduled. It is unlikely that the kinds of international travel that the Graduate School’s Travel Awards support will be approved as essential. Any applications for Travel Awards funding international travel must be accompanied by an approved UWM Travel Exception Form.

Even though domestic travel is now permitted, we expect that many conferences and conference participants will continue to meet virtually. Students may apply for virtual travel assistance from the Graduate School by submitting a Graduate Student Travel Award Application. This can include reimbursement for virtual conference registration fees for students who are presenting at the conference. Students must include proof that they are presenting in the Graduate Student Travel Award Application.

The Graduate Student Travel Award Application is also available by clicking on Graduate Student Travel on our funding webpage: uwm.edu/graduateschool/types-of-funding/

Please email gs-studenttravel@uwm.edu for question and assistance. For more information on travel and updates, see the campus Travel FAQ.

E.3 I’m concerned about my physical or mental health during this stressful time. Where should I go?

All graduate students have access to physical and mental health services through Norris Health Center. For more information about services there, see uwm.edu/norris/about-norris/faq/ Take care of yourselves, everyone!

F. Miscellaneous Student Questions

F.1 How do I access emergency funding for students?

The Dean of Students administers Emergency Grants with limited funding to help cover expenses for unforeseen emergencies, including hardships that result from the COVID-19 pandemic. These Emergency Grants are available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

The Dean of Students also administers the Graduate School’s Graduate Diversity and Inclusion Emergency Awards, available to qualifying under-represented, minority, and first-generation graduate students. Qualifying students who apply for Emergency Grants at the above link will automatically be considered for these awards.

Please consider contributing to the Chancellor’s Student Success Fund—via the Advancing UWM gift page—which supports these Emergency Grants. Thank you for your generosity.

F.2 Can I temporarily suspend pursuing my degree due to certain COVID-19 related life events?

Yes. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Graduate School’s Academic Leave of Absence (ALA) policy allows graduate students to temporarily suspend pursuit of their degree goals in order to take care of certain life events. The policy may be most useful for dissertators subject to the continuous registration requirement, but it can stop the clock on time limit to degree for all students in doctoral, master’s, and certificate programs. The main goal of the ALA policy is to facilitate retention to graduation, without unduly prolonging time to degree.

Additional Links to Campus FAQs and Resources