Choosing which college to attend is an exciting part of life. It can also be complicated and stressful at times. Let us help you explore UWM’s College of Letters & Science to see if we would be a good fit for you.
We offer more than 40 different majors in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Students choose us to help them prepare for the career of their choice, whether that be doctor, museum curator, therapist, marketing coordinator, or the many hundreds of other jobs that a liberal arts degree can lead to. Many students are also unsure of a specific career path. Our liberal arts majors are flexible and adaptable, giving students options upon graduation and throughout their lifetime.
Students also choose us because of the learning we provide outside of the classroom. Experiential learning is just as important as classroom learning and opportunities abound.
- Hands-on Experience. Our location in Milwaukee and gives students access to many corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, and small businesses for practical hands-on experience through part-time work, internships, and volunteer experiences. Our Career Planning and Resource Center helps students develop a resume, seek external opportunities, and practice interviewing.
- Research. Our ranking as an R1 research institute (one of only 130 in the entire U.S.!) and as one of the top two universities in the country for undergraduate research give students opportunities to help professors create new knowledge while building a strong resume. Students often can receive their first professional journal citation through undergraduate research. Our Office of Undergraduate Research helps students find their ideal match, or many students just reach out directly to professors who are working on topics that interest them.
- Study Abroad. Students looking to broaden their world view can take advantage of different types of study abroad opportunities in more than 70 different locales. Experiences can be as short as two weeks and as long as a year. The Study Abroad Office assists students in their planning.
The process beings with the application for admission. Final application deadlines are August 1 for the fall semester (September start) and December 1 for the spring semester (January start). However, you are strongly encouraged to meet our priority application deadlines to allow enough time to complete placement assessment, orientation and advising. Our priority deadlines are March 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester.
We would be happy to answer your questions about the admissions process, your intended major, and the opportunities available to our students.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information
In general, you will find these three offices helpful to answer your questions:
- UWM Admissions Office
You should contact them at undergraduateadmissions@uwm.edu with questions about the application process, receipt of official transcripts, and timeline for receiving a decision. - UWM Financial Aid Office
Their web site contains cost calculators and other information about tuition, loans, grants, and other payment related questions. You can contact them using this form. - College of Letters & Science recruitment office
Contact us with questions about academic requirements, your intended major, research opportunities, and career outcomes associated with your intended major. You can either email let-sci@uwm.edu or request a phone or videoconference appointment.
AP credits, IB credits, and dual enrollment credits
Many high school students have the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. We accept AP credits, IB credits, and dual enrollment credits from accredited colleges and universities.
- AP Credits: In order to earn UWM credits, students must take the AP exam and achieve a certain score. See this chart for information on how scores translate into UWM credits.
- IB Credits: Similar to AP, students must earn certain scores on the IB exam to earn UWM credit. See this chart to see how your scores correlate to UWM credits.
- Dual Enrollment Credits: Many high schools partner with a local college or university to offer classes to their students which earn both high school and college credit simultaneously. To inquire how your dual enrolled classes would transfer to UWM, send a copy of your unofficial college transcript from the institution where you took the class(es) to let-sci@uwm.edu.
Scholarships
Freshmen in the College of Letters & Science should complete a profile in UWM’s scholarship portal to be considered for a vareity of scholarships. Log into the scholarship portal, answer the questions posed, and upload a copy of your high school transcript. An unofficial copy of your transcript is acceptable. All high school students with a 3.5 GPA or higher and a standardized test score in the 75th percentile or higher are encouraged to create a scholarship profile.
Two specific renewable scholarships that are open to incoming freshmen with a 3.7 or higher high school GPA are the New Directions Scholarship and the Jan & Tom Montiegel Scholarship. These are four-year renewable scholarships valued between $500 and $2,000 per year.
Advising Appointments and Orientation for Admitted Freshmen
Admitted must complete the following steps. The timelines indicated are for freshmen admitted for a fall start; students admitted to start in spring should review the admissions materials they have received to find their deadlines.:
- complete the intent to enroll – May 1 priority deadline
- submit a housing contract or exemption (for new full-time freshmen under the age of 21) – May 1 priority deadline
- complete placement assessments
- and register for the required orientation (Registration opens in March; Orientation sessions start in June)
Placement assessment must be done at least 14 days prior to your scheduled orientation date. You will not be able to register for classes at orientation if we do not have your placement results.
Please see the information in your Admissions portal and in your admissions email for further information and links to complete these steps.
During New Student Orientation, you will meet with an advisor and select and register for your courses. We look forward to meeting you soon!
Contact Us / Ask Us Questions
If you are considering becoming a Panther and part of our Letters & Science family, contact an L&S admissions counselor at let-sci@uwm.edu.
If you are already an enrolled UWM student with an assigned advisor, contact that individual.