Guide: Editing Governed Tabs

This document provides guidance for editing governed content in the Guide related to graduate degrees/majors, doctoral minors, graduate/professional certificates, and capstone certificates. 

In this Doc

How to Make Edits to Governed Content

Helpful Tip

Watch the Getting Started video for an introduction to editing governed content.

Best Practices

  • Information must be relatively static to minimize frequent edits.
  • Do not put non-governed content in governed tabs.
  • If information is in a table, do not restate in text below table.
  • Footnotes and narrative text under table are allowed, but should be concise and clear.
  • Do not add or delete rows from pre-defined admissions or requirements tables.
  • Do not add or delete pre-defined headers in the policies tab.

Admissions Tab Format

This guidance applies to all admitting master's and doctoral degrees, including named options, in Guide.

Helpful Tip

Watch the Editing Admissions video to learn how to edit this tab.

Shared Content

To start, place the Graduate School's shared content at the top.

Image of shared content information in admissions

Admissions Table

The predefined admissions table must be placed after the shared content. Edit the following template with appropriate information.

Image of pre-defined admissions table

Display Deadline Fields

Image of display deadlines

The display deadline fields should be formatted as the month and date. Programs may also choose to format as:

  • Month and date for international students; month and date for domestic students

If program does not admit in a certain term, insert:

  • This program does not admit in the (fall/spring/summer).

International applicants must follow certain deadlines for admission recommendation; see the Deadlines for Processing International and Domestic Applications.

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Field

Image of GRE field

Indicate your program's GRE requirement and format as:

  • Required
  • Not required
  • Not required but may be considered if available
  • May be required in certain cases; consult program.

English Proficiency Test

Image of English proficiency test field

If your program follows the Graduate School's policy, format as:

If your program follows more stringent minimum test scores, write out the required minimum test scores.

Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT)

Image of other tests field

Provide the appropriate information as follows:

  • n/a
  • none
  • not applicable
  • The MCAT may be accepted as an alternate to the GRE.

Letters of Recommendation Required

Image of letters of recommendation required

Indicate the required number of letters of recommendation.

Text Below Table

Programs may include narrative text under the pre-defined admissions table. Avoid restating information listed in the table (e.g., application deadlines, required letters of recommendation, etc). Programs may include the following to explain the application process and required materials (click to expand tab). 

Doctoral Minors

Doctoral minors do not have a predefined admissions table. However, this credential must include:

  • All Graduate School students must utilize the Graduate Student Portal in MyUW to add, change, or discontinue any doctoral minor. To apply to this minor, log in to MyUW, click on Graduate Student Portal, and then click on Add/Change Programs. Select the information for the doctoral minor for which you are applying.

Graduate/Professional Certificates

Graduate/professional certificates do not have a predefined admissions table. However, this credential must include:

  • All Graduate School students must utilize the Graduate Student Portal in MyUW to add, change, or discontinue any graduate/professional certificate. To apply to this certificate, log in to MyUW, click on Graduate Student Portal, and then click on Add/Change Programs. Select the information for the certificate for which you are applying. Professional students in the careers of Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary cannot add the certificate in the Graduate Student Portal, and should contact the program for more information.

Requirements Tab Format

Helpful Tip

Watch the Editing Requirements video to learn how to edit this tab.

Shared Content

To start, place the Graduate School's shared content at the top.

Image of requirements shared content

Then, add the mode of instruction table (header 3) and mode instruction definitions (header 4) for named option (major) pages.

Image of mode of instruction tables

Curricular Requirements Table

Then, add the curricular requirements table with the title, Curricular Requirements (header 3). Edit the following template with appropriate information. Note master's programs do not need the "Graduate School Breadth Requirement" row. 

Image of curricular requirements table

Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement

If your program refers to the Graduate School's minimum requirement, format as:

Overall Graduate GPA Requirement

If your program refers to the Graduate School's minimum requirement, format as:

Other Grade Requirements

If applicable, indicate your program's other grade requirements like "All courses must have a grade of B or better." If not applicable, format as: "n/a" or "none". 

Assessments and Examinations

If applicable, indicate your program's required assessments and examinations. Examples include:

  • Students take one preliminary examination and one written preliminary examination after completing their second academic year.
  • Doctoral candidates must submit a written dissertation proposal and make an oral presentation to the faculty.

Language Requirements

If applicable, indicate your program's language requirements. If none, format as: "n/a", "none", or "no language requriements". 

Graduate School Breadth Requirement

If your program refers to the Graduate School's minimum requirement, format as:

  • All doctoral students are required to complete a doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate. Refer to the Graduate School: Breadth Requirement in Doctoral Training: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1200

Required Courses

Next, add a course list with your program's required coursework. This table must be titled as Required Courses (header 3).

This course list table is where a program details the courses needed to earn the credential. In general, program's should:

  • Use the sum hours function in the course list to account for the minimum credit requirement
  • Use cascading headers for text under the table
  • At minimum, provide a list of commonly taken or recommended courses

Required courses table

Program Pathways

Programs with internal pathways, include the footnote:

  • 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.

Policies Tab Format

Helpful Tip

Watch the Editing Policies videos to learn how to edit this tab.

Shared Content

To start, place the Graduate School's shared content at the top.

Image of policies shared content

Predefined Policies Headers

Next, add the Major-Specific Policies (header 2) header, followed by the following sections as header 3 toggle headers: Prior Coursework, Probation, Advisor/Committee, Credits Per Term Allowed, Grievances and Appeals, and Other. Do not delete any of these sub headers. Each sub header contains specific information.

Image of major specific policies

Prior Coursework

Start with a Prior Coursework header and include subheaders with the types of coursework (header 4). Include all of the following categories. Do not add or remove headers.

Image of prior coursework policies

If your program follows the Graduate School's policy, link to the policy instead of restating it to minimize missing future policy updates. Otherwise, detail your program's specific policy.

Probation

Image of probation policy

If your program refers to the Graduate School's policy, format as.

Advisor / Committee

Image of advisor / committee policy

If your program refers to the Graduate School's policy, format as.

Credits Per Term Allowed

Image of credits per term allowed policy

If your program refers to the Graduate School's policy, format as.

Time Limits

Image of time limits policy

If your program refers to the Graduate School's policy, format as.

Grievances and Appeals

This section is shared content by the Graduate School. Do not edit or remove. Program-specific policy should be included after the shared content.

Image of grievances and appeals shared content

Other

Image of other policy

If no additional information, format as:

  • n/a 
  • none
  • information related to funding

Do not delete the 'Other' header if there is no information to include.

Learning Outcomes Format

For format information on how to update this tab, contact the Student Learning Assessment Office (assessment@wisc.edu). Named option pages do not have separate learning outcomes from the degree/major. This tab is owned by the Provost's Office.

Accreditation/Certification/Licensure Format

In addition to university accreditation, some programs may have their own accreditation, certifications, and licensures detailed in this tab. This tab is owned by the Provost's Office. Questions about the format and edits should be directed to Data, Academic Planning, and Institutional Research (lumen@provost.wisc.edu).

Lumen Programs - Find your Program's Proposal  



Keywords:
Guide, governed, governance, admissions, requirements, policies, learning outcomes, accreditation, certification, licensure
Doc ID:
107065
Owned by:
Lorena K. in Graduate School
Created:
2020-11-09
Updated:
2025-06-25
Sites:
Graduate School