PhD in Astronomy

Scanned unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended.

Three letters of recommendation from those well acquainted with your academic work (email addresses are required for all recommenders)

Pursuing a PhD is a major life decision. Therefore it should be a well-thought-out decision rather than a default choice. The personal statement is an important component of your application. It is your opportunity to highlight your preparation and motivation for graduate school in astronomy and what unique strengths you would bring to our program. Below is some advice for things to address in your personal statement. You are encouraged to find reference letter writers who can speak to these things as well. Motivation (What motivates you to earn a PhD in astronomy? What excites you the most about studying astronomy?) Leadership (Discuss examples of your resilience, initiative, and community engagement) Research Involvement (Discuss your research experiences, posters/publications, and outreach activities. If you have not had prior research experience, you can discuss your independent scholarly activities.) Multiperspectivity (What life experiences do you have that have contributed to the development of your goals? We are particularly interested in how your experiences and perspectives may enrich the department.) Alignment (Why do you consider the astronomy program of UW-Madison as a good match for your goals? Why Madison as a city?) Academic merit (Your transcript will show us what physics and astrophysics courses have you taken, but your personal statement should demonstrate your writing abilities and explain your academic trajectory). An effective personal statement is typically 2 pages long.

Résumés should also be submitted within the Graduate School Electronic Application.