Graduate Special

Graduate Special students include individuals who hold a baccalaureate degree or higher who wish to enroll in graduate courses at UW-Green Bay. Graduate Special students are subject to all academic regulations and UW System Board of Regent policies. Graduate Special students are nonmatriculated students who earn graduate credit that is permanently recorded (i.e., they are not enrolled in a graduate degree program).

  • Graduate credit will be awarded to students who register in graduate-level courses and pay graduate fees. Credits for which neither graduate fees were paid nor graduate credit awarded cannot be retroactively converted to graduate credits. 
  • Graduate Special students are not eligible for financial aid per federal regulation. 

Course Enrollment

  • Not all graduate courses are open to Graduate Special students, and admission as a Graduate Special does not guarantee enrollment. Upon admission, Graduate Special students must request permission from the faculty member teaching the course by completing a Course Registration Override/Late Add form found on the Graduate Studies website. 
  • Graduate Special students are not eligible for Independent Study, Internships, or Culminating Experiences (e.g., thesis or capstone projects).  

Graduate Special Application Procedures

  • Applicants must submit an online application available at apply.wisconsin.edu. When applying, choose "a few courses" to choose your program as "Graduate Special." An official transcript (with degree conferral) noting the date a baccalaureate degree was earned is also required.
  • Individuals applying for a graduate certificate program (only) must apply as a graduate special. See the Graduate Certificate program section for more information. 

Graduate Special Students Applying to a Degree Program

  • Graduate Special students who wish to pursue a UW-Green Bay graduate degree must complete a new application and be admitted to enter the degree program of their choice.  
  • Credits earned as a Graduate Special student may be applied toward a degree program, however, this is not guaranteed.
  • A maximum of 50% of a program's credits may be earned as a Graduate Special student at UW-Green Bay prior to matriculation into the degree program.