Our Students
The MET graduate program typically has between twenty and thirty students. Many of our students join MET directly after their undergraduate degree, while others have earned master’s degrees or are returning to academia from the workforce. Some have participated in enrichment programs, such as SROPs and PREP. Others have had experience working in laboratories at their home institutions, and for some, their first extensive research experiences come as part of the graduate program.
Led by a vibrant Student Liaison Committee, students engage in leadership and outreach opportunities. A comprehensive curriculum provides training not just in toxicology, but in professional development and responsible conduct. A compassionate group of program leaders are dedicated to the success of all the students in the program, even if the definition of “success” changes during the course of the student’s graduate career. Reach out to program manager Ezra Mauk (ezra.mauk@wisc.edu) to learn more!
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Emphasis on Social Justice
Toxicology is a field that intersects with human health and underrepresented identity group members are adversely and disproportionately affected by toxicological events. In partnership with the UW-Madison SciMed-GRS Program, MET seeks to recruit scholars who hold multifaceted perspectives and life experiences and have the potential to become innovative scientific leaders who may work to address these and other disparities. Over 35% of our current students identify with a race other than white.
Student Accolades
Specific Recognitions
- F31 Fellowships through NIH Institutes
- NSF-GRFP Awards
- MRC-SOT Young Investigator of the Year Recipients
- American Heart Association Fellowships
- Department of Defense Fellowships
- University Awards
- Morgridge Fellowships
- Zaman-Saroya Graduate Award for Excellence
- Wisconsin Distinguished Fellowship
Beyond the Bench
MET encourages students to participate in events that will help them stand apart from their peers when applying for positions at and around graduation. Research and publications are good ways to do this, but there are more.
The curriculum of MET exposes students to two professional development-style classes in their first year to help them prepare to create competitive proposals to national agencies, so that the students can secure their own funding.
Opportunities for engagement abound for students. Whether through program, campus, or national organizations and societies, students are able to present at conferences and network with peers to build upon their CV and identify future position opportunities.
Our students are engaged in their research and utilize that and other tools to stand-out beyond their peers. The listing at left is, but a sample of the accolades that our students have received.
Success Rates
Time to Degree
The average time to degree for doctoral students is 5.5 years. Doctorate students will be engaged in classes and research. Classwork will include both core and elective credits and most students typically complete classroom instruction by Year Two. Following a preliminary exam to move to candidacy / dissertator status, students spend approximately three years conducting the research outlined in their preliminary exam document, publishing research, attending conferences, and moving the science of their field.
Degree Completion Rates
The program prides itself on working with students and advisors to get students to degree. 90% of PhD students who entered the MET PhD program completed their degrees, and the vast majority of the remaining 10% left the program with a master’s degree in MET.
Bottom line: If you are admitted to the program, we fully anticipate that you will leave with a degree.