Graduate Admissions Information

Contents:

Student status options
Admission requirements
Required tests
When to apply
How to apply
International Applicants
Frequently Asked Questions

 

Student Status Options

The Graduate School accepts applications for the following 3 types of students. It is important to understand the distinctions between the categories.

  • A Graduate student is working toward a master's or doctoral degree or earning a school administrator's certificate credential. Students must be admitted to this status in order to earn a degree.Apply on-line.
  • A Visiting Graduate student plans to transfer a limited number of graduate credits to another institution where he or she is actively pursuing a graduate degree.
  • A Graduate Nonmatriculated student (GNM) is not currently seeking a degree but may apply a maximum of 12 graduate level credits toward degree requirements should he or she be accepted into a graduate program. It is important to note that acceptance as a GNM student does not imply admission to a graduate degree program.  GNM status is not available to persons holding a F-1, F2 or Visitors visas or expecting this office to issue the application for a F-1 student visa.

 

Admission Requirements

Admission to the University of Washington is necessarily a selective process.  Prospective students will ordinarily meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from a foreign institution.
  • Have earned at least a 3.0 or B grade-point-average in the most recent 2 years of study.

 

Required Tests

Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Most but not all graduate programs require a submission of the general GRE scores.  Please check departmental requirements carefully to determine what, if any, test scores are required.  If you have earned a doctoral level degree from an accredited institution in the United States, you may be exempt from the GRE requirement. 

The GRE is now offered only in a computerized format in the U.S. Registration forms or previous score reports may be requested from the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000, telephone 1-800-537-3160 or by email at gre-info@ets.org.  There is also a GRE website at http://www.gre.org.  When scheduling the test, refer to departmental application deadlines to allow adequate time for scores to arrive. 

English Language Proficiency

Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at the University of Washington.  Therefore, every applicant whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency.  No waivers of this English proficiency requirement may be given. See Graduate School Memo #8  and English proficiency tests comparison tables for the University's policy.

 

When to apply

Most graduate programs begin summer (June) or autumn (September) quarters.

The office of Graduate Admissions of the Graduate School supports each graduate department admissions committee in evaluating your credentials. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to submit the required application materials by November 1st.

However, if you are an applicant living outside the U.S., you should complete application requirements at least thirty days before the graduate program deadline to ensure sufficient time for graduate admission review.

 

How to apply

All graduate applications should now be submitted on-line.

GNM status is not available to persons holding a F-1, F2 or Visitors visas or expecting this office to issue the application for a F-1 student visa.

The online application fee for both Graduate and Visiting Graduate students is $65.00 US.  There is no fee for Graduate Nonmatriculated applications to the Seattle campus.  The fee for GNM applications to Bothell or Tacoma is $65.00.