university of washington phd admission requirements

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Requirements

Minimum admissions requirements.

Prospective graduate students must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Hold the minimum equivalent of a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution or a Bologna bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits.
• Also acceptable: hold a Master’s degree, a doctoral degree (Ph.D., D.Phil.), or a professional degree (M.D., J.D., D.V.M., etc.) from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution.
• After  accepting an offer: all students confirming enrollment must provide an official (sealed) transcript and degree statement (with date of award & title of degree awarded) for verification to  Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) . For more information, see Official Transcripts Requirements. Students who submit an official transcript to their admitting department are still required to submit an additional transcript to GEMS upon enrollment.

Read more about requirements on our Admissions Help and FAQs page.

• Have at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point-average on a 4 point scale (or equivalent measures of performance if a graduate of an institution with no grading system; or equivalent grade-point-average from an accredited foreign institution) for those credits earned at the regionally accredited institution awarding the bachelor’s degree OR at least a 3.0 grade-point-average (on a 4 point scale) for  the last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits.
• Also acceptable: have earned at least a cumulative 3.0 grade-point-average (on a 4 point scale) from an accredited institution for a Master’s, graduate doctoral degree, or professional doctoral degree.
• Graduate programs may consider an applicant with a GPA below a 3.0. Graduate programs must submit an admission petition to the Dean of the Graduate School and receive approval before an offer is made. For the complete policy, refer to  Policy 3.1: Graduate Admissions .
• Some graduate programs will have additional admission requirements and may require a higher grade-point-average. These requirements can be found in the graduate program listing:  select a graduate program .

English Proficiency

• Demonstration of English proficiency is required of all non-native English speakers. 
• Applicants who do not meet the minimum required score will not be considered for admission. We do not offer conditional admission. 
• Admitted students may be required to take additional English classes during their graduate studies, see Policy 3.2.
• Some graduate programs may require a higher score beyond the minimum required score. Additionally, some programs may not accept MyBest Scores. Please check with graduate programs to confirm their requirements:  select a graduate program .

For additional ways to demonstrate English proficiency, see  Policy 3.2 .

For more information, please visit our comprehensive page for International Applicants .

Citizenship and Visa Status

The Graduate School accepts applications from U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), immigrants and international applicants. Undocumented individuals are eligible for admission to any graduate program at the University of Washington. Graduate School admission requirements and application procedures are the same for all applicants regardless of citizenship and visa status.

Once an international student planning to study on an F-1 or J-1 student visa has been admitted and has accepted their offer, they must provide documentation to show proof of adequate financial support.

• Refer to our Financial Ability Requirement information
• International students must have a visa status that allows academic study at the UW. This status includes temporary U.S. visas such as F-1 student visas, J-1 exchange visitors, H-1 temporary worker, dependent visas or any other non-immigrant classifications. Students who will study on an F-1 or J-1 visa will be required to complete additional steps after confirming their intention to enroll before the Graduate School can process their visa paperwork.
• Regarding F-2 dependent visa holders, a June 2015 US immigration rule permits dependents (F-2) of international students to engage in study at SEVP-certified schools in the U.S., as long as they are enrolled in part-time study. Although the F-2s can only study part-time, that part-time study can result in the attainment of a degree. However, the F-2  would not be eligible for any employment, including on-campus, CPT, or OPT.  At the University of Washington Graduate School, if an F-2 wants to enroll in a full course of academic study (10 credit minimum), they must apply for and  obtain approval  to change their nonimmigrant classification to F-1 or J-1. For further information on this rule, refer to  the Department of Homeland Security website.

University of Washington Information School

Doctorate in information science.

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Ph.D. Application Materials

Ph.d. application for graduate study.

The online application for Autumn 2025 will open Sept. 1. Visit the Application for Graduate Study and create a log-in ID and password.

Retain your log-in ID and password, as you will need them to:

• Save a partially completed application
• Pay the application fee ($90 payable by debit or credit card)
• Monitor the submission of recommendations and test scores (if applicable)
• Check the status of your application

Once you have paid the fee, you will be unable to make further changes to your application with the exception of letters of recommendation, contact information and transcript updates.

Application Materials

Personal statement, diversity statement, statement of purpose.

• Recommendations

Faculty and Research Interests

Resume or curriculum vitae, transcripts.

• Extenuating Circumstances or Additional Information  (optional)
• Submit Work Sample  (optional)
• Official  GRE Scores (optional)
• English Language Proficiency for Non-Native English Speakers

Please tell us about yourself and what brought you to the information field. We encourage you to draw upon your positionality, passions and personal history to discuss how you are uniquely situated to pursue impactful scholarship – research, teaching, and service – in the information field. Please limit your personal statement to 350 words.

The Information School works to address today’s most pressing issues, and believes that diversity, equity and inclusion, in their many forms, are critical to the intellectual and social fabric of the iSchool and the fields of information. We seek applicants who have varied cultural, educational, political, philosophical, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and who recognize their impacts on and relationship to society’s power and privilege dynamics. 

With diversity as a core value and foundational concept in the Information School, we strive to create a community of scholars that is inclusive of underrepresented populations and in service to underserved communities. How would you contribute to these efforts? We recognize that your contribution may not necessarily be through your Ph.D. research; teaching, service, and community outreach are equally important areas of contribution. We also welcome your thoughts on how the Information School could ensure that you experience a positive, inclusive environment that supports your growth as a scholar. 

Please limit your diversity statement to 350 words. (You may want to consider the  iSchool diversity statement  when writing your response.)

Your research statement should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words and contain the following elements:

• Your specific research interests and questions
• A description of one or two potential research projects
• Rationale for applying to the UW Information School
• Research experiences and skills that you will build upon
• Your professional aspirations - how will you become a leader in the information field?

Recommendations (3 Required)

Enter the names and contact information for three recommenders into the the Application for Graduate Study. These individuals will be sent an e-mail prompt with instructions for submitting their recommendation online.

The Ph.D. admissions committee prefers to review recommendations from academic sources. We strongly encourage applicants to choose professors, instructors and/or research staff who are familiar with your research, writing and other academic experience and abilities. Unless academic- or work-related, do not submit recommendations from family members, clergy or friends.

Select three or four Information School faculty members who could potentially serve as faculty advisors. The Information School faculty you list should be both eligible to advise doctoral students and share your research interests.

• Complete the faculty and research interests form within the online application to indicate the faculty that you most want to work with, ranking them in the order of your preference (#1 being your top choice). The online form will allow you to select as few as one faculty member or as many as five, however, candidates are urged to select 3-4 faculty.
• For each choice, provide a short explanation (2-3 sentences) regarding why you are interested in working with them. Please be as specific as possible and consider providing examples by referencing publications and/or areas of research.
• When listing potential advisors, please confirm they are eligible to advise doctoral students by referencing the  Ph.D. Faculty Advisors  page. Another good resource is the Research Areas section of the website, where faculty are grouped by research area, though Research Area lists are not restricted to faculty who can advise students.

Many of our successful applicants are admitted after having conversations directly with our faculty. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review faculty profiles and reach out to those who have interests similar to yours. Your cold emails will be warmly and enthusiastically received, so don't be shy!

Upload a PDF of your résumé or curriculum vitae. There is no preferred formatting or specific requirements that need to be met. However, your submission should include the following information, as applicable:

• Academic history (including institution, degree, dates of attendance)
• Professional experience (including employer, position title, and dates of employment)
• Involvement with volunteer, community, and/or diversity-related activities (including the organization, position title, and dates of service)
• Honors, awards, publications, and presentations
• Research experience

In the Report Prior Schools section of the the Application for Graduate Study, list all schools (colleges, universities and institutions) where you have earned collegiate-level credit.

In the Submit Transcripts section of the application, upload a transcript for each school listed.

Each transcript should be complete, legible and include the following: name of the institution, name of the student, dates of attendance, courses taken, grades/marks/credits earned and be organized by term (quarters, semesters or trimesters).

Please observe the following guidelines:

• All transcripts should be submitted through the Application for Graduate Study. Please do not mail (or email) transcripts to the iSchool unless specifically directed to do so.
• Unofficial transcript from the school, often a PDF
• Official transcript that the applicant scans and uploads into the Application for Graduate Study
• Information from an online system or dashboard (Applicants are welcome to copy/paste into a Word document. As long as it is complete and legible, we are happy to accept it.)
• Degree audits cannot be accepted in place of a transcript as they are not a comprehensive summary of the coursework a student has attempted.
• Applicants should not submit transcripts that they have typed out themselves. Any documentation that is submitted should originate from the degree-granting institution.
• Foreign transcripts: if not in English, must be accompanied by an  English translation .
• Certificate coursework: You only need to provide a transcript for certificate coursework if you earned academic credit in the process of earning the certificate. If you earned continuing education units (CEUs), a transcript does not need to be submitted.
• Study abroad (credits earned at a school outside the U.S.): Please refer to instructions for foreign transcripts.
• Study abroad (credits earned at a school inside the U.S.): Transcripts that fall into this category should be submitted as any other domestic transcripts.
• Transcripts from a clearinghouse or automated service may not be accessible when submitted through the Application for Graduate Study. As such, it is best to avoid using these services, if possible.
• In order to submit electronic transcripts, the applicant should have them sent to themselves and then upload them into the Application for Graduate Study.

Please note: The Ph.D. admissions committee retains the right to require that official transcripts be submitted for review at any time; during the application process or after admissions decisions have been made.

Applicants admitted to the program who accept the offer of admission will be required to submit official transcripts from all degree granting institutions to the Graduate School.

Extenuating Circumstances or Additional Information (optional)

If there are extenuating circumstances related to your academic transcript, resume or personal history which you haven’t addressed elsewhere but would like the admissions committee to consider, please describe them here. This section of the application can also be used to provide any additional information that you would like the committee to be aware of when considering you for admission. Please limit your response to 250 words.

Submit Work Sample (optional)

Applicants can opt to submit one example of their work. Possible samples include (but are not limited to): research paper, writing sample, portfolio, poster, project, research, presentation (basically anything you want to submit). 

Official GRE Scores (optional)

Though no longer part of our standard requirements, applicants with a lower GPA are encouraged to submit official GRE scores. If it is necessary to enter a low GPA petition with the Graduate School, having submitted official GRE scores may be beneficial and support the petition. When reporting scores, please use ETS report code 4854, no department code.

English Language Proficiency Requirement for Non-Native English Speakers

Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. Therefore, every applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of citizenship) must demonstrate proficiency with the English language. (See UW Policy 3.2 for Graduate School policies.)

Non-native English speakers will indicate how they will fulfill the requirement in the application. The options are:

• submitted to the UW with ETS code 4854; use department code 99
• submitted to the UW with organization code 365
• Official Duolingo scores — minimum score of 110
• No additional documentation is required. We will use the transcript submitted with the application to verify that the requirement has been fulfilled.
• We will accept a notation directly on the transcript or a separate document issued by the institution.

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Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Graduate school requirements.

This is a partial summary of the Graduate School requirements. For detailed information on all Graduate School requirements, see the UW  General Catalog .

• Completion of a program of study and research as planned by the graduate program coordinator in the student's major department or college and the Supervisory Committee. At least 18 credits  of course work at the 500 level and above must be completed before scheduling the General Examination.
• Presentation of 90 credits, 60 of which must be taken at the University of Washington.
• Numerical grades must be received in at least 18 quarter credits of course work taken at the UW prior to scheduling the General Examination.The Graduate School accepts numerical grades in approved 400-level courses accepted as part of the major, and in all 500-level courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for a graduate degree.
• The candidate must register for a MINIMUM of 27 credits of dissertation (PHIL 800) over a period of at least three quarters. At least one quarter must come after the student passes the General Exam. With the exception of summer quarter, students are limited to a maximum of 10 credits per quarter of dissertation (PHIL 800).
• Completion of all work for the doctoral degree within ten years. This includes quarters spent on-leave.
• Registration maintained as full- or part-time graduate student at the UW for the quarter in which the degree is conferred.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is based on the level of performance with the  M.A. requirements .

General Requirements

There are four general requirements for the completion of the doctoral degree:

• general written examination
• general oral examination
• dissertation
• final examination

The qualifying paper constitutes the written portion of the general examination. The general oral examination is normally a presentation and defense of the student’s dissertation proposal.

Course Requirement

Student must complete a minimum of 12 graduate level courses, with at least six of these courses being seminars. All courses must be passed with a grade of 3.0 or better. (Seminars/courses taken to fulfill the M.A. requirements may count toward this total). A student’s doctoral supervisory committee may require additional course work.

Language Requirement

There is no departmental language requirement. However, in writing a dissertation a student must be able to deal with primary sources in the original language of the source. All language requirements are determined by the student’s supervisory committee. A student should develop the needed language skills as early as possible in his/her career. The student should consult with the director of graduate studies during the first and second year in the M.A. program to ensure that they are developing any needed language skills.

Proseminar and Literature Review

In the fall and spring of the third year, students are required to enroll for the department’s proseminars (PHIL 502 and 503). These credit/no credit courses are designed to help students make the transition from coursework to dissertation writing. Students will get advice from faculty and more senior graduate students about finding a dissertation topic, narrowing its scope, forming a committee, writing a dissertation proposal, and passing the general exam. Students will be asked to read past proposals, meet with faculty members in their area, lead class discussions on articles of relevance to their likely dissertation topic, and complete a 20-page literature review (surveying work in the area in which they expect to write a dissertation).  The literature review paper is not just a proseminar assignment; it is a requirement of the program.  It will be graded (pass/fail) by two faculty members in the student’s area of concentration, as well as by the instructor of the proseminar. The literature review should be a paper that reports on approximately 12-15 articles, book chapters, or books central to the likely area of the student’s dissertation project. Rather than simply providing an annotated bibliography, it should be written with an eye to marking out key positions, identifying common themes, gaps, or other problems, and providing the reader with an organized picture of what has been written in the area. Failure to complete this requirement in a timely fashion and to departmental expectations will be considered unsatisfactory progress.

Satisfactory Progress

A student’s supervisory committee determines whether a student in the Ph.D. program is making satisfactory progress. Satisfactory progress for the Ph.D. program includes steady and substantial progress toward the completion of the dissertation. Sanctions for failure to make satisfactory progress are the same as described for the Master’s requirements.

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Future Students

Ph.d. program admission.

Application deadline: January 6, 2025

This advanced program trains engineers for leadership roles in academia, industry and research institutions.

Applications must be submitted through the UW Graduate School Online Application . The application process is summarized below.

Our Doctor of Philosophy is a demanding, world-class research program in advanced materials science and engineering. Ph.D. students in our department are prepared to assume leadership roles in academia, industry, and research institutions.

Admission requirements

Previous academic preparation.

An undergraduate or master's degree in materials science and engineering, or in a relevant field of study such as another engineering major, physics or chemistry, is required.

Minimum GPA and exam scores

The University of Washington Graduate School requires an applicant to have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be considered eligible for admission. Beyond this, our department does not maintain a fixed minimum. However, admission to our department is competitive. Over the past five years, the average GPA for admitted students was 3.7.

English Proficiency

Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. If an exam is required, applicants must meet the recommended test scores of 92 TOEFL, 120 DUO, or 7.0 IELTS for consideration. This exam is waived if previous degree was earned in the US, or at least 3 years of degree completion with all instruction in English. See complete requirements .

When to apply

The department accepts new Ph.D. students for autumn quarter only. Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm (Pacific Time) on the deadline date.

Autumn 2025 Application Deadline: Monday, January 6 (11:59 PM Pacific Time Zone), 2025.

The department does not review applications until after the deadline has passed. You can monitor the status of your application by logging in to the application system. If we have any questions regarding your application, we will contact you.

A select group of applicants will be contacted by early February for individual meetings with faculty. The department strives to provide decisions to all applicants by early March. Decisions are sent via email. Applicants denied admission for the Ph.D. Program can request consideration for the Applied Masters Program. The actual date of notification will vary depending on factors such as the size of the applicant pool.

How to apply

You must submit the following materials in order for your application to be complete:

• UW Graduate School Application  
• Resume/CV  
• Transcripts We only require transcripts from institutions where you received (or will receive) a degree. Please do not mail official paper transcripts. These will only be requested if an offer of admission is made. Electronic transcripts must clearly show the institution's name, the student's name, a list of all courses taken and all grades received, and the title and date of any degrees conferred. Electronic transcripts must be in PDF format.  
• Statement of purpose A statement of purpose should convey information not available on your transcripts or resume. It should be approximately one page in length and offer a clear overview of your reasons for pursuing this graduate degree, your previous preparation, your research experience and interests, and your plans for seeing this degree through to completion. Other relevant information may also be included.  
• Three letters of recommendation Letters from academic references are preferred, but relevant professional references are also acceptable. Strong letters will be substantive, specific, and will address (1) an applicant's technical experience and research ability, (2) the applicant's likelihood of success in graduate-level studies, and (3) the relevance/appropriateness of the MSE program for the applicant's future goals.  
• Professors of interest Within the application, you will indicate 1-3 professors who are of interest to you.  
• English proficiency English language exams may be required by the Graduate School for applicants who do not hold a degree from a U.S. institution. Read further details regarding English proficiency requirements . Teaching Assistantships (TAs) will only be offered to international candidates who meet additional English language conditions outlined in UW Graduate School policy .

Optional: GRE scores GRE scores may be submitted, but they are not required. Institution Code: 4854. The admissions committee will only review GRE scores if they cannot make a decision based on the required documents. 

Notification

The department does not review any applications until after the deadline has passed. You can monitor the status of your application by logging in to the application system. If we have any questions or concerns regarding your application,  we will contact you .

The department strives to provide decisions within 8-10 weeks of the application deadline. However, the actual date of notification will vary depending on factors such as the size of the applicant pool. You will be notified via email when a final decision has been made.

International applicants

If you hold an appropriate undergraduate degree from an accredited university, you are eligible to apply to the Ph.D. program. If you are admitted as a full-time, on-campus student, you will be eligible for a visa, issued through the UW Graduate School, subject to certain restrictions and requirements.

When preparing your application, be certain to provide legible, fully translated copies of your undergraduate transcripts.

View the 2020 Info session

The graduate adviser, program directors, graduate faculty and students discuss the master's and Ph.D. programs. Learn about faculty research, the application process, the student experience, and more.

Application Opening and Closing Dates for Autumn 202 5

Applications to the MA/PhD and PhD open on 1 September 2024. The closing date is December 2, 2024.  A NOTE ON THIS DUE DATE : This application due date is real and is a completion due date. Applications and all required documents received after the due date will not be considered. Applications and all required documents must be uploaded to our online application system. We do not accept any mailed materials.

• Minimum 3.0 or B grade point average over the two most recent years of study (90 quarter or 60 semester credits) guarantees consideration. However, average GPAs for the students we have admitted have been higher. See recent applicant statistics below on this page.
• Ph.D. applicants must show proof of completion of a master’s degree prior to starting the program, though it is common for those applying to the Ph.D. program to be working on their thesis in the year during which they apply.
• M.A./Ph.D. applicants must show proof of completion of a U.S. equivalent bachelor’s degree prior to starting the program, though it is common for applicants to be in their senior year of college when they apply to the M.A./Ph.D. program.
• Full-time status is required for all funded students, but domestic U.S. residents who do not receive assistantships can enroll half-time (please note this is exceedingly rare).
• Applicants who are not native speakers of English must provide  evidence of English language proficiency  (see  Policy 3.2: Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements ) and  evidence of spoken English proficiency  (see  Policy 5.2: Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English ).
• Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States meet both requirements (Note: A master’s or doctoral degree does not satisfy this requirement). Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution must have a minimum total score of 92 and speaking score of 26 if using the TOEFL, and a minimum total score of 7.0 and speaking score of 7.0 if using the IELTS. If proof is not provided that these minimums are met as of December 1, the applicant will not be considered.

Submit the following materials online:

• Graduate School online application . The Graduate School requires all applicants to use the web application (if you are truly unable to use the web application, e-mail [email protected] ).
• Application fee . The application fee must be received and recorded by Graduate Admissions prior to the application deadline. You must pay the fee online using a MasterCard or Visa card (both credit and debit cards are accepted) or a TeleCheck (an online “check” taken from your existing checking account). If eligible for and requesting an application fee waiver, please note you must submit your application a minimum of 7 days prior to the application deadline, and earlier is recommended. Details on application fee waivers are available here .
• Unofficial transcripts from each institution from which you received a degree of Bachelor or higher within the online application. Official transcripts are not required for the admissions application and should not be mailed. An unofficial transcript could be a scan of an opened official transcript, or a printout of your academic history from your university’s web portal. It must include all classes taken, grades received, and degrees granted.
• Important : It can take up to two weeks after your testing date or report request for UW to receive your scores, so the GRE should be taken/scores requested no later than November 15 to ensure your scores arrive by the December 1 application completion deadline.
• Important : It can take up to two weeks after your testing date or report request for UW to receive your scores, so the TOEFL or IELTS should be taken/scores requested no later than November 15 to ensure your scores arrive by the December 1 application completion deadline.
• Three recommendations . Letters of recommendation from professors are strongly preferred, but if you have been out of school for many years or have another reason for using non-academic references, other professional recommendations are acceptable. These recommendations are completed online and should not be mailed. The online recommendation includes a short questionnaire, ratings assessment, as well as the opportunity to paste or upload a letter. Please designate your recommenders within the online application early to allow enough time for them to submit their online recommendations no later than December 1.
• Describe explicitly why you have chosen to apply to earn an M.A./Ph.D. or Ph.D. in communication, and why specifically at the University of Washington. If there are additional UW departments in which you would like to take courses, feel free to mention them.
• Describe the main ideas and/or veins of theory that interest you as well as the kind of communication phenomena you wish to study.
• State your academic goals so that the admissions committee may determine whether your goals could be met in our department.
• Explain how the expertise of the 2-3 particular Graduate Faculty whom you selected in the Overview Questions section could support scholarly interests you would like to pursue.
• Write this letter honestly and to the best of your ability, because the admissions committee will read it for its substance and as an indicator of your readiness for and fit with this program.
• For Ph.D. applicants : Please provide a sole-authored academic writing sample , roughly 10-30 pages long, that demonstrates your research competence and your ability to produce original scholarship. This might be a thesis chapter, a journal publication, a seminar paper, or something similar. If necessary, edit your paper for length before submitting it with your application. The admissions committee will read your paper to evaluate your writing competence, the clarity of your argument, and the depth of your analysis and insight.
• For M.A./Ph.D. applicants : Please provide a sole-authored academic writing sample , roughly 10-30 pages. This is typically a paper you wrote for a college or university class, but it can also be a thesis chapter, a journal publication, or a seminar paper. The admissions committee will read your paper to evaluate your writing competence, the clarity of your argument, and the depth of your analysis and insight.
• Resume or curriculum vitae . If you don’t have a vitae, don’t worry. A resume will do. If you do have a vitae, use it instead.
• Overview questions. You will be asked about your career goals and research experiences, given the opportunity to explain any transcript anomalies, and asked to specify 2-3 Graduate Faculty by whom you would like to be mentored.
• In one or two pages, please describe how your experiences and/or academic interests could contribute to a diverse community of communication scholars. For example, you might describe interactions you have had with people of cultural or ethnic backgrounds different from your own, or you might write about intellectual exchanges you have had with persons holding different viewpoints. Your essay might also discuss the unique qualities of your own intellectual or cultural background and how these are likely to enhance diversity in any community.

Are you an international applicant? An international applicant is anyone who is not a United States citizen or a Permanent Resident (green card holder). Please go to the following at the Graduate School website for further information for international applicants: Graduate School international applicant information . Undocumented applicants should follow the instructions here for completing the online application.

• Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States meet both requirements (Note: A master’s or doctoral degree does not satisfy this requirement). Applicants who do not hold a bachelor’s degree from a US institution must have a minimum total score of 92 and speaking score of 26 if using the TOEFL, and a minimum total score of 7.0 and speaking score of 7.0 if using the IELTS. If proof is not provided that these minimums are met as of December 1, the applicant will not be considered.
• Newly-admitted international students will be required to demonstrate adequate financial support without resorting to unauthorized employment. More information will be sent to applicants who receive an offer of admission. Financial documentation is not necessary at this stage of the application process.
• Full-time status is mandatory for all international students.

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• Graduate Studies

Ph.D. Program

The PhD program prepares students for research careers in theory and application of probability and statistics in academic and non-academic (e.g., industry, government) settings.  Students might elect to pursue either the general Statistics track of the program (the default), or one of the four specialized tracks that take advantage of UW’s interdisciplinary environment: Statistical Genetics (StatGen), Statistics in the Social Sciences (CSSS), Machine Learning and Big Data (MLBD), and Advanced Data Science (ADS). 

Admission Requirements

For application requirements and procedures, please see the graduate programs applications page .

Recommended Preparation

The Department of Statistics at the University of Washington is committed to providing a world-class education in statistics. As such, having some mathematical background is necessary to complete our core courses. This background includes linear algebra at the level of UW’s MATH 318 or 340, advanced calculus at the level of MATH 327 and 328, and introductory probability at the level of MATH 394 and 395. Real analysis at the level of UW’s MATH 424, 425, and 426 is also helpful, though not required. Descriptions of these courses can be found in the UW Course Catalog . We also recognize that some exceptional candidates will lack the needed mathematical background but succeed in our program. Admission for such applicants will involve a collaborative curriculum design process with the Graduate Program Coordinator to allow them to make up the necessary courses. 

While not a requirement, prior background in computing and data analysis is advantageous for admission to our program. In particular, programming experience at the level of UW’s CSE 142 is expected.  Additionally, our coursework assumes familiarity with a high-level programming language such as R or Python. 

Graduation Requirements 

This is a summary of the department-specific graduation requirements. For additional details on the department-specific requirements, please consult the  Ph.D. Student Handbook .  For previous versions of the Handbook, please contact the Graduate Student Advisor .  In addition, please see also the University-wide requirements at  Instructions, Policies & Procedures for Graduate Students  and  UW Doctoral Degrees .  

General Statistics Track

• Core courses: Advanced statistical theory (STAT 581, STAT 582 and STAT 583), statistical methodology (STAT 570 and STAT 571), statistical computing (STAT 534), and measure theory (either STAT 559 or MATH 574-575-576).  
• Elective courses: A minimum of four approved 500-level classes that form a coherent set, as approved in writing by the Graduate Program Coordinator.  A list of elective courses that have already been pre-approved or pre-denied can be found here .
• M.S. Theory Exam: The syllabus of the exam is available here .
• Research Prelim Exam. Requires enrollment in STAT 572. 
• Consulting.  Requires enrollment in STAT 599. 
• Applied Data Analysis Project.  Requires enrollment in 3 credits of STAT 597. 
• Statistics seminar participation: Students must attend the Statistics Department seminar and enroll in STAT 590 for at least 8 quarters. 
• Teaching requirement: All Ph.D. students must satisfactorily serve as a Teaching Assistant for at least one quarter. 
• General Exam. 
• Dissertation Credits.  A minimum of 27 credits of STAT 800, spread over at least three quarters. 
• Passage of the Dissertation Defense. 

Statistical Genetics (StatGen) Track

Students pursuing the Statistical Genetics (StatGen) Ph.D. track are required to take BIOST/STAT 550 and BIOST/STAT 551, GENOME 562 and GENOME 540 or GENOME 541. These courses may be counted as the four required Ph.D.-level electives. Additionally, students are expected to participate in the Statistical Genetics Seminar (BIOST581) in addition to participating in the statistics seminar (STAT 590). Finally, students in the Statistics Statistical Genetics Ph.D. pathway may take STAT 516-517 instead of STAT 570-571 for their Statistical Methodology core requirement. This is a transcriptable program option, i.e., the fact that the student completed the requirements will be noted in their transcript.

Statistics in the Social Sciences (CSSS) Track

Students in the Statistics in the Social Sciences (CSSS) Ph.D. track  are required to take four numerically graded 500-level courses, including at least two CSSS courses or STAT courses cross-listed with CSSS, and at most two discipline-specific social science courses that together form a coherent program of study. Additionally, students must complete at least three quarters of participation (one credit per quarter) in the CS&SS seminar (CSSS 590). This is not a transcriptable option, i.e., the fact that the student completed the requirements will not be noted in their transcript.

Machine Learning and Big Data Track

Students in the Machine Learning and Big Data (MLBD) Ph.D. track are required to take the following courses: one foundational machine learning course (STAT 535), one advanced machine learning course (either STAT 538 or STAT 548 / CSE 547), one breadth course (either on databases, CSE 544, or data visualization, CSE 512), and one additional elective course (STAT 538, STAT 548, CSE 515, CSE 512, CSE 544 or EE 578). At most two of these four courses may be counted as part of the four required PhD-level electives. Students pursuing this track are not required to take STAT 583 and can use STAT 571 to satisfy the Applied Data Analysis Project requirement. This is not a transcriptable option, i.e., the fact that the student completed the requirements will not be noted in their transcript. 

Advanced Data Science (ADS) Track

Students in the Advanced Data Science (ADS) Ph.D. track are required to take the same coursework as students in the Machine Learning and Big Data track. They are also not required to take STAT 583 and can use STAT 571 to satisfy the Applied Data Analysis Project requirement. The only difference in terms of requirements between the MLBD and the ADS tracks is that students in the ADS track must also register for at least 4 quarters of the weekly eScience Community Seminar (CHEM E 599). Also, unlike the MLBD track, the ADS is a transcriptable program option, i.e., the fact that the student completed the requirements will be noted in their transcript. 

Our website is being updated this week; thank you for your patience.

PhD Program Application Instructions

Individuals are admitted to the program as first-year, full-time PhD students in Autumn Quarter only. The University of Washington does not accept transfer credits from other doctoral programs.

Please pay careful attention to (1) the application materials, requirements, and instructions, and to (2) the description of standards of behavior. To avoid following outdated guidelines, please be certain to use only current year application materials.

All application materials must be uploaded by DECEMBER 1st. We cannot evaluate an application until all application materials are submitted.

*NOTE: The GRE is no longer a required component of the application.

Admissions Info:

• Info Session – Presentation Slides (20 slides, 4 parts – PhD vs DSW/ research, Why UW and Seattle, program structure, and admissions process)
• Recorded Information Session (19:34 minutes long)

All inquiries about the program and application should be sent to Shirley Chu at [email protected] .

Find answers to some of your questions at FAQ About the PhD Program.

Eligibility

Annual admission of new students into the Social Welfare PhD Program is limited, and the applicant pool tends to be quite competitive. Applicants who are selected for admission are those who have completed a Master’s Degree in Social Work or a related field and whose scholastic achievement, previous experience, and aptitude for social welfare research and scholarship indicate the greatest promise for achieving the objectives of the program.

Although an MSW is not required for admission, the Council on Social Work Education states the following: “Faculty who teach social work practice courses have a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and at least two years of social work practice experience” in order to teach foundation practice courses in accredited programs (EPAS 3.2.2). Thus, an MSW can be beneficial when doctoral graduates seek jobs in schools of social work. An effort is made to maintain a balance among the students that reflects a range of interests in social work and social welfare areas of research.

In general, properly qualified students who are graduates of the University of Washington or of other colleges or universities of recognized rank are eligible to apply to the University of Washington Graduate School.

Program Values: Diversity & Social Justice

The PhD Program recognizes the contribution to the intellectual and social enrichment of the program by students with diverse backgrounds. One area to address in the research and scholarship statement is information concerning personal history, family background, work experiences, and influences on intellectual development.

This information should include cultural and educational opportunities (or lack thereof), social, economic, or physical advantages and/or disadvantages that you have experienced, and the ways in which these experiences have affected your life and decisions concerning social welfare research as a career goal. Include special interests and abilities, career plans, and future goals. Please describe life and work experiences in ethnic or sexual minority communities wherever appropriate  in the application materials.

Another area to address in the statement and to ask the individuals writing your letters of reference to comment upon concerns social justice issues. Describe how your scholarship career goals and research objectives are informed by your vision of social justice. See the  School Mission Statement  and our  PhD Social Justice web page  for information about the school/program commitment to and goals for furthering for social justice.

Three policies with which all applicants to the School should become familiar should be carefully reviewed. The first is entitled  Essential Skills, Values and Standards of Professional Conduct Important to Admission and Continuance in the School and Profession of Social Work .

The next two are located in the  Important University Policies section. The second is  Academic Performance and Conduct Which May Result in a Review and Possible Dismissal from the School of Social Work.  The last is the  Unprofessional Conduct Law.  

All applicants should review these to attain an understanding of the qualities and professional behavior expectations.

Reasonable Accommodation

The School of Social Work meets the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility. Our application materials can be made available in alternative formats.

The University of Washington reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran in accordance with University policy and applicable federal and state statutes and regulations.

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450/V, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264 (FAX), e-mail at  [email protected] .

Decision-making process

Faculty members on the PhD Program Committee make admissions decisions on the basis of the following:

• Aptitude for social welfare research and scholarship as shown by articulation of social welfare research area(s) of concern to applicant and capacity to undertake such training and research
• Letters of reference
• Professional experience
• Commitment to diversity and social justice
• Institutional resources available to support the applicant’s research, and
• Scholastic achievement

Access the Application

Online application.

The  “ Application for Admission to the UW Graduate School “  is submitted directly online to the Graduate School, and the School of Social Work materials are submitted through this online application.  (Fee $85; subject to change without notice.) U.S. email:  [email protected] .

Email for international applicants:  [email protected] .

Document Format

All forms must be downloaded, completed, and uploaded through the Graduate School online application. All files should be named with the following format: your lastname-initials-form name (e.g. lastname-ii-sswadmissionsform, lastname-ii-Univ-X-transcript).  Place your last name and first initial on every page of all documents.

If the online system rejects your file, please try the following:

• If the file is smaller than 1mb, use a different Browser.
• Tell your scanner to scan papers as documents instead of images.
• Scan in black and white.
• Have your scanner save the file as a PDF.
• Scan each document as a separate file.   

​If you have tried all of the suggestions above and you are still unable to upload your document, please send an e-mail to  [email protected]

Application Checklist

Ssw application form.

• GPA Workshop Calculations Form

Curriculum Vitae

Scholarly and professional statement, scholarly writing sample, unofficial transcripts, letters of recommendation.

• Statistics Preparation Prerequesite 
• English Proficiency Scores (if applicable)

Download  the  SSW PhD Application  form. This form is completed, signed, saved as pdf, and then uploaded.  

By signing and submitting this form, applicants attest that they have read the read the  Standards for Essential Abilities and Attributes ,  UW and Social Work Policies , and  Washington State Administrative Code Related to Unprofessional Conduct .

GPA Worksheet Calculations Form

Applicants fill out the  GPA Worksheet . Two separate GPAs are calculated: undergraduate and master’s degrees. If one of your schools uses a narrative transcript format, indicate that in the appropriate place on the form. Follow the directions on the GPA Worksheet.

Upload a full curriculum vitae that provides your relevant educational and employment history including the employer agency and address, your job title, and your dates of employment. If there is substantial discontinuity in your employment experience, please explain on a separate page attached to the resume. The curriculum vitae should also list all scholastic or related honors (with dates received), significant volunteer activities, membership in professional organizations, and all published work. In addition, include theses, papers presented at conferences, and other professional writings, such as institutional manuals.  

The scholarly and professional statement provides an opportunity for you to give your assessment of yourself as a suitable candidate for admission to the Social Welfare PhD Program. Since the program emphasizes both research and teaching, we are particularly interested to know your views about research in social welfare and about yourself in the role of researcher and scholar educator. Please be as specific as possible in answering the questions from the  PhD Admissions Instructions  document located on the right hand side of this page. Use no more than five (5) double-spaced typewritten pages.   Place your last name and first initial on every page of all documents.

Submit one example of your scholarly writing that provides evidence of your capacity to think analytically and critically, and to express yourself clearly and concisely, and that shows your readiness to undertake doctoral level work that reflects a concern with the advancement of social justice. If you submit a co-authored article, please select one for which you had major writing responsibility and indicate in an attached note the parts of the sample that reflect your input and work. The following are examples of appropriate submissions of scholarly writing: 

• published article, chapter, book 
• master’s thesis 
• unpublished research report, conference presentation 
• term paper written in a graduate course 
• training manual 
• grant application 
• legislative testimony.

Copies of an  unofficial transcripts  from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended must be submitted online as pdfs. (If you are admitted to the program and decide to accept the offer, you will then be required to provide official transcripts for the Graduate School of your master’s degree institution.)

If you are enrolled in a graduate program at the time you submit your application, you must send updated transcripts or grade reports for computation of your grade point average upon completion of the degree.

[Recommenders SUBMIT ONLINE]

When you submit your application to the Graduate School, you will at that time identify at least three individuals (and their email addresses) who can provide letters of reference; four is the recommended number of letters and five is the maximum. The Graduate School system will then automatically send each person a notification of request for reference with individualized URLs for response. Those providing references can quickly and easily submit online in any of several formats.

At least two of the persons writing the references, should be academics or persons who can evaluate your capacity to perform independent scholarly study.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 permits admitted students to review all pertinent documents in their records, including letters of reference. When you submit your list of names to the Graduate School, you will be required to indicate whether you waive that right. 

Statistics Preparation Prerequisite

Students entering the PhD program must have successfully completed an introductory undergraduate level statistics course within the last five years.  This requirement refers to courses that identify the learning of statistical theory and statistical methodologies as their main purpose and substantive content, as opposed to courses that might include some infusion of selected content on statistical methods.   It is not necessary to have already met this prerequisite to apply to the program. The prerequisite can be satisfied any time prior to entering the University. [See GPA worksheet for indicating fulfillment.]

The statistics prerequisite course should cover topics such as:

• levels of measurement
• probability theory
• univariate statistics
• positional measures
• sampling theory
• tests of means 
• power tests for tests of means 
• basic graphic expression and interpretation 
• Chi-square tests of independence and goodness of fit 
• bivariate correlation and regression

Students who have an interest in developing their statistical skills have the option of indicating their interest during the admissions process. The UW SSW is part of the  UW Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences , which offers specialized coursework and certification for doctoral students studying advanced statistics. This Center offers the  Blalock Fellowship  to incoming doctoral students across the social sciences. If you are interested in being considered for this fellowship or the certificate program, please discuss in your Scholarly & Professional Statement how advanced statistical training could be beneficial for advancing your research goals. Please ask the people who write your letters of recommendation to also comment on your statistical, research and mathematical skills.  

Additional Information for International Applicants

The School of Social Work advises international applicants to submit the application to the Graduate School well before the due date because of the time required for processing international applications. Applications must be completed online ( https://www.grad.washington.edu/applForAdmiss/ ).

An international student is anyone who IS NOT a US citizen or does not hold a US Permanent Resident Visa (i.e., “Green Card or Immigrant”). Individuals who hold a US visa, such as F-1 students, exchange visitors, or any other non-immigrant classifications are considered international applicants. International applicants must use the Graduate School website to determine eligibility for applying to the University of Washington and the School of Social Work PhD Program in particular.

See the  Graduate School information for International Applicants   for detailed information.

Special Required Materials for International Applicants

• TOEFL score report: Request Educational Testing Service, PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, to forward your report using the institution code #4854. Score reports more than two years old (from the test date) are not valid. (See Graduate School website for instructions and exceptions.)
• University of Washington Statement of Financial Ability form. The form is available online to individuals who have successfully submitted an application to the Graduate School via the website.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

A satisfactory command of the English language is required for admission to the University of Washington Graduate School. Applicants who are not citizens of the United States on the date of admission and whose native language is other than English must meet the following terms and conditions. The TOEFL (or MLT) is required unless one of the specific exceptions listed in the  Graduate School Memo 8  is met. Test scores must be less than 2 years old from the test date, and no waivers of this English competency requirement may be given. A minimum score of 6.5 (IELTS), 80 (TOEFLiBT), 500 (TOEFL), 237 (TOEFLC), or 90 (MLT) is required for application and admission to the School of Social Work PhD Program in Social Welfare.

Test of Spoken English (TSE)

The Graduate School requires that students achieve a score of at least 55 on the TSE (alternates: 26 on speaking portion of TOEFL8iBT, 7.0 on speaking portion of IELTS, 230 on SPEAK test at UW) before being allowed to teach. The School of Social Work expects most students to be engaged in a teaching assistantship at some time during doctoral studies; therefore, we require all incoming international students to take this test before or during their first year in the program.

For both the TOEFL and TSE, registration forms or previous score reports less than 2 years old may be requested from the  Educational Testing Service,  Princeton, NJ 08541; email at  [email protected] . (See  Graduate School Memo 15  for the University’s policy.)

Financial Requirements

The US State Department of Justice and US Immigration and Naturalization Service mandate all schools to verify certification of adequate financial support from each international student. See the  Graduate School website  for the estimated the total cost of study. After an international applicant planning to study in F-1 immigration status has been admitted and pays the enrollment confirmation deposit, they will receive access to the UW I-20 request form in their application portal.

Graduate appointments awarded by degree programs are considered authorized employment. The School of Social Work works with students to ensure financial support in the form of 9-month research or teaching appointments or fellowships from within the University of Washington or from external sources for at least the first 4 years of the doctoral program. These appointments will satisfy the majority of the annual (12-month) financial requirement; international students are required to provide proof that they have supplemental support.

Clinical Admissions

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Accreditation, Licensure, Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data

Educational Requirements for Licensure in Psychology

The Clinical Psychology PhD Program in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington is designed to achieve an integration of academic, scientific, and professional training. As recognition of our compliance with national standards, the UW Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA; http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation ) through 2027 and the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS; http://www.pcsas.org ) through 2028.

The practice of psychology, however, is regulated at the state level. State licensing authorities, commonly referred to as “State Boards,” determine the specific educational and training requirements for licensure in their state. Of note, many states require post-doctoral training as well as examinations beyond educational and training requirements. As such, a PhD degree from the UW Program in Clinical Psychology is not sufficient, in and of itself, to meet licensure requirements in most states. 

If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification, it is strongly recommended that you contact the appropriate licensing entity in the state for which you are seeking licensure or certification to obtain information and guidance regarding licensure or certification requirements before beginning an academic program.  Given that state requirements for licensure or certification vary and may change over time it is also strongly recommended that you review licensing or certification requirements as you get closer to seeking licensure or certification. You are encouraged to review the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards’ online tool, PsyBook ( https://www.asppb.net/page/psybook ), which summarizes requirements for most states and territories. You are also encouraged to confirm state licensing requirements directly with the state in which you are interested in seeking licensure or certification. 

To the best of our ability, we have determined that the curriculum offered by our Program meets – or does not meet – the educational requirements for licensure or certification to practice psychology in each of the states, territories, and district listed in Table 1 . For states in which the Program’s educational offerings do not meet a specific state’s requirements for licensure or certification, students may be required to obtain alternate or additional courses or more experiential or clinical hours. These findings are accurate, to the best of our ability, as of July 1, 2020.

Program Outcomes

A small minority (fewer than 10%) of our students enter with a masters degree in clinical or counseling psychology, or in some other discipline. Such students are required to take all required clinical area courses, practica, and training experiences. They may, however, be able to waive a limited number of out-of-area "breadth" courses with the permission of the relevant departmental area Graduate Training Committee representative. Nonetheless, we have found that entering with a masters degree does not shorten program completion time.

Note: Tuition is waived for students on research or teaching assitantships.

Note: All students who failed to match limited their applications to two internship centers in the Seattle area to facilitate completion of their dissertations, then matched the following year when they applied more widely.

Note: Graduates of our program frequently choose research or other career tracks that do not require licensure, and therefore do not apply. We know of no instances in which a graduate of our program applied for and failed to attain licensure.

Duration of the Program

Our program requires a minimum of 3 full-time academic years of in-residence study. Typically, students spend 5-6 years in full-time residence prior to the one-year full-time internship (or, in rare cases, 2 years of half-time internship) that completes program requirements. See the Time to Completion table (in the data sheet attached below) for more detailed statistics on program duration. Because of the rich array of clinical and research training opportunities available to our students (plus the attractiveness of Seattle), many students take a bit longer to complete the program.

Admissions: Guidelines from the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP)

• Policy for Admissions Offers and Acceptances (Please review PDF)
• Choosing a Graduate Program in Clinical psychology (PDF)
• Student Admissions Outcomes and Other Data (PDF)
• Educational requirements for licensure or certification to practice psychology in each of the states, territories, and district (PDF current as of July 1, 2020)

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• PhD Eligibility and Application Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

• Earned master’s degree prior to entering the PhD (Master’s degrees that provide primarily clinical training do not automatically fulfill this eligibility criteria. If you have questions about this please contact Epi at [email protected].
• Minimum 3.0 GPA in most recent 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits
• English language proficiency requirements (non-native English speakers)

Application Requirements

The application deadline for Fall 2024 admission has passed. The application for Fall 2025 entry will open on September 1, 2024 .

PhD applicants are required to submit an application through UW Graduate School online application system. Please apply to only one degree program and track within Epi. The UW Department of Epidemiology will only review one application per applicant

• Start your application here by clicking on the “Create a Profile” link or the “Log into your account” link, if you already have a profile in the UW Graduate School online application system.
• After creating or logging into your profile click “Create a new application.”
• On the Program Information Page, choose “Graduate” for question 1.
• Choose Epidemiology – Public Health – General Track (PhD) for question 2.
• Complete all request sections of the application.
• Eligible applicants may apply for a fee waiver (applicants who would attend the UW on an F or J visa are not eligible for a fee waiver) .

Application Materials

Deadline to submit: December 2, 2024 (11:59pm Pacific Time)

Epi PhD applicants submit the following into their UW Graduate School online application:

• List 3-5 Epi Faculty with whom you would be interested in working
• Unofficial transcripts
• CV or Resume
• 3 Recommendation Letters
• Statement of purpose 
• English Language Proficiency Requirement (for non-native English speakers only)

UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

Applicants must upload PDF copies of unofficial transcripts from each collegiate level institution. Applicants admitted to the program who accept the offer of admission will be required to submit official transcripts to the UW Graduate School. Specific instructions for that process will be provided in admissions materials.

CV OR RESUME

Include detailed descriptions of your health-related positions and responsibilities. Provide all relevant education and experience including: undergraduate and graduate research, health-related volunteer work, publications, manuscripts and posters, scholarly presentations and awards, certifications, and computer skills.

UW MD and DO Postdoc Fellows and Residents must include the following information on the first page (if applicable): Residency, fellowship, doctoral & postdoctoral research titles, type, director, institution & dates.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Statement of Purpose is one of the most important pieces of your application. It provides faculty reviewers essential information about your background, research interests, possible career path, and your writing skills. Please address the following:

• How your combination of personal, academic, and professional influences led you to pursue graduate study in epidemiology.
• Why the UW Epidemiology program in particular matches your interests in a way that will help you fulfill your career aspirations.
• Your interest in health equity and/or Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives in the field of epidemiology and/or public health, and how your epidemiology training will prepare you to contribute to health equity/ EDI as a public health professional.

750 words maximum

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

Enter the names and contact information for exactly three recommenders into your application. These individuals will be sent an email prompt with instructions for submitting their recommendation online. Recommenders should be people familiar with your academic or related professional endeavors and your potential for achieving your academic and professional goals. At least two, and preferably three, letters should come from individuals with advanced degrees (i.e. PhD or MD). December 1 is the deadline for recommendation submissions. When you contact your recommenders, encourage them to monitor their spam folder for letter submission instructions.

UW MD and DO Postdoc Fellow and Resident Applicants:  Balancing a full-time course/study schedule with your responsibilities as a postdoc fellow or resident can be challenging. Knowing this, we require that you include references from both your fellowship director and research mentor (if known) that includes a statement indicating you will have the necessary release time from those responsibilities to attend all classes on a regular basis, and to study outside class.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. Therefore, every applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of citizenship) must demonstrate proficiency with the English language. ( See Graduate School policy)

Options for demonstrating proficiency are as follows:

• Minimum TOEFLiBT (or TOEFL MyBest) is 92
• Score reporting information – Use ETS report code 4854
• Minimum IELTS is 7.0
• Score reporting information – Use UW organization code 365
• Minimum Duolingo score is 120
• Score reporting information
• U.S. Degree (Bachelor’s or higher)
• Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral Degree from qualifying country ( see Policy 3.2.1, bullet point #2 for a list of qualifying countries )
• Medium of Instruction Document for previous degree institution

Applicants should note that using Duolingo to fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirements does not qualify for on campus employment as a teaching assistant (TA). 

Additional English Language Proficiency information:

• If fulfilling the requirement via U.S. Degree or a degree from a qualifying country listed in Policy 3.2.1 (see link above), no additional documentation is required as we’ll use transcripts submitted with the application to verify that the requirement has been fulfilled.
• If using a medium of instruction document, we will accept a notation directly on the transcript or a separate document issued by the institution. If submitting a separate document, upload it into the Medium of Instruction document section .
• For additional questions or assistance with reporting official test scores, please review the UW Graduate School Admissions FAQ .
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PhD—Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science

A Holistic View of Nursing Science

The UW School of Nursing Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science (PhD) program faculty are global leaders in nursing science. Students from all over the world create a community of scholars and learn from expert researchers. Our expert nursing scientists provide mentorship tailored to student needs using technology-driven instruction.

The UW PhD program is ideal for students with diverse backgrounds who want to become premier leaders in nursing research.

We maintain a holistic view of nursing science and our faculty’s scholarship represents a broad array of research projects and innovative methodologies. Some examples include:

• Symptom science
• Laboratory sciences
• Health promotion and disease management across the lifespan
• Policy analysis and advancement of cost-effective health care systems
• Health equity
• Innovative methodologies

Hear from #HuskyNurse Sarah McKiddy and her experience with the PhD program.

A Community of Scholars

We welcome applicants with a baccalaureate degree in any field. We encourage post-baccalaureate students, as well as most master’s and DNP students who are ready to begin intensive study of nursing science, to apply.

UW PhD students have a wide range of academic backgrounds, including:

• Public health
• Complementary and alternative medicine
• Healthcare systems and policy
• Music therapy

Our PhD program is highly individualized to create independent thinkers with demonstrated ability to articulate, investigate, and report on original research that substantially contributes to health care knowledge.

The flexible program reflects the enormous scope and impact of the latest nursing research and policymaking. Although the PhD curriculum can be completed in three years of full-time study, individual student program lengths are expected to vary.

Once offered admission as a PhD student, you are matched with a faculty adviser. Your adviser provides guidance and helps answer questions until you select a supervisory committee chair (between years one and three). Your chair then serves in an advisory capacity and as the supervisor for your dissertation.

View the PhD Sample Curriculum Grid PhD Required and Elective Courses

• Optional: Statistics Concentration

The first year of the full-time PhD program and the first two years of part-time focus on required core courses emphasizing nursing philosophy, conceptual frameworks, theory, and research methodologies.

In addition, students complete their statistics sequence and may take selected electives or engage in research or teaching practicum. Students complete the preliminary exam at the end of the first year of full-time study and the end of two years of part-time study.

Students who enter the PhD program with a BSN can earn an MS in Nursing Science during the program following successful completion of the first year of the PhD program and the preliminary examination.

After the first year of full-time study and the first two years of part-time study, courses and other scholarly activities are determined by you and your supervisory committee to comprise your individual program of study. The supervisory chair is a School of Nursing graduate faculty member whose research approach, interest, or research methods align with your proposed dissertation project.

You and your chair complete the supervisory committee by selecting faculty members from the School of Nursing, the UW at large, and other appropriate experts outside the University. This committee approves your program of study and guides you through the general examinations, dissertation research, and final defense.

The Nursing Science Statistics Area of Concentration requires a minimum of 14 credits of advanced statistical methods coursework above and beyond the 10 credits of statistics required for the PhD degree. Of these, two credits are fulfilled by the CSSS Seminar, and a minimum of 12 credits are fulfilled by at least four advanced statistics courses, three of which must come from the list of CSSS courses approved for the concentration.

All courses taken as part of the statistics concentration must be graded.

However, a 500-level course that is graded credit/no credit may be considered for inclusion in your Area of Concentration proposal if:

• In the course, you submit an individual project (i.e., not a group project); and
• Major course assignments are submitted to your Supervisory Committee for review

CSSS seminar: minimum two credits

A minimum of two quarters in CS&SS is required. The most up-to-date course descriptions for statistics course options can be found on the CSSS website .

Approved CSSS advanced statistics course options

The most up-to-date course descriptions for statistics course options can be found on the CSSS website .

Variation in area of concentration coursework

One advanced methodological course in nursing, political science, psychology, public health, sociology, statistics, economics, educational psychology, social welfare, and other related fields may be considered as part of the Nursing Science Statistics Area of Concentration four course requirements if it contributes to the overall coherence of the student’s program of study and is consistent with the student’s research goals.

This course would be in addition to the ten credits of statistics courses required for the PhD in nursing.

Admissions Requirements

• An in-process or earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in any discipline
• A minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0, or a 3.0 GPA for the last  60 semester/90 quarter graded college/university credits
• Meet the  Essential Behaviors for PhD Students
• International applicants   who plan on taking clinical nursing courses  must have an active, unrestricted U.S. RN license  at the time of application
• If your native language is not English,  proof of proficiency in English  (reading, writing, and comprehension)

Ph.D. Admissions: Frequently Asked Questions

Virtual Information Sessions

These sessions will provide an overview of the Allen School's Ph.D. application process and incorporate information about graduate student life and experiences with the aid of a panel of graduate students doing Q & A. 

Registration

Ph.D. Application Timeline

• Application Opens: Sept 1
• Application Deadline: Dec 16
• Decisions Released: Mid-Feb
• Grad Visit Days: Mid-March
• Response Deadline: April 15
• Study Begins:  Mid-Sept

General Program Questions

Do you have a master's program, do you have a part-time ph.d. program can i pursue the phd part-time while working, do you have a remote or online ph.d. program.

• How can I contact you for more information?
• Who does this program target?
• How does the full-time Ph.D. program differ from the part-time PMP program?

Ph.D. Eligibility and Application Questions

Is the gre required, what is the application deadline.

• Do I need letters of recommendation? Who should write them?

How do I apply to the Ph.D. program?

What are my chances of being admitted into the ph.d. program.

• Can I transfer from another Ph.D. program?

Are fee waivers available?

Ph.d. program questions, are students fully funded how much will this cost, how long will it take me to complete the degree.

• If I have taken graduate coursework in computer science elsewhere, can I transfer credit to the Ph.D. program?

Do I need to secure a faculty advisor before applying?

What benefits do i receive as an academic student employee (ase), international students.

• I am a non-native speaker of English. How can I meet the English language proficiency requirement?

What types of visa does the Allen School provide?

Does the uw accept 3 year bachelor's degrees.

The Allen School does not offer a standalone, full-time master’s program; rather, the part-time, evening Professional Master's Program is the only MS program available. The PMP is a coursework-based program designed for fully-employed software developers residing in the Seattle area at the time of application. To be considered for admission, an applicant must have a minimum of two years of full-time, post-degree professional software development experience in which their job tasks involve at least 50% hands-on programming.

We recommend that students looking to complete graduate studies and research at the Allen School (UW-Seattle) consider applying to the Computer Science & Engineering Ph.D program , which awards an MS degree as you earn the doctorate. Otherwise, the other UW computer science master's programs are the MS in Computer Science & Software Engineering at UW-Bothell and the MS in Computer Science and Systems at UW-Tacoma . A recent addition to UW-Tacoma is the PhD in Computer Science and Systems . All three (3) campuses operate under different academic policies so you will need to contact the departments directly for more information.

No, we do not. Students with an RA, TA, or Fellowship are required to be full-time in the PhD program. As such, satisfactory progress is expected to be consistent with a full-time focus on research and education work. Courses, seminars, and research meetings are typically scheduled to occur on campus during standard business hours. A full-time PhD program may often exceed a standard 40-hour work week between your own academic commitments and your work as a teaching or research assistant. This is usually incompatible with full-time employment.

No, we do not. Our Ph.D. program is offered in-person, including the coursework and research you will perform as a student.

Who does the Ph.D. program target?

The Ph.D. program targets exceptional students with demonstrated research potential and a career goal of academic or industrial research at a top tier institution. This is not a ideal program for bolstering an already-existing career in software engineering.

How does the full-time Ph.D. differ from the part-time PMP program?

The full-time Ph.D. program benefits students who want to follow our faculty into academic or industrial research, while the PMP takes our faculty’s cutting-edge research into the classroom for students to apply to their products and projects in the workplace. Please note that the UW Computer Science and Engineering department does not offer a terminal full-time master’s degree program; the PMP is the only standalone MS in Computer Science program available at UW Seattle.

How can I contact you for more information about the Ph.D. program?

Email the Ph.D. advising team at grad-advising [at] cs [dot] washington [dot] edu . We welcome questions from prospective students who would like to further explore how their backgrounds might fit with the goals of the program. We are happy to meet individually with students for questions not covered by our admissions pages!

Eligibility and Application Questions

GRE scores are no longer required or accepted for the Ph.D. program. GRE scores will not be reviewed or considered by the Allen School, even if they are submitted to the University of Washington. Other graduate programs at the University of Washington may still require the GRE.

December 15, with students expected to enroll in the following autumn. The Allen School only holds one doctoral program admissions cycle each year.

The Ph.D. Program application process is fully-electronic and takes place in the UW Graduate School application . Our How to Apply page offers a step-by-step guide and additional information concerning each application component.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is extremely competitive. In 2023, we saw over 3,000 applications and send offers to 150 students. The average GPA of admits is 3.8, though GPA is not a major factor in admissions. Competitive students will be able to demonstrate their research potential through their application materials, supported by letters of recommendation that reinforce this information. We utilize holistic admissions processes and look to the whole history of the student, including access to research opportunities (or lack thereof).

The Allen School provides every student accepted to our Ph.D. program with 3 years of guaranteed financial support in the form of teaching and research assistantships or fellowships.

In exchange for 20 hours of work per week, research and teaching assistants receive:

• Tuition waiver of all but approximately $250 per quarter in fees.
• Monthly stipend to cover living expenses
• Health insurance (100% of premium for student, 65% of premium for dependents)

The average time to completion is about 6 years. Students will take longer or shorter depending on progress to milestones, research track record, and desired outcome post-Ph.D.

If I have taken graduate coursework in computer science elsewhere, can I transfer credit to the Ph.D. Program?

The Allen School doesn't formally transfer credits from prior degrees into the Ph.D. program. That said, we allow students to waive up to two of the seven required courses based on prior graduate level coursework taken. You can learn more on our course waivers page .

Applicants are given the opportunity to indicate up to 3 interest areas from our research areas of expertise. If you are confident that you'd like to work with any particular faculty member(s), you may indicate their name(s) in the supplemental question. This question is optional but is strongly encouraged to make sure your application is reviewed by the appropriate reviewers during the admissions process. For a list of faculty and a description of their research, see our faculty directory . You do not need to contact faculty prior to applying, nor is it expected.

The University of Washington offers several benefits and leave options to graduate students in research, teaching, and graduate assistantship positions. Academic student employees (ASE) positions have work benefits defined by the ASE Contract. This contract is the result of a collective bargaining process between the Union of Academic Student Employees ( UAW Local 4121 ), and the University of Washington.

• Graduate Appointee Insurance Program (GAIP) : ASEs receive health insurance coverage that covers medical, vision, and dental. You can read the UW HR summary here.
• Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) : ASEs are eligible for paid medical and family leave after completing four calendar quarters of employment at the standard 50% appointment. PFML requests need to be the result of a “qualifying event.” You can read more about UW HR’s policy here.
• Leave of Absence : The UW Graduate School has additional policies that allow graduate students to take a leave of absence. Students are eligible for this option after completing their first quarter of instruction. You can read more about the Graduate School’s On-Leave Policy here .

The UW Graduate School offers application fee waivers to U.S. residents who demonstrate financial need. The process for requesting a fee waiver from the UW Graduate School is available on their application page . Additionally, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering offers to pre-pay the application fee of applicants who participate in approved programs which focus on outreach as it relates to preparing students for computer science research careers. The list below outlines some of these programs. Contact grad-admissions@cs for inquiries about any additional programs which may qualify.

In order to request pre-payment of the application fee, the applicant must first complete all required components of the application. Prior to submitting, email grad-admissions (at) cs (dot) washington (dot) edu with the following information at least seven (7) calendar days ahead of the application deadline (approximately December 6th):

Application Pre-payment Approved Organizations + Conferences

• Access Computing
• ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference ( Tapia )
• American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society ( AISES )
• Any program or scholarship from The National Center for Women & Information Technology ( NCWIT )
• Any recipient of a scholarship from this list of scholarship organizations that serve students with disabilities
• Any Computer and Information Science and Engineering  REU  from the National Science Foundation
• Atlanta University Center Consortium (Morehouse College, Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Clark Atlanta University)
• Attend or graduate from a Tribal College or University, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), or a Minority-Serving Institution.
• Black in AI
• California Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation @ UCSD ( CAMP )
• Chancellor’s Science Scholars - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions ( CAHSI )
• Computer and Information Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships ( CSGrad4US )
• Early Research Scholarship Program ( ERSP )
• GEM Fellowship Program
• Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing ( GHC )
• Hispanics in Computing
• KARSH STEM Scholars
• Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math ( LSAMP )
• McNair Scholars
• Meyerhoff Scholars Program
• Millennium Scholars Program @ Penn State University ( MSP )
• National GEM Consortium ( GEM Fellow applicant )
• National Name Exchange ( NNE )
• National Society of Black Engineers( NSBE )
• Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ( oSTEM )
• Queer in AI
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science ( SACNAS )
• Society of Women Engineers ( SWE )
• The Leadership Alliance

I am a non-native speaker of English. How can I meet the English language proficiency requirement? (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo)

Graduate Policy 3.2 covers the methods one can meet the English language proficiency for non-native speakers of English:

• A bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution located in the United States and where English is the medium of instruction.
• A bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, or the United Kingdom and where English is the medium of instruction. While enrolled at the degree-granting school, the student must be in residence on campus.
• Official or attested letter from the undergraduate college, university Registrar, or Controller of Examinations office.
• Official transcripts, attested mark sheets or degree statements, are also accepted if English is stated as the medium of instruction.
• Official English Language Test Score (sent electronically to the University of Washington via testing center). Note: Graduate programs may require a higher minimum scores for admission than the scores listed below:

Graduate students who work as TAs have additional requirements under Graduate Policy 5.2 , including meeting the English Language Proficency requirement above. You do not need to meet these additional requirements in order to apply. Ph.D. students are required to TA for at least two quarters to graduate, either by satisfying the testing requirements, passing an appeal interview, or passing ENGL 105: English for International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) .

The Allen School is able to support students with F-1 or J-1 visas. You can read more about visa information at the International Student Services website explaining visas.

We are only able to accept a 3-year Bologna bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits. Also acceptable: hold a Master’s degree, a doctoral degree (Ph.D., D.Phil.), or a professional degree (M.D., J.D., D.V.M., etc.) from a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution.

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Ph.D. Requirements

In order to begin the phd portion of the program, you need to:.

• earn your   Master's in the program   or have a   previous MA approved . 
• advance to the PhD program

The PhD requires 90 credits of graduate level of coursework. Here is a summary of coursework and the milestones for the PhD portion of the program:

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PhD Program

A PhD degree in Physics is awarded in recognition of significant and novel research contributions, extending the boundaries of our knowledge of the physical universe. Selected applicants are admitted to the PhD program of the UW Department of Physics, not to a specific research group, and are encouraged to explore research opportunities throughout the Department.

Degree Requirements

Typical timeline, advising and mentoring, satisfactory progress, financial support, more information.

Applicants to the doctoral program are expected to have a strong undergraduate preparation in physics, including courses in electromagnetism, classical and quantum mechanics, statistical physics, optics, and mathematical methods of physics. Further study in condensed matter, atomic, and particle and nuclear physics is desirable. Limited deficiencies in core areas may be permissible, but may delay degree completion by as much as a year and are are expected to remedied during the first year of graduate study.

The Graduate Admissions Committee reviews all submitted applications and takes a holistic approach considering all aspects presented in the application materials. Application materials include:

• Resume or curriculum vitae, describing your current position or activities, educational and professional experience, and any honors awarded, special skills, publications or research presentations.
• Statement of purpose, one page describing your academic purpose and goals.
• Personal history statement (optional, two pages max), describing how your personal experiences and background (including family, cultural, or economic aspects) have influenced your intellectual development and interests.
• Three letters of recommendation: submit email addresses for your recommenders at least one month ahead of deadline to allow them sufficient time to respond.
• Transcripts (unofficial), from all prior relevant undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Admitted applicants must provide official transcripts.
• English language proficiency is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. The various options are specified at: https://grad.uw.edu/policies/3-2-graduate-school-english-language-proficiency-requirements/ Official test scores must be sent by ETS directly to the University of Washington (institution code 4854) and be received within two years of the test date.

For additional information see the UW Graduate School Home Page , Understanding the Application Process , and Memo 15 regarding teaching assistant eligibility for non-native English speakers.

The GRE Subject Test in Physics (P-GRE) is optional in our admissions process, and typically plays a relatively minor role.  Our admissions system is holistic, as we use all available information to evaluate each application. If you have taken the P-GRE and feel that providing your score will help address specific gaps or otherwise materially strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit your scores. We emphasize that every application will be given full consideration, regardless of whether or not scores are submitted.

Applications are accepted annually for autumn quarter admissions (only), and must be submitted online. Admission deadline: DECEMBER 15, 2024.

Department standards

Course requirements.

Students must plan a program of study in consultation with their faculty advisor (either first year advisor or later research advisor). To establish adequate breadth and depth of knowledge in the field, PhD students are required to pass a set of core courses, take appropriate advanced courses and special topics offerings related to their research area, attend relevant research seminars as well as the weekly department colloquium, and take at least two additional courses in Physics outside their area of speciality. Seeking broad knowledge in areas of physics outside your own research area is encouraged.

The required core courses are:

In addition, all students holding a teaching assistantship (TA) must complete Phys 501 / 502 / 503 , Tutorials in Teaching Physics.

Regularly offered courses which may, depending on research area and with the approval of the graduate program coordinator, be used to satisfy breadth requirements, include:

• Phys 506 Numerical Methods
• Phys 555 Cosmology & Particle Astrophysics
• Phys 507 Group Theory
• Phys 557 High Energy Physics
• Phys 511 Topics in Contemporary Physics
• Phys 560 Nuclear Theory
• Phys 520 Quantum Information
• Phys 564 General Relativity
• Phys 550 Atomic Physics
• Phys 567 Condensed Matter Physics
• Phys 554 Nuclear Astrophysics
• Phys 570 Quantum Field Theory

Graduate exams

Master's Review:   In addition to passing all core courses, adequate mastery of core material must be demonstrated by passing the Master's Review. This is composed of four Master's Review Exams (MREs) which serve as the final exams in Phys 524 (SM), Phys 514 (EM), Phys 518 (QM), and Phys 505 (CM). The standard for passing each MRE is demonstrated understanding and ability to solve multi-step problems; this judgment is independent of the overall course grade. Acceptable performance on each MRE is expected, but substantial engagement in research allows modestly sub-par performance on one exam to be waived. Students who pass the Master's Review are eligible to receive a Master's degree, provided the Graduate School course credit and grade point average requirements have also been satisfied.

General Exam:   Adequate mastery of material in one's area of research, together with demonstrated progress in research and a viable plan to complete a PhD dissertation, is assessed in the General Exam. This is taken after completing all course requirements, passing the Master's Review, and becoming well established in research. The General Exam consists of an oral presentation followed by an in-depth question period with one's dissertation committee.

Final Oral Exam:   Adequate completion of a PhD dissertation is assessed in the Final Oral, which is a public exam on one's completed dissertation research. The requirement of surmounting a final public oral exam is an ancient tradition for successful completion of a PhD degree.

Graduate school requirements

Common requirements for all doctoral degrees are given in the Graduate School Degree Requirements and Doctoral Degree Policies and Procedures pages. A summary of the key items, accurate as of late 2020, is as follows:

• A minimum of 90 completed credits, of which at least 60 must be completed at the University of Washington. A Master's degree from the UW or another institution in physics, or approved related field of study, may substitute for 30 credits of enrollment.
• At least 18 credits of UW course work at the 500 level completed prior to the General Examination.
• At least 18 numerically graded UW credits of 500 level courses and approved 400 level courses, completed prior to the General Examination.
• At least 60 credits completed prior to scheduling the General Examination. A Master's degree from the UW or another institution may substitute for 30 of these credits.
• A minimum of 27 dissertation (or Physics 800) credits, spread out over a period of at least three quarters, must be completed. At least one of those three quarters must come after passing the General Exam. Except for summer quarters, students are limited to a maximum of 10 dissertation credits per quarter.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 must be maintained.
• The General Examination must be successfully completed.
• A thesis dissertation approved by the reading committee and submitted and accepted by the Graduate School.
• The Final Examination must be successfully completed. At least four members of the supervisory committee, including chair and graduate school representative, must be present.
• Registration as a full- or part-time graduate student at the University must be maintained, specifically including the quarter in which the examinations are completed and the quarter in which the degree is conferred. (Part-time means registered for at least 2 credits, but less than 10.)
• All work for the doctoral degree must be completed within ten years. This includes any time spend on leave, as well as time devoted to a Master's degree from the UW or elsewhere (if used to substitute for credits of enrollment).
• Pass the required core courses: Phys 513 , 517 , 524 & 528 autumn quarter, Phys 514 , 518 & 525 winter quarter, and Phys 515 , 519 & 505 spring quarter. When deemed appropriate, with approval of their faculty advisor and graduate program coordinator, students may elect to defer Phys 525 , 515 and/or 519 to the second year in order to take more credits of Phys 600 .
• Sign up for and complete one credit of Phys 600 with a faculty member of choice during winter and spring quarters.
• Pass the Master's Review by the end of spring quarter or, after demonstrating substantial research engagement, by the end of the summer.
• Work to identify one's research area and faculty research advisor. This begins with learning about diverse research areas in Phys 528 in the autumn, followed by Phys 600 independent study with selected faculty members during winter, spring, and summer.
• Pass the Master's Review (if not already done) by taking any deferred core courses or retaking MREs as needed. The Master's Review must be passed before the start of the third year.
• Settle in and become fully established with one's research group and advisor, possibly after doing independent study with multiple faculty members. Switching research areas during the first two years is not uncommon.
• Complete all required courses. Take breadth courses and more advanced graduate courses appropriate for one's area of research.
• Perform research.
• Establish a Supervisory Committee within one year after finding a compatible research advisor who agrees to supervise your dissertation work.
• Take breadth and special topics courses as appropriate.
• Take your General Exam in the third or fourth year of your graduate studies.
• Register for Phys 800 (Doctoral Thesis Research) instead of Phys 600 in the quarters during and after your general exam.
• Take special topics courses as appropriate.
• Perform research. When completion of a substantial body of research is is sight, and with concurrence of your faculty advisor, start writing a thesis dissertation.
• Establish a dissertation reading committee well in advance of scheduling the Final Examination.
• Schedule your Final Examination and submit your PhD dissertation draft to your reading committee at least several weeks before your Final Exam.
• Take your Final Oral Examination.
• After passing your Final Exam, submit your PhD dissertation, as approved by your reading committee, to the Graduate School, normally before the end of the same quarter.

This typical timeline for competing the PhD applies to students entering the program with a solid undergraduate preparation, as described above under Admissions. Variant scenarios are possible with approval of the Graduate Program coordinator. Two such scenarios are the following:

• Students entering with insufficient undergraduate preparation often require more time. It is important to identify this early, and not feel that this reflects on innate abilities or future success. Discussion with one's faculty advisor, during orientation or shortly thereafter, may lead to deferring one or more of the first year required courses and corresponding Master's Review Exams. It can also involve taking selected 300 or 400 level undergraduate physics courses before taking the first year graduate level courses. This must be approved by the Graduate Program coordinator, but should not delay efforts to find a suitable research advisor. The final Master's Review decision still takes place no later than the start of the 3rd year and research engagement is an important component in this decision.
• Entering PhD students with advanced standing, for example with a prior Master's degree in Physics or transferring from another institution after completing one or more years in a Physics PhD program, may often graduate after 3 or 4 years in our program. After discussion with your faculty advisor and with approval of the Graduate Program coordinator, selected required classes may be waived (but typically not the corresponding Master's Review Exams), and credit from other institutions transferred.
• Each entering PhD student is assigned a first year faculty advisor, with whom they meet regularly to discuss course selection, general progress, and advice on research opportunities. The role of a student's primary faculty advisor switches to their research advisor after they become well established in research. Once their doctoral supervisory committee is formed, the entire committee, including a designated faculty mentor (other than the research advisor) is available to provide advice and mentoring.
• The department also has a peer mentoring program, in which first-year students are paired with more senior students who have volunteered as mentors. Peer mentors maintain contact with their first-year mentees throughout the year and aim to ease the transition to graduate study by sharing their experiences and providing support and advice. Quarterly "teas" are held to which all peer mentors and mentees are invited.
• While academic advising is primarily concerned with activities and requirements necessary to make progress toward a degree, mentoring focuses on the human relationships, commitments, and resources that can help a student find success and fulfillment in academic and professional pursuits. While research advisors play an essential role in graduate study, the department considers it inportant for every student to also have available additional individuals who take on an explicit mentoring role.
• Students are expected to meet regularly, at a minimum quarterly, with their faculty advisors (either first year advisor or research advisor).
• Starting in the winter of their first year, students are expected to be enrolled in Phys 600 .
• Every spring all students, together with their advisors, are required to complete an annual activities report.
• The doctoral supervisory committee needs to be established at least by the end of the fourth year.
• The General Exam is expected to take place during the third or fourth year.
• Students and their advisors are expected to aim for not more than 6 years between entry into the Physics PhD program and completion of the PhD. In recent years the median time is close to 6 years.

Absence of satisfactory progress can lead to a hierarchy of actions, as detailed in the Graduate School Memo 16: Academic Performance and Progress , and may jeopardize funding as a teaching assistant.

The Department aims to provide financial support for all full-time PhD students making satisfactory progress, and has been successful in doing so for many years. Most students are supported via a mix teaching assistantships (TAs) and research assistantships (RAs), although there are also various scholarships, fellowships, and awards that provide financial support. Teaching and research assistanships provide a stipend, a tuition waiver, and health insurance benefits. TAs are employed by the University to assist faculty in their teaching activities. Students from non-English-speaking countries must pass English proficiency requirements . RAs are employed by the Department to assist faculty with specified research projects, and are funded through research grants held by faculty members.

Most first-year students are provided full TA support during their first academic year as part of their admission offer. Support beyond the second year is typically in the form of an RA or a TA/RA combination. It is the responsibility of the student to find a research advisor and secure RA support. Students accepting TA or RA positions are required to register as full-time graduate students (a minimum of 10 credits during the academic year, and 2 credits in summer quarter) and devote 20 hours per week to their assistantship duties. Both TAs and RAs are classified as Academic Student Employees (ASE) . These positions are governed by a contract between the UW and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), and its Local Union 4121 (UAW).

Physics PhD students are paid at the "Assistant" level (Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant) upon entry to the program. Students receive a promotion to "Associate I" (Predoctoral Teaching Associate I or Predoctoral Research Associate I) after passing the Master's Review, and a further promotion to "Associate II" (Predoctoral Teaching Associate II or Predoctoral Research Associate II) after passing their General Examination. (Summer quarter courses, and summer quarter TA employment, runs one month shorter than during the academic year. To compendate, summer quarter TA salaries are increased proportionately.)

• UW Physics Department fact sheet .
• MyPhys , UW Physics Department intranet with policies and information for enrolled students.
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UW Microbiology

Ph.d. requirements and curriculum, graduate curriculum requirements for the phd.

The requirements listed below are the minimum requirements to be met by all students in the Ph.D. program.   The student's supervisory committee may require or recommend additional courses as deemed appropriate, based on the student's background and research plans.

Graded Course Requirements

A total of 18 graded credits are required before taking the General Exam, and a minimum 2.7 grade in each course is required. Students are required to take courses in bacteriology, virology, and biostatistics chosen from the following lists, with the required minimum number of credits indicated for each area of study. 

Bacteriology (3 credits) •    CONJ 557 (Spring, 2 credits), Microbial Evolution •    CONJ 558 (Winter, 1.5 credits), Prokaryotic Biology

Virology (3 credits) •    MICROM 540 (Autumn, even years, 3 credits), Virology •    MCB 532 (Autumn, odd years, 3 credits), Human Pathogenic Viruses

Biostatistics (2 credits) •    BIOSTAT 511    (Autumn, 4 credits), Introduction to Statistics in Health Sciences •    UCONJ 510 (Summer, 2 credits), Introductory Laboratory Based Biostatistics

The remaining credits (for a total of 18 graded credits) can come from taking more than the minimum number of credits in each distribution or from additional departmentally approved 500-level graduate courses listed in Appendix 1. If you are interested in a class that is not listed, please petition the Graduate Program Policy and Advising Committee (GPAC) by contacting the chair for permission to have it count towards the degree before you take the class.  Note that courses change, so verify course details online.  Also investigate the anticipated workload, which varies considerably among graduate classes. Program policy limits you to no more than 6 graded credits per quarter .

Program Academic Requirements

• Attending departmental seminars (MICROM 520) and “work in Progress” (WIP, MICROM 522) is mandatory. Both courses are graded Credit/No-Credit. Departmental seminars are crucial for contributing to the breadth of student knowledge, and students must register for seminar each year of graduate school. WIP serves to develop oral presentation skills. Students must register for WIP through year 5 and will be scheduled and must present in WIP every year of graduate school. The requirement for a grade of “Credit” and the manner in which this requirement will be assessed will be conveyed to students at the beginning of the academic year.  A grade of “No-Credit” will result in a warning, which may escalate to Probation, Final Probation, and Drop (see https://grad.uw.edu/policies/3-7-academic-performance-and-progress/ ) should the deficiency not be addressed satisfactorily. Failure to register for WIP will immediately escalate to Probation.
• While completing the course requirements, students should register for enough MICROM 500 or MICROM 600 to bring their total credits to 10-18 per quarter in Autumn, Winter, and Spring. Register for exactly 2 credits in Summer, which is either UCONJ 510 (to fulfill the biostatistics requirement) or MICROM 600.  When graded credit requirements have been fulfilled, register for MICROM 600 prior to completing the General Exam and for MICROM 800 after passing the General Exam for a total of 10-18 credits per quarter during the academic year and for exactly 2 credits during summer quarter.
• BIOETHICS. All of our students must complete either 8 hours of Biomedical Research Integrity: Responsible Conduct of Research training (register at https://www.washington.edu/research/required-training/biomedical-research-integrity-program-nih-required-responsible-conduct-of-research-rcr-training/ ) or Bioethics 101 taught by the Biochemistry Department (register for the Winter Quarter BIOC 533), by Winter quarter of the second year.
• TA one laboratory course in Microbiology. Developing good teaching skills is an important part of graduate training. Students will be assigned to TA a specific course by the Microbiology Teaching Faculty. Generally, students teach in their second year, and the teaching requirement must be met by the end of the second year. This an academic requirement and does not constitute a change in ASE duties as outlined in the annual appointment letter. Note that for students who entered the program prior to Autumn 2024, two TAships are required.
• Creditable passage of the Topic Exam.
• Present a lecture in an undergraduate Microbiology course , preferably in the fourth or fifth years. Arrangements for giving these lectures can be made by contacting individual course directors. For example, this requirement can be fulfilled by presenting lectures in the undergraduate methods course (MICROM 431). At the conclusion of the lecture, students must complete a self-assessment ( Microbiology Undergraduate Lecture Self-Assessment ) and review their answers with the course instructor(s) within 2 weeks of the lecture. The completed self-assessment must be sent to the GPA ( [email protected] ) as evidence of completion of the lecture requirement. Note that for students who entered the program prior to Autumn 2021, two lectures are required.
• Be first author on at least one paper related to thesis research, which is published or accepted for publication in refereed journals prior to the thesis defense.

Graduate School Requirements

( https://grad.uw.edu/policies/1-1-graduate-degree-requirements/ )

• Completion of a program of study and research as planned by the Graduate Program Coordinator in the student's major department or college and by the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee. At least 18 credits of course work at the 500 level and above must be completed prior to scheduling the General Examination.  Note that this includes classes that are not graded (CR/NC).
• Presentation of 90 credits, 60 of which must be taken at the University of Washington.
• Numerical grades must be received in at least 18 quarter credits of course work taken at the University of Washington prior to scheduling the General Examination. The Graduate School accepts numerical grades in departmentally approved 400 and 500 level courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for a graduate degree at the University.
• Completion of a total of 60 credits prior to scheduling the General Examination (a master's degree from the UW or another institution may be used as a substitute for 30 of these credits).
• Creditable passage of the General Examination.  Registration and completion of credits as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken and candidacy is conferred.
• The Candidate must register and complete a minimum of 27 credits of dissertation (MICROM 800) over a period of at least three quarters.  At least one quarter must come after the student passes the General Examination. With the exception of summer, when students take 2 credits, students are limited to a maximum of 10 credits per quarter of dissertation (MICROM 800).
• Creditable passage of a Final Examination, which is usually devoted to the defense of the dissertation in the field with which it is concerned. The General and Final Examinations cannot be scheduled during the same quarter. Registration and completion of credit as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken AND the degree is conferred.
• Preparation of and acceptance by the Dean of the Graduate School of a dissertation that is a significant contribution to knowledge and clearly indicates training in research.
• Completion of all work for the doctoral degree within ten years. This includes quarters spent On-Leave or out of status as well as applicable work from the master's degree from the University of Washington or a master's degree from another institution, if used to substitute for 30 credits of enrollment.
• Registration and completion of credits as a full- or part-time graduate student at the University for the quarter in which the degree is conferred (see detailed information under Final Quarter Registration).

Training Grants

All U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to apply for training grants.

APPENDIX 1:  Other Courses

The following courses are approved to count towards the degree.  Keep in mind that we try to keep this list accurate; however, departmental offerings change from year to year.  And, the quarter in which courses are offered, especially conjoints (CONJ), can vary.  Note that the categories are based on the course title rather than a thorough review of the syllabus.

BIOCHEMISTRY CLASSES:

CELL BIOLOGY CLASSES:

COMMUNICATING SCIENCE AND COMMERCIALIZATION:

IMMUNOLOGY, MEDICINE, PATHOGENESIS, and OTHERS:

* These classes are primarily for Biochemistry graduate students, who take them as a cohort.  Microbiology students can take them with permission of the instructor.

** These are smaller Genome Sciences class, so registration may be difficult.

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PhD Admission Requirements & Application Procedures

The application deadline is December 15 for the following Autumn quarter. All application materials, including official test scores, must be received by this date.

Important! Read first:   PhD Application Guidelines

All components of the application are submitted on line through the Graduate School Application for Admission , with the exception of the following two items: -required digital voice file if applying for a TA position -optional sample project in digital media or public humanities

For your convenience, here is a summary of application requirements:

• Read first:   PhD Application Guidelines
• Begin On-Line Application to the Graduate School
• For most domestic applicants: GRE (2024 applicants do not need to take the GRE.)
• TOEFL iBT, TOEFL pBT (paper based), or IELTS.   Minimum score required for admission :  TOEFL iBT:  92.   TOEFL pBT: 580.  IELTS: 7.0. The Graduate School is phasing out usage of the IELTS. Scores from IELTS test sessions dated after June 1, 2017, will not be accepted.  Official electronic scores must be submitted to the University of Washington Graduate School by the deadline , so plan ahead.  Applicants who completed a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in residence at a regionally accredited institution in the United States or other Anglophone country meet the English proficiency requirement for admission.  Complete details on the Graduate School policy can be found here:  English Language Proficiency .
• Designate Providers of Recommendations (3)
• All applicants whose first language is other than English, must demonstrate verbal English proficiency to be eligible for a teaching assistant position.  Most applicants will need to take the TOEFL.  Note that the Graduate School has phased out the IELTS.  Scores from IELTS test sessions dated after June 1, 2017, will not be accepted.   Minimum score required on speaking portion of TOEFL iBT: 26;  IELTS:  7.0    Official electronic scores must be submitted to the University of Washington Graduate School by the deadline,  so plan ahead. Minimum score requirements are non-negotiable.  Applicants who completed a bachelor's degree in residence at a regionally accredited institution in the United States or other Anglophone country, have met the English proficiency requirement to be eligible for a teaching assistant position.  For complete details, see Graduate School:   Conditions of appointment for non-native speakers of English .
• Submit Unofficial Transcripts
• Submit Academic Autobiographical Statement
• Submit Writing Sample
• Submit Optional Project in Digital Media or Public Humanities

PhD Application Guidelines Note: Please DO NOT MAIL any transcripts to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. All transcripts for the admission application are collected online. International Applicants - When you receive notification that you have been recommended for admission by your graduate program, you must then submit official transcripts and additional application materials to the Graduate School. Domestic Applicants - When you accept your formal offer of admission, you must then provide an official final degree transcript to the Graduate School. For additional information regarding the admissions process, please see the UW Graduate School's FAQs page. Getting Started with University of Washington Graduate Admissions

Admissions and Selection Process

The University's Office of Graduate Admissions ascertains that the University's general requirements have been met. The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies judges the more specialized requisites and will insist that applicants hold at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, with a major (or equivalent study) in Spanish. A grade-point average of no less than 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for the combined junior and senior years of undergraduate work, as well as for any post-graduate study already accomplished, is highly desirable. No minimum GRE (Graduate Record Examination) score is required from applicants who are required to take this test. However, the Department finds an average score of 500 and above encouraging. Admission to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies is competitive. Questions may be addressed to  [email protected] .

Notifications regarding the awarding of Teaching Assistantships, which are the Department's appointments, are issued in the spring by the Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies.

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Our mission at UW Bothell is to make an exceptional college education accessible to more students — people just like you. No matter your background or future aspirations, if you are a strong, committed student, we want to help make your dream of a UW degree possible. We are a student-centered, right-sized campus with 6,000 students, more than 350 faculty, five schools, more than 50 undergraduate and master’s degree programs, and direct access to the big-school resources of the tri-campus University of Washington.

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Graduate Admission Requirements

Application Deadline

The Department admits students for Autumn quarter only each year. All international and domestic application materials must be received by December 15. If possible, international applicants should try to submit their application materials earlier than this deadline to allow additional time for processing.

Application procedures are the same whether or not you are applying for financial assistance from the department. There is no separate application for financial aid.  Our department does not offer application fee waivers. Please see here  Application Fee Waivers | UW Graduate School  to see if you qualify for a fee waiver from the Graduate School of UW.

The Department of Economics does not defer admission. Applicants must begin their studies in September of the year for which they are accepted. If an applicant cannot attend the year for which s/he is accepted, s/he must re-apply for the following year.

Prerequisite Courses and GPA Requirement

Applicants for graduate study in economics are required to have completed undergraduate training that includes at least the following courses:

• Intermediate level micro- and macroeconomics
• At least one year of calculus
• Linear algebra

In addition, the following courses are very strongly recommended for an application to be competitive:

• Differential equations
• Matrix algebra
• Additional calculus coursework
• Additional coursework in probability and statistics

An undergraduate major in economics is not required for admission to the graduate program provided that the above prerequisites have been met. Students who seek admission to graduate programs at the University of Washington must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in the last 90 graded quarter hours or the last 60 graded semester hours.

The average GPA of incoming students enrolled for the last five years was:

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The average GRE General Test scores of incoming students enrolled for the last three years were:

English Language Requirement for Admissions (non-native speaker) 

Please see here for the University of Washington requirement for non-native English speakers,  Policy 3.2: Graduate School English Language Proficiency Requirements – UW Graduate School .

Below is a list of methods in which you can meet this requirement:

• A bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution located in the United States and where English is the medium of instruction.
• A bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, or the United Kingdom and where English is the medium of instruction. While enrolled at the degree-granting school, the student must be in residence on campus.
• Official or attested letter from the undergraduate college, university Registrar, or Controller of Examinations office.
• Official transcripts, attested mark sheets or degree statements, are also accepted if English is stated as the medium of instruction.
• TOEFL iBT or TOEFL MyBest: 92 or higher
• Duolingo: 125
• IELTS: 7 or higher

English Language Requirement for Funding (non-native speaker)

All non-native English-speaking applicants (except those noted below) are required to submit a valid TOEFLiBT or IELTS scores to demonstrate spoken English proficiency. Please see here for the Graduate School's requirement to TA, Policy 5.2: Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English – UW Graduate School . The scores noted below meet the UW language requirement for international teaching assistants:

• 26 on the speaking section of the TOEFLiBT, or
• 7 on the speaking section of the IELTS

The following non-native English-speaking  applicant are NOT REQUIRED to take a language test to demonstrate spoken English proficiency:

• International applicants who have pursued and completed, or will complete before starting the graduate program, a 4-year bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited US institution; or who hold (or will complete) a bachelor’s degree from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, or the United Kingdom, where English is the medium of instruction. This exemption does not apply to applicants who have completed, or will complete, only a master's degree at a US institution, nor does it apply to students who completed only part of a bachelor's degree in the US after transferring from an international university.

For any additional questions on the University of Washington language requirements, please email [email protected] . 

For information about admission procedures and application forms, read the  Admission Procedures and Forms  page.

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Admission Requirements

Admission to our programs is competitive, especially to our PhD program. Applicants are evaluated based on the entire application package. Every year we receive approximately 340 MS applications and 230 PhD applications and offer admission to approximately 60 MS applicants and 15 PhD applicants. Below are minimum prerequisites for admission and criteria to be considered a competitive applicant.

On this page:

Minimum math requirements, uw graduate school minimum requirements, pursuing concurrent degrees.

• Proof of English language proficiency for international students

Letters of Recommendation

Math and statistics prerequisites.

Our program is mathematically rigorous  and a strong quantitative background is essential to succeed in our program.

All applicants to the MS and PhD program should have the equivalent of approximately 30 or more quarter credits in mathematics and statistics, which must include:

• Approximately three semesters or four quarters of calculus, which must include multivariate calculus
• One course in linear algebra
• One course in probability theory (calculus based)
• A probability-based course in mathematical statistics is highly encouraged, though not required.

UW course equivalents that meet these requirements

University of Washington courses which are approximate equivalents to these requirements are:

• First-year calculus; MATH 124-125-126
• Advanced multivariable calculus: MATH 224
• Linear algebra: MATH 208
• Probability: MATH/STAT 394 and/or 395

The UW Department of Math course catalog gives descriptions of these courses. This information may help you determine whether your background is sufficient to meet our prerequisites. For additional information, please contact our staff at [email protected] . 

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Requirements for Specific Degree Programs

Applicants to the MS and PhD program should have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Most students enter with a major in mathematics, statistics, bioinformatics, or computational biology; however, we also accept applicants with backgrounds in other fields if necessary math and statistics prerequisites below are fulfilled. We often have applicants from engineering, psychology, or financial/business backgrounds. Strong applicants will have solid quantitative skills. 

Important: When you apply to a UW Biostatistics graduate program, you are also formally applying to the University of Washington Graduate School. Although all acceptance decisions are made within the Biostatistics department, the UW Graduate School also has minimum admission requirements for all UW graduate programs.

If you are a UW student interested in pursuing a second/concurrent degree, please consult with your current degree program to determine the feasibility, division and sharing of credits, and timeline for pursuing a concurrent degree. See the UW Graduate School's policy on concurrent degrees.

Test Scores and GPA

• Quantitative score in the 90th percentile
• Analytic score above the 50th percentile
• Verbal score above the 70th percentile
• Test scores are valid for five years. If you choose to submit a GRE score, the score must be valid on the date you submit your application. 

Proof of English language proficiency for international applicants

English language proficiency for international applicants must be demonstrated with one of the tests accepted by The Graduate School as outlined in Policy 3.2 , unless :

You have a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, or the United Kingdom; OR from an institution from another country that can provide verification that all instruction is in English.

You are currently working on such a degree and will earn it prior to enrolling in our program.

See details about English proficiency requirements . Questions regarding this requirement may be directed to the UW Graduate School.

While our department does not have minimum score requirements, most competitive applicants will have:

• TOEFL total score ≥ 100
• TOEFL speaking score ≥ 23

Test scores are valid for two years and must be valid on the date the application is submitted.

While our department does not have minimum GPA requirements besides the 3.0 GPA required by the graduate school , competitive applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA ≥ 3.5, with mostly as in Math/Statistics coursework.

Each applicant must submit three letters of recommendation as a part of their application materials. All three letters must be submitted before an application will be considered complete for review.

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PhD Degree Requirements

The MA/PhD in English Language and Literature is an integrated program that allows students to earn an MA on the way to the PhD. Students who enter the program without an MA in English or a related field are required to earn an MA while completing their coursework.

Degree Requirements

• Master's Degree . May be earned at UW or at another accredited institution prior to admission.
• Students who entered the program Autumn 2018 or earlier:   Total of 75 graded credits of coursework required, up to 30 of which may be transferred in from another institution
• Language Requirement . Intermediate-level reading competency in a language other than modern or Middle English.
• Request to Proceed to Doctoral Study . Formal request to continue on to doctoral study.
• PhD Examinations . Written examination (includes a research statement and two course syllabi) and an oral, comprehensive General Examination, based on reading lists prepared under the guidance of the student's doctoral supervisory committee. The student plays an active role in selecting this committee and its chair.
• Dissertation Prospectus and Dissertation .
• Final Examination (Dissertation Defense) .

In accordance with the Graduate School's doctoral degree requirements , all work for the doctoral degree (including the dissertation defense) must be completed within ten years. This includes quarters spent on-leave or out of status as well as applicable work from the master’s degree from the UW.

If a student wishes to remain in student status beyond the ten-year limit, then they must submit a written statement to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) that explains why additional time is needed and provides a detailed timeline for completing the dissertation. If the student has a supervisory committee chair, the DGS will communicate with the chair about the request and respond to the student in a timely manner.

Additional Information

Staff in the English Graduate Office are available to answer questions concerning admission and program requirements.

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Admission Steps

Psychology - affective, social & cognitive psychology - phd, admission requirements.

Terms and Deadlines

Degree and GPA Requirements

Additional Standards for Non-Native English Speakers

Additional standards for international applicants.

For the 2025-2026 academic year

See 2024-2025 requirements instead

Fall 2025 quarter (beginning in September)

Final submission deadline: December 2, 2024

Final submission deadline: Applicants cannot submit applications after the final submission deadline.

Degrees and GPA Requirements

Bachelors degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.

University GPA requirement: The minimum grade point average for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver must meet one of the following criteria:

A cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the baccalaureate degree.

A cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree.

An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution or the recognized equivalent from an international institution supersedes the minimum GPA requirement for the baccalaureate.

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework completed for applicants who have not earned a master’s degree or higher.

Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), C1 Advanced or Duolingo English Test are required of all graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, whose native language is not English or who have been educated in countries where English is not the native language. Your TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80 (including a minimum of 26 on the speaking section)

Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5 (including a minimum of 8 on the speaking section)

Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176 (including a minimum of 200 on the speaking section)

Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

Additional Information:

Read the English Language Proficiency policy for more details.

Read the Required Tests for GTA Eligibility policy for more details.

Per Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulation, international applicants must meet all standards for admission before an I-20 or DS-2019 is issued, [per U.S. Federal Register: 8 CFR § 214.3(k)] or is academically eligible for admission and is admitted [per 22 C.F.R. §62]. Read the Additional Standards For International Applicants policy for more details.

Application Materials

Transcripts, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation.

Required Essays and Statements

We require a scanned copy of your transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Scanned copies must be clearly legible and sized to print on standard 8½-by-11-inch paper. Transcripts that do not show degrees awarded must also be accompanied by a scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate. If your academic transcripts were issued in a language other than English, both the original documents and certified English translations are required.

Transcripts and proof of degree documents for postsecondary degrees earned from institutions outside of the United States will be released to a third-party international credential evaluator to assess U.S. education system equivalencies. Beginning July 2023, a non-refundable fee for this service will be required before the application is processed.

Upon admission to the University of Denver, official transcripts will be required from each institution attended.

GRE scores are optional for admission to this program. Applications submitted without scores will receive full consideration. Every application undergoes a comprehensive evaluation, including a careful review of all application materials. If you choose to submit test scores, you may upload your Test Taker Score Report PDF, which is considered unofficial. Official scores must be received directly from the appropriate testing agency upon admission to the University of Denver. The ETS institution code to submit GRE scores to the University of Denver is 4842.

University Standardized Test Policy

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.  Letters should be submitted by recommenders through the online application.

Essays and Statements

Personal statement instructions.

Please prepare approximately 2-3 pages of typewritten, double-spaced autobiographical material which will be considered confidential. Please be aware that the review committees may contain graduate student representatives. Indicate the source of your interest in psychology and the reasons why you wish to pursue graduate studies in your chosen area of specialization. If you have had practical experience (work or volunteer) in psychology, please describe it. If you have been in another area of academic study or employment, discuss your change. When and how was your attention directed to our graduate program? Indicate how the specific features of our training program would facilitate your professional goals.  In your autobiographical statement, please state which faculty member(s) you would like to do your research with. Explain why the faculty’s research interests represent a match with your own training goals and your career plans. Please type the name(s) of your proposed mentor(s) on a separate line at the end of your autobiographical statement so as to facilitate screening. Mentors can be from any program. So, for example, clinical child applicants may list a faculty mentor that is not a member of the clinical child faculty. If there is one person you are primarily interested in, name one; if there are two who you are interested in, name two. There is no advantage to naming just one person or naming two people. What is important is the rationale for your choice.

Diversity Statement Instructions

The University of Denver values diversity, equity, and inclusion, recognizing that its success is dependent on how well it values, engages, and includes the rich diversity of constituents. Diversity is defined broadly. Applicants are required to include an essay (maximum of one-page, double spaced) describing how their educational, professional, clinical, or personal (e.g. cultural, economic or social) experiences prepare them to contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion during their graduate career at DU. Contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion may come in the form of research topic, research population, clinical work (if applicable), professional service, personal perspective, and more. To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Denver, please visit https://www.du.edu/equity .

Résumé Instructions

Please submit a résumé that includes publications, professional presentations, awards and scholarships, professional experience (both research and clinical), and membership in professional organizations.

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Online Application

Financial Aid Information

Start your application.

Your submitted materials will be reviewed once all materials and application fees have been received.

Our program can only consider your application for admission if our Office of Graduate Education has received all your online materials and supplemental materials by our application deadline.

Application Fee: $65.00 Application Fee

International Degree Evaluation Fee: $50.00 Evaluation Fee for degrees (bachelor's or higher) earned from institutions outside the United States.

Applicants should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.

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Doctor of Nursing Practice Admission Requirements

The following requirements/materials are needed for a complete application. Admissions decisions will be made after each deadline, following a faculty review. All materials submitted become the property of the University of Colorado College of Nursing.

Applications are submitted through Nursing’s Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS).

Application Requirements

Within your NursingCAS application, you will be asked to upload an essay which responds to the following prompts. Your completed essay can be uploaded into the “Documents” section of your NursingCAS application.

• Please describe your professional and educational goals and how participation in the DNP program will enhance these goals. Discuss professional issues in your area of interest. Describe a clinical problem you have solved for a particular population or a clinical innovation your developed to improve health outcomes of a particular population.

DNP Pathway Chosen

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP-APN) . Applicants with an MS in nursing and a specialty certification, graduate course work at the post-MS level will complete the DNP program. This path prepares students for leadership roles in the clinical setting.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice/Master of Public Health (DNP/MPH) . The DNP/MPH option leads to both a DNP and a Master of Public Health (dual degree) for those wishing to have a nursing leadership role in public health.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice – Public Health Nursing (DNP-PHN) . The DNP-PHN program leads to a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a public health focus for those already in public health.
• The Post-Graduate DNP Health Systems Leadership Program  prepares nurse leaders across the continuum of care (i.e. primary care, acute care, long-term care, school nursing, home care, etc.).

3.0 Nursing GPA

Complete application before deadline, application fee, bachelor of science in nursing, technical standards, master of science in nursing.

Applicants who wish to pursue the Post-Master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree must possess a master’s degree in the following areas based on the track chosen:

• APRN Track – Master of Science in Nursing with an advanced practice specialty.
• DNP-PHN Track – Master of Public Health or Community Health in Nursing degree.
• Health Systems Leadership Track – Master of Science in Nursing (clinical or non-clinical), MPH, or MBA. Other degrees can be considered with review/approval from the appropriate Assistant Dean.
• Veteran and Military Health Care Track – Master of Science in Nursing (clinical or non-clinical), MPH, or MBA. Other degrees can be considered with review/approval from the appropriate Assistant Dean.

Prospective students with other degrees earned outside of those listed above are encouraged to speak with an enrollment advisor to discuss other admission options.

Current, Unencumbered RN License

Applicant interview.

Selected applicants are required to attend Interview Day if they wish to proceed with the admissions process. The interview date is listed on the Application Deadlines  page.

A telephone interview can be substituted for an on-site interview.

Three Letters of Reference (One Academic Reference Preferred)

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Official Transcripts (Domestic)

All applicants must request official transcripts from each former/current institution attended. You will need to order all official transcripts to be sent directly to NursingCAS for verification (regardless of the years attended or previous coursework completed). This includes any concurrent/dual enrollment courses you took in high school; you must submit official transcripts for any post-secondary school(s) from which you earned college credit while in high school. For additional information regarding submitting official transcripts, please visit the NursingCAS transcripts help section .

International/Foreign Transcripts

Applicants holding a degree from an international or foreign institution require a course-by-course transcript evaluation. For additional information regarding submitting international transcripts and course-by-course evaluations, please visit the NursingCAS transcripts help section .

Current Specialty Certificate (DNP Only)

Additional requirements, english language proficiency.

Due to the clinical nature of the nursing profession, all students must meet the following communication standards, as outlined in the Technical Standards of our Student Handbook :

• A student must be able to communicate clearly and effectively in English with clients, teachers and all members of the health care team. Written and oral communication must use standard, professional medical terminology.
• He/she must communicate with clients clearly and effectively in English to elicit information regarding history, emotional status and activity, and to perceive nonverbal communications.
• Communication includes speech, hearing, reading, writing and computer literacy.
• A student must be able to clearly and effectively report in English to members of the health care team. Additionally, students must be able to relay appropriate information to clients, as well as teach, explain, direct and counsel a wide variety of individuals.
• In some instances the student will be required to provide clear, direct communication in English during highly stressful, crisis situations. These skills necessitate a strong command of the English language and prompt, timely interpretation of pertinent patient data.
• Students must be able to communicate online in a timely, professional manner, e.g., enter an electronic medical record immediately after the patient visit.

If your primary language is not English, or if you are an International Student, you will need to demonstrate required English language proficiency by meeting one of the following criteria:

• You are a citizen of a country whose official language is English including Australia, Belize, Botswana, Canada (except Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, Ghana, United Kingdom, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
• You have obtained a total score of at least 560 on the paper-based TOEFL and 50 or above on the Test of Spoken English (TSE); a score of 83 on the Internet-based TOEFL with 26 or above on the spoken English section. For other minimum subscores see internationaladmissions.ucdenver.edu . The College of Nursing TOEFL Exam Code is 3377. Be sure to use this code when registering for the exam to ensure that we will receive the results.
• You have obtained a total score of 6.5 on IELTS with a minimum speaking subscore of 8. Official IELTS scores must be sent directly to the College of Nursing.
• You have graduated from the University of Colorado Denver’s ESL Academy.
• You have graduated from a US/UK accredited school abroad with English as the medium of instruction.
• You have earned a Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. or you have successfully completed a minimum of 2 semesters of full-time study in a master’s program at an accredited institution in the U.S.

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Ph.D. in Epidemiology

The Ph.D. in Epidemiology emphasizes the expertise necessary for a research career in epidemiology.

2024 application deadline: The priority deadline is February 1, with a final deadline of June 1. Admission cycle: Fall Assistantship types: teaching, research

The Ph.D. in Epidemiology is a STEM-designated program designed to prepare students for careers in which advanced analytical skills are required in academia, government, industry and research institutions. Students apply epidemiologic methods to understand complex public health problems. The program trains students to become independent investigators through two years of required coursework in epidemiology and biostatistics methods followed by two years (or more) of research. Students must pass a written qualifying exam and complete and defend a research dissertation. As a Tier One research institution, the School of Public Health encourages its Ph.D. students to participate in research projects that advance the field of epidemiology and address current public health issues.  Faculty and students of the School of Public Health conduct state-of-the-art research in a wide range of areas related to public health. Research in the school is supported by grants and contracts from numerous federal, state, local and private sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Funding for the Ph.D. in Epidemiology

Qualified Ph.D. in Epidemiology students are offered Graduate Assistant (GA) positions for two years of the program. These positions typically include teaching activities and continuous funding is contingent upon satisfactory performance of the duties and good academic standing. Although funding beyond two years is not guaranteed, GA positions that focus on research and other funding opportunities are available and most students continue to receive support. GA positions include a monthly stipend, health insurance and a tuition waiver. Additional financial support is available through scholarships, fellowships and awards provided by the School of Public Health and the Graduate School. 

This program is part of the  Western Regional Graduate Program  (WRGP), a tuition-savings program that makes out-of-state graduate studies more affordable for students. Through WRGP, you will receive a reduced tuition rate, giving you more educational options for your money.

Questions? Want more information?

Kristen Clements-Nolle Graduate Director of Epidemiology Email: [email protected]

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