Admission Requirements
Below you will find information about HCDE's admission requirements for the daytime MS program. If you have questions about these materials, or if you want want further information, please contact the academic adviser.
There is a dual admission process for all graduate programs at the UW. HCDE applicants must apply to both the HCDE department and the UW Graduate School. Application materials are available on the HCDE Application page.
Note: The HCDE department will keep your application on file for one year after the application deadline. If you are not accepted, or if you decline admission, your application materials will be shredded.
Use the following links to view information about the admission process:
- Deadlines
- Prerequisites
- Statement of Qualifications, Goals, and Career Objectives
- Letters of Recommendation
- Current Résumé or CV
- Financial Aid/General Information Questionnaire
- Official Transcripts
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- International Applicants
- Request an application packet be sent to you
- What to submit to the UW Graduate School
- Acceptance Procedures
HCDE admits students for autumn and winter quarters. Students are encouraged to submit their application at least two months before the deadline.
Note: If you took any classes as a graduate non-matriculated student (GNM) or UCD Certificate student, please tell the academic adviser that you already submitted some or all of the application materials.
The deadlines for future quarters are:
|
Quarter |
Deadlines
|
|
Autumn |
July 1st (February 1st for international applicants). |
|
Winter |
November 1st (if space is available). Please check with the academic adviser. |
|
Spring |
No applications accepted. |
Applicants for HCDE graduate study must hold a Bachelor's degree. Applicants with relevant experience are regularly admitted to the HCDE graduate program, even if their undergraduate coursework was in a different field. To guarantee that all HCDE graduate students have a basic foundation for graduate level HCDE courses, we require the following math prerequisite:
- Math Prerequisite: calculus or an equivalent course, such as statistics or logic
You do NOT have to complete the math prerequisite to apply to the program; you may take the class concurrently with other degree courses. Credit from the math prerequisite, however, does not count toward the HCDE graduate degree requirements. If you wonder whether your previous coursework satisfies this requirement, please make an appointment with the academic adviser.
Statement of Qualifications, Goals, and Career Objectives
The statement of of qualifications, goals, and objectives is an important part of the application portfolio. The admissions committee considers content and format when evaluating the statement, which should not exceed two pages.
Your statement should address these points:
- Reasons why you chose HCDE as an area of interest. Also, if you have identified one, explain the area of HCDE that you might specialize in.
- How you will relate the specialty area to your education and experiences
- Career benefits that you expect to gain from the Master's degree program
- Other matters that you think the department should consider
Download the statement form.
You must provide three (3) letters of recommendation with your application. These letters should be from people who can judge your ability to undertake graduate studies, including present or former professors, work supervisors, or clients (in the case of consulting assignments).
An evaluation form must accompany each recommendation. References can be sent to the department by the recommender, or you can include the references with your application packet, provided that they are sealed in their original envelope.
Download the evaluation form.
You must provide a current résuméor CV with your application. Although you need not have a specific professional background to apply, the admissions committee considers relevant professional experience when making its decision.
Financial Aid/General Information Questionnaire
Complete he Financial Aid/General Information Questionnaire. The department uses this questionnaire to ensure that it has all the details, financial and otherwise, that are relevant to your application.
Download the Financial Aid/General Information questionnaire.
You must provide official transcripts from each college-level (4-year and 2-year) institution that you have attended. The official transcripts must arrive sealed in their original envelope from the institution that issued them.
Evening MS applicants are not required to take the GRE exam. The HCDE department is confidant that we can assess an applicant's academic aptitude based on the combination of undergraduate coursework and professional work experience expected of our evening MS students.
If you plan to apply for both the evening MS and one of our other matriculated programs, you will need to take the GRE, as it is a requirement of our day MS and PhD programs.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Applicants whose native language is not English must obtain a satisfactory score on the TOEFL unless they have a university degree from an institution in an English-speaking country. This requirement also applies to immigrant and permanent resident applicants.
Like the GRE, the TOEFL is given worldwide at set dates each year at most major universities and many U.S. Consulates and Embassies abroad. Official score reports from the TOEFL should be sent to the UW Graduate Admissions. The TC Department requires that TOEFL scores be no more than two years old.
The following resources can give you more information about the TOEFL:
- TOEFL Online Includes links for online registration, test dates, and other relevant information.
- The Educational Assessment Center
453 Schmitz Hall, Box 355837
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195-5837
(206) 543-1170 - The Educational Testing Service
CN 6000
Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6000
(609) 734-1105
Applications from international students are accepted once a year, to start autumn quarter. To ensure consideration please submit your application by November 1st (note this is three months before the posted deadline).
- Visit the UW Graduate School website for more information on international student application procedures.
- Not sure if you are qualified to apply? Please vist the UW Graduate School's Preliminary Evaluation Process website.
Request an application packet be sent to you
To request an application information packet be mailed to you, please contact the academic adviser.
All TC Applicants must also submit the following materials to the UW Graduate School:
- Application Fee ($50)
- Graduate School Application (online)
- TOEFL Scores (applies only to international applicants)
- Official Transcripts (only if you completed coursework outside the United States)
Send or deliver these materials to:
Office of Graduate Admissions
University of Washington
301 Loew Hall
Box 352191
Seattle, WA 98195-2191
Applicants who are accepted to the HCDE Master’s program will receive acceptance letters from the HCDE department and the UW Graduate School. After receiving their acceptance letters, applicants must pay a $100 deposit. This payment, which secures your spot at the UW, will be applied to your tuition.
New HCDE students will be invited to an orientation meeting before their first quarter begins. The department will mail the information about the orientation meeting, as well as information about other events, to the students.
New students generally have a predefined schedule during autumn quarter, which is outlined in their welcome letter. If new students have questions about this schedule, or if they would like to change the schedule, they should contact the academic adviser.