Frequently asked questions (and answers) about the University of Washington's Graduate Certificate in Human Centered Artificial Intelligence.
Application
The application for 2025-2026 is now open on the Graduate School website. In the Program Selection section, choose: "Engineering Grad Cert - Human Centered AI (Stackable)"
Yes. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a four-year accredited institution (or equivalent) and submit transcripts to verify completion.
No. GRE scores are not required or considered, even if submitted.
For the 2025–2026 cycle, we will begin reviewing applications after the priority deadline of October 24. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after that date.
Curriculum and format
No. All courses are delivered in person on the University of Washington Seattle campus.
Courses meet once per week in the evening (typically 6–9:50 p.m.), Monday through Thursday.
The certificate is designed to be completed in one academic year. For the 2025–2026 cohort, students will begin in Winter Quarter (January 5) and finish in Summer 2026, including two courses in Spring Quarter.
UW students currently have access to Microsoft Copilot through the university. New tools under the UW Purple program will also be available soon to students and faculty. We also encourage students to explore widely available AI tools and platforms to broaden their familiarity and hands-on experience.
Career relevance
The HCAI certificate emphasizes responsible and ethical use of AI, grounded in real-world frameworks from industry. Students learn how to evaluate, critique, and build with AI tools through hands-on, project-based learning. In the Culminations course, students apply what they've learned in a real-world project, which can be included as a portfolio-ready example of their work.
The HCAI Certificate is designed to augment your existing skills, especially in areas like UX design, UX research, human-centered design, product design, and related fields. This program does not prepare students for AI engineering roles, but instead strengthens their ability to work with AI in their domain of expertise.
Tuition and fees
Tuition is the same for all students, regardless of residency. A detailed breakdown is available on our Tuition and Fees page.
No. Unfortunately, the program does not have the resources to offer any scholarships or tuition support to students. Tuition is due at the start of each academic quarter for the courses being taken that term.
No. The HCAI Certificate is not eligible for tuition exemption through the University of Washington or the State of Washington.
International students
Yes, but this program is not eligible for an I-20 visa. For visa-eligible programs, see PCE’s International Student Eligibility.
The certificate follows the same English proficiency standards as the HCDE MS program. Please refer to our English Language Proficiency Requirements for details.
After admission
Yes. All new students are invited to attend an orientation session before the program begins. Details will be provided upon admission.
You must earn at least a 2.7 in each course. Students who earn below 2.7 in any course will be withdrawn and may not continue. Retaking courses is not permitted.
Stackability and graduate degrees
Yes. The HCAI Certificate can be combined with another College of Engineering Graduate Certificate (from a different department) to earn a stacked Master of Engineering in Multidisciplinary Engineering. Learn more about Stacked Master’s Degrees in Engineering. Alternatively, students may choose to apply to the Master of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering. If admitted, the certificate’s credits will apply toward the HCDE MS degree.