Admission Requirements

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington offers two graduate degree programs, a Master of Science degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The M.Sc. degree can be completed in one academic year, based on course work only. The Ph.D degree is a research degree and is not conferred as a result of course work alone, although most of our Ph.D. students obtain a M.Sc. degree along the way as they progress toward a Ph.D. degree. All prospective graduate students must be accepted into the Graduate School of the University of Washington as well as by the Department of Applied Mathematics.

Admission to the University of Washington Graduate School is necessarily a selective process. The prospective student must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in this country or its equivalent from a foreign institution. The student's record should be a strong one with an average grade of B (3.00 grade point) or better. The primary criterion and the priority for admission of new applicants into a graduate program is the applicant's ability, as decided by the appropriate faculty, to complete the graduate program expeditiously with a high level of achievement. One aspect of meeting this criterion is the matching of interests between applicants and faculty. Also to be considered is maintenance of a diverse student body within the Graduate School and individual programs.

Factors which may be considered during the admissions process include: Undergraduate grades, especially for subjects in or closely related to the field of proposed graduate study; Consistency in completing an undergraduate degree program; Required test scores; Personal interviews; Career objectives and the ability of the graduate program to prepare a student for them; Degree objectives; and written and oral recommendations from those qualified to evaluate the applicant's academic record and promise. Importance given to these factors will vary among degree programs.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International graduate students constitute an important segment of the Graduate School. The University of Washington encourages academically qualified applicants from other countries and also those non-citizen applicants who are attending, or have degrees from, other universities in the United States. In addition to the other requirements for all applicants, a minimum score of 500 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) must be presented by applicants who are not citizens of the United States unless they meet one of the following exceptions: Citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom; or Applicants holding bachelor's or advanced degrees from accredited institutions in the U.S. or in one of the countries listed above. Applicants offered admission with TOEFL scores between 500 and 580 will be required to fulfill an English as a Second Language (ESL) requirement. With the exception of citizens of the countries listed above.

All international and immigrant status applicants who intend to apply for teaching assistantships must also take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and achieve a score of 55 or better, or take the the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) administered by the University of Washington and achieve a score of 230 or better. The SPEAK test can be taken by those upon arrival who, for one reason or the other are unable to take it abroad. However, this option is strongly discouraged because TA funding may be withdrawn if the student fails the test. For more information about TA for non-US citizens, visit Conditions of Appointment for TAs Who Are Not US Citizens

Due to the time required for evaluation of applications, overseas applicants for Autumn quarter are strongly encouraged to submit the application and transcripts to the Office of Graduate Admissions no later than the prior November 1. Applications received after this date will be processed as soon as possible but significant delays may result. Although some financial assistance is available, it is quite limited. Therefore, international applicants must be prepared to provide evidence that they will have available approximately $39,078 (US) for each year of study.

GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION SCORES (GRE)

The Graduate School requires the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission as a graduate student, except in the following circumstance: Applicants holding earned doctorates (such as Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.) from U.S. institutions. Scores must be received directly from the Educational Testing Service. For further information you may write to: Graduate Record Examinations, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ. 08541-6000. Tel: (609) 771-7670 or (510) 654-1200.

DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Admission to the Department of Applied Mathematics is competitive, with less than 10% admitted to study leading to a Ph.D. degree from the pool of applicants satisfying the minimum requirements of the Graduate School. The admission standard for a (terminal) professional M.Sc. degree is not as high and is based on our evaluation of the applicants' ability to complete the course work required for the M.Sc. degree. In addition to the regular Graduate School admission requirements, the Department of Applied Mathematics requires that the applicant supply us with three letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

The confidential letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Department by the recommenders. We do not have a standard form for letters of recommendation. Writers should be in a position to rank the applicant's performance as a student and/or researcher. The personal statement should provide the Department with information about the applicant not found in his or her transcripts and other official documents.

Students who seek admission to the graduate program must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 in the last 90 graded quarter hours or the last 60 semester hours. In addition, applicants must submit verbal, analytical and quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Foreign applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. In order to be considered for financial aid, completed applications must be received by February 1. All applications for admission with or without financial aid should be received before February 1; however, applications for admission-without-aid received after that date may still be considered, provided positions are available.

Foreign applicants must take Preliminary Evaluation Process for International Applicants (PEP) as required by the University of Washington. Foreign applicants must meet several requirements in addition to those required of US applicants in order to be admitted to the Graduate School.

With the PEP, you can find out whether or not you meet the minimum requirements and are eligible to apply to study in US. If you don't meet these minimum requirements, you should not apply to University of Washington Graduate School. Information you supply will not affect your financial aid application with the Department; our departmental financial aid decision is based on merit and not on need.

Prospective students should hold an undergraduate degree either in mathematics with a strong background in applications or in some physical or biological science, computer science, or engineering with a strong background in applications-oriented mathematics. Students whose primary interest is statistics should be aware that there are separate departments of Statistics and Biostatistics at the University of Washington. The Department of Applied Mathematics is an independent program, separate from other departments at the University, including the Department of Mathematics. Therefore, if you wish to apply to our program, please indicate "Applied Mathematics" on your Graduate School Application. As a formality the Graduate School admits all first-year graduate students initially into the M.Sc. program regardless of their degree goals. A student becomes a Ph.D. candidate only after he or she passes the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam. For our information, however, please indicate your desired degree goal.

CATEGORIES OF ADMISSION TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

You may apply to the University of Washington through the Office of Graduate Admissions in three ways. It is important to understand the distinctions between the categories.

GRADUATE STUDENT

A graduate student is a person working toward a master's or doctoral degree or earning a school administrator's credential. Students must be admitted to this status in order to earn a degree. The Application for Admission to the Graduate School is obtained from the program to which you wish to apply.

VISITING GRADUATE STUDENT

A visiting graduate student is a person who plans to transfer graduate credits earned at the University to another institution where he or she is actively pursuing a graduate degree. Admission is based in part on availability of resources. Visiting graduate applicants must have been admitted to another recognized graduate school, be currently pursuing a graduate degree, and in good standing. Although transcripts need not be provided with the application, a Certificate of Status signed by the home institution is required. The Application and Certificate should be obtained directly from the Office of Graduate Admissions at the following address: The Office of Graduate Admissions, 98 Gerberding Hall, Box 351280, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1280, U.S.A. Telephone: (206)543-5929; FAX: (206)543-8798.

GRADUATE NONMATRICULATED STUDENT

Some graduate programs have chosen to offer admission to graduate nonmatriculated students. These students are not presently seeking a graduate degree, but may wish to apply a maximum of 9 credits earned in this category to degree requirements should they later be accepted into a graduate program. Applicants should meet minimum Graduate School admission requirements but admission as a graduate nonmatriculated student does not imply admission to a graduate degree program. The Application to Graduate Nonmatriculated Status must be obtained from the program to which you wish to apply. Official sealed transcripts from all collegiate institutions previously attended must be sent to the Graduate Nonmatriculated Office, Box 351280, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1280, U.S.A. (Refer to Graduate School Memorandum #37 for further information.)

FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

Both research and teaching assistantships are available to full-time students who qualify. In addition, fellowship funds for the study of applied mathematics are available and awarded on a competitive basis. Students interested in financial aid should fill out the Assistantship and Fellowship application and return it with their application for admission. This aid is merit based only. Students are also encouraged to seek outside sources of support, including fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and laboratories, private foundations, and foreign governments. University of Washington's Office of Student Financial Aid also has need-based financial aid packages, including work study programs. Applicants need to supply a separate financial application to that office. When appropriate, our faculty will provide supporting letters of recommendation.

RESIDENCE CLASSIFICATION

A student's status as a resident or nonresident of Washington determines the amount of tuition and fees required. The Office of Graduate Admissions will assume that an applicant is a nonresident, unless available information clearly indicates legal residency in the State of Washington. To be eligible to pay resident fees, a student must have lived in the State of Washington for a period of one full year before registration. A student who believes he or she may qualify for resident fees should complete an Application for Change in Residence Status form, which may be obtained from the Residence Classification Office, 209 Schmitz Hall. Both the student and the Office of Graduate Admissions are notified when reclassification has been made. A graduate student with a graduate student service appointment of not less than 20 hours per week is entitled to pay resident fees for the duration of the appointment.

EXPENSES

For a full-time student, the total cost of study for a academic year is $39,078 in US. funds.

Non-Resident Tuition and Student Activity Fees	$19,950.00
Health Insurance (required)	$1,280.00
Room and Board	$12,512.00
Books and Supplies	$1,268.00
Local Transportation	$1,064.00
Personal Expanses	$3,004.00
Total (U.S. $)	$39,078.00

These fees are subject to change without notice and they vary substantially depending on an individual's lifestyle.

HEALTH INSURANCE

GENERAL INFORMATION AND ELIGIBILITY

The University offers a voluntary accident and sickness insurance plan to supplement the services available at the Hall Health Primary Care Center. Seattle Campus matriculated UW students (and their dependents) who remain registered through the first seven calendar days of instruction are eligible to enroll in the plan. Not eligible are UW Seattle Campus non-matriculated students and those enrolled in programs administered by Educational Outreach (except Evening Degree Program students) and UW faculty/staff or Washington State classified employees attending classes under the Employee Tuition Exemption Programs.

SIGNING UP FOR THE INSURANCE PLAN

You may sign up for the plan when you register for classes. The insurance premium will be included on the quarterly tuition statement and must be paid by the quarterly tuition due date. In most cases Financial Aid will not pay insurance directly so you must make sure the premium is paid on time. There is no late payment period for the insurance premium. You may add, cancel, or change your insurance selection on STAR, and remit the correct balance by the tuition due date. Or, you may make changes when paying tuition in person at the Student Accounts Office by the tuition due date.

Brochures detailing the exact terms of each year's plan are available at the Hall Health Primary Care Center, the Student Union Building (HUB), and the Registration Office, Room 225, Schmitz Hall. Plan benefits may change each academic year, so students are encouraged to review the brochure carefully. Students cannot add insurance for either themselves or their dependents after the tuition due date. Insurance must be selected and paid for by the tuition due date--there will be no exceptions. For more information, visit the department or contact the Graduate School at (206) 543-7152. These terms and provisions are subject to change without notice.

SPECIAL INSURANCE OPTIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

For those graduate students who are eligible for Graduate Appointee Insurance, please choose the option "No Insurance" when registering on STAR. If you have questions regarding your eligibility for this plan, please contact the Department. International Graduate Appointees, however, must still choose the quarterly insurance option when registering. If you are an international RA/TA/SA, the system will automatically make adjustments so that you will not have double coverage. If you are an international fellow or trainee, please contact the Department for further instructions.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

All students from foreign countries are required to have a health-and-accident insurance policy in force while registered at the University. This may be achieved by purchasing either the student accident and sickness insurance offered through the University or other coverage, of which proof must be furnished to the International Services Office and for which an insurance waiver must be obtained. To avoid cancellation of registration, international students must pay tuition and either pay for the University-sponsored insurance or have a waiver on file by the tuition due date.

ACADEMIC YEAR

The University operates on the quarter system. Instruction is offered for 11 weeks each in Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters, and 9 weeks during the Summer Quarter. Terms begin in late September, early January, late March and mid June.

ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND INFORMATION REQUESTS:

Graduate Program Coordinator
University of Washington
Department of Applied Mathematics
Box 352420
Seattle, Washington 98195-2420
USA

Telephone: (206) 543-5493
FAX: (206) 685-1440
E-mail: info@amath.washington.edu