Aeronautics & Astronautics
 
Related Links

Graduate Admissions

All prospective graduate students must be accepted into the Graduate School of the University of Washington as well as to the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics.

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 in a foreign country. The student's record should be a strong one with an average grade of B 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 University, to complete the graduate program expeditiously with the highest level of achievement in the student's career.

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. This policy applies to all programs and facilities, including, but not limited to, admissions, educational programs, employment, and patient and hospital services. Any discriminatory action can be a cause for disciplinary action. Discrimination is prohibited by Presidential Executive Order 11246 as amended, Washington State Gubernatorial Executive Orders 89-01 and 93-07, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Washington State Law Against Discrimination RCW 49.60, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, State of Washington Gender Equity in Higher Education Act of 1989, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 as amended, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1972 as amended, other federal and state statutes, regulations, and University policy. Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action compliance efforts at the University of Washington are coordinated by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, University of Washington, Box 351270, Seattle, Washington, 98195-1270, telephone 206.543.1830 or email eoaa@u.washington.edu. 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 least ten days in advance at: 206.543.6450/V, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264 (FAX), or dso@u.washington.edu,
http://www.washington.edu/admin/dso/

 

ADMISSION CRITERIA

Admission to the Department is competitive, and all components of a student’s application (as discussed below) will be considered in evaluating his or her eligibility for admission.

1.  Grade Point Average (GPA)
Applicants to the graduate programs should be well prepared and have a strong undergraduate GPA for the last 90 quarter hours or 60 semester hours of graded undergraduate course work to be considered for admission.

2.  Quality and Difficulty of Courses Taken and Universities and Colleges Attended
Each transcript is individually reviewed. The Department recognizes that some academic institutions are more competitive and high grades are more difficult to obtain.

3.  GRE General Test
The Department requires applicants to take the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination. Information is available at: www.gre.org, or through the Educational Testing Service. If you wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship or fellowship, the scores should be received by January 15th.

4.  Letters of Recommendation (2)
The confidential letters can be submitted electronically by recommenders indicated on the on-line application, or may be placed in sealed envelopes and included with your application materials, or sent directly to the Department by the recommenders. Writers should be in a position to rank the applicant’s performance as a student and/or researcher. We do not have special forms for recommendations, but ask that the referee send the recommendation in letter format.

5.  Statement of Objectives
A statement of objectives should be written providing the Department with information about the applicant not found in his or her transcripts and other official documents. For example, statements can include personal histories, professional and academic goals, and specific research interests if applicable.

6.  English Requirements for Foreign Nationals
The University of Washington requires TOEFL scores for foreign nationals whose native language is not English. The minimum acceptable score is 580 or 237 on the computerized exam. However, applicants with scores slightly below will be considered for admission if other aspects of their applications are strong. Further information on English Language Ability for Admission to the Graduate School may be found on their website.

Students admitted with TOEFL scores below 580/237 will be tested for English upon their arrival to campus, and will very likely be required to take English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for which they are charged an additional fee. Students who intend to apply for teaching assistantships should take the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and must meet additional requirements. This is discussed in the Financial Aid section.

7.  Undergraduate Degree
Prospective students should hold an undergraduate degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering. Applicants with strong grades  in related disciplines (physics, other engineering disciplines) will be considered.

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 noncitizen applicants who are attending, or have degrees from, other universities in the United States. International applicants must be prepared to provide evidence that they will have available approximately $56,000 for each year of study. You can view the Frequently Asked Questions for International Studentspage for more information.

Completed applications, application fees, and official transcripts should be received in the Graduate Admissions Office by November 1 for the following Autumn Quarter to allow time to process all documentation. Students may apply for admission Winter and Spring quarters, but application materials should be received six months prior to the quarter in which they want to be admitted.


REGISTRATION STATUS

Regular Status, Residential Program
This option is intended for full-time students pursuing a degree in residence at the University of Washington. Most Master’s students fall under this category.

Regular Status, Part-Time
This category is for students who are working full-time in local industry while pursuing a degree part-time on the campus of the University of Washington.

Education at a Distance for Growth and Excellence (EDGE)
In this program, part-time students may complete their course work via Education at a Distance for Growth and Excellence (EDGE) Status may be either Regular or GNM (see below).

Graduate Non-Matriculated (GNM)
The GNM program permits students to take up to 12 credits of graduate courses or advanced undergraduate courses. The majority of GNM students attend part-time, although full-time enrollment is not prohibited. The advantage of this program is that it allows students to take graduate courses regardless of degree objectives. Students whose academic record falls short of the admission criteria may also be advised to enroll as GNM before applying for regular status.

Although the applicant must hold an undergraduate degree in engineering or related discipline, present an official transcript and have earned a grade point average (GPA) deemed satisfactory by the Department, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores and recommendation letters are not required. Qualification for admission is decided quickly. Furthermore, up to 12 credits of appropriate courses taken successfully as a GNM student may be applied to a degree if the student is admitted into a degree program at a later date.

Admission into regular status from GNM status requires that students apply for regular admission to the Department, which is competitive with all applicants to the program. They should have taken at least three graduate level courses applicable to a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics (500 level and above) and attained competitive grades in each course. Submission of GRE test scores (general exam) is also required.

If you are reapplying to the Graduate School, .previous application materials are maintained in the Department office. The student need only resubmit the “Application to Graduate School” along with the application fee. Once the status of a GNM student is changed to regular graduate status, all courses suitable for the program taken as a GNM student (no more than 12 credits) will be credited toward the student’s degree. 

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES AND DEADLINES

Master's and PhD Applications:
The application process is two-step, with some documentation going to the Graduate Admissions Office and some going to the A&A Department. Deadlines and application instructions follow. Although you can apply for any quarter, most students apply to enter in the Autumn Quarter.

The following items must be submitted to the Graduate School:

Submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or an equivalent exam approved by the Graduate School. For more information, contact the University’s Office of Educational Assessment, or the Educational Testing Service.

The following items must be submitted to the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Attn: Manager of Graduate Programs:

Graduate Non-matriculated (GNM) Applications:

The following items must be submitted to the Graduate School:

The following items must be submitted to the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, attn: Graduate Programs:

Application Deadlines:

The Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics strongly recommends that all application materials for regular status (full-time and part-time, on-campus) be submitted by the following dates:
Autumn Quarter - January 15
Spring Quarter - February 1
Winter Quarter - October 1
Note: International applicants should submit required paperwork six months prior to the quarter they want to be admitted.

University Graduate Admissions and EDGE deadlines are later than those of the Department. They are:
Autumn Quarter - July 1
Spring Quarter - February 1
Winter Quarter - November 1

The Department does not offer courses during Summer Quarter and application for Summer Quarter is advisable only if research work is available.

The deadlines for GNM applications (either on-campus or EDGE) are as follows:
Autumn Quarter - September 1
Spring Quarter -March 1
Winter- December 1

Mailing address for Graduate Admissions:
University of Washington
Office of Graduate Admissions
Box 84808
Room 301, Loew Hall
Seattle, Washington 98124-6108

Mailing address for Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics:
Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics
Attn: Manager of Graduate Programs
Box 352400
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-2400