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How to Apply

Currently accepting applications Next program starts: Autumn 2008 Program location: Bellevue, with lab sessions in Seattle Sign up to receive e-mail updates >> Contact a program representative >>   Program at a glance >>

• Admission Requirements
• Application Process
• Fees and Tuition
• Earning the Certificate
• Applying to the Master's Degree Program
• Single-Course Enrollment

Admission Requirements

A B.S. in a scientific discipline and minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for admission to the Basic Medical Sciences Certificate program.

NOTE: Admission to this certificate program does not guarantee admission to the Master's degree. Click here for information regarding application requirements for the Master's degree.

English Proficiency: Students who are non-native English speakers are expected to have adequate English language proficiency. Applicants from other countries who have advanced English skills, for example, those who have earned a degree at a university where English is the primary language, can contact UW Extension at 206-685-8936 to determine if the TOEFL is necessary. Applicants who are not citizens of the United States must provide an official TOEFL score of at least 580, unless they are citizens of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, or the United Kingdom; or hold a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited institution in any of these countries. For information about the TOEFL, e-mail toefl@ets.org, or call 1-609-771-7100.

Application Process

To Apply for the Basic Medical Sciences Certificate: Please apply online or submit one copy of the application form with a $50 certificate program fee* and three stapled application sets, which include the following clearly labeled documents:

1. A letter (250-word maximum) of application describing a) your relevant work and/or volunteer experience, and b) how you expect the program will help you meet your professional or personal goals
2. Your résumé listing education and applicable experience. Please include where and when you completed your B.S. degree and indicate your discipline of study along with your GPA (minimum GPA for consideration is 2.5).
3. If your undergraduate degree is not in an engineering discipline but you are applying for Basic Medical Sciences now with the intention of applying for the Medical Engineering Master's degree after you complete the certificate, we would like to know more about your undergraduate coursework. This will help you determine if you meet the admission requirements for the Master's degree program. Please fill out and include this course list with your application.
   NOTE: If you need to fill out this course list, you cannot apply online. You must print the application and mail it in with your other materials.

To Apply for the Subsequent Certificates: Successful completion of a certificate program enables a student to apply to the next certificate program by submitting the application form only (no transcript, letter or certificate program fee required).

Application Review: Applications are evaluated by a review committee designated by the advisory board. Selection of program participants is based on admission requirements. Applicants receive written notification of their acceptance or non-acceptance within two weeks after their application is received.

Enrollment: Applicants accepted to the program receive enrollment information for the first-term course and are encouraged to make their fall tuition payment early. Enrollment in the program is on a first-come, first-served basis, upon receipt of the first-term tuition payment.

Waitlist: Some programs maintain a waitlist for applicants accepted after the program has reached enrollment capacity. If space becomes available, waitlisted applicants will be notified and given an opportunity to enroll. If space does not become available, waitlisted applicants will be offered a space in the next program offering.

* The certificate program fee is not refundable and does not guarantee admission to, or enrollment in, the program.

Fees and Tuition

All fees listed are for the 2008-2009 academic year unless otherwise noted. There is a $50 nonrefundable certificate program fee to apply to the first certificate program. There is no certificate program fee for application to subsequent certificate programs. There is a $50 nonrefundable application fee ($45 online) to apply to the UW Graduate School for the M.M.E. Degree Program. Course fees are the same for certificate and master's program students. Tuition, including lab fees, is payable on a quarter-by-quarter basis. Tuition for this program is $8,673.

In addition, there is a nonrefundable $35 registration fee and a $23 to $41 technology fee each quarter. The cost of textbooks is extra. The University's tuition exemption policy does not apply to this program. These courses have been approved for Veterans Administration benefits. Fees and tuition are subject to change.

Information on registration, refund policies and procedures is included with registration materials.

For information about other certificate program fees and tuition in the M.M.E. Degree Program, please visit the following links:

• Medical Devices and Commercialization
• Medical Diagnostics
• Biosensors and Biomaterials (Online)

Earning the Certificate

Because courses are arranged sequentially and are offered, at most, once each year, participants need to successfully complete the course in the previous term before they advance to the next term. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required to receive the Master of Medical Engineering degree. In addition, a minimum grade of 2.7 is required for each course credited toward the Master of Medical Engineering degree.

Concurrent enrollment in more than one certificate program is allowed; however, students should carefully consider the time commitment required to take two graduate-level evening courses in the same quarter.

There are no elective courses in the Medical Engineering Degree Program. Waiver of course requirements or substitution of other courses for the core curriculum must be approved by the Curriculum Committee of the Department of Bioengineering, and is granted sparingly.

The M.M.E. is a professional degree, and does not lead to the Ph.D. program in bioengineering at the University of Washington.

To maintain graduate status at the UW, degree students must be enrolled for a minimum of two credits each quarter, or obtain on-leave status. This requirement applies from the time of first enrollment in the Graduate School until completion of all requirements for the graduate degree. Summer Quarter on-leave enrollment is automatic for all graduate students who were either registered or on-leave the prior Spring Quarter. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment constitutes evidence that a student has resigned from the Graduate School.

Applying to the Master's Degree Program

Students have the option to apply to the Master's program right away or can take one to two certificates prior to degree application. Students can complete the Basic Medical Sciences Certificate Program (18 credits), then apply for graduate nonmatriculated (GNM) status and earn a second certificate (12 credits) under the GNM status.

Additional information about applying to the UW Graduate School can be found at www.grad.washington.edu/admissions/.

Single-Course Enrollment

Interested in taking just one class? Some courses in this program (those courses designated by a ) are open for single-course enrollment to those who do not wish to earn the certificate.

Individual course applicants must hold at least a bachelor of science in engineering, physics, chemistry or a related discipline, with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Please note that some courses have prerequisites, and laboratory courses in the Certificate Program in Basic Medical Sciences cannot be taken without also taking the concurrent corresponding lecture course.

Because some courses require prior knowledge and experience in the field, those interested in taking individual courses need to submit these materials:

1. A completed application for single-course enrollment;
2. A résumé listing your work-related experience, and a typed (250-word maximum) letter of application describing your experience/knowledge and how it was acquired.

Please note that courses taken as a non-certificate student are not automatically applied toward a certificate of completion in the program. Single-course enrollments are on a space-available basis. No certificate program fee is necessary; tuition is not accepted until you are notified of eligibility.