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How to Apply

Currently accepting applications Next program starts: Summer 2008 Program location: UW campus, 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
• Graduate-Level Credit
• Financial Assistance
• Single-Course Enrollment

If you are familiar with the program and application process, you can go directly to the application form.

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university is required. (Students who have not completed a baccalaureate degree may seek admission to the Evening Degree Program and the HIHIM degree program. Go to www.evedegree.washington.edu/edp/majors/health.asp for more information about the HIHIM Bachelor of Science degree program.) A satisfactory grade-point average of 2.5 for all academic work is preferred. However, demonstrated levels of professional competency necessary to successfully complete the certificate program may be used to satisfy the grade-point requirement.

International students are expected to have adequate English language proficiency and appropriate visa status before taking courses. For English language guidelines and visa information, please see below.

Prerequisite courses, knowledge and skills: completion of the following prerequisite courses, or requisite knowledge or skills in (a) human anatomy and physiology (course required, laboratory recommended); (b) disease mechanisms/pathophysiology (optional); (c) introduction to computer applications such as spreadsheets, databases, word processing or introductory programming; (d) introductory management; (e) statistics in any discipline; and (f) medical terminology.

Prerequisite courses should be completed prior to entering the program. Applications will be partly scored based on the grades received in prerequisite courses. The number of prerequisite courses satisfied by the time of application will also be considered.

Letter of application: a letter of application describing (a) your relevant experience; (b) your interest in the profession; (c) how you expect the program will help you meet your professional goals, and (d) your decision to complete the program using the one-year or two-year plan.

Application Process

Single Review Process: The next program begins in June 2008. Applications for this program are now being accepted. The deadline for receipt of applications at UW Extension is 5 p.m. on April 15, 2008. After this date, you are encouraged to call 206-685-8936 or e-mail us to learn if a program is still accepting applications.

To Apply: Please submit one copy of the application form with a $50 nonrefundable certificate program fee* and three stapled application sets, which include the following clearly labeled documents:

1. A typed (250-word maximum) letter of application which describes your relevant experience, your interest in the profession, how you expect the program will help you meet your professional goals, and your plans to complete the program in one or two years.

2. A current résumé.

3. College transcripts (one official and two copies) from the institution, including the UW, which awarded your highest or most pertinent degree. Also include transcripts from any college or university where you have taken prerequisite courses.

4. A list documenting completion of, or plans to complete the following prerequisite courses. For each prerequisite listed, please indicate the college or university where the prerequisite was taken, the grade received, or your plan for taking the prerequisite prior to entering the program. Applications will be scored, in part, based on the grades received in prerequisite courses. The number of prerequisites satisfied by the time of application will also be considered.
   • Human Anatomy
   • Pathophysiology/Disease Mechanisms (optional)
   • Introduction to Computer Applications
   • Principles of Management
   • Statistics
   • Medical Terminology

   Contact the HIHIM Program Office at 206-543-8810 if you anticipate that prerequisites might not be able to be completed by the start of the program.

5. All international applicants must submit exam scores to demonstrate basic English language proficiency. Exception: only those applicants whose country of origin is Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom will be presumed to be proficient and will not be required to submit scores. Students who were born in a native English-speaking country but were educated in a non-native English speaking country will, however, be required to satisfy the English proficiency requirement for admission consideration. To demonstrate proficiency, applicants must submit official results from one of the following tests:
   • Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL): 207 computer-based or 540 paper-based
   • UW-administered Michigan Language Test (MLT): 85
   • Advanced Placement International English Language: AP4
   • IELTS: 7

   No other exams may be used to satisfy the proficiency requirement. Previous ESL or English composition courses, even when taken in the United States, will not satisfy the English proficiency requirement for admission. Students enrolled at U.S. colleges are required to submit official exam results to fulfill the proficiency requirement.

6. International students who want to study in Seattle need to have an appropriate visa status. For full-time study, students normally apply for an F-1 student visa. UW Extension can provide the I-20 form that students need to apply for an F-1 visa. The I-20 form shows that you have been accepted into an approved program of study. Please note that full-time study in non-degree programs requires students to have 18 or more hours of classes each week. The HIHIM Certificate Program one-year plan satisfies this intensive level of study. The HIHIM program requests that international students, who are applying to the HIHIM program, wait until they have been advised of their acceptance to the program before submitting their I-20 application. Acceptance notifications should be made in early June, which will allow sufficient time for I-20 visa processing. Students on Visiting Scholar (J-1) visas, H1B visas and spouse visas may also be able to study in certificate programs which do not have 18 hours of instruction per week. Also, students on student (F-1) visas who are enrolled full-time in another program may take any certificate program or course in addition to their other studies. For visa questions, please call 206-685-6361 or e-mail uwelp@u.washington.edu.

Application Review: Applications are evaluated by a review committee designated by the advisory board. Selection of program participants is based on admission requirements. The certificate program fee does not guarantee admission to, or enrollment in, the program.

Enrollment: Applicants will receive written notification of their acceptance or non-acceptance three weeks after the application deadline. Applicants accepted to the program will be sent registration information for the first-term courses. Accepted applicants are encouraged to make their tuition payment early. Enrollment in the program is on a first-come, first-served basis, upon receipt of the first-term tuition payment.

Waitlist: When the program reaches enrollment capacity, those applicants who are eligible to enroll will be placed on a waiting list for the program. If space becomes available, waitlisted applicants will be notified and given an opportunity to register. If space does not become available, waitlisted applicants will be offered a space in the program's next academic year.

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

Fees and Tuition

Tuition is payable on a quarter-by-quarter basis. Tuition for the entire program is $24,360, excluding certificate and registration fees and textbooks. There is a $50 nonrefundable certificate program fee to apply and a $35 nonrefundable registration fee each quarter. A technology fee is assessed for enrollment in credit courses. Technology fees are applied according to the number of credits taken, up to a maximum of $40 per quarter. Technology fees are not assessed in Summer Quarter. First-term tuition of $1,116 and the nonrefundable registration fee are due by June 9, 2008. The University's tuition exemption policy does not apply to this program. Fees and tuition are subject to change.

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

Earning the Certificate

A student must fulfill prerequisites, complete the program's 13 required courses, and have a baccalaureate degree to receive the Certificate in Health Informatics and Health Information Management. Course grading follows University of Washington guidelines.

Graduate-Level Credit

Applicability of credits from courses in UW Extension certificate programs to University of Washington graduate degree programs varies. Contact the graduate coordinator of the appropriate UW academic department prior to registering for a certificate program course, if you intend to apply certificate program credits to a future graduate degree. Discuss graduate nonmatriculated (GNM) status with the graduate coordinator, and, if appropriate, obtain a GNM application and deadline information as early as possible.

Financial Assistance

Students needing financial assistance are encouraged to inquire before the application review deadline of April 15 each year. Early application allows sufficient time for consideration of financial assistance options.

HIHIM students have used competitively priced student loans through local banks and private student loan programs. The University Financial Aid Office and the HIHIM Program Office can help students identify these resources.

In addition, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) offers a student loan. Information may be obtained by calling 312-787-2672 and requesting FORE loan information. Several small scholarships are also available through state and national professional associations. A limited number of paid internships in the health information field are available. For more information, call the HIHIM Program Office, 206-543-8810.

Single-Course Enrollment

A limited number of spaces in courses (designated by a ) may be available to professionals who do not intend to pursue the certificate. Individuals wishing to qualify for single- or multiple-course enrollment must complete the following:

1. A completed application for single-course enrollment;
2. A résumé listing your work-related experience, and a cover letter describing the individual course(s) in which you wish to enroll, and the reason for your interest in taking the course(s).

Those approved for admission into an individual course(s) will be advised by telephone one week before the first course session. Registration may be completed by telephone or in person at the UW Extension Registration Office.

Courses taken as a non-certificate student are not automatically applied toward a certificate of completion in the program. (Matriculated students pay tuition fees for these courses; registration is not available on MyUW, and fees are not included in regular UW tuition.)