Admissions Deadline
We are currently accepting applications for the next cohort. The application deadline for this program is June 15.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, or its equivalent from a foreign institution, in a spatially oriented discipline such as, but not limited to, geography, urban planning, geology, environmental science, civil engineering, environmental science/studies, and/or forest resources.
- A grade point average of 3.0 or better is required, based on the last 60 graded semester hours or last 90 graded quarter hours of undergraduate and graduate study.
- At least one year of professional work experience is required in a field that emphasizes spatial relationships, wherein analyzing and synthesizing phenomena related across space are important parts of the work.
- Your Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores which will be competitively compared with other applicants.
- A personal statement describing your background preparation and motivation for applying.
- Three letters of recommendation.
- A statement of purpose describing your educational goals and objectives for career advancement.
- A resume or curriculum vita.
- Previous coursework or work experience in GIS is advantageous and will be considered as a way to offset any relative weaknesses in some of the previous criteria.
- International applicants: The UW Graduate School requires every applicant whose native language is not English to demonstrate English language proficiency. See Graduate School Memorandum #8 and English proficiency tests comparison tables for the university's policy.
Applications are submitted electronically through the Graduate School Web site. Once there, you will need to create a new applicant profile, select your application type (graduate or graduate nonmatriculated), and choose Professional Master's Program in Geographic Information Systems as the graduate program. If you are applying as a graduate student, you will be required to pay a nonrefundable application fee that is not credited against any other fees charged by the university. If the application fee is not received, the application will not be reviewed by the Admissions Committee. GNM applicants to the Seattle campus are not charged an application fee.
Information About the GRE Exam
Applicants for the Master of Geographic Information Systems must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The requirement for the GRE may be waived for individuals who have earned an advanced degree (master's or higher) from accredited U.S. institutions. Please contact the program advisor about your application to inquire about a waiver.
To schedule a GRE exam, call 800-GRE-CALL, or see the GRE Web site. To obtain copies of your GRE scores, call 888-GRE-SCORE. To direct your scores, use code #4854 for the University of Washington.