PhD Eligibility and Application Requirements

Applicants must upload PDF copies of unofficial transcripts from each collegiate level institution. Applicants admitted to the program who accept the offer of admission will be required to submit official transcripts to the UW Graduate School. Specific instructions for that process will be provided in admissions materials.

Include detailed descriptions of your health-related positions and responsibilities. Provide all relevant education and experience including: undergraduate and graduate research, health-related volunteer work, publications, manuscripts and posters, scholarly presentations and awards, certifications, and computer skills.

UW MD and DO Postdoc Fellows and Residents must include the following information on the first page (if applicable): Residency, fellowship, doctoral & postdoctoral research titles, type, director, institution & dates.

The Statement of Purpose is one of the most important pieces of your application. It provides faculty reviewers essential information about your background, research interests, possible career path, and your writing skills. It is your opportunity to convey how your combination of personal, academic, and professional influences led you to pursue graduate study in epidemiology. You should also devote some of your statement to clarifying why the UW Epidemiology program in particular matches your interests in a way that will help you fulfill your career aspirations. You should also use your response to reflect on how your experiences have impacted your chosen area/s of interest within epidemiology.

750 words maximum

The University of Washington Department of Epidemiology is committed to enhancing the intellectual and social enrichment of the University community and to preparing our students to become leaders, innovators, and responsible community, state, and global citizens.The Department actively seeks and welcomes students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

All Epi PhD applicants must upload a pdf document addressing the following questions. 400 words maximum each for numbers 1 and 2

1. Please describe specifically yet succinctly: a) your career goals as an PhD-trained epidemiologist, b) your prior experiences that you believe will contribute meaningfully to your success in pursuing your career goals with an PhD in Epidemiology.
2. The US CDC states that, ‘’Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain their full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” Please describe how your lived experiences and career goals as an epidemiologist align with promoting health equity.

Enter the names and contact information for exactly three recommenders into your application. These individuals will be sent an email prompt with instructions for submitting their recommendation online. Recommenders should be people familiar with your academic or related professional endeavors and your potential for achieving your academic and professional goals. At least two, and preferably three, letters should come from individuals with advanced degrees (i.e. PhD or MD). December 1 is the deadline for recommendation submissions. When you contact your recommenders, encourage them to monitor their spam folder for letter submission instructions.

UW MD and DO Postdoc Fellow and Resident Applicants: Balancing a full-time course/study schedule with your responsibilities as a postdoc fellow or resident can be challenging. Knowing this, we require that you include references from both your fellowship director and research mentor (if known) that includes a statement indicating you will have the necessary release time from those responsibilities to attend all classes on a regular basis, and to study outside class.

Proficiency in English is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. Therefore, every applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of citizenship) must demonstrate proficiency with the English language. (See Graduate School policy)

Options for demonstrating proficiency are as follows:

• Self-report test scores in your application and submit official test scores to the UW
  • TOEFL scores (ETS report code 4854)
    • Minimum TOEFLiBT (or TOEFL MyBest) is 92
    • Score reporting information – Use ETS report code 4854
  • IELTS score
    • Minimum IELTS is 7.0
    • Score reporting information – Use UW organization code 365
  • Duolingo score (Temporary policy update)
    • Minimum Duolingo score is 120
    • Score reporting information
• U.S. Degree (Bachelor’s or higher)
• Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral Degree from qualifying country (see Policy 3.2.1, bullet point #2 for a list of qualifying countries)
• Medium of Instruction Document for previous degree institution

Applicants should note that using Duolingo to fulfill the English Language Proficiency requirements does not qualify for on campus employment as a teaching assistant (TA). 

Additional English Language Proficiency information:

• If fulfilling the requirement via U.S. Degree or a degree from a qualifying country listed in Policy 3.2.1 (see link above), no additional documentation is required as we’ll use transcripts submitted with the application to verify that the requirement has been fulfilled.
• If using a medium of instruction document, we will accept a notation directly on the transcript or a separate document issued by the institution. If submitting a separate document, upload it into the Medium of Instruction document section.
• For additional questions or assistance with reporting official test scores, please review the UW Graduate School Admissions FAQ.