Deadlines & Instructions

Applications to the MS, MPH, and PhD program are reviewed once a year for entry the following Autumn quarter. The next regular admissions cycle will be for Autumn 2022 entry.

October 19: First day the online application is made available

November 23: Last day to apply for an application fee waiver

December 1: Application and all supporting materials are due

January: PhD admission results sent via email

February: Master’s admission results sent via email

March: Admitted Students Visit Days

A list of the materials needed for an application, along with descriptions, is below.

1. Unofficial transcripts from previous colleges and universities: Upload scanned copies directly into the application in pdf format. Please be sure they include a clear indication of the college/university from which they come. If at all possible, include the transcript legend page that explains the grading system for the school in your upload.

2. CV or Resume (upload in pdf format): 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 POSTDOC FELLOWS: Must include the following information on the first page (if applicable): Residency, fellowship, doctoral & postdoctoral research titles, type, director, institution & dates.

3. Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages in length uploaded in pdf format): The Statement of Purpose 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 unique combination of personal, academic and professional influences led you to pursue graduate study in epidemiology, and how those influences may have impacted your chosen area/s of interest within the field of 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.

• Epi MPH-MCH Track applicants must submit a Supplemental Statement of Purpose in addition to the Statement of Purpose in #3. You will find a dedicated section for uploading this one-page document when you complete your online application. The statement should answer the following questions:
  • Why have you chosen to work in and study maternal and child health? What issues, individuals, or communities in the US interest you?
  • Describe your experience with programs, policies, or research affecting women, children, youth, or families. Be specific.
  • What leadership roles have you assumed in your educational or job setting(s)? Give examples of how your professionalism and skills in communicating, critical thinking, and decision-making helped you to improve the health of women, children, youth, or families.
  • How do you envision your professional role in US maternal and child public health five years after graduating? How will a MPH degree help you achieve this professional goal?

4. Personal History Statement (brief, prompted responses uploaded in pdf format): 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.

In this section you will be asked to write 3 brief responses to specific prompts. Please keep each response to a maximum of 250 words.

• MS and PhD applicants are required to write a response for questions 1, 2, and 3 below. Please do not include a response for question 4.
• MPH applicants are required to write a response for questions 1 and 2 below, and may choose either question 3 or question 4 below for the third response.

1. Describe a time that you encountered a significant obstacle as a student. How did you handle it?
2. What would your mentor say that you do really well? What areas would your mentor identify as areas for improvement?
3. Describe an experience you had in a leadership role: a) what did you do, b) how did these experiences arise, and c) what did you learn from them. Here, “leadership” can be in any aspect of your life (e.g., family, spiritual, scientific, political).
4. What would be your unique contribution to the incoming epidemiology MPH cohort?

5. 3 Recommendations: Include exactly 3 letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic or related professional endeavors and your potential for achieving your academic and professional goals. All of your recommenders should hold advanced degrees. When you name your recommenders within the UW Graduate School application system, they will be sent detailed instructions via email for submitting their letter online. When you contact your recommenders, encourage them to monitor their spam folder for letter submission instructions. UW MD Postdoc Fellows 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.

6. English Proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must meet the Graduate School requirement for English proficiency. Please click the link to review all possibilities for fulfilling this requirement. The Department of Epidemiology accepts either TOEFL or IELTS test scores. In addition to submitting official score results, self-reporting scores directly in the online application is required. Official TOEFL scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to the University of Washington. Use institution code 4854 for submission of TOEFL scores. Official IELTS scores must be sent directly by IELTS to the University of Washington. Applicants submitting applications for Fall 2022 admission may submit Duolingo scores in fulfillment of the English proficiency requirement. The minimum required score is 105. The UW Graduate School COVID-19 Admissions FAQ details info about submitting Duolingo scores.

7. Online application form along with application fee: To be completed directly in the online application.

The GRE has been permanently eliminated from admissions for all Department of Epidemiology (Epi) graduate programs. This applies for those applying for Fall 2021 and thereafter. Submission of GRE scores will not be an option for Epi applications. 

These application instructions are only for current Epi master’s students applying to the Epi PhD program. All other applicants must apply through the online Graduate School application. All application materials are due by December 1. Please notify epi@uw.edu of the names and email addresses of your recommenders by November 15.

Follow the link in item #1 to complete the Internal Application Form. You will need to upload items 2-6 directly to the PhD Application for Current Epi Master’s Students assignment on the Epi Students Canvas site. Epi SAS will work with your recommenders to have them submit their recommendations, once you have confirmed with us who they are.

1. Internal Application Form–The link for this form can be found in the Current Epi Master’s Students assignment of the Epi Students Canvas site.
   
2. Statement of Purpose. A new statement of purpose including a discussion of your current master’s thesis research in about a paragraph (including topic or title, aims, progress, and preliminary findings if any). You should have thought carefully about and done some background research into potential areas of research for the PhD. Discuss potential topics in your statement. Also describe how a PhD will contribute to your career goals. The application will be strengthened to the extent that you have identified a faculty member willing to chair your dissertation. The Statement is limited to 2 single spaced pages. Use a 12-point font.
3. Personal History Statement (brief, prompted responses uploaded in pdf format): 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.

In this section you will be asked to write 3 brief responses to specific prompts. Please keep each response to a maximum of 250 words.

1. 1. Describe a time that you encountered a significant obstacle as a student. How did you handle it?
   2. What would your mentor say that you do really well? What areas would your mentor identify as areas for improvement?
   3. Describe an experience you had in a leadership role: a) what did you do, b) how did these experiences arise, and c) what did you learn from them. Here, “leadership” can be in any aspect of your life (e.g., family, spiritual, scientific, political).
2. CV/Resume
3. Master’s thesis abstract, if you’ve already written one
4. Unofficial transcripts from all previous colleges or universities, including the UW
   
5. Three Recommendation Letters. These should be letters of support from faculty and/or research supervisors who know your work well. At least one letter must be from a faculty member familiar with your master’s thesis. A letter from an epidemiology faculty member who has agreed to chair your dissertation committee will strengthen your application. Once you have confirmed who your recommenders will be, please provide their names and email addresses to Epi SAS at epi@uw.edu by November 15. Epi SAS will contact your recommenders directly with instructions for uploading letters.

You should register as a non-matriculated student (NM) if you want to register for courses at the UW but do not plan to apply the credits toward a degree. Learn more about NM course registration, important dates and deadlines, and tuition on the Non-Degree Enrollment website. If you have any questions about issues related to NM status or procedures please contact Non-Degree Registration Services.

You may apply for GNM status through the Department of Epidemiology only if you intend to apply to our graduate program at a later date. A maximum of 12 credits earned as a GNM student in Epi can be applied to a future Epi graduate degree. GNM application instructions and deadlines are listed below. Please note that admission to Epidemiology as a GNM student is not a guarantee of admission to a degree program.

• Each quarter during which you register for credits as a GNM student in Epidemiology you must take at least one course offered through the Department of Epidemiology. If you would like to register for credits through another department, in addition to Epidemiology credits, you may.

The Epidemiology Department requires that you submit an online application that includes a Statement of Purpose, unofficial transcripts, and a CV/Resume.  The UW Graduate School also has a number of Graduate Non-Matriculated Eligibility Requirements.

• In your Statement of Purpose, please indicate which epidemiology courses you plan to take, how the training will contribute to your specific future degree goals in our department as well as in your future career.
• No GRE or letters of recommendation are required.
• You may apply for entry in Fall, Winter, or Spring quarter.

Application deadlines

Fall quarter entry – August 15 (GNM applications for Epidemiology will be made available through the online application link above between July 15 and August 15).

Winter quarter entry – December 1

Spring quarter entry – February 15

Course registration as a GNM student varies depending on whether or not you are participating in the UW or state employee tuition exemption program. Registration procedures can be found at the UW Graduate School as well.

In some cases, tuition and fees charged to GNM students are more than those charged to graduate students.

If you are not participating in the UW or state employee tuition exemption program you can find tuition rates for non-degree students on the Non-Degree Enrollment website.

If you are participating in the UW or state employee tuition exemption program you can find more information about tuition and fees on the Tuition Exemption Program webpage.