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How to Apply

Currently accepting applications Next program starts: Autumn 2008 Program location: Bellevue 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

• Prior completion of the Basic Medical Sciences Certificate Program or completed graduate-level courses in Anatomy and Physiology is required.
• A B.S. in a scientific discipline and GPA of 2.5.

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

The 2008-2009 program begins in September 2008. Applications are now being accepted and will be reviewed in the order they are received starting June 2 through August 25, 2008. After August 25, 2008, you are encouraged to call 206-685-8936 or e-mail us to learn if a program is still accepting applications.

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

1. A typed (250-word maximum) letter of application describing a) your relevant work and/or volunteer experience, and/or transferable skills and knowledge of the field, and b) how you expect the program will help you meet your professional or personal goals
2. Your résumé listing education and applicable experience

To Apply for the Second and 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 and may be competitive.

Enrollment: Applicants receive written notification if they are accepted for enrollment, accepted and waitlisted, or not accepted for this program within 14 business days after the application deadline. Those accepted to the program are sent registration information for the first-term course(s).

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 the entire program is as follows: Basic Medical Sciences, $8,673; Medical Devices and Commercialization, $4,932; Medical Diagnostics, $4,932; and Biosensors and Biomaterials (Online), TBD.

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.

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 earn a certificate or 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.

Click here for additional information about applying to the UW Graduate School.

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 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.