Graduate School News

As the season for graduate application review nears, we are writing to remind you about what you can and cannot consider while making admissions decisions. It is vital that all faculty who review applications to graduate programs understand and follow these requirements, so please feel free to pass this message along. Also below is guidance on writing application prompts for future admissions cycles that are compliant with state and federal requirements.  If you have questions about whether the language in your materials is…

One set of career skills that we encourage you to develop is interpersonal skills (also known as “soft skills”). These skills allow you to communicate and collaborate effectively with others. Regardless of your discipline or future employment sector, you will benefit from improving a variety of interpersonal skills. Below are just a few examples.  Active listening. According to the Carnegie Mellon University Civility Initiatives, “active listening is about making a conscious effort to hear and understand someone else.” Imagine that…

Each year, thousands of PhD students across the University of Washington push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation. Their research shapes our communities, advances public good and prepares the next generation of leaders to tackle the challenges ahead. Now, a new university-wide initiative is setting out to ensure that the UW’s PhD programs continue to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The Ph.D. Task Force, a joint initiative of the Provost’s Office and the Graduate School, has officially launched. Its…

Letter from the Dean Dear GPAs and GPCs, Welcome to a new academic year! I hope the summer months brought you time for rest and renewal. Here in the Graduate School, we have been busy preparing for the year ahead, and I’m excited to share some important updates in this newsletter. Over the summer, we launched several significant initiatives designed to strengthen graduate education at the University of Washington. Among them, a new task force is taking a fresh look at the future of Ph.D. education, and…

The Graduate School is pleased to release the inaugural Graduate Student Handbook. This comprehensive resource brings together key policies, procedures, academic expectations and support services relevant to graduate education at the University of Washington. Created with student success at its core, the handbook is designed as a central reference for students, faculty and staff. It supports a shared understanding of institutional standards and resources, while underscoring the Graduate School’s ongoing commitment to fostering an informed, inclusive and supportive academic environment….

In response to recent incidents of international students having their immigration records terminated, we have developed new guidance to support our international student community. This resource is designed to help graduate students and their advisors navigate federal education policy, manage uncertainty around visa status, and access timely assistance when challenges arise. International graduate students holding F1 or J1 visas should stay in close contact with International Student Services (ISS). Information and resources, including links to services on all three campuses,…

University of Washington Professor Hannah C. Wiley, a longtime faculty member in the Department of Dance within the College of Arts & Sciences, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award. Professor Wiley has been a cornerstone of the UW dance community since joining the faculty in 1987. In 1991, she founded the Chamber Dance Company, a vital initiative dedicated to producing, preserving, and sharing modern and contemporary dance repertoire with audiences across the region. The Landolt Award is one…

News from the Office of Academic Affairs The Office of Academic Affairs has initiated important changes in each of its three major areas of work, Policy led by Jeremy Davis (jerdavis@uw.edu), Curriculum led by Katie Hollenbach (progprop@uw.edu) and Academic Unit Review led by Chris Partridge and Ann Busche (unitrev@uw.edu). Graduate School Policy Updates We’re developing policy that is more universally usable and relevant to the missions and conditions of our diverse graduate programs. Feedback from across the university has been…

The University of Washington taskforce on the Future of Ph.D. Education will launch this fall. This strategic initiative, jointly spearheaded by the Office of the Provost and the Graduate School, aims to chart bold, forward-thinking directions for UW’s Ph.D. programs and the students they serve. As a leading R1 research institution with over 4,000 Ph.D. students, the UW is uniquely positioned to shape national conversations around doctoral education. The task force will explore innovative approaches to preparing the next generation of scholars, researchers, and public…

This summer, the UW Graduate School is entering a new chapter—saying goodbye to two extraordinary associate deans and welcoming two new leaders who will help shape the future of graduate education. A heartfelt goodbye to Drs. Joseph and Cargill Dr. Ralina Joseph, Associate Dean for Equity and Justice, will depart the Graduate School on August 15, 2025, to become Vice Provost of Inclusive Excellence at the University of California, Los Angeles. During her five years at the Graduate School, Dr….