Graduate School News

This newsletter was sent from the Graduate School Dean to UW GPAs and GPCs on April 14, 2026. Letter from the Dean Dear GPAs and GPCs,   As we begin spring quarter, I want to take a moment to recognize the critical role you play in supporting graduate education at the University of Washington. Your work sits at the center of the student experience – guiding, advising and problem-solving in ways that are essential to student success.  With that, I’m pleased to share…

This newsletter was sent from the Graduate School Dean to UW leadership on April 14, 2026. Letter from the Dean Dear colleagues,   As we enter spring quarter, I want to take a moment to reflect on the steady momentum across our graduate community. For many students, this is a time of transition as they approach graduation and the culmination of years of work. It’s also an opportunity for all of us to take stock of where we are and where we are headed.  I’m…

This email was sent to GPAs and GPCs on February 2, 2026.  Dear GPAs/GPCs, As we begin 2026, I want to thank you for the care, expertise and steady leadership you bring to your programs, especially during application season, when your work is both intensive and deeply consequential. This year’s application cycle reflects the continued strength of UW’s graduate programs. For Autumn 2025, we received more than 42,000 graduate applications from over 39,000 individual applicants, an 18–19% increase since Autumn 2020. International…

Dear colleagues, As we enter 2026, I want to extend my sincere thanks for your leadership and partnership across the University of Washington. I hope you found time over the break to rest and reflect, and that the months ahead bring energy and clarity as we continue our shared work in support of students, scholarship and the public good. The past year was not without its challenges. Like many of you, the Graduate School navigated uncertainty shaped by shifting federal and…

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…