Under the conditions given below, departments, schools, or colleges may choose to offer enrollment in their graduate courses to Graduate Non-matriculated (GNM) students. In this context, a Graduate Non-matriculated student is a post-baccalaureate student who wishes access to a limited number of graduate courses, but who has not been admitted by the Graduate School to a degree program. These Graduate Non-matriculated students must not be enrolled in any courses where they would displace admitted degree-seeking graduate students. This status is not appropriate for international students on F-1 visas.
Applicants for GNM status must meet Graduate School minimum admission requirements and must be evaluated for acceptance by the academic unit according to the typical criteria for admitting students to the unit’s graduate programs.
Tuition and fees charged GNM students for graduate level courses cannot be less and may be more than those charged to graduate students.
Acceptance as a GNM student confers no guarantee or priority for later admission to a graduate degree program.
3.3.1 Admissions
Applications for the GNM program are processed by the Graduate School’s Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) office. Applicants who present at least a 3.0 grade point average in the applicant’s last 90 quarter (60 semester) hours, along with other applicable credentials, may be admissible as Graduate Non-matriculated (GNM) students. Non-native English speakers must also meet the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement as outlined in Policy 3.2.
3.3.2 Enrollment
No department is required to open its courses to GNM enrollment; participating departments have the authority to create and monitor standard enrollment limits for all admitted GNM students. GNM students must obtain approval from course instructors before enrolling in graduate level courses. Registration for most Seattle Campus GNM students is handled by UW Continuum College Registration Services; however, students taking advantage of the university employee or state employee tuition benefit register in the same manner as matriculated UW students. GNM students at the UW Bothell and UW Tacoma campuses will receive registration materials and instructions from the appropriate departmental office.
3.3.3 Credit
A student who is later admitted to the Graduate School may apply a maximum of 12 applicable GNM credits (or any combination of GNM and up to six approved transfer credits totaling twelve credits) towards a graduate degree. Six- and ten-year limits for master’s and doctoral degrees commence at the point of enrollment in the first GNM course which is later applied for credit toward degree requirements.
3.3.4 GNM Students at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma
GNM status as the UW Bothell and UW Tacoma campuses is not funded on a self-sustaining basis. Tuition and fees are comparable to those charged to graduate students.
3.3.5 Performance Expectations
In order to continue in the GNM program, students must maintain the standard minimum Graduate School cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
Policy 3.3 revised: November 2021; December 2022
Policy 3.3.1 revised: August 2023