Visiting Graduate Student status allows certain students to take University of Washington coursework without being admitted to a University of Washington graduate degree program.
All applications for Visiting Graduate Student status are processed by the Graduate School’s Graduate Enrollment Management Services (GEMS) office. All documentation submitted by the applicant must be in English or official translations into English accompanied by the original foreign language document.
If a student with Visiting Graduate Student status later applies for admission to the Graduate School in order to pursue a graduate degree, the student must formally apply and submit complete credentials as outlined in Policy 3.1.
3.4.1 Enrollment for Visiting Graduate Student Status
There are two pathways to enroll with Visiting Graduate Student status, described below.
3.4.1.1 Enrollment by Graduate Students in Good Standing at Another Institution
Graduate students who are actively pursuing a graduate degree (Master’s, Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.) at another college or university may be hosted by the University of Washington as visiting graduate students. Visiting Graduate Student status allows these students to take graduate courses at the University of Washington without pursuing a University of Washington graduate degree. Visiting graduate student status does not confer priority for later admission to a graduate program. The length of enrollment is determined by the number of quarters approved by the home institution and the University of Washington graduate program that hosts the visiting graduate applicant. Visiting graduate students may hold this status in only one graduate program at a time and may not hold any other student status while enrolled as a visiting graduate student.
Admissions criteria for visiting graduate student applicants in good standing at another institution:
- The student must have been admitted to a recognized domestic or international graduate school, be in good standing, and actively pursuing a graduate degree at that institution.
- The student must be approved by a University of Washington graduate degree granting department/program and the University of Washington Graduate School.
- Students who are non-native English speakers must meet Graduate School Policy 3.2.
3.4.1.2 Enrollment by Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA)
Fulbright FLTA (Foreign Language Teaching Assistants) may also be hosted by UW departments in Visiting Graduate Student status at the University of Washington. Visiting Graduate Student status allows these students to take graduate courses at the University of Washington without pursuing a University of Washington graduate degree. It is the department’s and the FLTA student’s responsibility to ensure the student meets enrollment requirements of the FLTA program.
Admissions criteria for Fulbright FLTA applicants:
- There are no University of Washington Graduate School admissions criteria for native speakers of English who have been accepted into the FLTA program.
- Students who are non-native English speakers must meet Graduate School policy on English Language Proficiency Requirements and Conditions of Appointment for TAs who are not Native Speakers of English.
3.4.2 Performance Expectations
In order to continue in Visiting Graduate Student status, students must maintain the standard minimum Graduate School cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
Policy 3.4 created: March 2022