Welcome to a new academic year!
Dear Graduate Students,
Credit: Matt Hagen
Welcome to the 2026–27 academic year! Whether you are joining the University of Washington for the first time or returning to continue your graduate journey, I’m delighted to welcome you to our community.
Graduate education is a time of discovery—of new ideas, new possibilities and often new things about ourselves. As you pursue your studies, research and creative work this year, I hope you’ll also make time to connect with people across our campuses, seek out experiences that bring you joy and remember that you don’t have to navigate graduate school alone.
The Graduate School is here to support you throughout that journey. In the guide below, you’ll find resources, opportunities and ways to connect with the broader graduate student community at UW.
I wish you a rewarding and inspiring year ahead, and I look forward to seeing what you accomplish.
Warmly,
Joy Williamson-Lott
Dean, The Graduate School
What to know this year
- The Office of Graduate Student Equity and Excellence creates opportunities for graduate students to feel welcome at UW and thrive in graduate school and beyond. Learn more about GSEE.
- U501 is our online resource for new graduate students at orientation and continuing graduate students throughout their academic journey at UW. Learn more about U501.
- We know that living and studying in Seattle is expensive. Here are funding resources – from fellowships to assistantships to work-study options – to consider during your time at UW. Explore our funding resources.
- From our public lectures to our 3MT Competition to our community-building events, we have something at the UW Graduate School for your personal, academic and professional interests. Learn more about our graduate student events and programming and public lectures.
When you need help
Graduate school can bring challenges you didn’t anticipate. Whatever comes up, there are people and resources across the UW ready to help.
- I need someone to talk to: Counseling Center
- I need help paying for something: Emergency Aid / GFIS / funding resources
- I’m an international student with a visa, travel or employment question: ISS / Graduate School international guidance
- I’m looking for community: GSEE / CIRCLE / Graduate Student Affairs
- I need help navigating graduate school: Graduate Student Affairs
- I’m thinking about my career: Career & Internship Center
You are a part of an oustanding community
Here’s a snapshot of what our graduate students are doing:
- Sound of research: What does graduate research sound like? We asked graduate students to answer this question, and we shared their responses as a Spotify playlist.
- Built to play: Mia Hoffman receives this year’s Graduate School Medal Award for her work to reimagine assistive technology for young children.
- Global perspectives: Three UW scholars will pursue teaching, research and study projects in Mongolia, Honduras and the Netherlands through the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
- Coastal resilience: From construction sites to coastal resilience: Dakota Mascarenas’ path to impact-driven engineering.
- Connecting code and culture: Blending literature and computer science, Ph.D. candidate Rijul Jain will study at Cambridge University for 9 months after receiving the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
- Finding the path: Ph.D. candidate Ramon Johnson tackles his dissertation with love and accountability.
- Our 2026 3MT winners: UW 3MT® is a professional development competition that celebrates the exciting capstone and research experiences of master’s and doctoral students from across the UW.