Fall 2015

The students we feature in this issue represent a range of majors and a variety of in-class and out-of-class experiences including working on campus as peer advisers, service learning with community organizations, participating in the Undergraduate Research Program, and joining the departmental honors program. Transfer students are welcomed and encouraged to participate in all that the UW has to offer. It is important for transfer students to be ready to take advantage of these opportunities soon after arriving at the university as some programs, such as study abroad, often have early deadlines. Check out the options for expanding your education that the UW offers by viewing such websites as the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity, The Husky Leadership Initiative, Study Abroad, and the Career Center.

As with every issue of the newsletter, there are announcements and updates from major departments and from the Admissions Office. We hope you enjoy reading about the experiences of a few of our transfer students and that their stories inspire you to seek out opportunities that will enhance your bachelor’s degree and your educational experience when you transfer to the UW.

—Donna Sharpe

Jump-start your transfer to UW with MyPlan

MyPlan, the exclusive academic planning tool of the University of Washington, is now available to you! MyPlan was originally established for use by students enrolled at UW to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve their academic goals. Now, with recent funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, prospective students who are currently attending or have previously attended any Washington State Community or Technical College can utilize MyPlan to begin planning their transfer to UW.

Here are some ways MyPlan can help you envision your future at the UW: 

See how your CTC courses transfer

MyPlan allows you to import your unofficial transcripts from any Washington State Community or Technical College and view how the courses you have already taken translate to coursework at the UW. You can also easily enter any CTC courses you are planning to take, allowing you to view how both completed and projected coursework may transfer! 

Evaluate your progress toward a UW degree

After importing your courses, use MyPlan to audit your progress toward any degree program offered at any of the three UW campuses — Seattle, Tacoma, or Bothell. By understanding which degree requirements you’ve already fulfilled, you can better plan what courses you need to take in order to meet your academic goals should you be accepted to the UW.

Envision your future at the UW

With MyPlan, you can begin to visualize your future at the UW. You can search for and bookmark UW courses of interest, and create an academic plan based on those courses. You can also print your plan to share with an academic adviser at your home institution. Communicating with your transfer advising staff is vital to ensure you are on the right path for academic success. 

Now get started!

You can access the MyPlan transfer planner by logging in with your Google or Facebook account at http://myplan.uw.edu/transferplanner.

For more information on MyPlan, including resources on how to use MyPlan for transfer planning, visit http://depts.washington.edu/myplan/transfer.

Use of MyPlan has no bearing on your academic standing or prospective admission. For complete UW admissions requirements, visit admit.uw.edu. MyPlan’s course equivalency tools are unofficial and for planning purposes only. For additional guidance on transferring to UW, consult your transfer advising staff at your current college.

—Carole Bershad, UW-IT Academic Services

Student profile: Nimotalai Azeez

Major: Community, Environment, and Planning. Minor(s): Geography and Diversity
Previous institution: Highline College
Year/qtr transferred: Autumn 2013
Hometown: Federal Way, WA
Did you work before going back to school? No
Are you a veteran or military personnel? No
Favorite quote: "It always seems impossible until it's done." —Nelson Mandela
Anything else you’d like to share about yourself: I served as Highline College Student Body President 2012-2013

The transfer experience

What was the hardest part of transferring? Feeling like there is not enough time to do all that you want to do or could do at the 4-year. So, really making the most out of the time you have is important.
What was something that surprised you in your transfer experience? At a community college I felt like I was in classes with people who had different life experiences that matured them. But when I transferred I realized everyone was coming from different backgrounds and upbringings too, but this contributed to some student's closed-mindedness.
What do you miss about your previous school? The "community," being able to sit down at a random table in the Highline Student Union and meeting some of my best friends from doing so, that was difficult to find at UW. Or staying in touch with someone you meet is harder especially if you never see them due to the size of the campus.
What resources were most helpful to you when you were preparing to transfer? Advisers at my community college were very helpful, instructors that I had, and other students who maybe transferred the year before.

Your UW experience so far

Favorite place on campus to study: Suzzallo computer lab or Built Environments Library.
Favorite place on campus to eat: District Market has a lot of healthy options and great deli options throughout the day.
How big are your classes at UW? Classes that were outside of my major could be anywhere from 40-150 students. But inside my major it was 15-30 students.
What are you involved in outside of academics? UAA Peer Adviser, African Student Association, Sisterhood.
After you came to UW, what made you feel like a Husky? Having access to all of the great resources UW has to offer.
What were your favorite Dawg Daze events? Late Night Shopping at Fred Meyer, Midnight Carnival, and HUB Crawl.
What class have you taken that you think everyone should take? GEOG 245 - Geodemographics: Population, Diversity, and Place with Professor Withers.
How do you make a big school feel smaller? Meeting a lot of people through different networks, forming relationships in classes (study groups can help with this), and not being afraid to reach out to someone and ask for help. That help could come from faculty members, staff, or another student.

Student profile: Mallory Culbertson

Mallory Culbertson started taking classes at Spokane Community College as part of Running Start and went on to earn her Associate of Arts degree before transferring to UW. She grew up attending Earth Adventure Camp every summer in elementary school and taking camping trips with her family; these early experiences shaped her love for the environment, and ultimately led her to declare Environmental Studies as her major.

Coming from a large family made the costs of college a barrier, and the local community college offered the support Mallory was looking for. Mallory says community college offers good preparation and a valuable transition point between high school and a university experience. She attributes that period in her academic career as the time when she set good habits for completing homework on time and developing a sense of autonomy.

In addition to coming from a merged family of 13 children, Mallory chose to do independent studies for most of high school, so community college was pivotal in learning how the higher education system works. And she’s definitely taken advantage of the vast opportunities the UW campus has to offer.

As a 2014 Citizen Science intern for Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST), a recent canvasser for Environment Washington and a chapter chair of the UW chapter of WashPIRG, Mallory has set a high bar for academic success and community involvement.

Mallory recommends that transfer students dive right in when they arrive on the UW campus. She shares that “one of the big, scary things about transferring is feeling you don’t know anybody but feeling a little bit older than the other students; freshmen stuff just doesn’t feel like where you want to be.” For her, it was helpful to go to student events and seize exciting opportunities.

As part of her first Environmental Studies class (ENVIR 100), she started a service-learning project with COASST. She leveraged this class project into an internship after the class ended, earning credit for her internship and tacking on credentials to build that all-important resume. Mallory is also active on social media as an advocate of change for issues she’s involved with.  

In another class, Attaining a Sustainable Society (ENVIR 439), which reveals integrative approaches to protect the long-term interests of human society, Mallory heard a representative from WashPIRG talk in class; she started helping out as a volunteer for the grassroots organization and progressed to the leadership role she enjoys today as UW Chapter Chair. Mallory’s work for WashPIRG involved delivering the student voice to Washington legislators, and just this year she met with staffers at Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell’s offices. The legislators whipped the votes in favor of allowing the EPA to move forward and close the loopholes to restore stream and wetland protections under the Clean Water Act in Washington State.

In terms of her aspirations after college, Mallory is interested in building sustainable communities– “I can definitely see my experience with WashPIRG and COASST being really beneficial for a career in sustainability, since it is such a combination of policy and community cooperation.”

Her advice to current community college students is to be persistent in getting an appointment with an adviser; they have a lot of helpful information regarding researching universities and determining the best fit for the type of degree a student is pursuing. Don’t forget that getting involved on campus doesn’t have to wait until joining the university campus. 

Student profile: Marisol Diaz

Major(s)/Minor(s): Community, Environment, and Planning
Previous school/s before UW: Wenatchee Valley College, North Seattle Community College
Year/quarter transferred to UW: 2013
Hometown: Quincy, WA
Did you work before going back to school? Yes!
Are you a veteran or military personnel? No
Favorite book: Persepolis

Your transfer experience

Describe your transfer experience in three words. Confusing, New, Lonely
What was the hardest part of transferring? The hardest part of transferring was the social aspect. When I went to my community college I didn’t make friends until my second year. Afterwards, I was the only one who decided to attend UW and when I transferred in winter quarter it felt as if everyone had already found their group of friends and had no need/desire for expanding the group. It was hard to make friends.
What was something that surprised you in your transfer experience? I never realized that in a place as big as UW, I could and would feel so small and unrecognized.
What do you miss about your previous school? I miss the size of the campus.
What do you know now that you wish someone had told you before transferring? I wish someone had told me that I had to go out and seek/make my own community. Also, that your advisor is a valuable resource and should/could talk to them about anything.
What resources were most helpful to you when you were preparing to transfer? The transfer equivalency guide was very helpful as well as DARS.

Your UW experience so far

Favorite place on campus to study: Gould Court/Digi Commons in Gould Hall
Favorite place on campus to eat: Chipotle
How big are your classes at UW? Most classes about 30ish students: largest class so far 75 students.
What are you involved in outside of academics? Work, Commuter, officer in a new club Transfer Student Association, and member of committee in my major
After you came to UW, what made you feel like a Husky? Obtaining the position of Orientation Leader and learning (again) about how many resources there are for students and how big and exciting the UW really is. Boundless opportunities.
What class have you taken that you think everyone should take? CEP 200, SOC 292, SOC 360, SOC W 536,
How do you make a big school feel smaller? You talk to the person right next to you in class, you attend a club meeting, join an intramural sport, you realize what you’re interested in and see if there is a social gathering for it.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Everyone coming in, freshmen, transfer, adult learner, international student, all feel either confused scared or both. No one knows everything they need to do, want to be, or should do at UW. So don’t be afraid to ask questions and try something new! The sooner you can do this the sooner you start finding/building your own community.

Student profile: Ashley Krzeszowski

Many of you have probably done this college thing before, either at another university, or at a smaller community college. Hopefully the UW is your final stop before graduation day! I cannot completely express how happy I am to finally be part of the Dawg Pack, as I am transferring in (and staying in) this quarter! If you are a returning Husky, I congratulate you on your persistence and wish you good luck with your studies. My path to the UW is not in the slightest way conventional, but I hope to make you smile at some of my experiences with the transfer process thus far.

 I am a Seattleite, born and bred, and have always known that my education would lead me to a career in public health or something along the lines of translational science, taking relevant findings from research and making it applicable to the people; regarding nutrition, health, disease, vaccines, etc. I applied to the UW right from high school… only to receive a very slim letter a few weeks later. I wound up at Western Washington University for a year, and without much motivation and money, I thought it would be better to finish prerequisites for a degree in Biology at South Seattle Community College.  Not wanting to move away for schooling again, I knew that the University of Washington was my one and only, and I had to ensure that I would be as successful of an applicant as ever. I became very close with my professors (tip #1), current and future, by dropping in at office hours, going for coffee and simply taking the time to listen and learn from them (tip #2).  But my biggest motivation was visiting with my admissions counselor  and department advisors, even before applying (tip #3). I carried with me a tattered and well-loved copy of the Molecular & Cellular Biology Course Checklist, highlighting and circling courses that I wanted to take, marking off the ones that I had finished. That little yellow sheet of paper was a road map for me, which I had lacked the first few years of my college education. I sought out the professors of the classes I was excited to take once I transferred in, toured their labs, visited their offices at Fred Hutch, and even went sailing with a few of them and their PhD candidates! In my attempts to learn from them, I was offered stories, advice, help, and encouragement to continue on my path to success. I know I can always call on them for more assistance. I had such a big team of supporters rooting me on, and I knew there was very little left on my Check List that I could take at South Seattle - it was time to apply!

The waiting game was awful, and I waited a very long time to be told that I wasn’t accepted. Sad and dejected, I visited my advisor and counselors for advice. I had coffee with my professors to talk strategy and really took a second look at my intentions and goals for the future. With the support from all of my mentors I wrote a letter to petition the Admissions office to reconsider my application based on my most recent grades, my relevant work experience at a biotech company and on South’s campus, and my recently started internship at the Fred Hutch’s Public Health Sciences department. I felt I had so many things going for me in support of my major and career interests, along with letters of recommendation, and my petition was approved! I was in!

If you’re hoping to transfer in to the UW, or wondering how to get the most out of your time in school, I hope you can pull something from my experiences with transferring thus far. It may seem like a lot of effort, but it’s worth it to visit your professors and advisors, to develop relationships with them. Your good manners, dependability and organization may set you apart from the other students and foster a career-long mentor and colleague. Developing effective strategies toward college completion – and all of your future endeavors – is a daunting task, but your mentors can make the difference. My goal is to finish the few quarters I have remaining to complete my Molecular & Cellular Biology degree, and a minor in Mathematics. I hope I have time to squeeze in a few football games too! I’m also toying with the idea of grad school to study Epidemiology, but there’s time to figure it out. There will be plenty of input from my mentors about that as well! Best of luck this quarter everyone, I hope to see you in office hours soon enough!

Important note about Transfer Thursday

The best opportunity for prospective transfer students to connect with the University of Washington is through a visit to the campus on Transfer Thursdays.  You can learn about the transfer admission process, connect with department advisers and get an idea of how your previous coursework can count towards a UW degree.  New for this year is the fusion of the admission information sessions for domestic and international transfer students into one session!  Now, both international and domestic students will attend the same session at 1:30pm, generally held in room 106 of the Husky Union Building (HUB).  While Transfer Thursday is usually held every Thursday, with the exception of university holidays that occur on Thursday, this year there will be no Transfer Thursday sessions on December 24 and 31.  Please plan accordingly if you were hoping to attend one of those sessions.  Regular Transfer Thursday meetings are scheduled for December 3, 10 and 17 and after winter break starting again on January 7.

The Career Center and you

The UW provides students with hundreds of ways to get involved, meet interesting people, and learn—both inside and outside the classroom. At the UW Career Center, we help students successfully connect their diverse academic and co-curricular experiences with a wide variety of career paths and employers. As a transfer student, you probably want to hit the ground running and here at the Career Center, we want to help you make the most your time at UW. Here are some recommendations for a successful transition.

Chart Your Path

Strategically mapping out your time at the UW will help ensure you get what you came for and are marketable for an array of post-college options such as careers, volunteer work, and graduate school. Whether you have a specific career path in mind or not, consider making an appointment with a Career Counselor for one-on-one advice about career development and your future goals. 

Make Connections

Often times it does come down to those we know that help us move in new and exciting directions. Peers, colleagues and professionals can be great resources in helping you to identify strengths, interests, values and goals, not to mention helping to connect you with great opportunities. You could make instant connections with fellow Huskies by joining a student organization!

Get Experience

As a transfer student, you probably already have some experiences under your belt, but the array of opportunities at UW are vast! Internships, field experiences, and volunteer positions let you apply your book knowledge to real situations, use a variety of skills, explore career paths, meet potential mentors, and make a difference. Be sure to check out HuskyJobs for opportunities!

Utilize the Career Center

Services provided by the Career Center include career and job search counseling; an active campus recruiting program; job listings; workshops on resume writing, interviewing, internships, and more; employer panels on topics such as interviewing and resume writing; and career fairs.

Take Time to Reflect

After each co-curricular activity (internship, volunteer, leadership, etc.), be sure to reflect on what skills you learned, what results you accomplished, and how you can share the experience with potential employers through your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and interviews.

Come visit the Career Center at 134 Mary Gates Hall and check out our 24/7 resources online at careers.uw.edu! Welcome to the UW and Go Huskies! 

—Alison S. Jones, Career Counselor, Lead, UW Career Center

Spotlight on Departmental Honors

There are many ways for UW students to earn distinction and challenge themselves to live up to their own full potential—the Honors Program is proud to be among them. To support and inspire a wide range of UW undergrads, we offer both Interdisciplinary Honors, a general education pathway for incoming freshmen, and Departmental Honors, a focused, deep exploration of a student’s chosen major, usually accomplished through advanced coursework or a research or thesis project. Departmental Honors is usually begun in the junior or senior year and, while requirements vary across campus, most involve both independent work and the opportunity to work closely with faculty on an area of interest. 

We spoke with Kevan Kidder, a double major in Psychology and Biology, to learn more about his experience in Departmental Honors in Psychology.

Tell us a bit about your academic journey before you came to UW—where did you go to school, and what led you to transfer to the UW?

My academic journey began with many hurdles. In 2008 I graduated high school and began at Washington State University. I returned home later that year, realizing I wasn’t focused on school. I began at Pierce Community College (PCC), but again, found myself unfocused and eventually withdrew. I worked full time at Target to pay off some of the loans I had already accumulated and to allow time to search my soul for my ultimate passions. I knew that I loved science and that I wanted to help the world discover the unknown, so with that in mind, and knowing that UW was a school with tremendous resources for undergraduate research, I set my sights on being a Husky. I starting by returning to PCC. Now on my third attempt at college, I was more focused than ever and excelled at PCC. I worked full-time while going to school, got my AA in Psychology, and I was accepted into the UW as a transfer student for the summer of 2013.

How did you choose your major(s)?

In my time away from and during school I became absolutely fascinated with the brain. There’s so much we don’t know about it and it’s one of things at the core of everyone's existence. I chose to work towards a B.A. in psychology and a B.S. in biology, hoping that the two would complement each other nicely so that I could eventually study neuroscience.

Why did you decide to participate in Departmental Honors (DH)? What was the application process like?

While exploring UW’s psychology website during my preparations for attending UW, I stumbled across the Psychology Honors program. What sold me on this program was having the opportunity to work in a research lab and eventually conduct your own research as an undergraduate. The application process was a little intimidating, as many people warned that I would be extremely busy in this program and that only the truly committed should enter into it. I thought long and hard about the program and eventually came to the conclusion that this was an amazing opportunity that I needed to take advantage of.

In your own words, what does Departmental Honors in your major entail (ie, what are the various requirements)?

Students are required to first write a research proposal with the help of a mentor and then to conduct that research and eventually write your own full length scientific research paper. Research takes time and patience, to succeed in this program you have to be ready to dedicate a substantial amount of your time.  The program also requires that students complete their degree with at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA.

What has Departmental Honors added to your education?

Without the Departmental Honors program my experience at UW would be nowhere near the same. It has added hands-on research experience that classes could never offer me and allowed me to dig deep into current scientific topics, accelerating my learning in neuroscience.  

Tell us about your favorite part of Departmental Honors so far. What made it so great?

By far the greatest aspect of the Departmental Honors program is the amazing opportunities that it has opened for me. I owe a big thanks to my mentors Dr. Sheri Mizumori and Dr. Phillip Baker who have helped foster my skills and not hesitated to include me in lab meetings, events, and scientific conventions. I’ve already presented my research at multiple events and now I have the honor of going to Chicago to present research at the largest neuroscience conference in the nation, called SFN 2015. I know my chances of getting into graduate school have been greatly increased because of the experience I’ve gotten from this program.    

What is a piece of advice that you would give to incoming transfer students (about Departmental Honors or anything else!)?

The amount of time that one must put into this program is no joke! There were quarters where I believed I spent more time on research and scientific events then I did on my classes. To succeed in this program, dedication is key. I suggest you think long and hard about what your passions are and where you want to be in the future. As an incoming transfer student you don’t have the time to slowly learn about opportunities that the University can offer. Instead, you have to be prepared to jump straight into studies, focused in the direction you want to go. Explore and inform youself on all the options you have at UW and I’m sure you’ll find something that complements you nicely. As my old soccer coach used to say, “Fortune favors preparation.”

Anything else you want to add?

Overall, I am humbled by the opportunities that this program has offered me and by the attention and guidance that my mentors have given me. Because of the Departmental Honors program I feel confident and prepared to enter into graduate school and to continue pursuing my dreams. The work that I have put into this program has been worth every bit. Go Dawgs!

Transfer students interested in exploring this opportunity to accelerate and deepen their own studies through Honors can browse the requirements for their major’s Departmental Honors program on our website and meet with a departmental adviser to discuss the details. You may also be interested in additional reading through our Departmental Honors Spotlight series, which has previously highlighted Departmental Honors programs in Architecture; Bioengineering; Chemistry; Computer Science & Engineering; Dance; Earth & Space Sciences; English; and International Studies.

—Laura Harrington, Adviser, University Honors Program

Admissions update

For autumn 2015, the Seattle campus offered admission to 51.3% of all Washington community college applicants. This compares to offer rates of 53.3% for high school applicants and 15.8% for applicants from four-year universities and non-Washington community colleges. The offer rate for international transfer students from Washington community colleges was 37%. This compares to 22.8% for all international transfers.

In general, the best time to apply the University of Washington is when you are ready to enter your major. For most applicants, that’s when they’ve completed an associate’s degree and/or 90 transferrable quarter credits. To help you plan to transfer, we have created tools such as the Academic Planning Worksheets and the online course equivalency guide for each of the Washington community and technical colleges. You can find out more about these tools and other important transfer information by visiting the Admissions website for prospective transfer applicants.

I also highly recommend that you attend one of our Transfer Thursday information sessions. On Transfer Thursday, you will learn about the admissions application process from one of our staff members. There are separate admission information sessions for international applicants as well.  Moreover, many of our academic departments participate in Transfer Thursday by offering information sessions or making academic advisors available for one-on-one advising. Consult the Transfer Thursday website for more details.

Top 20 majors requested by enrolled transfer students

Business, Biology, On-line Integrated Social Sciences, Psychology, Communication, Mechanical Engineering, On-line Early Childhood & Family Studies, Computer Science, Biochemistry, Nursing, Electrical Engineering, English, Public Health, Economics, Mathematics,  Aeronautics & Astronautics, Chemistry, Political Science, Early Childhood & Family Studies, Art

—Carlos Williams, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions 

Experiential Learning in the School of Public Health

Experiential Learning often takes students into the community and can be a valuable bridge between the classroom and life.  The University of Washington School of Public Health (SPH) is committed to facilitating experiences which provide students an opportunity to integrate and apply classroom learning in a real-world environment.  In this article, we share some concrete examples of how the undergraduate programs in public health at UW Seattle facilitate experiential learning. 

Capstone

Health Informatics and Health Information Management (HIHIM) is an exciting major representing a field of information governance, the practice of acquiring, analyzing and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care.  HIM professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications and understand the workflow in healthcare provider organizations from large hospital systems to a private physician practices.  Recent graduates in HIHIM have been employed as Release of Medical Information specialists, clinical data specialists and data analysts.  Evaluating appropriate legal release of medical information requires legal and ethical thinking and discrete sensitivity in many situations related to patients’ health records and health care.

The HIHIM program places a strong emphasis on practical experience to prepare students for their professional career. For the culminating capstone project, HIHIM 462, students are matched with a Seattle-area health care provider, vendor or organization to gain experience in areas such as management, problem-solving, systems analysis, health information systems implementation, change management and regulatory compliance. One student is deeply involved in coding infant care which means tracking treatment, billing charges, and patterns of revenue loss.  Ensuring that doctors are submitting timely and accurate documentation of treatment assists the organization in quality assurance and effective patient care. 

Research

You read about environmental health problems every day:  diseases spread through unsafe drinking water, cancer-causing toxins, poor air quality leading to respiratory disease, and deadly foodborne illness outbreaks.  Have you ever thought about being part of the solution to these problems?  In environmental health science, you can, by studying the link between the environment and human health. 

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health program has been training students to work on these issues for decades.  Now in the Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences in Environmental Health (SURE-EH) program, underrepresented students are funded to work with experienced faculty on a project addressing the relationship between environmental exposures and human health. Participants work alongside faculty as a paid student researcher for up to 2 years, full-time during summer and part-time during the academic year. 

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the largest research agencies dedicated to improving human health, has funded this opportunity which would like to invite applications from underrepresented community college students who plan to transfer to UW in summer or autumn 2016.

Visit their website for more information or contact the program manager, Trina Sterry, with any questions. 

Study Abroad:  Exploration Seminar

Studying abroad is one of the best ways to learn not only about a new part of the world but also about yourself. There are several programs that specifically allow students to explore aspects of population and international health including the long running Dark Empire: Race, Health & Society in Britain exploration seminar offered by Dr. Clarence Spigner in the Department of Health Services. Last year, 27 students lived and studied in the city of London with its incredibly rich, diverse history which provided the perfect setting to examine race, culture and other social determinants of health. In this interactive seminar driven by student discussion, participants take advantage of field trips to several of the many free museums, hear from a wide range U.K. health professional guest lecturers, and are encouraged to attend the Notting Hill Carnival, the world’s second largest street festival. While this program is the only international experience directly affiliated with the Public Health Major, there are several health related UW Study Abroad Programs to help students explore their interests. You can study a range of topics in a variety of places: Global Health and Human Rights in Cambodia to Psychosocial and Community Health in Thailand, New Zealand or Kenya. Find a program that best fits you and plan ahead!

—Tory Brundage, Connie Montgomery, & Trina Sterry

Departmental updates

Health Informatics and Health Information Management

HIHIM is an exciting and not well known major at the UW.  It is all about looking at how information is created, used and exchanged. It is a field of information governance, the practice of acquiring, analyzing and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care.   HIM professionals are highly trained in the latest information management technology applications and understand the workflow in any healthcare provider organization from large hospital systems to the private physician practice.  Additionally, public health and private companies are work settings for many graduates.

Recent graduates in HIHIM have been employed as Release of Medical Information specialists, clinical data specialists and data analysts.  Evaluating appropriate legal release of medical information requires legal and ethical thinking and discrete sensitivity in many situations related to patients’ health records and health care. One graduate is responsible for overseeing a department that processes 35,000 requests a year. Another student is deeply involved in coding infant care which means tracking treatment, billing charges and patterns of revenue loss. Ensuring that doctors are submitting timely and accurate documentation of treatment assists the organization in quality assurance and effective patient care.  Working for a non-profit affords another student to be directly involved with research in childhood vaccinations in Uganda.  Collecting, organizing and analyzing data assists his organization in understanding the factors that influence successful program implementation, ultimately a key public health initiative.  The possibilities for applying your major to meaningful work are really endless.

With the advent of electronic health records, employment opportunities are abundant in one of the fastest growing fields within health care.  The program is an evening one so that those who are working during the day can attend school and maintain employment.  A small, personal and professional program which offers direct applied experience, mentoring and a credential that affords employability across the U.S. could be right for you.  If you are interested in being part of healthcare, technology and helping to create better patient care for individuals and organizations consider the HIHIM field.  This is a degree completion program, thus students must have completed at least 90 credits for consideration.  For additional admission qualifications visit the web site at:  http://www.healthinformationmanagement.uw.edu/

For an advising appointment you can contact Connie Montgomery, Counseling Services Coordinator at hihim@uw.edu or call 616-1064.

—Connie Montgomery, Director, Academic Advising, UW Evening Degree & Educational Outreach

Industrial & Systems Engineering

The Industrial & Systems Engineering department is no longer admitting students for spring quarter.  The autumn quarter admission deadline is July 1 for all students.  Transfer students should be sure to file their UW admission application by the February 15 deadline.  See the ISE department Upper Division Admission website for admission information, http://depts.washington.edu/ie/prospective/ugrad/applying/upper-division.

—Jennifer Wallace Tsai, Academic Adviser, ISE

Integrated Sciences Major Admission Changes


NOTE: As of Winter 2016, The Integrated Sciences Program will no longer be accepting new students.


The Integrated Sciences Program is excited to announce that as of Autumn 2015 we have changed the admission requirements for the Integrated Sciences major.

What is the Integrated Sciences major?

The Integrated Sciences major prepares students to apply scientific knowledge, skills, and leadership to problems in science and society. Graduates can pursue a wide range of careers and advanced degrees, including (but not limited to):

  • Middle or high school science teaching
  • Informal science education and outreach (e.g., at museums, aquariums, or science centers)
  • Science writing and communication
  • Science policy and law
  • Professions across the health sciences

What’s unique about Integrated Sciences?

Interdisciplinarity: Students build a strong foundation in multiple sciences and examine the social and ethical dimensions of science.

Emphasis on Science Communication and Education: We weave issues of science education and communication into all of our courses, preparing students to communicate science to a wide variety of audiences.

Experiential Coursework: Each student engages in an in-depth research capstone project and gains real-world work experience through our practicum course.

How have the admissions requirements changed?

To allow students to apply to our major earlier in their degrees, we have reduced the number of basic science and math credits that students must have completed in order to apply to our major.  Under the new admissions requirements, to apply to our major students must have completed a minimum of 25 credits of basic science and math coursework, including a minimum of 10 credits from a single field.

Please note that none of our other admissions requirements have changed.    Admission to the Integrated Sciences major is capacity-constrained and is based on cumulative GPA and grades in basic science and math courses, a letter of recommendation from a science or math instructor, and a personal statement.  Our major does not do direct admission, so student should plan to apply to our major after they are admitted to the University of Washington.  For complete information on our admissions requirements and application deadlines, see our website.

How can transfer students prepare for the Integrated Sciences major?

Transfer students can prepare for the Integrated Sciences major by getting started on their basic science and math coursework, particularly coursework in calculus, physics, and general chemistry.  A detailed summary of the basic science and math coursework required for admission to the Integrated Sciences major can be found in the Academic Planning Worksheet for Integrated Sciences.  Transfer students can also make significant progress towards completing UW’s general education requirements – particularly the Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts (VLPA) requirement, which isn’t met by any courses in our major.  Washington community college students can consult UW’s Transfer Equivalency Guide to determine how courses taken at their college will transfer to UW.  Students can also find sample degree plans and checklists, including recommended basic science and math coursework for each track for our major, on our website.

Prospective transfer students are encouraged to meet with Integrated Sciences advising to discuss the major and review their progress towards completion of the Integrated Sciences admissions requirements, either by visiting us during our Transfer Thursday drop-in hours or by scheduling an appointment online.

Please share this information with any students you're working with who may be considering the Integrated Sciences major.  If you have any questions about our major or this change, please contact Meghan Oxley, adviser for the Integrated Sciences Program, at what@uw.edu or (206) 543-5447.

UW-Bothell updates

Winter 2016 Applications

The priority application date is November 1. Apply online at http://www.uwb.edu/admissions/apply

Majors admitting during Winter 2016:

  • American and Ethnic Studies
  • Applied Computing
  • Biology
    Business Administration
  • Chemistry
  • Community Psychology
  • Computer Science and Software Engineering
  • Culture, Literature and the Arts
  • Education
  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Studies
  • Global Studies
  • Health Studies
  • Interdisciplinary Arts
  • Law, Economics and Public Policy
  • Mathematics
  • Media and communication Studies
  • Science, Technology and Society
  • Society, Ethics and Human Behavior

Applications are also open for Spring, Summer and Autumn 2016! View application dates at http://www.uwb.edu/admissions/application-dates

Transfer Information Sessions

Prospective transfer students are highly encouraged to attend a Transfer Information Session at UW Bothell. These events are offered for all majors available at UW Bothell and prospective students will get to meet with an advisor and learn about our degree programs, transferring credits, admission requirements, program prerequisites, the application process and how to be a successful applicant. View time and register at www.uwb.edu/admissions/transferevents.

Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) now open!

UW Bothell’s Activities & Recreation Center (ARC) is now open! The ARC is the hub of student life on campus - a place for students to gather, socialize, dine, and exercise. The ARC features three floors of student resources and amenities including a fitness center, group exercise rooms, diversity and social justice resources, video game alcove, gaming tables, student leader offices and meeting rooms, multipurpose event and gathering space and food trucks. Construction began on the $19.7 million 36,000 square foot student-funded building in Spring 2014 and was completed in Fall 2015.

Heidi Norbjerg
Assistant Director of Admissions
University of Washington Bothell
E: norbjerg@uw.edu P: (425) 352-3221