PhD: Application materials submitted online
The online application opens annually by September 1st. Before you apply online, we recommend gathering the necessary information, preparing your personal statement and supplemental responses, and saving them as separate electronic documents. These steps will allow you to copy and paste your prepared statements into the online application. If you try to compose your answers online, the session may time out. However note that you do not have to fill out your application in one setting; you can start the application soon after September 1st, fill in parts of it, then save it and return to it later.
The following materials will be submitted online:
1. Personal Statement
The Information School believes that diversity, in its many forms, contributes to the intellectual and social enrichment of the School. We welcome applicants who have varied cultural, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Please tell us about yourself and what brought you to the information field. We encourage you to draw upon your personal history to discuss how you are positioned to pursue impactful scholarship – research, teaching, and service – in the information field. This statement could also include cultural and educational opportunities and social, economic or other disadvantages that you may have had to overcome.
Please limit your pesonal statement to 500 words.
2. Research Statement
Your research statement should present the following elements:
· Your specific research interests and questions
· A description of one or two potential research projects
· Rationale for applying to the UW Information School
· Research experiences and skills that you will build upon
· Your professional aspirations – how will you become a leader in the information field?
The research statement should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words long.
3. Designate recommenders
You will be asked to provide names and contact information for three persons from whom you have requested recommendations in the online UW Graduate School application. Your recommenders will be sent an e-mail prompt with instructions for submitting their letter of recommendation online once you activate their names as ready for the e-mail instructions. Requesting your letters of recommendation online will allow you to see when the letters have been submitted. Additional instructions are available within the online UW Graduate School application.
The PhD Admissions Committee prefers to review recommendations from academic sources. We strongly encourage applicants to choose professors, instructors and/or research staff who are familiar with your research, writing and other academic experience and abilities. Letters from academic sources provide a better indication of the applicant's ability to complete a PhD program.
Your recommenders can also opt to send a letter via regular mail. If they choose this option, the recommendation should be written on company or organizational letterhead and sent with a completed PhD cover sheet, in pdf form below:
If your recommender chooses to send a letter via regular mail, please have them mail the recommendation letter to:
PhD Admissions Committee
Information School
University of Washington
370 Mary Gates Hall, Box 352840
Seattle, WA 98195-2840
4. Honors, achievements, and activities
List awards and special recognitions that you have received, such as scholarships, awards, or honorary society memberships. Also highlight any additional professional or academic achievements, such as publications, presentations, open source contributions, or research experience.
5. Faculty with whom you share research interests
Select three or four Information School faculty members whom you believe may potentially share your research interests or in whose research you are particularly interested. Think of these faculty members as potential faculty advisors. For each choice, list one central publication that best expresses the match between the faculty member’s research and your interests. Information on faculty, their research areas, and publications can be found on the Information School website at http://www.ischool.washington.edu/people/facdirectory.aspx (Visit the site provided and use the box on the right side of the screen to sort for "tenure-track" faculty and those who have the title "Research Associate Professor." Only faculty that fall into one of these categories are eligible to advise PhD students.)
6. Graduate assistantship
Indicate whether you would like to be considered for graduate appointment in the form of a Research Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA), or Graduate Student Assistant (GSA). Graduate appointments receive a monthly stipend, tuition waiver, and health care insurance in return for 20 hours of work per week as a teaching or research assistant. (Answering “no” to this question does not exclude you from opportunities to be considered for assistantships or other forms of support at a future date.) Please answer "Yes" or "No."
8. Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
You will upload an electronic copy of your curriculum vitae or résumé.
If you have questions about the application process, please contact the iSchool’s Office of Student and Academic Services by iSchoolphd@uw.edu or by calling 206-543-1794. Thank you.