In this section:

Community values and feedback mechanisms

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access

PMP students are invited to learn more about diversity and outreach efforts at the Allen School. An excerpt from its inclusion statement appears below:

"Diversity, equity, inclusion and access are central to the Paul G. Allen School. The Allen School is a community that celebrates and values differences among its members. We strive to create an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. Our school is diverse in race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, ability/disability, age, socioeconomic background, academic experience, veteran status, and many more dimensions than we can list here. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and access is a fundamental part of our mission as a public educational institution. We have an obligation to uphold these values."

Feedback and reporting

PMP students may approach Kate, the professional master's program manager, at any time to ask questions, share feedback, or voice concerns. Kate can always be the first point of contact and can advise on next steps, coach on working with instructors, or connect the student to additional resources for community-building or support.

Beyond their academic advisor, students have additional avenues for providing feedback or reporting bias incidents directly to PMP/Allen School leadership or the College of Engineering. Read more about reporting channels and resources for PMP students, both within the Allen School and campus-wide.

Student logistics

Students with disabilities

Students with temporary or permanent physical, health, learning, sensory, or psychological disabilities are encouraged to connect with Disability Resources for Students to learn about their services and prepare for the process of requesting accommodations and/or auxiliary aids. DRS partners jointly with students and faculty in the process to establish accommodations, services, and access to academic programs.

Identity and privacy

PMP students may visit Identity.UW to set how their name appears in most UW records. This can be useful for anyone who prefers to be addressed a certain way or uses a name other than their legal name.

A federal law called the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records and dictates what information may be shared about students, and with whom. Students may learn more about FERPA and elect to opt out of the release of their directory information to the UW faculty/staff/student directory.

User accounts and email

PMP students have two primary user accounts: their UW NetID/password ([UWNetID] @ uw.edu) and their CSE NetID and password ([CSENetID] @ cs.washington.edu).

  • The UW NetID functions as students’ UW email address and login credentials for many UW resources. Its settings and password are managed through Manage NetID. Communications from UW entities and, often, instructors to course rosters are sent to students’ UW email addresses.
  • The CSE NetID also provides an email account and serves as login credentials for many Allen School resources, such as the CSE GitLab and student project portfolio. Its settings and password are managed through CSE Access, Accounts, and Passwords. Communications from the PMP student listserv are sent to students’ CSE email addresses.
Students are strongly recommended to forward one of their student email accounts to the other so as to ensure they have regular access to messages sent to both. Students are solely responsible for checking and reading messages sent to their @uw and @cs email addresses.

Husky Card and building access

All PMP students should obtain their student ID card, also known as their Husky Card, before beginning their first quarter in the program. Husky Card issuance and account management takes place through the Husky Card Office in the basement of the Odegaard Library on campus (see Odegaard on the campus map).

In addition to identifying you as a UW student, a physical Husky Card is required for accessing the Allen and Gates Centers and IMA (gym/recreation facilities). The card is also required for borrowing materials from the UW Libraries and utilizing the student U-Pass with various public transit agencies.

Did you know? Your Husky Card is your ticket to a variety of student discounts and special offers! Learn more about money-saving offers available to UW students.

Parking and commuting

Where and how to park

UW has plenty of parking, but no designated "student lots" and no student parking directly adjacent to the CSE buildings. In general, you can expect a walk of 10-20 minutes between leaving your car and arriving to Allen or Gates. Students who will drive to campus are strongly recommended to investigate parking options in advance and plan ahead - we don't want you to be late to class!

Parking at UW is not free. Most students elect to purchase a single-use parking permit each week when they arrive to campus:

  • Purchase a permit from the gatehouse inside the Central Plaza garage.
    • Central Plaza garage is accessible from 15th Ave NE and is probably most convenient if you are coming from I-5, 99, or eastlake or anywhere north-northwest of campus.
    • This garage has multiple levels and several exits up to Red Square and surrounding buildings like Odegaard, Kane, and Meany. It can be very difficult to find your way back to your car (not that we're speaking from experience...), so consider snapping a photo of your parking stall before leaving.

  • Purchase self-serve parking at a kiosk in designated lots.
    • This option lets you arrive to campus and pay for your parking without having to stop at a gatehouse. You can also pay via the Pay by Phone app in these lots (with the exception of lots E01 and W46).
    • Lots N20 and N21 are in the Padelford garage on northeast campus, which is one of the closest to the CSE buildings among the self-serve options. These lots are probably the most convenient if you are coming from northeast Seattle, 25th Ave NE, Montlake, or 520.
    • Rates vary by lot and are described on the self-serve parking website as well as a downloadable campus map (pdf).

  • A student commuter evening permit is convenient because you don't have to stop and buy parking every time you come to campus. However, this is not going to be the most economical option and you can only use it in certain locations. This permit is purchased through the Transportation Services online customer portal.

  • There is also lots of metered and unmetered street parking north and west of campus, however it can be challenging to find a spot and you will have a long walk.

Bike rooms

Short-term bicycle storage is available in both the Allen and Gates building. Access to both bike rooms requires Husky Card swipe and both rooms contain tire pumps and basic maintenance tools. Unfortunately, replacement parts are not available from the Allen School, however there are several bike shops nearby campus.

Though both bike rooms are behind multiple locked doors and accessible only by the Allen School community, we recommend taking steps to secure your bike and are not responsible for loss or damage of your property. Use a secure, heavy-duty lock and take items such as panniers and saddle bags with you if possible. You can also register your bike with the UW Police Department.

Allen Center bike room

Starting from Stevens Way at the southeast corner of the Allen Center, enter the building through the small door on the side of the loading dock ramp. Inside, turn right immediately to find the bike room. You are at B (basement) level.

To access other parts of Allen, you may return outside via the way you entered and walk up Stevens Way to the main entrance. Or, you may walk to the other end of the loading dock and enter the building’s basement, where there is elevator access to the other floors.

Google map snippet showing location of Allen building bike room entrance
Allen bike room entrance with red arrow

Gates Center bike room

Starting from Mason Road at the northeast corner of the Gates building, enter the building through the double doors. You are at B (basement) level. Enter the double doors on the left and turn right immediately to find the bike storage room.

To enter the other parts of the building, you may take the elevator up to G (ground) and cross the road to the entrance to the classrooms or exit from B level and walk up the outside stairs to G level or the main entrance to the first floor/atrium.

Gates also has shower rooms available (though, no lockers or longer-term storage for bike commuters). To access the shower rooms from the bike room, take the elevator from B (basement, where the bike room is) to G (ground). Next to the elevator is a single door with a card reader, through which are the private shower rooms.

Gates map
Gates bike room entrance

Campus safety

Campus safety

All PMP students are encouraged to practice safety strategies for themselves and their belongings while on campus. A variety of resources are available for promoting safety and summoing help when necessary, in addition to this handy list of crime prevention tips.

Campus safety is generally administered by the Division of Campus Community Safety or the UW Police Department (UWPD). Submitting a report for things such as lost property, telephone harassment, vandalism and theft is done through UWPD's online campus reporting system. All reports are reviewed, and if further investigation of your case is needed you may be contacted for more information.

At the Allen School

  • A uniformed security guard, contracted by the Allen School, is on-site beginning nightly at 9pm.
  • Bike commuters may use their Husky Cards to access locked bike rooms in both buildings.

Around UW

Some resources that may be relevant to PMP students include:

  • Electronics and bike registration to establish an ownership record of your belongings.
  • Download the SafeZone app for a virtual guardian while on-campus and to quickly alert UWPD in the event of an emergency.
  • Campus security guards staff Husky NightRide and NightWalk and provide escorts to places on or near the UW Seattle campus. Husky NightWalk can also help with building lockouts and dead car batteries!
  • All students' phone numbers are automatically enrolled in emergency text message notifications through UW Alert.
  • Several emergency phones are located around campus (look for the lighted blue and brown towers outdoors, and yellow phones in parking garages). These phones connect you to UWPD directly.
In an emergency, call 911. If calling from a cell phone, be ready to tell the dispatcher that you are on the UW campus so that they can immediately route you to UWPD.
If you cannot safely place a call, text 911 instead. Send the location of the emergency (Seattle/UW campus location) and the type of emergency help needed (police, fire, or medical) in your first message.

Academic and educational resources

Religious accommodations policy

It is the policy of the University of Washington to reasonably accommodate students taking holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Any student seeking reasonable accommodations must provide written notice through the Office of the University Registrar Religious Accommodations request process within the first two weeks of the beginning of the course, of the specific dates of absence due to religious accommodation. For more policy information and a link to the accommodations request process, review the Religious Accommodations Policy on the Office of the University Registrar webpage.

Students with disabilities

Disability Resources for Students partners jointly with students and faculty in the process to establish accommodations, services, and access to academic programs. Students with temporary or permanent physical, health, learning, sensory, or psychological disabilities are encouraged to connect with DRS to learn about their services and prepare for the process of requesting accommodations and/or auxiliary aids.

CSE P course websites

CSE P course websites most commonly are hosted on the Allen School website or in Canvas. Students may locate the Allen School-hosted website by selecting their course from the CSE P course catalog or on the Current Courses page. Course websites hosted in Canvas, once published, will appear on the student's dashboard (the landing page after logging into the system).

Note: it is common for course websites to remain unpublished until the 1-3 days leading up to the start of the quarter.

Course textbooks

The course syllabus will detail required texts, readings, and other course materials. Textbooks requiring purchase are often available at the University Bookstore, in addition to other retailers that may sell or rent copies.

After registering for a course, students may check to see if a textbook has been assigned by following the “display textbooks” link on their schedule on the front page of MyUW. Alternatively, they may navigate to the quarterly time schedule and click the SLN of their course to display the current section status page, where there is a “display textbooks” link to follow. If a textbook requiring purchase has been indicated to the University Bookstore, it will be displayed here (of course, students should always double-check the syllabus for required materials and any reading assigned before the first day of class!).

Libraries and study space

The UW Libraries System loans a lot more than books! Students may borrow from their vast collections of articles, publications, and media, with the physical Husky Card serving as the library card. The Libraries also study spaces, one-on-one consultations with subject and "how-to" experts, and writing support (and more). The UW Libraries have a wide range of study spaces and equipment. Many spaces are available on a first-come basis while others may be reserved in advance.

In addition to Allen and Gates Center spaces, PMP students may utilize other spaces on campus for studying or meetings. Spaces may range from a study carrel in a quiet corner to a tech-equipped collaboration studio. Space Scout displays study areas, food, and technology on campus based on buildings hours and includes details like lighting quality, noise level, and proximity to coffee.

Student life

Health and wellness

Husky Health and Well-Being is a one-stop shop for UW Seattle student health services, including counseling and mental health services, medical care, safety concerns, and more. As matriculated students who pay the quarterly Services & Activities Fee, PMP students are eligible to utilize these services.

PMP students may also contact John Rumney, MS, LMHC, for support. John is a mental health counselor devted specifically to Allen School students (undergraduate and graduate) whose primary role is to increase awareness of, and the accessibility to, mental health services within the Allen School and the University of Washington. John is available for same-day 15 minute Let’s Talk appointments during select hours and scheduled 30 minute appointments Monday through Friday. Visits are free and confidential to Allen School students. More information about John and scheduling links are available here.

Student veterans

Current and former service members and their dependents may work with the Veterans Education Benefits Office to understand their benefits and financials as well as the Office of Student Veteran Life for community-building and targeted support resources.

Campus amenities

The Intra-Mural Activities center (IMA) is the on-campus gym and recreation center. Its quarterly membership fee is charged to all enrolled students and a physical Husky Card is required for access! In addition to cardio and weights the IMA offers a swimming pool, racquet courts, climbing center, and more. Students may also use the driving range, rent canoes and kayaks from the waterfront activities center, enroll in fitness classes, and participate in a variety of other activities.

A variety of tech hardware (laptops, cameras, recording equipment, and more) is available through the Technology Loan Program.

Students have free or discounted access to UW sporting events! Learn more about student tickets and family packs on the Washington athletics website.