Modern AI Methods Admissions

Create an account in the UW Graduate School’s online application portal. We recommend using a personal email address rather than a school or work email to ensure that you have an active secondary contact email address on file throughout your association with UW.

• Profile Information: Take care to ensure this information is accurate, with particular attention to the questions regarding citizenship, residency, and whether you are a native English speaker.
• Contact Information: Enter your local address (where you currently reside) and your permanent address.
• Academic history: Report each higher education institution you have attended and your dates of attendance.
  • For each school, upload unofficial copies of your transcript and report your cumulative GPA. For support converting an international GPA to the 4-point scale, you may use Scholaro’s free calculator.
  • For the school(s) where you have previously earned a degree, your documents must indicate the degree and when it was awarded. Transcripts and marksheets often indicate this information. If your transcript and degree statement were issued separately, then please combine your unofficial copies into one file before uploading.

Official transcripts are not required during the application process; you will only have to submit official documents to UW if you accept an admission offer. At that time, you should provide your documents according to the Graduate School’s official transcript requirements.

To start your application to the Modern AI Methods certificate, select ‘Graduate’ for your application type. Then, filter by campus (Seattle) or by degree (certificate), and select Engineering grad cert – Modern AI Methods (Stackable) from the list of programs.

Select the current application cycle, then review program requirements information again before continuing. Questions about your eligibility or any program requirements should be directed to Modern AI Methods staff.

The Modern AI Methods certificate can be taken on its own or used as a building block toward one of UW’s stacked master’s degrees, including the MS in AI & Machine Learning for Engineering.

Indicate whether you are, or ever have been, enrolled in one of these programs (this includes another graduate certificate that can count toward a stacked master’s degree).

Answer no if: you are applying to Modern AI Methods on its own and have no other affiliation with a stackable certificate or degree.

Answer yes if: you are applying to Modern AI Methods at the same time that you are applying to one of the stacked master’s degrees, or have previously been enrolled in or completed another stackable graduate certificate.

Feel free to contact us if you are unsure how to proceed!

Upload your personal statement, resume or curriculum vitae, and evidence of key math and programming skills. When possible, please upload documents in PDF format.

Personal statement

The personal statement (sometimes referred to as a statement of purpose, or “the essay”) is your chance to describe your interest in the Modern AI Methods certificate and what you hope to gain from being in the program. This is also where you can share particular strengths that might not appear in you other application materials, or where you can provide context for any aspects of your academic or professional backgrounds that you feel might be of concern.

In ~750 words, please describe:

• Your contributions to 1-2 technical projects you have worked on (such as in school, an internship, or your employment);
• Your motivation for pursuing the Modern AI Methods certificate;
• How the knowledge and skills gained in the program will contribute to your professional practice and goals for your career trajectory.

Stacked master’s applicants (whether part- or full-time) should speak to these points within the context of their goal of pursuing a master’s degree.

Resume or CV

Upload a current copy of your resume or CV that provides detailed descriptions of your technical skills and practical experiences, whether from academics, employment, or personal projects. There are no requirements for length or formatting: you may be as descriptive as you would like and may utilize more than one page.

Evidence of key math and programming skills

Compile and upload a document showing evidence of your proficiency in the Modern AI Methods certificate’s key math and programming skills. You may create a new document of your own for this task, or download and use this template that we provide: Modern AI Methods certificate_Template for demonstrating key skills.

Evidence of proficiency in a skill can be demonstrated through any of the following three methods:

1. Completion of college coursework covering a key skill or topic.
2. Completion of another educational experience, such as a bootcamp or coding academy, professional certificate, MOOCs or other open online courses, or other continuing education.
3. Description of practical experience utilizing a skill in an academic setting, personal project, or in the workplace.

Each of the following skills should be included in your document:

• Calculus I
• Calculus II
• Functions of several variables
• Matrix operations
• Linear systems of equations
• Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
• Bayesian Statistics
• Probability distributions
• Maximum Likelihood Estimation
• Basic object-oriented programming (e.g. variables, conditional statements, loops, functions)
• Using simple data structures (e.g. lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets)
• Functions of more complex data structures (e.g. queues, stacks, trees)
• Using tools and libraries (e.g. NumPy, Plotly, Matplotlib, or others)

Recommendation letter

One letter is required from all applicants, however you may designate a second recommender if you wish (this is optional and the presence of a second letter does not affect the admission decision).

Recommendation letters should be written by people who are familiar with your technical abilities and can describe your practical or hands-on experiences and how they illustrate your potential for success in the program. This may be a current or former instructor, manager or supervisor, project or research adviser, or someone who has observed and evaluated your technical abilities in some capacity.

When you designate someone as a recommender, the application system will automatically send them an email with a link to follow to upload their letter. The email will indicate the application deadline and specify that letters need to be received by that date.

All applicants who are non-native speakers of English must enclose proof of their English proficiency in their applications- we cannot send an admission offer without it. For official policy information, please review Graduate Policy 3.2: English Language Proficiency Requirements.

Modern AI Methods applicants may demonstrate their proficiency in one of three ways:

1. They earned a degree in the United States in which English was the language of instruction; or, earned a degree in Canada or certain other countries specified in Policy 3.2 and where English was the language of instruction.
2. Medium of instruction document: Documentation from a prior degree-granting institution, if outside the US or one of the countries specified in Policy 3.2, verifying that all instruction is in English (for example, transcript notation or attested document issued by the institution). A minimum of three years of enrollment at the institution is required.
3. Official, valid English language proficiency test scores sent electronically to UW through your testing center showing that a minimum score was earned. Scores are valid for two years from test date. Applicants may provide any of the following:
   • TOEFL scores showing an overall or MyBest score of 92 or higher (if taken on or before January 20, 2026) or 4.5 or higher (if taken on or after January 21, 2026). UW’s ETS institution code is 4854.
   • Academic IELTS scores showing a total score of 7.0 or higher. Applicants using IELTS test scores must submit official scores electronically via the IELTS system (E-TRF), using the University of Washington’s organization ID 365.
   • Duolingo English Test scores showing a minimum total score of 125 or higher. Duolingo scores must be sent to “University of Washington Graduate Admissions (Bothell, Seattle, Tacoma)” through the applicant’s Duolingo English Test account. See: How do I send my Duolingo English Test results to institutions?

Applicants who plan to meet the English language proficiency requirement with official test scores should note that it can take 7-14 days for official test scores to arrive at UW, and another 2-3 for them to match to your application. You are encouraged to select a test date that gives you ample time to prepare, while also falling early enough that your scores will have arrived to UW on or shortly after the application deadline.

Review and submit your application

Ensure your application is complete and ready to be submitted– that is, you have accurately entered all required information and uploaded copies of all required documents. When you are ready, click to submit your application.

Pay the application fee

Immediately after clicking to submit your application you are taken to the TouchNet payment portal to pay the $90, non-refundable application fee (this fee is retained by the UW Graduate School and is collected for all graduate program applications at UW). Pay the fee to finalize your application and make it available to the Modern AI Methods program for review.

Application fee waivers are available from the UW Graduate School to some domestic students who demonstrate financial need.