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Graduate Certificate Minimum Admission Requirements

The following minimum criteria must be met in order for an applicant to be admissible to a University of Washington graduate certificate. For more information, reference the UW Graduate School’s minimum admission requirements.

Degree

  • Applicants must hold the minimum equivalent of a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution. Holders of a Bologna bachelor’s degree must have a minimum of 180 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits.
    • Holders of 3-year degrees may apply and be considered, but final approval from the Graduate School is required.
  • Alternatively, applicants may hold a master’s (MA, MSc, etc.), doctoral (PhD, DPhil, etc.), or professional degree (MD, JD, etc.) from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States or its equivalent from an accredited foreign institution.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

  • Applicants must have earned at least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4 point scale) for those credits earned at the institution awarding their bachelor’s degree or at least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4 point scale) for their last 90 graded quarter credits or 60 graded semester credits. If you earned additional credits from an accredited institution after your degree, you may include these credits in calculating your GPA.
  • For applicants who hold a master’s, doctoral, or professional degree, the total cumulative average from that degree course may be used.

The Graduate Certificate in Modern Artificial Intelligence Methods does not set a minimum GPA to be considered for admission and the admissions committee reviews eligible applicants’ complete academic histories rather than considering only their cumulative or “major” GPAs.

Modern AI Methods Certificate Eligibility Criteria

Academic Background and Professional Experience

The Modern AI Methods certificate is open to applicants with bachelor’s degrees in any field who have experience with the mathematics, statistics, and hands-on programming key skills described below. Those with STEM degrees, mathematically-focused business degrees, or similar fields are likely to find their academic training a good match with the certificate’s scope.

Current or prior professional experience is not required for the Modern AI Methods certificate and the program is open to both industry professionals and recent graduates intending to join the workforce. Proficiency in the key math and programming skills gained on the job or through other professional experiences may substitute for coursework in specific topics. The strongest applications will show proficiency in all skills.

Essential Math and Programming Skills

  • Calculus I & II
  • Functions of several variables 
  • Matrix operations 
  • Linear systems of equations
  • Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors 
  • Bayesian Statistics
  • Probability distributions
  • Maximum likelihood estimation
  • Object-oriented programming basic skills (e.g. variables, conditional statements, loops, and functions)
  • Using simple data structures (e.g. lists, tuples, dictionaries, sets)
  • Understanding the function of more complex data structures (e.g. queues, stacks, trees)
  • Using tools and libraries such as NumPy, Plotly, Matplotlib, or others

Pre-application skills assessment

We provide an optional self-assessment to support applicants in understanding the program’s requisite math and programming skills. The results of the self-assessment are not viewable by the admissions committee and the intention is for applicants to feel confident proceeding with their application, or understanding areas where they would benefit from additional training prior to applying.

Self-Assess Your Skills Today!

Demonstrating Proficiency

The Modern AI Methods certificate is designed for a broad audience and its requisite skills can be acquired through a variety of academic and professional pathways. Evidence of proficiency in a skill can be demonstrated through any of the following three methods:

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

For more information and a link to a template for providing this information, visit the certificate’s How to Apply page.

Seattle-Area Residency

Applicants must commit to reside in the Seattle area by the time of the certificate’s start date. As the Graduate Certificate in Modern AI Methods is an in-person graduate certificate, its students must furthermore reside in the Seattle area for the duration of their studies.

No GRE Score Requirement

The Graduate Certificate in Modern AI Methods does not require the GRE or other graduate study entrance exam and applicants do not need to self-report scores nor send official score reports. There is no benefit to providing GRE scores during the application process as any scores that are received will not be referenced during the application review process.

International Applicants

The Modern AI Methods certificate does not support F-1 or J-1 student visas. International students are welcome in the Modern AI Methods certificate but must hold another visa or immigration status that allows them to reside and study part-time in the United States.

English Language Proficiency

All applicants who are non-native speakers of English must enclose proof of their English proficiency in their application. For official UW Graduate School policy information, please refer to Graduate Policy 3.2: English Language Proficiency Requirements.

This certificate accepts the following methods by which non-native English speakers may meet this requirement:

  1. Having earned a degree in the United States or another country specified in Policy 3.2 in which English was the language of instruction
  2. Enclosing documentation from a prior degree-granting institution, if outside the US or one of the countries specified in Policy 3.2, that English was the language of instruction. A minimum of three years of enrollment at the institution is required.
  3. Providing official, valid scores from one of the English language proficiency exams listed below. Scores must be submitted to UW electronically and matched to the application for this requirement to be met.
    • Official, valid TOEFL scores showing a total or MyBest score of 92 or higher
    • Official, valid academic IELTS scores showing a total score of 7.0 or higher
    • Official, valid Duolingo English Test scores showing a score of 125 or higher

Further information about enclosing this documentation in the application may be found on the How to Apply page.