university of washington accreditation

Online Degrees at the University of Washington

The University of Washington appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Part-Time MBA Programs.

The University of Washington is a large, multicampus public university in Washington State, with a number of online degree programs across a variety of disciplines.

The university has a number of schools and colleges which provide courses in topics as diverse as the liberal arts, business, dentistry, education, computer science and engineering, environmental studies, law, information technology, nursing, social work, and public policy and governance. In total, the university offers more than 100 specific bachelor’s degrees and over 300 graduate degree program options at its three Washington-based campuses.

Several University of Washington degrees are available online through the university’s Professional and Continuing Education Program. The majority of online programs are master’s degrees, although online students do have access to a completely online Bachelor of Arts in Early Care and Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Sciences.

Fifteen master’s degrees can be earned online, with four—the Master of Aerospace Engineering, Master of Library and Information Science, Master of Science in Computational Finance and Risk Management, Master of Science in Computational Linguistics, and Master of Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics—requiring some physical presence at the university’s Seattle campus.

Other master’s degrees are completely online, including:

  • Master of Education in Special Education: Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Master of Infrastructure Planning and Management
  • Master of Pharmaceutical Bioengineering
  • Master of Science in Applied Mathematics
  • Master of Science in Civil Engineering: Construction Engineering

The online Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Social Sciences is ranked second in the nation, according to The Best Schools ranking. It teaches students to connect topics as broad as black cultural studies, social justice, health practices, and intercultural power relations, preparing them for a career in the social sciences.

The university’s Master of Library and Information Science program can be taken either on campus or online, and is noteworthy for its connection to UW’s law school, with a law librarianship program that has a national reputation for excellence. Alternately, students can be certified as a school library media specialist if they are interested in working in K-12 schools.

In addition to degree-granting online programs, the University of Washington offers over 40 certificate programs and also gives students the option to enroll in specific courses online without working toward a degree.

About the University of Washington

The University of Washington began its life as the Territorial University of Washington in 1861, when Seattle was a tiny fishing village of fewer than 300 people. With only a handful of students, the young university did not grant a bachelor’s degree until 1876. By the 1890s, with Seattle’s population booming after the Washington Territory was admitted to the Union, the new state’s legislature moved the university to its current, larger location.

Despite its humble beginnings, the University of Washington is internationally renowned. In 2018, it ranked 14th in Shanghai Ranking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, only a spot behind Yale University. Other lists, such as The U.S. News and World Report‘s Best Global Universities list, rank UW 10th in the world and second amongst U.S. public universities.

The university also ranks well in cost analyses, with a 5th-place rank on Kiplinger’s list of best values at U.S. public universities and a 1st-place rank according to a CNBC value-based ranking.

University of Washington Accreditation Details

The University of Washington is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). A number of the university’s schools and colleges are accredited by other bodies.

The clinical psychology program offered by the College of Arts and Sciences is accredited by the American Psychological Association and the Psychological Clinical Science and Accreditation System. Its animal facilities are accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International.

The School of Social Work, including its campus-based and online social work programs, are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education. The Information School’s Master of Library and Information Science, also offered online, is accredited by the American Library Association.

Because there are a large number of programs at the University of Washington, the university provost’s office maintains a full list of specialized accreditations.

University of Washington Application Requirements

At the undergraduate level, the University of Washington accepts applications from freshmen, transfer and international students, and students who wish to earn a second bachelor’s degree. The application requirements for each category are different and are described in detail on the university’s admissions website.

Many of the university’s online programs work on a cohort system, with students entering on specific dates. Applications to these courses must be turned in ahead of the application deadline listed on the program page. Undergraduate programs require applicants to have completed high school, while the online master’s programs are intended for those with a bachelor’s degree.

Regardless of the type of online program, international applicants whose first language is not English must prove their English proficiency. Online programs do not require a student visa for enrollment or completion.

The University of Washington courses use an online learning management system, so online students will also need to ensure they have access to a computer with a high-speed internet connection and a modern web browser.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The cost of tuition for the University of Washington’s online courses varies depending on the program. Students and applicants need to refer to the specific degree program’s website to determine how much their courses will cost.

In addition to course fees, online students must pay a $55 registration fee each quarter, as well as a technology fee. All University of Washington students, including online students, are eligible to purchase a U-PASS, which provides low and no-cost transportation in the Seattle area.

Online students are not for federal financial aid or federal student loans, but private loans and deferments are an option. A number of the online certificate programs also have scholarships available, as well.

Online programs from the University of Washington are top rate, just like the university, and provide students with the ability to complete their education on their own time.