Admissions Eligibility

Basic Eligibility

Applicants must have already completed a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or an equivalent degree from a foreign university, before the term in which they intend to begin their WWU graduate program.

The degree must be appropriate to the intended graduate program.

You must obtain at least the minimum TOEFL (86 iBT) or IELTS (7.0) scores to be eligible for admission.

Exceptions:

  • English is your native language, or
  • You have earned, or are in the process of earning, a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand or English-speaking provinces of Canada.

Official TOEFL or IELTS scores must be on file in the Graduate School office when the application is received. Test scores must be no older than one year at the time of application.

In order to be eligible for full admission, applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA (on 4.0 scale) calculated over all post-secondary coursework.

Applicants with advanced degrees from accredited institutions are considered to have met GPA requirements.

How to Apply

Most materials, including unofficial transcripts, your statement of purpose and writing samples (if required), are required to be uploaded at the time that you submit your application. Preparing them in advance will expedite your process.

If you have questions as you proceed through the application, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance. Our staff is available Monday-Friday, 8 am to 5 pm (Pacific Time) at gradschool@wwu.edu or (360) 650-3170.

Find your program's page and view available admission terms, deadlines, application requirements and prerequisites for the program of your choice.

For programs that ask you to identify a potential thesis adviser (Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, History, and Experimental Psychology), be sure to look into the research interests of faculty within the department and contact potential advisors prior to submitting an application.

Test scores are required for many graduate programs. Some programs do not require admission test scores, or they may waive scores for holders of advanced degrees (ie. MEd, MA, MS, PhD, JD). For more information, please see our Testing page.

Please note: MIT applicants are required to satisfy WEST-B testing requirements. See WEST-B requirement for details.

WWU's ETS institution code is 4947. It is unnecessary to specify a department code.

Unofficial transcripts from every higher education institution you have attended for academic credit are required at the time you submit your application. Please be sure to include unofficial transcripts for any institution where you took transfer credits or study abroad credits—even if the courses, credits, and grades are listed on your degree institution unofficial transcript. The only exception is for higher education coursework you completed while still attending high school. These transcripts will be used for GPA calculation and evaluation purposes. Please review detailed instructions on uploading transcripts and what document types fulfill requirements.

If you are a current or former Western Washington University student, please generate an unofficial WWU transcript through Web4U to upload.

Official transcripts will be required of candidates upon acceptance of an offer of admission.

The application includes a built-in reference letter request system that automatically sends emails to the recommenders you specify. It will provide them with a form to make their recommendations.

Please Note

All documents submitted in support of your application become the property of the University and will not be returned, copied for the applicant or a third party or forwarded (except to the department for admission and Graduate Assistantship selection purposes).

The Graduate School Office at Western Washington University operates as the graduate admissions center for all academic departments offering graduate degree and graduate certification programs.

Your file is eligible for review by the academic department for admissions consideration once all required materials are received.

Some departments review applications as a group. In these cases, complete applications are held until the deadline passes, and then evaluated. All applications completed by the deadline will be given full consideration.

Most programs that admit all terms (Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer) review applications as soon as they are complete, on a rolling basis.

If you are offered admission, you will be notified via email that a Decision Letter is available to be viewed on your Application Activity page. In order to accept or decline the offer, please use the "Complete Your Decision Form" link provided there.
Please note: Accepting admission and confirming your intent to enroll requires a nonrefundable fee of $100. The confirmation fee is used to fund orientation activities, graduate student community development opportunities, and travel for graduate student presentations at conferences, among many other efforts.

Graduate Admissions Testing

Some graduate programs require admissions tests, such as the GRE or GMAT. Check the requirements for your program, and see our Graduate Admissions Testing page for complete information.

Transcripts

The admissions application requires you to upload unofficial transcripts for each institution you have attended. See details and instructions at Uploading Unofficial Transcripts to the Graduate School.

Mailing Address

WWU Graduate School

516 High Street

Bellingham, WA 98225-9037

Equal Opportunity Statement

Western Washington University (WWU), in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. Inquiries may be directed to the


Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity & Employment Diversity, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance
Western Washington University
Old Main 345, MS 9021
516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98225

360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay)
crtc@wwu.edu.

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request an accommodation, please contact the Disability Access Center, Wilson Library 170, 360.650.3083 (voice) or 360.650.7175 (VP), drs@wwu.edu. One week advance notice appreciated. To request this document in an alternate format, please contact the Disability Access Center, Wilson Library 170, 360.650.3083 (voice) or 360.650.7175 (VP), drs@wwu.edu.

Annual Security & Fire Safety Report

As part of Western's commitment to maintaining a healthy and safe living, learning, and working environment, we want to make you aware of our Annual Security & Fire Safety Report. This report is developed in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and provides reported crime statistics for the previous three calendar years. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The security and fire safety report is available for download.

To request a paper copy of this report:

Please contact the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services Office.

Phone: (360) 650-3839

Email: vpsa.office@wwu.edu.