Application Process

The Department of Oral Biology only accepts applications for Summer (preferred) and Autumn Quarters. The deadline for U.S. citizens, permanent residents and international students is January 15. All of the Graduate School and Departmental materials must be received by that absolute deadline. However, international students are strongly encouraged to complete the Graduate School admission requirements (on line application, official transcripts, Statement of Financial Ability) by November 1.

Applicants for all programs must have either a Baccalaureate or Professional degree from a Dental or Medical school. We seek applicants who show great promise of successful careers in research. Our applicants typically have strong undergraduate records as well as previous laboratory experience and demonstrated experimental talents. Also, acceptance into the programs requires approval of both the Department of Oral Biology and the Graduate School.

All graduate applications should now be submitted on line. The online application fee is $60.

• Apply Online

You may also find it helpful to review our information on the graduate admissions webpage. Go to either Oral Biology Masters or Oral Biology Ph.D. Programs here.

Underrepresented and minority applicants may find it helpful to review the FAQ section of the graduate admissions webpage. In addition, information on GO-MAP (Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program) can be found here.

All Applicants

Please submit the following by January 15 to the Department of Oral Biology:

University of Washington
Dept. of Oral Biology Graduate Programs, Campus Box 357132
1959 NE Pacific
Health Sciences Building, Room B-224
Seattle, WA 98195-7132

• Three (3) Letters of Recommendation. We prefer that the letters of recommendation be from university teachers or professional supervisors who know you well enough to provide us with an objective evaluation of your potential as a graduate student. A good recommendation would include statements about your research abilities and any progress you have made towards research goals. You are now able to designate your recommenders online on the Graduate School application.
• A 200-300 word statement of educational and professional objectives which includes a general area of research interest, academic goals, motivation, and background. You have the option of uploading this document as plain text online on the Graduate School application. Optional: a personal statement that addresses the relationship between your personal background and your aspirations.
• A Biographical Sketch which is a CV (curriculum vitae)/resume. You have the option of uploading this document as plain text online on the Graduate School application.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The University of Washington Code is 4854 and the Oral Biology Department Code is 0604. We do not have a minimum score requirement; however, scores of at least the 50th percentile are required. Note that we do require the GRE for ALL applicants, regardless of whether you hold an earned doctorate from an accreditd U.S. institution.
• Registration forms or previous reports may be requested from: Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000. http://www.gre.org, 1-800-537-3160, or by email at gre-info@ets.org.
• Signed Copy of the Completed Graduate Application
• One set of official transcripts - you may also upload unofficial transcripts to your graduate application until official copies can be obtained.

International Applicants

The Department of Oral Biology welcomes international applicants; however, please be advised that the training grants are supported by the U.S. National Institute of Health. Therefore only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for these traineeships. If you are an international applicant (have or will hold a temporary visa) who will require a visa to enter the U.S, you will find it helpful to review the "Frequently Asked Questions" section of the graduate admissions webpage. Due to new rules and regulations regarding the issuance of student visas, the Graduate School recommends that potential international applicants make every effort to submit application materials by November 1 for the following Summer or Autumn Quarter. As such, Graduate Admissions cannot guarantee that applications received after January 1 can be processed in time for consideration and successful admission. You will, however, still have until January 15 to send the remaining departmental requirements to the Department.

In addition to the aforementioned requirements, International applicants are required to submit the following to the Graduate School by November 1:

• A signed and dated copy of the Graduate Application
• Two sets (in sealed envelopes) of official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution
• UW Statement of Financial Ability form. Once you have submitted your application online you must log back into the online application to access this form.
• TOEFL score of at least 70 Internet (iBT) in the reading, writing and listening sections only, 237 computerized, or 580 paper. More information regarding the TOEFL can be found at http://www.toefl.org. Scores are only valid for two years. We also accept the IELTS. The minimum score for this exam is 7.0. Resources for understanding the IELTS can be found at http://www.ielts.org.

University of Washington
Office of Graduate Admissions, Campus Box 352191
301 Loew Hall
3920 Stevens Way
Seattle, WA 98195-2191

Tuition

The tuition rate schedule for the 2009-10 academic year for 7-18 credits:

• Resident: 3,575/quarter
• Nonresident:
$8,022/quarter

Financial Aid

NIH traineeships may be available to students who are US citizens or permanent residents. The purpose of this program is to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary research training focusing on molecular and cell biology approaches to discovering and understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie and/or regulate the biological activities of oral tissues and fluids and their interactions with oral pathogens and foreign materials.

Contacts