Frequently asked questions about the University of Washington's Master of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering.

Program Scheduling

When are classes held?
All classes are held during weekday evenings (typically from 6–9:50 p.m.) on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, WA.

Is this program full-time or part-time?
It is designed to be either. About half of our students attend full-time (10+ credits/quarter) and half attend part-time while working or doing internships. Each student decides how many classes to take each quarter depending on personal commitments (e.g., work, family).

Is the HCDE MS available as an online or distance learning program?
No, our program is offered only in-person in Seattle, WA.

Tuition and Fees

What is the total tuition rate?
All students (Washington state residents, domestic, or international) are charged exactly the same tuition rate. A full outline can be found on the Tuition and Fees page.

Do you offer scholarships or tuition support?
The MS HCDE program provides partial scholarships through the GSEE Tuition and Supplemental Award. For more information about financial aid or personal loans, please see the Tuition and Fees and Financial Resources pages.

Does the MS program financially support the GEM Fellowship program?

Yes, we do support GEM fellows admitted to the HCDE MSprogram. GEM fellows are eligible to receive an application fee waiver to cover the application costs for the MS as well as the PhD programs.

I work for the University of Washington or the State of Washington. Is this program eligible for Tuition Exemption?
No, this program is self-sustaining (not state-supported) and therefore does not participate in the University's Tuition Exemption program.

Admissions and Applications

When is the next admissions deadline?
The application deadline always falls on or immediately around January 15 of each year (varying slightly only to avoid overlap with holidays/weekends). In 2025, the application deadline is January 15. Once set, it is a hard and inflexible deadline. Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. All materials (including unofficial transcripts, recommendations, and, when applicable, unofficial TOEFL scores) must be uploaded into the online application by this deadline in order for the application to be considered complete and eligible for review in the admissions process. Late materials will not be accepted. 

Can HCDE make exceptions to the deadline?

No. Not even for technical issues with the portal or the payment.

I submitted an application but paid after the deadline. Will my application be reviewed?

We have a policy of not sharing the review status of anyone's application after the deadline. Everyone gets notified of the decisions regarding their application in March.

I submitted an application but didn't include a material until after the deadline. Will my application be reviewed?

As with the above question, we have a policy of not sharing the review status of anyone's application after the deadline. Everyone gets notified of the decisions regarding their application in March.

Where do I apply?
Our application portal is here: link. In Program Selection, please select "Human Centered Design and Engineering - Professional (MS in Human Centered Design & Engineering)".

I am a User-Centered Design Certificate student. Do I need to submit a new application to the MS program?
Yes, you must submit new materials; you are considered a new applicant and need to submit a completely new application (including recent transcripts).

I applied to the MS program last year and was not accepted. Could you use my application from last year?
No, you are considered a new applicant. Please submit new application materials (including recent transcripts and new recommendations) in order to be considered.

I submitted my application but forgot to add something to my resume or Personal Statement. Could I request to make a change?
We do not update materials after applications are submitted. Please double-check all your documents in advance.

When may I expect to hear an admissions decision?
All applicants who applied in the current admissions cycle will receive an email outlining being accepted or declined by the middle of March.

What are the required English Language Proficiency exam scores?
Please see this page for detailed information about English Language Proficiency. .

Can HCDE make exceptions to the English Language Proficiency policies?

No. The policies have exceptions already stated within them. If you don't have any way to satisfy English Language Proficiency through your degree or test scores, there are no exceptions we can make on the basis of your overall merits. Often applicants can find that they might have what’s needed if they read both the degree-based and the score-based components of our policies.

I'm not sure if my English Language Proficiency test score was sent to you. What should I do?

Report your scores yourself in the application just in case we don't receive your scores on time.

Applicants need to take the exam by the application deadline. It takes a long time for the official scores to be sent to our system, so in the meantime, the solution is to use unofficial scores.
You can enter unofficial scores into the application that we can use for initial review. Official scores are not required to be received by the deadline. 
IN THE APPLICATION PORTAL, THERE’S THIS SECTION:
“Self-Reported Test Scores
Enter self-reported test scores using the link below. Self-reporting test scores is optional, however programs may require that test scores be officially reported to the UW.
Additionally, some programs may consider or prefer certain tests, but not others. See program specific information on the Program Requirements page.
If official test scores are required for the program you selected, the "Verify and Confirm" page will contain optional fields to collect additional information that may help matching your official scores to your application.”
Use that section to submit your unofficial scores.

Is the Master's program in HCDE considered a STEM program?
Yes, we are considered a STEM program, and accepted students are therefore eligible to apply for OPT extension. The CIP code for all our programs is 11.0103.

How will I know whether my transcripts have been received?
You are responsible for ensuring that the University of Washington has received your transcripts by the January 16 application deadline. To check the status of transcripts, please log-in to your application status page. Remember, only unofficial transcripts are needed for application review. If you receive an offer of admission, you must then submit official transcripts for review. For specific questions about transcripts, please email uwgrad@uw.edu.

If you're an international student who needs to prove English Language Proficiency and you are planning to use your degree (not test scores) to prove it, and you've graduated from your degree, make sure your unofficial transcript states that your degree was awarded/conferred.

How will I know if my recommenders have submitted their letters of recommendation?
Once you have submitted your application, you can check the status of your recommendation letters by logging into your application status page. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure recommendations are received by the deadline. Late recommendations cannot be accepted.

I understand three recommendations are required. Is it possible to submit a fourth recommendation?
In fairness to all applicants, only three recommendations may be submitted. Any additional recommendations will not be reviewed.

Whom should I have write my recommendations?
Choose individuals that know you well, and are able to speak in depth regarding your character, accomplishments, and abilities. If you are still in school, or just recently graduated, professors or other researchers under whom you worked would be excellent candidates. If you have been out of school for a while, your best option might include direct work supervisors or other professional mentors. Make sure you have asked people if they can write your recommendations in advance, and make sure to remind them to submit the recommendations once you've requested the recommendations through our application portal.

I am writing a student recommendation and get an error message while uploading my letter. Do you have any suggestions?
Sometimes the online system has bugs with Firefox or Chrome browsers. If this occurs, please try again using Internet Explorer. If you continue to have problems, please send the letter, as an attachment, to our department at this email address: askhcde@uw.edu (the recommender must send this from their email address to us in order for this to be official).

How competitive is MS admission? 
Admission is highly competitive and we accept about 20% of our applicant pool each year.

What can I do to differentiate myself as a candidate?
Be sure your personal statement shows a clear relationship between your professional goals and the skills taught in the program. Take your personal statement seriously and express your vision as clearly as possible.

I'm interested in both the MS in Human Centered Design & Engineering and another program at the University of Washington. Is it possible to apply to both programs and then make a decision?
Yes, the University of Washington allows you to apply to more than one program simultaneously. There is no penalty for doing this since every department evaluates applications independently. You must submit a completely separate application for each program you are considering. 

HCDE vs Other UW Graduate Programs

How does the MS in Human Centered Design & Engineering differ from the Master of Human-Computer Interaction + Design (MHCID)? 

• The MS HCDE is a 50-credit evening program, resulting in a graduate engineering degree, costing $900 per credit in academic year 2022-2023. Students take classes (a mix of theory, project, and studio based courses), participate in faculty led Directed Research Groups, and complete Capstone Projects and optional internships, with the overall curriculum focusing on research, design, and engineering. The program typically takes part-time students approximately 3 years to complete, while full-time students are usually able to complete in 5-6 quarters.
• The MHCID program is a 46-credit program, costing $1,098 per credit in academic year 2020-2021. It is an intensive 11-month day curriculum that is project-based in a design studio format. The MHCID program is a full-time commitment and students typically do not hold jobs or internships while enrolled. Find additional information about MHCI+D program costs and financial aid, here.

Find a comparison of the Master of Human-Computer Interaction + Design program with related degree programs on their website »

How can I learn more about applying to the University of Washington Graduate School? 
Please see the Graduate School's Frequently Asked Questions page.

What is the HCDE experience for students of color?
The Department recently hosted a webinar to describe efforts to make the department more inclusive. The webinar includes a panel of current HCDE graduate students discussing their experiences in the department, both inside and outside of the classroom. Find the video here.

Obtaining More Information

Could I attend an Info Session?
Yes, Info Sessions are held throughout the academic year on the University of Washington campus in Seattle. Details will be posted on the Info Session Calendar.