Graduate Education

Six University of Washington subjects ranked in the top 10, and atmospheric sciences maintained its position as No. 1 in the world on the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects list for 2023. The ranking, released at the end of October, was conducted by researchers at the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, a fully independent organization dedicated to research on higher education intelligence and consultation.

"I would encourage first-gen students to never stop asking questions. I was often far too shy to do this during my undergraduate years. It took a long time to figure out how things worked and even longer to figure out how to succeed in academic spaces. There are UW employees whose sole role is to support you in this journey so find out who they are!" - Tasha Mosher, M.A. Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment

"I would also tell students to not count themselves out. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take and there is a reason you got into college in the first place. You are capable of anything you may put your mind to, even if no one before you has done it" - Kaitlynn Lilly (M.S. Applied Mathematics, 2023), Ph.D. Applied Mathematics, 2027

"To me, being a current first-generation student navigating a Ph.D. means owning my space in academia. It's a reminder that the path to this point wasn't easy, but now that I'm here, my educational journey holds immense significance for me, my family, and my community. This isn't just about getting a degree—it's about breaking barriers and creating opportunities for those who will come after me. It also means staying grounded and being profoundly grateful for all the doors that opened through my hard work and determination." - Elizabeth Nova (Ph.D. Sociology, 2026)

"I was 24 years old when I found support to apply for college. This support came from other first-generation college students who noticed my curiosity and inquisitiveness and sat with me while I applied. That support led me to graduate with a four-year degree and then be accepted to the University of Washington as a graduate student. Now that I am a professor, I want to continue to pass forward this support to first-generation students, to pursue paths deemed impossible or unlikely because of where we come from and who we are." - fabian romero, alum (Ph.D. Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies)

Three graduate students who earned doctoral degrees in spring 2023 received the Graduate Medal from the College of Arts & Sciences. 

Inside Hutchinson Hall, home of the University of Washington School of Drama, students work at tables as they learn to assemble patterns based on costume designs. They’re surrounded by dress forms, bolts of cloth, sewing machines and costumes in progress. This is the Costume Shop, the domain of Val Mayse, master dressmaker for the School of Drama.

Abdiel Jacobsen, graduating with an MFA in dance, found creative ways to share Latin Hustle, their favorite dance, with students and the wider community.

The Husky 100 recognizes 100 UW undergraduate and graduate students who are making the most of their time at the UW.

Philosopher Arthur Obst, a UW doctoral student, thinks that wild places can thrive — if we adjust our definition of wilderness and embrace the idea of letting go. 

Speech & Hearing Sciences faculty and students help incarcerated mothers in a residential parenting program build a strong communication foundation with their child.

Jeff Lin (2012), obsessed with video games as a child, now leads teams of game developers at Horizon Metaverse — with the help of his UW PhD in psychology.

Global and Regional Studies, a new major in the University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies, offers more flexible course options, allows undergraduates focus on a particular geographic region and theme and provides more choices for the capstone experience.

The formation of the Pacific Alliance for Low Income Inclusion in Statistics and Data Science (PALiISaDS) is a new partnership supported by a $5,000,000 investment from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics  (SSTEM) Program.  The partnership is led by the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Washington, and also includes the University of California, Irvine, California State University Monterey Bay, California State University East Bay, California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo, and San Diego State University. 

Abdiel Jacobsen, a graduate in the Department of Dance and a former Martha Graham dancer, found freedom in hustle, which offers a progressive, gender-neutral vision of partnered social dance.