Admissions

Online application profile

Create your online application profile via the UW Graduate Admissions website. After creating your profile, you will be asked to select program information:

1. Select your application type: “Graduate”
2. Select your graduate program: “Business Administration – Foster School of Business – Information Systems MS”
3. Indicate your desired entry date (e.g. Summer 2025)

Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts from all college institutions in which a degree was granted are required. Documents should be generated by the institution (e.g., a scan of an official document or a PDF created from a student portal). Anything appearing self-generated is not considered a valid document. Unofficial transcripts are used to evaluate your academic record during admissions. We reserve the right to request an official transcript at any point once you submit your application. Admitted students will be required to submit an official transcript for verification.

Do not send official transcripts to our office via mail. Admitted students will need to submit official transcripts at a later date.

Cumulative GPAs are required (3.0 minimum) for each listed prior school. Report GPA based on the last 90 quarter or 60 semester graded credits. There is a check box where you can indicate “I do not have a GPA” for schools such as Evergreen State College.

Required content for all transcripts:

• Full name of applicant (former names are acceptable if indicated on application)
• Name of degree-granting institution
• Title(s) of academic degree(s) awarded
• Dates of enrollment, including date of graduation/degree conferral
• Names of individual courses
• Grades, marks, or ratings of individual courses
• International transcripts must include official English translations but are not required to re-scale grades to a 4.0 scale
• Both marks sheets and degree statements are required, if applicable

Statement of Purpose

A statement of purpose essay is required and must be uploaded or entered online. The essay must be within 500 words and must answer the following questions:

• Why are you interested in MSIS?
• What are your learning goals?
• What are your career goals in the next 5 to 10 years?
• How will MSIS help you reach these goals?

Professional Resume

Your resume should be a complete summary of your education and professional work history in reverse chronological order. Your resume must be uploaded or entered online. Please include internships and other project experience as well. For each position or internship, include:

• Company name; division, group, or department; dates of employment or internship
• Position title, if applicable
• Responsibility summary: a 2-4 sentence section describing your primary responsibilities for each position
• Accomplishment bullets: 1-3 bullets for each position.

Letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required. We recommend using one academic and one professional reference. However, if you choose to use both academic references or professional references, that is acceptable as well. Recommendations could come from your professors or supervisor at work. Designate your recommenders in your online application profile. Recommenders will receive an email directing them to the online recommendation form.

Official GMAT or GRE Score Report

Applicants have the option of applying with or without a GMAT or GRE test score.

Applying with a GMAT or GRE score

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) these exams are offered year-round and can be taken multiple times. Scores are valid for five years and you must take the exam at least two weeks before the admissions deadline to allow for the scores to be matched with your application.

If you have taken the exam more than once, the admissions committee will use your highest total score to evaluate your application.

Request your official scores be sent to the University of Washington MSCM Program. Include your score breakdown in the Self-Reported Test Score sections in the online application.

GMAT Score Reporting: University of Washington – Seattle, Michael G. Foster School of Business, Master of Supply Chain Management (school code: 459-75-78)

GRE Score Reporting: University of Washington (school code: 4854)

While there is not a minimum score required, a total GMAT score of mid-upper 600s and a combined GRE score of 310 or higher would be considered competitive.

Applying Test Optional

Applicants without test scores should demonstrate quantitative and program readiness by meeting at least two of the following criteria:

1. Strong quantitative or analytical ability evidenced throughout educational records, with a cumulative GPA at or above 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, and similar grades in quantitative courses.
2. An undergraduate, masters, or advanced degree in a STEM field (i.e., science, technology, engineering, statistics, economics, finance, information systems, mathematics) with robust academic performance.
3. Completion of at least four 300-to-600-level (or U.S. equivalent) quantitative or analytical courses.
4. Two or more years of progressively responsible professional work experience demonstrating deep quantitative or analytical skills.

Please note that meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission to the Foster MSCM Program. We evaluate holistically.

All applicants who choose to apply Test-Optional are required to answer the following prompt:

“Please detail the specific evidence in your academic and/or professional experience that supports your analytical and quantitative preparedness for success in the program.” (75 words maximum)

English language proficiency

If your native language is not English, the University of Washington requires applicants to demonstrate English language proficiency in one of the following ways:

• A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or from an institution in Australia, the Bahamas, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, or the United Kingdom. While enrolled at the degree-granting school, the student must be in residence on campus.
• Official documentation from the applicant’s undergraduate degree-granting institution (if the institution is in a country other than those listed in #1 above) verifying that all instruction is in English. The undergraduate degree must be equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree. Documentation must be presented to the Graduate School.
• An official letter stating successful completion of one of the following UW Intensive English Programs (IEP). The letter must be submitted to the Graduate School.
• Complete the TOEFL exam. Minimum score requirement is 92 iBT / 580 PBT.
  NOTE: Most test scores are valid for two years. Applicants with scores below the minimum score requirements are highly encouraged to retake the exam before submitting an application.
• Complete the IELTS exam. Minimum score requirement is 7.0. Request that your official scores be sent directly to the University of Washington via the “E-Delivery service” option.
• Complete the Duolingo exam. Minimum Minimum score requirement is 120. Request that your official scores be sent directly to the University of Washington from Duolingo by selecting, “University of Washington Graduate Admissions (Bothell, Seattle, Tacoma).”

Information Systems proficiency requirement

Foster MSIS applicants must demonstrate exposure to basic IT infrastructure, including databases, data networking, and some object-oriented development environment. College transcripts, employment responsibilities listed in your resume, and relevant real-world experience may also be used to demonstrate this understanding. Applicants who have limited experience in these proficiency areas are encouraged to consider applying for our Spring quarter, MSIS Accelerate.

MSIS Scholarship Application (optional)

The MSIS Program offers limited scholarships. The scholarship application is an optional part of the admission process. It is brief—just a few questions designed to assess eligibility—and should be submitted with your initial program admission materials through the online application on the UW Graduate Admissions website.

Personal Statement (optional)

A personal statement essay is optional and must be within 300 words and should address the following:

• Is there anything else we should know about you that is not included in your statement of purpose?

Additional personal context is optional.

Video interview

All applicants must complete a short video interview. You will need a computer with internet access, a webcam, and a microphone. The video interview allows us to get to know you better, assess your communication skills as well as your ability to think quickly and creatively. Once you submit your admissions application, you will be emailed on how to complete the video interview within 2-3 business days. The interview consists of pre-recorded questions by the MSIS Program where your responses to these questions are recorded. The interview needs to be completed by the application deadline.
*In-person interviews may be substituted for the video interview on a case-by-case basis

Non-refundable Application Fee ($90)

A non-refundable application fee of $90 must be paid by credit card through the online application system. You must submit a separate application and pay a separate application fee for each graduate program you are applying to. We are not able to transfer applications between programs.

Foster School Statement of Integrity

All applicants must confirm the statement of integrity when completing the applicant profile.

The Michael G. Foster School of Business takes very seriously the standards of ethical behavior of its students. To ensure the admission process integrity, applicants must confirm the following statement:

“I certify that the statements in this application are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that withholding, misrepresenting or giving false information will invalidate my application. I understand the Foster School of Business may contact the individuals who wrote my letters of recommendation, past employers, schools I have attended, and other organizations or individuals I have listed in this application to confirm the accuracy of the information set forth. I acknowledge that the application fee and submitted records are not returnable.”

Selection Criteria

We strive to create an environment representative of the organizations in which the students work. We believe that a diverse student body is reflected in the experience, cultural background, ethnic origin, professions, career goals, living experiences, and previous academic study of the students and helps to create such an environment. All applicants are evaluated using the following four criteria:

1. Past academic performance
   We review each prospective student’s undergraduate history, taking note of the difficulty of the curriculum and the scholastic quality of the school attended. We also consider the applicant’s post baccalaureate academic experience, if any. Special attention is given to performance in courses taken in the Information Systems area.
2. General intellectual ability
   We evaluate each individual’s performance on either the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which provide a measure of the applicant’s general verbal and quantitative abilities. These attributes, which develop over a long period of time, are related to success in graduate management curricula. Test-optional applications are also available, learn more about how to apply test-optional for this cycle.
3. Managerial potential
   We assess each prospective student’s level of managerial responsibility by examining his or her accomplishments in school, community activities, internships, and work experience.
4. Ability to communicate clearly, succinctly, and persuasively
   The required essay demonstrates each applicant’s level of writing competence, as well as his or her ability to think through issues. Scores on an English proficiency exam may be required if English is not the applicant’s native language.

Degree requirements

Applicants are required to hold the minimum equivalent of a four-year baccalaureate degree. We welcome a diverse cohort every year, and historically many of our students have a non-technical Bachelor’s degree. Studies conducted outside of the U.S. do not need to be converted to a four-point scale, but transcripts should be translated to English. We evaluate candidates on a case-by-case basis.

Work experience

Post-undergraduate professional experience is desirable, but not required.