Founded in 1861, the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the Pacific coast. UW is situated in Seattle on beautiful Puget Sound, located between the shores of Lake Washington and Lake Union. The Olympic National Forest and Mount Rainier are close enough for weekend hiking, camping, or skiing. The University of Washington is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the West Coast and is one of the preeminent research universities in the world.

With more than 39,000 students, the Seattle campus is made up of seventeen schools and colleges offering educational opportunities to students ranging from first-year undergraduates through doctoral-level candidates. The University is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the Association of American Universities. The UW educates a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.

Language of Instruction: English

Course restrictions:
Access to courses in Computer Science, Psychology, Art, Architecture, Communications, Sociology, and Law, Society, & Justice is extremely competitive and difficult. You may be limited to courses outside these majors due to enrollment constraints. Also, studio classes and professional programs are generally not open to exchange students. Courses in education, law and health sciences are generally graduate level and are not open to undergraduate students.

Course description:
http://www.washington.edu/students/crscat/

Academic calendar:
The University operates on a quarter system. NUS Semester 1 is equivalent to Autumn quarter (Late Sep to Mid Dec). NUS Semester 2 is equivalent to both Winter and Spring quarters (Early Jan to Mid Jun).
For more details on Academic Calendar, visit: http://www.washington.edu/students/reg/calendar.html

Application deadlines:

On-Campus:
Students can flexibly choose among three types of on-campus housing:

• Residence Halls: Single student housing, furnished but do not provide bedding or linen
• Commodore Duchess Apartments: Studio and 1 bedroom apartments, completely unfurnished.
• Family Housing: 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments, completely unfurnished.
• Radford Court: Unfurnished apartments located three miles northeast of UW are available for single students, couples, and families.

For more information, please visit http://hfs.washington.edu/

Off-campus:
There are many apartments and shared houses available in the area surrounding the University of Washington. Housing can generally be divided into two categories: Shared and Non-shared. Non-Shared might include a one bedroom or a studio (one large room with a separate bathroom) apartment. Shared housing might be a room in a house or part of an apartment where you would share things like the kitchen and bathroom. Some studios in the lower price ranges may have shared bathrooms on the same floor.

Information on off-campus housing can be obtained from the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the Off-Campus Housing Affairs (OCHA) Office at http://housing.asuw.org/.

Other local resources for finding housing include:

• The Seattle Times (http://marketplace.nwsource.com/classified/rent/) and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer Classifieds sections (http://marketplace.nwsource.com/rentals/) are a good resource. Listed by neighborhood, they come out each day. The early Sunday edition available on Saturday is your best resource with the latest listings.
• Renttech.com is a paid service that offers hundreds of easily searchable listings for housing. You can designate you price range and type of housing, and Renttech.com will email you listings as they become available. This service costs approximately $75 for three months of access.

Useful Links:

• University website: http://www.washington.edu/
• International Programs and Exchanges: http://ipe.washington.edu/international/index.html
  
• Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS): http://www.fiuts.washington.edu/
  
• Student Guide: http://www.washington.edu/students/#STDLIFE

Health Insurance:
All students who attend US universities on exchange are required to purchase the health insurance recommended by their host university as part of the registration process. In addition, they can also purchase additional optional insurance from a private insurer for their term of study overseas. These short term optional insurance plans cover events such as personal accident, accidental medical expenses, emergency medical evacuation etc. As an exchange student, you are eligible to apply for an insurance waiver if you have comparable insurance that is valid in the US. Please note that you will still need to select UW Accident and Sickness Insurance when you first register. Once your waiver has been approved, then the ISO will remove the insurance charge from your account. For more information please go to http://depts.washington.edu/uwiso/stu/hi.shtml and select "Insurance Waiver."

Fees:
All students have to pay for the U Pass and Orientation fee.

Estimated Cost of Living: