Intellectual Property Law and Policy Graduate Program
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What are average living expenses for a full-time graduate student?
- Is there a tuition discount for Washington state residents?
- How many credits do I need to enroll in to qualify for financial aid?
- Do I need to take the GRE exam?
- Will the LL.M. program qualify me to sit for the New York Bar exam?
- I was schooled outside of the United States, but am now a U.S. resident. Am I still considered an International Student?
- Can I take English classes while I am pursuing an LL.M. degree?
- Can I study English during the academic year at the UW before enrolling in the LL.M.?
- Can I study English during the summer before enrolling in the LL.M.?
- How do I get a visa?
- How long will it take to get a visa?
- How do I find out about housing?
- May I still submit an application after the deadline has passed?
- I received my letter of recommendation for admission from the program. How long will it take to get my official notice from the Graduate School?
Q. What are average living expenses for a full-time graduate student?
A: Most full-time students complete the program in 9 months (3 quarters) and average 13-14 credits per quarter. These expenses are subject to change without notice and students should be prepared for any adjustment.
EXPENSES |
ACADEMIC YEAR |
CALENDAR YEAR |
Tuition & other campus fees (assuming 40 credits/year)
|
$28,528.00 |
$28,700.00 |
| Health Insurance (required) |
$1,167.00 |
$1,556.00 |
Room and Board |
$11,742.00 |
$15,656.00 |
Books and Supplies |
$1,176.00 |
$1,568.00 |
Local Transportation |
$1,443.00 |
$1,924.00 |
Personal Expenses |
$2,265.00 |
$3,020.00 |
TOTAL (U.S. $) |
$46,321.00 |
$52,424.00 |
Q. Is there a tuition discount for Washington state residents?
A. No, we are a self-sustaining program and all students are charged $700/credit.
Q. How many credits do I need to enroll in to qualify for financial aid?
A. Full-time students may register for at least 10 and part-time at least 5.
Q. Do I need to take the GRE exam?
A. No, we do not require GRE scores. Foreign applicants must submit English competency test scores including TOEFL (written, computerized or internet-based), MLT or IELTS.
Q. Will the LL.M. program qualify me to sit for the New York Bar exam?
A. Maybe. Several of our students have been able to fulfill the requirements to qualify for the New York bar exam while completing the LL.M. degree. In general, you need a minimum of two courses in basic American law from the approved subject list. Our academic services group will work with students to confirm enrollment and degree completion. It may be necessary for you to take more than the minimum 40 units to achieve both the program requirements and the NY bar subjects. It is more than possible to do this in 3 quarters, however, since our tuition is per unit it will be at an additional cost
Q. I was schooled outside of the United States, but am now a U.S. resident. Am I still considered an International Student?
A. An international student is anyone who IS NOT a U.S. citizen and does not hold a U.S. Permanent Resident Visa (i.e., "Green Card or Immigrant"). This definition also includes students who hold U.S. visas, such as F-1 students, exchange visitors, or any other non-immigrant classifications.
Q. Can I take English classes while I am pursuing an LL.M. degree?
A. Yes. In some cases we will require you to take ESL classes, particularly in the Autumn Quarter. This is a 5 credit course in addition to your normal LL.M. course load. The fee for the 2007-2008 academic year is based on the resident undergraduate tuition rate of $213.40 per credit, totaling $1067.
Q. Can I study English during the academic year at the UW before enrolling in the LL.M.?
A. Yes. See more information about the English Language Programs offered at the UW.
Occasionally students with a TOEFL score slightly below 580 (paper-based), 237 (computerized), or 70 (internet-based but only including listening, writing and reading sections of the test) are admitted to the LL.M. program on a conditional basis. The condition of admission is attendance at ESL courses run by the University of Washington (separate and additional fees apply). In order to determine placement in the ESL classes, the student is required to take the Academic English Program (AEP) Diagnostic/Placement Test before the beginning of the fall quarter. See more information about the AEP Diagnostic/Placement Test. The LL.M. degree cannot be conferred on a candidate who gains conditional admission before the completion of these compulsory ESL courses. Students may choose to take the TOEFL again and if they receive a score higher than 580, 237 or 70, then this condition will no longer apply. Q. Can I study English during the summer before enrolling in the LL.M.?
Q. Can I study English during the summer before enrolling in the LL.M.?
A: Yes, we encourage students accepted into LL.M. Programs who feel the need for additional English language study to participate in any or all of the following Summer Institutes: the Summer Institute in Transnational Law and Practice, the Summer Institute in English for Business and Law (SIEBL) and the Center for Advanced Study and Research on Intellectual Property’s (CASRIP) Patent and Intellectual Property Law and Practice Summer Institute. These summer institutes will be completed before starting the LL.M. program and tuition for these programs are in addition to the LL.M. tuition.
For more information see:
- Summer Institute in Transnational Law and Practice
- Summer Institute in English for Business and Law
- CASRIP Summer Institute
The University of Washington also offers online English language courses that may be taken anywhere in the world.
Q: How do I get a visa?
A: Visas eligibility forms are processed by Graduate Admissions on the main campus, not by the Law School. As soon as your application is complete and you have been formally admitted, Graduate Admissions will send you an I-20 visa form. Before you receive your I-20 visa form, you must have completed and returned to Graduate Admissions your Statement of Financial Ability form. You cannot receive a visa eligibility form without completing the Statement of Financial Ability.
Q: How long will it take to get a visa?
A: Graduate Admissions is processing thousands of visas for students all over the university. Your visa forms will usually be processed in time for you to begin classes in the Autumn Quarter. Your visa processing is not designed for you to come to the US during the previous summer, unless you have an academic reason for doing so (i.e. participation in an English program or a program offered at another university). If you have an academic reason for being in the US earlier than September, you should advise the Law School and Graduate Admissions about this early.
Q: How do I find out about housing?
A: Students and Visitors should find the following housing resources useful:
- On-Campus Information
The University of Washington offers residence hall accommodations, single-student apartments, family housing, and apartments for married students or students in a registered same sex domestic partnership. For more information on the types of housing available through the University, please visit the Housing and Food Services website. You may also call (206)543-4059 or email hfsinfo@u.washington.edu and the Student Services Office is located at 301 Schmitz (1400 NE Campus Parkway).
- Off-Campus Information
For listings of off-campus housing, you may go online to any of several Seattle newspaper and look in the classified section.
- The Daily: UW campus newspaper
- Seattle Times: Seattle daily newspaper
- The Seattle Weekly
- The Stranger
- Craig’s List
- Northwest Classified Advertisements Online
- Homestay If you would like to live with a host family for a short time before finding permanent housing, we recommend that you make arrangements through the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS).
Q: May I still submit an application after the deadline has passed?
A: International applicants:
The Graduate School priority deadline is November 1.
Application materials submitted after this date will still be evaluated; however, we cannot guarantee that materials submitted after this date will be processed in a timely fashion to permit enrollment in time for Autumn Quarter.
The Intellectual Property Program deadline is February 1.
Domestic (U.S.) applicants:
The priority deadline is July 1. Application materials submitted after this date will still be evaluated; however, we cannot guarantee that materials submitted after this date will be processed in a timely fashion to permit enrollment in time for Autumn Quarter.
Q: I received my letter of recommendation for admission from the program. How long will it take to get my official notice from the Graduate School?
A: Once you have completed all of the Graduate School admission materials including sealed official transcripts, official TOEFL scores (International only), and statement of financial ability (International only), the letter will be written and mailed to you. Please notify your program assistant of any changes in address.
