Intellectual Property Law and Policy Graduate Program
INCOMING INTERNATIONAL STUDENT INFORMATION

Statement of Financial Ability

All incoming students must complete this form, which is available as part of the online application form, along with original financial documentation to the Office of Graduate Admissions, University of Washington, Box 352191, Seattle, WA 98195-2191. Returning this form and the original financial documentation promptly is extremely important. You will not receive an admission letter from the Graduate School or your visa eligibility form until you have successfully returned these items.

This form shows that you are able to pay for a year of study in the U.S. and allows you to claim any dependents who may accompany you to the U.S. during your course of study. Most delays in the application process occur at this stage, so it is vitally important to return this form with the requested supporting documents promptly.

Visas for Studying in the United States

1. How do I receive an F-1/J-1 visa?

   Students living outside of the U.S. must obtain a passport from their home government and take student visa documents and supporting documentation to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for F-1/J-1 student visa status.

2. Who issues your Graduate School Certificate of Eligibility visa application documents in order to receive the F-1/J-1 visa?

   The University of Washington Office of Graduate Admissions.

3. What if I have been accepted by several U.S. schools?

   If you have been accepted by several U.S. schools, DO NOT apply for your F-1 student visa until you decide which school you want to attend. Please only use the University of Washington Graduate School "I-20 Certificate of Eligibility Form" to apply for a visa and enter the U.S. if you are planning to attend our university.

4. How do I transfer TO the University of Washington Graduate School FROM another U.S. school?
   

   If you decide to attend the University of Washington from another school in the U.S., you need to complete the "UW-Office of Graduate Admissions Transfer SEVIS Release Form". Send an email request to: gradvisa@grad.washington.edu (include your UW-student number in the email message.)

   This form will be completed by you and the International Student Advisor at the U.S. school you are currently attending with your intention to transfer to UW. Your adviser will update your SEVIS record, "releasing" you to study at the UW. Only your current school has access to your SEVIS record, therefore, the UW cannot issue your UW I-20 until AFTER the "release date" has been entered into SEVIS by your current advisor. In most cases, the release date will be the last day of your term at your current school.

5. What if I decide to attend a summer program at University of Washington-Educational Outreach-(UWEO), BEFORE starting my graduate program in the fall term at the University of Washington?

   If you decide to attend summer program at UWEO, contact the International Student Advisor at UWEO to receive the initial I-20 to enter the U.S. When you have completed the summer program, the International Student Advisor at UWEO will help you with the transfer visa process. (refer to #4 above.)

   If you have a question when you receive your visa documents from the Office of Graduate Admissions, please send your question to: gradvisa@grad.washington.edu.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Occasionally students with a TOEFL score below 580 (paper-based), 237 (computerized), or 70 (internet-based) 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. More information about the AEP Diagnostic/Placement Test is available at http://www.washington.edu/oea/services/testing_center/exams/aep.html. The LL.M. degree cannot be conferred on a candidate who gains conditional admission before the completion of these compulsory ESL courses. Students who choose to take the TOEFL and achieve a score higher than 580, 237 or 70 will be re-evaluated by the UW Office of Special Services to determine if the ESL requirements will be waived. Go to the following link to review the Graduate School English Language Competence Policy: http://www.grad.washington.edu/Acad/gsmemos/gsmemo08.htm.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

If you choose to attend ANY summer institute program or English language program, the Graduate Admissions Office will not be able to issue visa materials until you have arrived in the U.S. on your summer term I-20 since an international student can be a holder of only one I-20 student application form at a time. At the end of the summer term program, the Graduate Admissions Office will send a transfer of program I-20 to your updated mailing address in Seattle. Also, you must notify the IP Program’s Manager if you decide to participate in any summer institute program.

• Summer Institute in Transnational Law and Practice

  All international candidates in the IP program are encouraged to participate in the Summer Institute in Transnational Law and Practice at the University of Washington School of Law in preparation for the LL.M. program. The Summer Institute is a two-week intensive non-credit program at the Law School specifically designed to introduce international law students and attorneys to the structure, culture and thinking of the American Legal System. The program focuses on three areas—Introduction to the American Legal System and Practice, Legal Skills and Methodology, and Legal English. Sample topics include the United States Constitution, government branches and sources of law, the criminal and civil court systems and procedures, how to read and brief cases, and persuasive legal writing and argumentation. All will be taught by law faculty and practitioners who are experienced in cross-cultural communication. Details about the Summer Institute, schedule, accommodations, registration and visa procedures are available at the Summer Institute for Transnational Law and Practice website at: http://www.law.washington.edu/AsianLaw/Teach/SI.html

• CASRIP Summer Institute

  The Center for Advanced Study and Research in Intellectual Property Summer Institute offers education and training in the fundamentals of United States and international intellectual property law. The Summer Institute provides engineers, attorneys, agents, patent and licensing department staff or others without experience in intellectual property law with a concise and reasonably priced means of acquiring an understanding of this subject area. Because Summer Institute participants typically come from the United States, Japan, Europe, and elsewhere, there are unique opportunities for networking with other international practitioners of intellectual property law. Admitted students to the IP LL.M. Program will receive a 20% discount on the registration fee. For more information go to http://www.law.washington.edu/Casrip/.

• Summer Institute in English for Business and Law (SIEBL)

  All candidates in the IP program are expected to have a high level of ability in reading, writing and making presentations in English. We recommend that students who are not confident in all of these areas or have a TOEFL score that is close to 580 (paper-based) or 237 (computerized) will also participate in SIEBL at the University of Washington. Students may attend any or all of the summer programs: Summer Institute in Transnational Law and Practice, CASRIP Summer Institute and the SIEBL program. SIEBL is a five-week program offered by the English Language Program at the University of Washington, specifically designed for international students who have been accepted into graduate programs in law and business in the United States. For more information on the SIEBL program, go to http://depts.washington.edu/uwelp/siebl/. As a SIEBL student, you are required to have a SIEBL I-20 from the UW's English Language Program if you plan to study on an F-1 Visa. When attending the SIEBL program, it is necessary that you enter the United States and apply for your F-1 Visa using only the SIEBL I-20. Once you arrive in Seattle, the UW Office of Graduate Admissions can process a transfer I-20 for you. Please feel free to email siblinfo@u.washington.eduwith further questions regarding your I-20 or student visa needs.

STUDENT HOUSING INFORMATION

There are a variety of housing options available to UW students. Some students may be interested in on-campus housing, but there are also numerous off-campus housing choices as well. International graduate students typically arrive in Seattle and stay in a hotel or with a homestay host family for a short period of time before finding an apartment or other housing. Many neighborhoods in Seattle offer a variety of benefits. Different neighborhoods will be better suited to different needs depending on what is important to you (proximity to the University, transportation options, price, etc.)

• 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 at http://hfs.washington.edu. 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: http://www.thedaily.washington.edu
  • Seattle Times: Seattle daily newspaper http://www.seattletimes.com
  • The Seattle Weekly: http://www.seattleweekly.com
  • The Stranger: http://www.thestranger.com
  • Craig’s List: http://seattle.craigslist.org
  • Northwest Classified Advertisements Online: http://classifieds.nwsource.com/classified/rent/
• 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). For more information about homestay programs, please visit the website at http://www.fiuts.org.

STUDENT INSURANCE INFORMATION

All graduate students at the UW must have medical insurance. The following two insurance options are available to all students:

1. If you bring insurance from your country, it must meet the criteria required by the University of Washington. For more information on these criteria, please visit http://depts.washington.edu/uwelp/insurance.shtml.
2. You can purchase insurance through the University of Washington Student Insurance Plan during the first week of classes. Dependents may also be included on this plan. For more detailed information on insurance available through the University of Washington, please visit http://www.washington.edu/students/ovpsa/insurance.html .

ORIENTATION INFORMATION

The LL.M. Orientation is scheduled for a full day during the week preceding the beginning of the fall quarter. You will then schedule a meeting with both the director and the assistant director during this week to discuss registration for fall quarter and your academic plan for the year. All students should plan on participating in these orientation activities.

EXPENSES

Graduate tuition is typically paid quarterly by students and is due the 3rd Friday of every quarter. Current tuition rates for the IP LL.M. student is $700 per credit, in addition to various administrative fees. Payments must be received by Student Fiscal Services no later than the tuition due date. More tuition information can be found at http://www.washington.edu/students/sfs/sao/tuition/ .

Below is an estimate of the expenses for students for one year:

EXPENSES	ACADEMIC YEAR (9 MONTHS)	CALENDAR YEAR (12 MONTHS)
Tuition & other campus fees (assuming 40 credits/year) Tuition ($700 x 40 crs = $28,000) S&A Fees ($134 x 3 qtrs = $405; x 4 qtrs=$536) Tech Fee ($41 x 3 qtrs = $123;x 4 qrts=$164)	$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

ADDRESS CHANGES

Updates to your mailing address can be made at http://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/advising/demo/webreg2.html.

INPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

Intellectual Property Law:

• Bob Gomulkiewicz: bobgom@u.washington.edu (IP LL.M. Program, Director)
• Toshiko Takenaka: toshiko@u.washington.edu (IP LL.M. Program, Associate Director)
• Sean O'Connor: soconnor@u.washington.edu(IP LL.M. Program, Associate Director)
• Dan Laster: danla@u.washington.edu (IP LL.M. Program, Assistant Professor)
• Signe Brunstad: bruns@u.washington.edu (IP LL.M. Program, Assistant Director)
• Jennifer Snider: jsnider@u.washington.edu (IP LL.M. Program, Program Manager)
• UW Office of Graduate Admissions:
  Mary Fetterly: maryf@u.washington.edu (International Counseling Services Coordinator)

USEFUL LINKS

• International Services Office (ISO)
  http://depts.washington.edu/uwiso/

  The ISO administers the University of Washington’s F-1 student and J-1 exchange visitor programs. They will provide you with advice on how to maintain your visa status, assist with the documentation of your status and assist in providing financial reports necessary for financial aid to your government. All international students new to the University of Washington are required to check in with the ISO when they arrive in Seattle.

• Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS)
  http://www.fiuts.org

  FIUTS is a non-profit international student service organization on the University of Washington campus. FIUTS offers orientation services for incoming international students every quarter which addresses everything from visa and immigration information, the U. S. health care system, registration, culture shock and more. FIUTS provides opportunities for cross-cultural friendship through host families, education outreach, Wednesday Lunches, trips and tours and more. FIUTS' Women's programs provide a place for female scholars or scholars' wives to meet and discuss numerous topics.

The University of Washington has numerous other resources for international students (see http://www.washington.edu/home/international/).