- Year Established: 1861
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Number of Campuses: 1 643-acre urban campus
- Classification: Public flagship, sea-grant & space-grant university
- Total Number of Enrollees: 39,251*
*Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System IPEDS, Spring 2006
A Brief Look into the History of the University of Washington
'Lux sit' or "Let there be light" is the motto of the University of Washington. Founded in 1861, this is an apt maxim for a superior university that has been at the forefront of learning, not only for the students within the state of Washington but from all parts of the nation.
The locals call the University of Washington "U Dub" for the “W’ in the word Washington. Besides the Seattle campus, this institution of higher-learning has two other branch campuses, one located in Bothell and the other in Tacoma. Today, the University of Washington is considered to be the largest university in the Pacific Northwest as well as one of the oldest universities on the West Coast.
So how exactly did the University of Washington – Seattle Campus come about? The university was originally opened to the public on November 1, 1861 with the name Territorial University of Washington. Just like every other educational institution in the country at the time, the school struggled – and even had to close its doors three times – this due mainly to a low number of enrollees and lack of funds.
Fortunately, this struggling institution of the great Pacific Northwest recovered well enough to produce its first graduate in 1876. Enrollment began to increase signaling its development to a full-fledged university. It was in 1990 that the University of Washington expanded with the opening of two campuses in Bothell and Tacoma.
How the Educational System Works
Below is a list of the colleges which comprise the university as a whole:
1. College of Arts and Sciences
2. College of Built Environments
3. Michael G. Foster School of Business
4. School of Dentistry
5. College of Education
6. College of Engineering
7. College of the Environment
8. College of Forest Resources
9. The Graduate School
10. Information School
11. School of Law
12. School of Medicine
13. School of Nursing
14. College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences
15. School of Pharmacy
16. Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs
17. School of Public Health
18. School of Social Work
Program Listings
The University of Washington – Seattle Campus offered bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees under its 18 various colleges. Take a look at the list of degrees offer:
• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC)
• African Studies
• American Ethnic Studies
• American Indian Studies
• Anesthesiology
• Anthropology
• Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences (ACMS)
• Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
• Architecture
• Art, Art History, and Design
• Asian Languages and Literature
• Asian Studies - General
• Astronomy
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems
• Biochemistry
• Bioengineering
• Bioethics & Humanities
• Biological Structure
• Biomedical and Health Informatics
• Biomolecular Structure and Design
• Biostatistics
• Canadian Studies
• Chemical Engineering
• China Studies
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Classics
• Communication
• Community and Environmental Planning (CEP)
• Comparative History of Ideas
• Comparative Literature
• Comparative Medicine
• Comparative Religion
• Computer Science and Engineering
• Construction Management
• Dance
• Dental Hygiene
• Dental Public Health Sciences
• Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS)
• Drama
• Earth and Space Sciences
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• Endodontics
• English
• Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
• Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM)
• Epidemiology
• European Studies
• Family and Child Nursing
• Family Medicine
• French and Italian Studies
• Genome Sciences
• Germanics
• Global Health
• Health Services
• Health Services Administration
• Immunology
• Industrial Engineering
• International Studies
• Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
• Laboratory Medicine
• Landscape Architecture
• Latin American Studies
• Law, Societies, and Justice
• Linguistics
• Marine Affairs
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Training Program
• Medical Education and Biomedical Informatics
• Medical Genetics
• Medical Scientist Training Program
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Medicine
• Microbiology
• Middle East Studies
• Military Science (Army ROTC)
• Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Museology
• Naval Science (Navy ROTC)
• Near Eastern Languages and Civilization
• Nephrology
• Neurobiology - Undergraduate Major
• Neurobiology and Behavior
• Neurosurgery
• Nutritional Sciences
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Occupational Therapy
• Oceanography
• Ophthalmology
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Oral Biology
• Oral Medicine
• Orthodontics
• Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
• Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
• Paper Science and Engineering
• Pathobiology
• Pathology
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Pediatrics
• Periodontics
• Pharmaceutics
• Pharmacology
• Pharmacy
• Philosophy
• Physical Therapy
• Physiology and Biophysics
• Political Science
• Program on the Environment
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
• Psychosocial and Community Health
• Public Health Genetics
• Quantitative Ecology and Management (QERM)
• Quantitative Science (CQS)
• Radiation Oncology
• Radiology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Restorative Dentistry
• Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (REECAS)
• Scandinavian Studies
• Slavic Languages and Literatures
• Sociology
• South Asian Studies
• Spanish and Portuguese Studies
• Speech and Hearing Sciences
• Statistics
• Surgery
• Technical Communication
• Technical Japanese Program
• Urban Design and Planning
• Urology
• Women Studies
Visit their official website to get a complete list of the courses offered by the University of Washington.
Advantages of Enrolling at the University of Washington
• The University of Washington ranked 16th among the world's top universities according to the 2008 Academic Ranking of World University.
• According to Student's Review, the overall rating of the University of Washington as an educational institution is a B+, with 76% of the student respondents saying that they would choose to return there.
• Based from the US News & World Report, the University of Washington ranks 41st among the best colleges in the nation.
• This institution of higher learning is very close in proximity to very large and important manufacturing and technology corporations such as Boeing and Microsoft, therefore benefiting from the interaction between top industry and collegiate ties. Obviously, aerospace and computer science courses benefit greatly from these grand connections with these industries.
A Glimpse at the Weather when Studying at the University of Washington
Seattle, Washington is also known as the 'Emerald City'. If you're an athletics buff, you'll be glad to know that the city has a mild, temperate marine climate which will allow you to enjoy almost year-round cool yet wet weather for running and other high exertion type sports. As there is an average rainfall of over 37 inches, it does get rather dreary in the winter months. Average low temperatures in the winter months are in the mid 30s to low 40s with highs ranging in the high 40s to low 50s. Summers are much milder than most southern destinations with average highs in the low to mid 70s and average lows in the low to mid 50s.
Is There Any Downside to Enrolling at the University of Washington?
There's no doubt about it – the University of Washington or U Dub is one of the best places to be as a student. There are very few negative reviews when you search for it online. While the wet winter weather may deter you some, consider that spending more time indoors may tend to keep you more focused on what is truly important – your studies!
A Final Word about the Quality of Education Offered by the University of Washington
This university was just recently ranked as the 16th best university in the world! This is a prestigious honor for this Pacific Northwest institution and is assisting in bringing continued increasing enrollment.
In 2006, the University of Washington research budget passed the $1 billion mark and since 1974 is the largest recipient of federal research funding among public universities and second among all public and private universities in the country.
|
