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How to Apply

The Autumn 2008 program is no longer accepting applications Single courses may be available » Next program starts: Autumn 2009 Details will be posted in Spring Program location: Online + Classroom (Bellevue) Combined Next information meeting: Online info session available now >> (requires Flash Player >>) Sign up to receive e-mail updates >> Contact a program representative >>

• Admission Requirements
• Application Process
• Fees and Tuition
• Textbooks
• Earning the Certificate
• Single-Course Enrollment

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet one (1) of the following three (3) requirements:

1. A Baccalaureate degree (B.A.) from an accredited college or university and one year of experience working in a discipline pertinent to the provision of guardianship services, such as legal, financial, social service, and/or health care; or
2. Associate of Arts degree from an accredited institution and three years experience working in a discipline pertinent to the provision of guardianship services, such as legal, financial, social service, and/or health care; or.
3. High school diploma or equivalency (GED) and five years experience working in a discipline pertinent to the provision of guardianship services, such as legal, financial, social service, and/or health care.

In addition, if an applicant to the UW Guardianship Certificate Program has applied to become a CPG (see box below) and has a Temporary CPG License #; or if an existing CPG is also an Office of Public Guardianship (OPG) retained consultant who is required to successfully complete this Program, these applicants will be given priority in the event of a classroom capacity constraint.

NOTE: For prospective students interested in applying to the Washington State Supreme Court CPG Board to become a Certified Professional Guardian (CPG) after successfully completing the UW Guardianship Certificate Program, there is a separate process with additional qualifications. That process is managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) on behalf of the CPG Board. Students who are prospective CPGs should please review those qualifications as well. For questions about the CPG Program administered by AOC, please contact Sharon Eckholm at (360) 704-4031 at the AOC in Olympia. DEFINITION: A Professional Guardian is not a member of the incapacitated person's family and charges fees for carrying out the duties of court-appointed guardian of three or more incapacitated persons (see RCW 11.88.008)

English Proficiency: All students entering this program are expected to have adequate English language proficiency. Non-native English speakers are required to meet one or more of the following English language test scores or have completed one of the following programs before taking the Guardianship Certificate Program:

• A TOEFL score of at least 500 (or 173 computer-based)
• A TOEIC score of at least 650
• An IELTS score of at least 6.0
• An ACE (American Cultural Exchange) score of at least level 5
• Completion of the upper division of the University of Washington Intensive English Program (campus or downtown)

International Students: This program does not qualify as full-time study, and therefore does not meet requirements for an F-1 visa. However, if you are an F-1 student currently enrolled full-time in another program, OR you are in the U.S. on some other type of visa (not F-1), you may be eligible to take a certificate program or course. For complete details, or to contact an adviser, see Visa Information.

Application Process

The Autumn 2008 program is no longer accepting applications. The next program begins in Autumn 2009. Click here to be notified via e-mail when complete details for the next program are available online. The following information regarding the application process may be helpful as you plan for applying to the next program:

To Apply: You can apply online or submit one copy of the application form with a $50 certificate program fee* and two stapled application sets, which include the following clearly labeled documents:

1. A typed letter of application (500-word maximum). Applicants should be clear, concise and provide specific examples while answering the following questions: (a) What is your primary interest for wishing to enroll in the Guardianship Certificate Program? (b) In what ways do you already have experience in working with persons of diminished capacity? (c) What are your goals and expectations of the program personally and professionally? (d) if you have applied to the CPG Board through the CPG Program to become a CPG, please list your temporary CPG # in the letter, (e) if you are currently a consultant in the Office of Public Guardianship OPG program, please state this fact in the letter.
2. Your résumé listing education and applicable experience

NOTE: For prospective students interested in applying to the Washington State Supreme Court CPG Board to become a Certified Professional Guardian (CPG) after successfully completing the UW Guardianship Certificate Program, there is a separate process with additional qualifications. That process is managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) on behalf of the CPG Board. Students who are prospective CPGs should please review those qualifications as well. For questions about the CPG Program administered by AOC, please contact Sharon Eckholm at (360) 704-4031 at the AOC in Olympia. DEFINITION: A Professional Guardian is not a member of the incapacitated person's family and charges fees for carrying out the duties of court-appointed guardian of three or more incapacitated persons (see RCW 11.88.008)

Application Review: Applications are evaluated by criteria designated by the Guardianship Advisory Group. Selection of program participants is based on admission requirements and the responses received in the application process. Priority will be given to applicants who specify that they have a temporary CPG # in their letter of application, or who state in their application letter that they are a contracted consultant with OPG. Applicants receive written notification of their acceptance or non-acceptance within two weeks of the August 7, 2008, application deadline.

Enrollment: Applicants accepted to the program receive enrollment information for the autumn courses and are encouraged to make their fall tuition payment early. Enrollment in the program is based upon receipt of the first-term tuition payment.

Waitlist: Some programs maintain a waitlist for applicants accepted after the program has reached enrollment capacity. If space becomes available, waitlisted applicants will be notified and given an opportunity to enroll. If space does not become available, waitlisted applicants will be offered a space in the next program offering.

* The certificate program fee is not refundable and does not guarantee admission to, or enrollment in, the program.

Fees and Tuition

Tuition is payable on a term-by-term basis. Tuition for the entire program is $2,700, excluding certificate program and registration fees and textbooks. There is a $50 nonrefundable certificate program fee to apply to this program and a $35 nonrefundable registration fee each term. Fall quarter tuition of $1,800 for the first two courses in the Program, plus the nonrefundable registration fee, is due by September 1, 2008. Fees and tuition are subject to change. Information on registration and refund policies and procedures is included with registration materials.

Textbooks

The standard textbooks for the Guardianship Certificate Program include:

1. Washington State Certified Professional Guardian Manual (free electronic download) requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
2. Guardianship of Adults: Achieving Justice, Autonomy, and Safety by Mary Joy Quinn (soft copy is approximately $45). Students should procure this book at a location of their choosing.

Earning the Certificate

Participants are evaluated in each course on the basis of standards established by the advisory group and instructors. At the end of each course, participants are notified of successful or unsuccessful completion.

When the required courses are completed in this program, participants earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and a certificate, which is presented at the annual UW Extension awards ceremony.

Single-Course Enrollment

Interested in taking just one class? Some courses in this program (those courses designated by a ) are open for single-course enrollment to those who do not wish to earn the certificate. Because some courses require prior knowledge and experience in the field, those interested in taking individual courses need to submit these materials:

1. A completed application for single-course enrollment;
2. A résumé listing your educational background, and a typed (500-word maximum) letter of application describing your experience/knowledge and how it was acquired.

Please note that courses taken as a non-certificate student are not automatically applied toward a certificate of completion in the program. Single-course enrollments are on a space-available basis. No certificate program fee is necessary; tuition is not accepted until you are notified of eligibility.