Non-Clinical Electives (NCEs)

Students taking courses in the Foundations curriculum may pursue electives that will enhance their personal medical education. Special electives throughout the University that are relevant to medical education but do not involve direct patient care are offered by the School of Medicine. All UW non-clinical electives (NCE) run on the regular quarterly academic calendar, which means they may not correspond exactly with other courses in the School of Medicine.

These NCEs are offered by UW SOM departments so if you have questions about how these might fit in with your goals, please contact the departments directly. Otherwise, you can reach out to us at somnce@uw.edu if you have any other questions or need more information.

Visit the NCE webpages for more information on Non-Clinical Electives for Seattle students, WWAMI Non-Clinical Electives for Spokane, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho Students, and registering for courses.

Requirements

  • Students must register through MyUW and pay tuition for these electives.
  • Students cannot take an elective that conflicts with required Foundation phase course hours.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact us at somnce@uw.edu

Dates of Instruction

Non-Clinical Electives do not follow the same timeline as block courses and requirements in the School of Medicine. If your course has a final examination that conflicts with your block courses and requirements, we encourage you to work with the instructor to find a solution. Please refer to the current UW Academic Calendar for more information.

AUTUMN 2025WINTER 2026SPRING 2026SUMMER 2026
Full-termA-termB-term
Instruction Begins WAC 478-132-030Sep 24, 2025Jan 5, 2026Mar 30, 2026Jun 22, 2026Jun 22, 2026Jul 23, 2026
Last Day of InstructionDec 5, 2025Mar 13, 2026Jun 5, 2026Aug 21, 2026Jul 22, 2026Aug 21, 2026
Final Examination WeekDec 6-12, 2025Mar 14-20, 2026Jun 6-12, 2026Typically the last class day of class - Aug 21, 2026Typically the last class day of class - Jul 22, 2026Typically the last class day of class - Aug 21, 2026
CommencementTacoma, Jun 12

Seattle, Jun 13

Bothell, Jun 14
Quarter BreaksWinter Break
Dec 13, 2025–Jan 4, 2026		Spring Break
Mar 21–29, 2026		Summer Break
Jun 13–21, 2026		Autumn Break
Aug 22–Sep 29, 2026		Autumn Break
Aug 22–Sep 29, 2026		Autumn Break
Aug 22–Sep 29, 2026

Related Pages

Non-Clinical Elective Registration

Information about late add/drops, dropping NCEs, and registration deadlines for NCEs.

Non-Clinical Elective Registration
Seattle Non-Clinical Electives

Information on course offerings each academic term for medical students based in Seattle.

Seattle NCE Courses
WWAMI Non-Clinical Electives: Spokane, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho

Information on course offerings each academic term for medical students based in Spokane or WAMI.

WWAMI NCE Courses