University of Washington Seattle

Office of Admissions

• Freshman
• Transfer
• International
  • Core Subject Requirements
  • Academic Performance
  • English Proficiency for Admission
    • SAT 1 and ACT (optional)
  • Plan Your Transfer
    • Equivalency Guide
    • Academic Planning Worksheets
    • Transfer Credit Policies
    • Plan for a Major
      • Tools for Choosing a Major
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Policies
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Policies
  • Homeschooled Applicants
  • Postbaccalaureate Admission
  • Summer Only Admission
• Postbacs

Be Ready

Start investigating majors and taking prerequisite courses as soon as possible. Why?

1. Without Planning, Some Majors Take Six (6!) Years

If you select a major that takes four years and don’t start it until your junior year, you will need a total of six years of college to finish your bachelor’s degree.

• Example: A degree in engineering takes four years from the time you start calculus.

2. Many UW Majors Have Admission Requirements

Some majors have additional admission requirements and some admit students only once a year. Almost all the admission requirements for these majors can be completed at Washington community colleges. Again, if you choose one of these majors and haven’t started the coursework in your first two years, you may not be prepared to transfer to the UW or it may take you much longer to graduate than you had planned.

3. UW Students Must Declare a Major at 105 Credits

If you transfer with 90 quarter credits, the UW gives you only one quarter to decide on a major. We will allow you more time if necessary to complete the admission requirements of your chosen major, but we expect you to have given the matter some thought before you transfer.

4. Many Majors Have Prerequisites

• Example: Before you take the biology sequence for biology majors you must take a college year of general chemistry, and before you take a year of general chemistry you should be ready to start calculus. All these courses can be taken at community colleges before you transfer.

5. Many Majors Require Sequential Courses

Some courses must be taken in order, one per quarter, at least for the first several quarters.

• Example: You can’t take MATH 125 before 124 or 126 before 125. You can take only one math course in the sequence each quarter.

The Associate Degree

An academic associate degree will offer an opportunity to explore major options and, for most students, provides the best preparation for your intended major.

Think of the associate degree and the bachelor’s degree as overlapping, not sequential. Requirements for the major and for general education both need to be attended to in the first two years of college.