Equivalency Guide Manual
This is the user manual for the University of Washington Equivalency Guide for Washington Community and Technical Colleges.
Interpreting the Course Equivalency Tables
Table example
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGL& 101 (5) formerly ENG 101 | ENGL 131 (5) | [C] | SUM Qtr. 2008 |
| GEG 260 (5) | GEOG 2XX | SSc |
Key to example
Column 1 (Community College Course)
lists specific details about the course from the community or technical college, including course prefix, course number, the number of credits (in parentheses), and if the course was previous taught with a different prefix or number. The prefixes are those used at the community or technical college.
Column 2 (UW Equivalency)
indicates the equivalent UW course prefix and number for the course listed in Column 1. This is how the course transfers to the UW from the community or technical college.
Column 3 (Meets UW Requirements?)
indicates how courses satisfy UW general education requirements. If the column is blank, the course does not satisfy any requirements.
Column 4 (Effective Date)
indicates the effective date for this equivalency. The table that follows includes explanations of effective dates:
| Description | Examples | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Space is blank. | There are no date parameters for the course. | |
| Quarter and year are specified. | AUT Qtr. 2004 | The equivalency takes effect beginning with Autumn quarter 2004. This equivalency is not valid before that date. The same course number may be listed immediately below, marked with the § symbol to indicate “no longer offered” and with a different effective date. |
| “Prior to” is specified. | Prior to AUT Qtr. 1991 | The course equivalency is effective only if taken before, and not including, Autumn quarter 1991. |
| A range of dates is given. | AUT Qtr. 1988 thru SUM Qtr. 2007 | The equivalency is effective only from Autumn quarter 1988 through Summer quarter 2007. The course number may be listed more than once, but with different equivalencies and effective dates. |
| AUT Qtr. 1995, and AUT Qtr. 1988 thru SUM Qtr. 1990 | The equivalency is effective from Autumn quarter 1988 through Summer quarter 1990 and again beginning with Autumn quarter 1995. To put it another way, the equivalency is not effective from Autumn quarter 1990 through Summer quarter 1995, nor before Autumn quarter 1988. |
UW Course Prefixes Used in the Course Equivalency Tables
The tables that follow include the UW prefixes that appear in the Course Equivalency Tables. For a complete list of prefixes used at the UW (as well as detailed information about programs, majors, and courses), see the University of Washington Course Descriptions.
Jump to: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
| Prefix | Curriculum/Discipline | Name of School or College |
|---|---|---|
| A A | Aeronautics and Astronautics | Engineering |
| AAS | Asian American Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| ACCTG | Accounting | Foster School of Business |
| AES | American Ethnic Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| AFRAM | Afro-American Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| AIS | American Indian Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| ANTH | Anthropology | Arts and Sciences |
| ARCH | Architecture | Built Environments |
| ARCHY | Archaeology | Arts and Sciences |
| ART | Art | Arts and Sciences |
| ART H | Art History | Arts and Sciences |
| ASIAN | Asian Languages and Literature | Arts and Sciences |
| ASTR | Astronomy | Arts and Sciences |
| ATM S | Atmospheric Sciences | Arts and Sciences |
| B A | Business Administration | Foster School of Business |
| BIO A | Biocultural Anthropology | Arts and Sciences |
| BIOL | Biology | Arts and Sciences |
| BOTANY | Botany | Arts and Sciences |
| B STR | Biological Structure | Medicine |
| CEE | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Engineering |
| CHEM | Chemistry | Arts and Sciences |
| CHEM E | Chemical Engineering | Engineering |
| CHID | Comparative History of Ideas | Arts and Sciences |
| CHIN | Chinese | Arts and Sciences |
| CHSTU | Chicano Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| CLAS | Classics | Arts and Sciences |
| C LIT | Comparative Literature | Arts and Sciences |
| COM | Communication | Arts and Sciences |
| CSE | Computer Science and Engineering | Engineering |
| DANCE | Dance | Arts and Sciences |
| D HYG | Dental Hygiene | Dentistry |
| DRAMA | Drama | Arts and Sciences |
| ECON | Economics | Arts and Sciences |
| EDUC | Education | Education |
| E E | Electrical Engineering | Engineering |
| ENGL | English | Arts and Sciences |
| ENGR | Engineering | Engineering |
| ENVIR | Program on the Environment | Environment |
| ESRM | Environmental Science and Resource Management | Environment |
| ESS | Earth and Space Sciences | Environment |
| FISH | Fisheries | Environment |
| FRENCH | French | Arts and Sciences |
| GENOME | Genome Sciences | Medicine |
| GEN ST | General Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| GEOG | Geography | Arts and Sciences |
| GERMAN | Germanics | Arts and Sciences |
| GREEK | Greek | Arts and Sciences |
| GWSS | Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| HCDE | Human Centered Design and Engineering | Engineering |
| HEBR | Hebrew | Arts and Sciences |
| HIST | History | Arts and Sciences |
| HSTAA | History of the Americas | Arts and Sciences |
| HSTAM | Ancient and Medieval History | Arts and Sciences |
| HSTAS | History of Asia | Arts and Sciences |
| HSTEU | Modern European History | Arts and Sciences |
| I S | Information Systems | Foster School of Business |
| ITAL | Italian | Arts and Sciences |
| JAPAN | Japanese | Arts and Sciences |
| KIN | Kinesiology | No longer offered at the UW |
| KINPE | Kinesiology/Physical Education | No longer offered at the UW |
| KOREAN | Korean | Arts and Sciences |
| LAB M | Laboratory Medicine | Medicine |
| L ARCH | Landscape Architecture | Built Environments |
| LATIN | Latin | Arts and Sciences |
| LING | Linguistics | Arts and Sciences |
| LSJ | Laws, Societies, and Justice | Arts and Sciences |
| MATH | Mathematics | Arts and Sciences |
| M E | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering |
| MICROM | Microbiology | Medicine |
| MKTG | Marketing | Foster School of Business |
| MS E | Materials Science and Engineering | Engineering |
| MUSIC | Music | Arts and Sciences |
| NORW | Norwegian | Arts and Sciences |
| NURS | Nursing | Nursing |
| NUTR | Nutritional Science | Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs |
| OCEAN | Oceanography | Environment |
| O E | Organization and Environment | Foster School of Business |
| PE | Physical Education | No longer offered at the UW |
| PHIL | Philosophy | Arts and Sciences |
| PHYS | Physics | Arts and Sciences |
| POL S | Political Science | Arts and Sciences |
| PSYCH | Psychology | Arts and Sciences |
| QMETH | Quantitative Methods | Foster School of Business |
| REHAB | Rehabilitation Medicine | Medicine |
| RELIG | Comparative Religion | Arts and Sciences |
| RUSS | Russian | Arts and Sciences |
| SCAND | Scandinavian | Arts and Sciences |
| SIS | International Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| SISA | Asian Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| SISAF | African Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| SISEA | East Asian Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| SISSA | South Asian Studies | Arts and Sciences |
| SOC | Sociology | Arts and Sciences |
| SOC WF | Social Welfare | Social Work |
| SPAN | Spanish | Arts and Sciences |
| SPHSC | Speech and Hearing Sciences | Arts and Sciences |
| STAT | Statistics | Arts and Sciences |
| SWED | Swedish | Arts and Sciences |
| URBDP | Urban Planning | Built Environments |
| ZOOL | Zoology | Arts and Sciences |
Types of Transfer Credit
- Courses Without Specific UW Equivalencies
- Departmental 1XX or 2XX
- UW 1XX or 2XX
- Courses With Specific UW Equivalencies
- Credit-Level Differences Between UW and Community/Technical College Courses
- Courses Taken as Part of a Sequence
- Business Courses
Courses Without Specific UW Equivalencies
A 1XX or 2XX instead of a course number indicates that the course transfers but is not equivalent to a specific course at the UW. 1XX indicates community/technical college courses offered at the 100 level; 2XX indicates courses offered at the 200 level.
Departmental 1XX or 2XX: 1XX or 2XX following a departmental prefix indicates that content is not equivalent to a specific UW course but does generally correspond to a specific UW program. In this case, the Biology program accepts the course for credit:
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 214 (3) | BIOL 2XX | NSc |
UW 1XX or 2XX:
Alternatively, the UW #XX designation means that the course does not correspond directly to a program offered at the University. In the example that follows, HUM 101 is considered an interdepartmental course as the UW does not have an equivalent department. The course is assigned the generic UW 1XX equivalency and may be used toward graduation requirements as appropriate.
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUM 101 (5) | UW 1XX |
Courses With Specific UW Equivalencies
In the example that follows, the community college course is offered for five credits and is designated as equivalent to a specific UW course, BIO A 201, which is also offered for five credits. The course meets the Natural Sciences (NSc) component of UW graduation requirements.
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH 201 (5) | BIO A 201 (5) | NSc |
Credit-Level Differences Between UW and Community/Technical College Courses:
Some courses from the community and technical colleges are listed with a specific UW course equivalency even though they are offered for more or less credit than the corresponding UW course.
The UW never awards more credit than that earned at the original institution. When a community/technical college course is offered for fewer credits than its corresponding UW equivalent, the community/technical college course will transfer with the specified number of credits listed in brackets, and may fulfill graduation requirements as appropriate.
In this example, only three transfer credits are awarded for GWSS 200 and may count toward the Social Sciences (SSc) graduation requirement.
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH 230 (3) | GWSS 200 (5) [3 credits allowed] | SSc |
When a community/technical college course is offered for more credit than its corresponding UW equivalent, the excess credit is designated as departmental 1XX or 2XX credit, or UW 1XX or 2XX as appropriate. Examples:
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM 199 (1-5, max. 10) | CHEM 199 (1-6) [credit allowed varies 1-6], 1XX (1-4) | ||
| HIS 218 (5) | HIST 199 (3-5) [2 credits allowed], UW 2XX (3) | SSc | AUT Qtr. 1994 |
| MATH 221 (5) | MATH 308 (3), 2XX (2) | NSc |
Courses Taken as Part of a Sequence
In some cases, the student must complete an entire sequence of courses at the community or technical college to be awarded specific UW course equivalencies. In this example, all three Chemistry courses must be completed to earn the UW equivalencies; if only one or two courses are completed, then the credit is usually awarded as departmental 1XX or 2XX.
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM& 162,163 (5,6) | CHEM 152,162 (5,6) if both courses taken; otherwise, CHEM 1XX | NSc | SUM Qtr. 2008 |
Business Courses
Generally, business courses from the community and technical colleges that correspond to those offered in the UW Business Administration program are listed in the Course Equivalency Tables. Courses that are offered for more credit than the corresponding UW equivalent usually receive B A 1XX or 2XX for the additional credits.
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCT& 203 (5) | ACCTG 225 (5) |
With the approval of the School of Business Administration, a maximum of seven lower-division business credits, beyond the 18 credits of specific coursework required for admission to the program, may apply toward a degree in that program.
The “Meets UW requirements” column in the Course Equivalency Tables may include the following abbreviations:
Areas of Inquiry (formerly Areas of Knowledge)
- SSc (Social Sciences) formerly I&S (Individuals & Societies)
- NSc (Natural Sciences) formerly NW (Natural World)
- A&H (Arts and Humanities) formerly VLPA (Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts)
Language Skills; Reasoning and Writing in Context
- [C] Composition
- [RSN] Reasoning formerly [Q] Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning
NOTE: [W] Writing credit is assigned on an individual basis and not included in the equivalency guide. For more information about [W] credit, see Additional Writing Requirement.
| Community College Course | UW Equivalency | Meets UW Requirements? | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH& 217 (5) | ANTH 2XX | SSc | |
| ASTR 101 (5) | ASTR 101 (5) | NSc [RSN] | |
| BIO 106 (5) | BIOL 1XX | SSc, NSc | |
| DRAMA 120 (3) | DRAMA 1XX | A&H | |
| ENGL 111 (5) | HCDE 231 (3), 1XX (2) | [C] | |
| ENGL 240 (5) | LING 200 (5) | A&H, SSc [RSN] |
English Composition Offered for Fewer than Five Credits
A three-credit course may be used toward satisfying the English composition requirement. However, a minimum of five credits is still needed to fulfill the requirement.
Fifteen quarter credits of foreign language are required for graduation from the College of Arts and Sciences (all majors), as well as from the Occupational Therapy and Social Welfare majors.
- Foreign Language and The Admission Requirement. Applicants who have not satisfactorily completed two years of a single foreign language in high school may satisfy the foreign language admission requirement by completing 10 quarter credits of a single language at the community college. All applicants are required to have foreign language credit prior to enrolling at the UW, regardless of their prospective UW major. However, because all UW majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, Occupational Therapy and Social Welfare require foreign language proficiency thru the third quarter of a language, students taking foreign language for admission are strongly urged to complete the entire 15 credit sequence prior to enrolling at UW.
- Foreign Language and the A&H Requirement. Classes used to satisfy the foreign language graduation requirement may not be used toward the Arts and Humanities (A&H) requirement. However, up to 15 credits of first-year courses in an additional foreign language may be used for A&H (except in the College of Engineering) upon completion of a full 15 credits in the sequence.
A community/technical college course may not be listed in the UW Equivalency Guide for any of the following reasons:
- The course may not be transferable. For more information about non-transferable courses, please review Notable Restrictions on Transfer Credit and Courses Receiving No Credit.
- The course may be new, and a review may not yet be completed. The length of time required to review a course can vary widely.
- The course may not appear in the community college catalog. For a course to be considered for review, the community college must include the course in its past, present, or future catalogs.
To find out how an unlisted course will transfer to the UW or to ask an admissions question, contact the Office of Admissions.
If you are from a UW department, or represent a Washington State community or technical college, and have questions about the equivalency review process, see the Equivalency Review Process Guidelines for more information.