Sample a class

Attend an undergraduate class and get a feel for what it’s like to be a UW student. See the list of available classes below. Don’t forget to register for a guided tour and admission presentation.

 

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Dinosaurs

Biology, behavior, ecology, evolution, and extinction of dinosaurs, and a history of their exploration. With dinosaurs as focal point, course also introduces the student to how hypotheses in geological and paleobiological science are formulated and tested.

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Forests and Society

Survey course covering forest ecosystems of the world, history of forestry and forest conservation, how forest ecosystems function, wildlife in forests, environmental issues in forestry, forest management, economics and products, and new approaches to forest management.

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In-Justice for All: Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender in the United States

Focusing on pre-Columbus era to 1970, students develop an understanding of how race, ethnicity, nationality, class, and gender impact all Americans - especially those viewed as racial ethnic minorities.

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Introduction to Accounting and Financial Reporting

Nature and social setting of accounting; uses of accounting information; introduction of basic accounting concepts and procedures; interpretation of financial statements. May not be repeated.

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Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering

Prospective students may only attend up until the first week of November 2026. Introduces the department and professions of civil and environmental engineering. Includes departmental organization, graduate school options, professional career paths, and licensure. Faculty and alumni advice helps students generate personal education and career ideas. Introduces departmental and professional community concepts, including justice, fairness, and equity.

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Introduction to Computer Programming

Introduction to computer programming for students without previous programming experience. Students write programs to express algorithmic thinking and solve computational problems motivated by modern societal and scientific needs. Includes procedural programming constructs (methods), control structures (loops, conditionals), and standard data types, including arrays.

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Introduction to Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

Major conversations in the field of gender, women, and sexuality studies. Examines how difference and inequality are produced and enforced along lines of gender, sexuality, race, class, ability, citizenship status, and more. How queer and feminist theories and practices have shaped conversations about identity and power in the United States and transnational contexts. Prospective students should expect to introduce themselves to Professor Lee at the start of class.

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Introduction to International Relations

The world community, its politics, and government.

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Introduction to Law

Legal institutions and processes; law as a system of social thought and behavior and a frame of order within which rival claims are resolved and compromised; legal reasoning; law as a process of protecting and facilitating voluntary arrangements in a business society.

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Introduction to Law, Societies, and Justice

Explores the central role of law in social processes; investigates the primary types of legal regimes and compares them across different national and international contexts; contrasts legal with non-legal forms of social ordering; investigates the structure and practice of human rights law.

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Introduction to Linguistics

Language as the fundamental characteristic of the human species; diversity and complexity of human languages; phonological and grammatical analysis; dimensions of language use; and language acquisition and historical language change.

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Introduction to Logic

Elementary symbolic logic. The development, application, and theoretical properties of an artificial symbolic language designed to provide a clear representation of the logical structure of deductive arguments.

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Introduction to Philosophy

Major philosophical questions relating to such matters as the existence of God, the foundations of knowledge, the nature of reality, and the nature of morality. Approach may be either historical or topical.

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Introduction to Political Theory

Philosophical bases of politics and political activity. Provides an introduction to the study of politics by the reading of books in political philosophy. Organized around several key political concepts, such as liberty, equality, justice, authority, rights, and citizenship.

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Introduction to Psychology

Surveys major areas of psychological science. Core topics include human social behavior, personality, psychological disorders and treatment, learning, memory, human development, biological influences, and research methods. Related topics may include sensation, perception, states of consciousness, thinking, intelligence, language, motivation, emotion, stress and health, cross-cultural psychology, and applied psychology.

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Introduction to Visualization and Computer Aided Design

Methods of depicting three-dimensional objects and communicating design information. Development of three-dimensional skills through freehand sketching and computer-aided design using parametric solid modeling.

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Introductory Biology

Mendelian genetics, evolution, biodiversity of life forms, ecology, and conservation biology. Open to all students interested in biology whether intending to major in the biological sciences, enroll in preprofessional programs, or fulfill a Natural World requirement.

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Living With Volcanoes

Explores volcanoes and volcanic eruptions on Earth and in the solar system. Examines how volcanoes work and how they affect the environment, life, and human societies. Illustrates principles using local examples of recent volcanism and ancient examples of mega-eruptions. Evaluates the possibility of predicting future eruptions.

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Mechanics

Principles of mechanics using algebra-based modeling with an emphasis on applications in life sciences.

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Natural Hazards and Disasters

Examines a range of natural hazards and their impact on society, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods, wildfire, and landslides. Focuses on the causes of these extreme events, how they unfold, their differential effects on communities, and how to make society more resilient to natural hazards.

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Precalculus

Basic properties of functions, graphs; with emphasis on linear, quadratic, trigonometric, exponential functions and their inverses. Emphasis on multi-step problem solving.

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Responsible Use of AI

Responsible Use of AI introduces students to artificial intelligence as a tool for environmental learning and problem-solving. Students learn effective prompt engineering, evaluate AI outputs for accuracy and bias, and explore ethical issues including academic integrity, equity, and environmental justice. The course emphasizes critical thinking, independent judgment, and responsible AI use in environmental science and policy.

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Society and Sustainable Environments

Introduces the application of social concepts and theories to understanding and managing urban, urbanizing, and wildland landscapes in a sustainable manner. Of particular interest are factors that shape patterns on the landscape and resulting social and economic benefits. Explores landscapes across the urban to wildland gradient.

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Sports and Global Affairs

Covers the connection between sports and global affairs, including wars, dictatorships, racism, and women and LGTBQIA communities' discrimination, while also examining several socioeconomic, political, and historical issues at local, national, and global levels.

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Survey of Sociology

Human interaction, social institutions, social stratification, socialization, deviance, social control, social and cultural change. Course content may vary, depending upon instructor.

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The Ethics and Psychology of Persuasion

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Examines the psychology of persuasion through an ethical lens. Answers questions such as: When is persuasion effective? When is it respectful versus immoral? Is using psychological insight manipulative or just good people skills? How do biases shape persuasion, and how should we navigate them? Assessments focus on real-world applications, helping students improve as persuaders.</span>

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Wildlife in the Modern World

Covers major wildlife conservation issues in North America. Some global issues are also treated. Examples of topics include the conservation of large predators, effects of toxic chemicals on wildlife, old-growth wildlife, conservation of marine wildlife, recovery of the bald eagle, and gray wolf.

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