A Community of Innovators
 

Department Admission Statements

Admission Handout (.pdf) | Admission Requirements | Online Application | Admission Statements | Four-year Plans | Interdisciplinary Option

How competitive is it to get into an engineering department at the UW?

This website has been prepared to assist those who are interested in majoring in an engineering discipline at the University of Washington and to assist staff and faculty in advising prospective engineering students.

The following statements have been prepared by each engineering department. Please keep in mind that these statements are only provided as a general guideline and not as a firm statement of admission patterns for future classes.

For more information, we encourage you, either as an interested student or staff or faculty, to contact the engineering department adviser directly or contact Diversity & Student Services at 301 Loew Hall, 206-543-1770, or email engradv@engr.washington.edu.

For those transferring from another institution, note that admission to the UW does not imply admission to an engineering department. To find out more see admission requirements or visit the prospective student website.

Engineering Departmental Admission Statements

Aeronautics & Astronautics

Undergraduate students typically enter the department as juniors after completing admission prerequisites and general education requirements.  Admission is competitive and admitted students generally have grade point averages well above a 3.0. Students spend their junior year completing a set of core courses, then focus on courses within their area of interest, including an integrated design sequence. The curriculum is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET). Applications are accepted once a year for autumn quarter and are due July 1.

More detailed information about prerequisites and a sample schedule can be found on our web page at http://www.aa.washington.edu/degrees/undergrad/admissions.shtml

Students are encouraged to meet with an academic counselor (by the end of their freshman year) and/or prior to application to the department. To make an appointment contact the department at 206-616-1115, or by email request to: ugadvising@aa.washington.edu

Bioengineering

The Department of Bioengineering looks at prerequisite GPA, cumulative GPA, quality of the overall academic record, quality and content of the personal statement, and research experience (research is optional). Each piece of the application is carefully reviewed. While we do not select based on grades alone, most competitive applicants will have a strong GPA in the prerequisite courses. The GPA range for prerequisites is typically about 3.4 - 3.9 with an average of about 3.7.

Students who begin their college studies at UW may apply for Early Admission at the end of the freshman year or for Upper Admission during the sophomore year. Transfer students also have two options. Early Transfer Admission is for students who want to spend four quarters at a community college, then transfer to the UW Winter Quarter of the sophomore year. Early Transfer Admission allows you to complete your BIOE degree in four calendar years. Please see our web site (see the URL below) and then contact the departmental advisor for more information. Most transfer students, however, choose to complete two years at a community college, then transfer to UW for Autumn Quarter. These students spend Autumn and Winter quarters completing prerequisites and other required courses and apply for Upper Admission during Winter Quarter. This approach extends time to degree by a quarter or two but allows for a slightly more relaxed schedule. Either approach can lead to a successful transfer into our program.

All prospective students should take note that because we are a small department we offer our core (required) courses only once a year. The course sequence begins Winter Quarter of the sophomore year with BIOEN 201.

Please see our web site at http://depts.washington.edu/bioe/ for course requirements and other admissions information. Further questions about the Bioengineering program may be directed to bioeng@u.washington.edu.

Chemical Engineering

The Department of Chemical Engineering at the UW admits students typically at the end of the sophomore year, after they have completed a number of core courses that are science, math, and engineering prerequisites for the upper-division Chemical Engineering curriculum.

While we rank and admit students based on their GPA in the courses required for admission and their overall GPA, other considerations factor into the admissions decision. One consideration is the personal statement written by the student explaining a previously below-average performance, any extenuating circumstances, or extraordinary experience in the technical workplace or military service. Success in our program is well-predicted by 3.0 or above performance in the calculus, physics with calculus, and other core courses of the freshman and sophomore curriculum. Once we admit a student, we fully expect that they will be able to successfully complete our demanding program in approximately two years as a full-time student. Because of our limited laboratory space and desire for small, student-oriented classes, admission is competitive up to an enrollment limit. In the recent past, students with a core GPA above 3.0 have generally been admitted at the sophomore level, and with a 3.5 or above given early admission at the end of the freshman year.

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Undergraduate students typically enter the department in their junior year after spending their first two years completing civil engineering prerequisites and general education requirements. Admission is highly competitive and students granted admission generally have grade point averages well above a 3.0. Once admitted, students spend their junior year completing a set of core courses, then focus on courses within their area of interest during their senior year. The curriculum is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) and the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). Applications are accepted once a year for Autumn Quarter and are due July 1.

Computer Science & Engineering

The Department of Computer Science & Engineering admits approximately 160 students per year. We typically have space for approximately 50% of students who apply. Cumulative GPAs of admitted students generally range from 3.2-4.0,

Our evaluation of applications involves many factors. Here are some of the things we consider in our admission process:

For further information, please refer to the prospective student pages of our departmental home page: http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/ugrad/prospective/.

Electrical Engineering

The Department of Electrical Engineering has two admissions cycles each year:

Fall Admissions (deadline for application is July 1st):   We admit approximately 130 to 180 students during this admission cycle. Students must have completed all prerequisite coursework PRIOR to the application deadline unless they are applying under the Early Admission process for Fall quarter. Please see the following URL for information regarding Early and Upper Division admission processes, prerequisites, etc.: http://www.ee.washington.edu/academic/admitguide.html

Spring Admissions (deadline for application is February 1st):  We admit approximately 55 to 70 students during this admission cycle.  We also get fewer applicants for this cycle in comparison to Fall.  Students must have completed all prerequisite coursework PRIOR to the application deadline. The Department does not have an Early Admission process for this quarter.

The average admission prerequisite GPA varies between 3.4-3.6.  This is an average that weve historically seen based on our applicant pools; this is not any kind of cut-off GPA.  Both prerequisite and cumulative GPA are considered during our admissions process, and as such, it is important to demonstrate academic success in both arenas.

The Admissions committee considers GPA, trends in educational history, and the statement of purpose when considering an applicant.  The statement of purpose is important to our process in that it gives our admissions committee information to consider beyond just GPA or trends in academic achievement.  Our admissions process is competitive.  The overall competitiveness of admission depends on the total number of applications we receive, as well as the general strength of the applicant pool, and it can vary widely from year to year.  We strongly encourage everyone who meets our minimum admission requirements to apply, but we also urge all applicants to have backup plans as well since we cant predict the future competitiveness of any admission cycle.  Students wishing to discuss admission in more detail may contact us at undergrad@ee.washington.edu or 543-2142.

Please see our online prospective student guide at: http://www.ee.washington.edu/academic/prospective.html

Industrial Engineering

Industrial Engineering provides a challenging and rewarding program for undergraduates at the University of Washington. The GPA of entering students covers a wide range, from about a 2.8 to 3.8. The average GPA of entering students has been around a 3.1 over the last couple of years. GPA is but one factor considered for admission into Industrial Engineering. The admissions committee also pays high consideration to an applicant's personal statement, prior work experience, and any extenuating circumstances that might have affected the student's academic performance. Industrial Engineering provides scholarships based on academic performance and/or financial need. Academic scholarships are usually offered to students with GPAs of 3.4 and higher.

Materials Science & Engineering

Your one-page personal statement should explain your interest in Materials Science and Engineering and your goals for the future. If you have work or volunteer experience related to engineering, please discuss that. If you might contribute to the diversity of the department because of cultural awareness, educational background, special interests and talents, please discuss that. Also discuss academic strengths or difficulties. In general, use the essay to demonstrate your best writing and in a concise and clear manner talk about academic, research, leadership, and extracurricular interests.

Prerequisites are Mathematics 124, 125, 126, 307, Chemistry 142, 152, Physics 121, 122 (with labs), English composition, CSE 142, and MSE 170. Applicants for upper-division admission should have completed at least eight of these prior to applying with the remaining courses included in the current schedule. Applicants without all prerequisites completed will be considered. A minimum of 2.0 (C) is required in each prerequisite as well as an overall GPA of 2.5 with at least 64 college credits completed.

Admission to the Materials Science and Engineering program is competitive for both spring and autumn admission; however, we welcome applications from all eligible applicants including direct transfers from community colleges. Selection for admission is based on the following criteria:

Undergraduate students admitted to the department in the past few years have had an overall GPA ranging from 2.5-4.0, while the average overall GPA has been about 3.0. Please contact the MSE Department Academic Counselor, Kathy Elkins, if you have any questions about the application process or the undergraduate program. She can be reached at kelkins@u.washington.edu or at 206-616-6581.

Mechanical Engineering

The admissions process is competitive for the ME program (BSME) and we welcome an application from any student with a GPA greater than 2.5. The average GPA for students accepted to the program has been approximately 3.3. Although students with greater GPAs generally have a greater probability of being accepted, the admissions committee considers performance in specific key courses and the applicant's statement of purpose as other strong indicators of a students probable success in the program. Students with GPAs less than about 3.0 are generally not accepted.

The Department provides scholarships to many students on the basis of academic performance and/or finacial need. Students qualifying for scholarships based on academic performance generally have GPAs greater than 3.5.

We encourage potential students to meet with the counselors in the ME Student Services office before applying to the program. To schedule an advising appointment, call (206) 543-5090, email: merecept@u.washington.edu, or contact the ME receptionist in Mechanical Engineering Building room MEB 143.

Paper Science & Engineering

Paper Science and Engineering is a well-funded engineering program studying fiber, and physical and chemical processes. Autumn admission is preferred but additional space may be available at other times during the year. Numerous scholarships and support are available through the Washington Pulp and Paper Foundation on a competitive basis. Students must have the majority of prerequisites met with generally a 3.0 gpa overall. Program information is available at:http://www.cfr.washington.edu/Acad/undergrad/PSE/pse_reqs.htm

Technical Communication

The admissions committee of the Department of Technical Communication (TC) at the University of Washington looks closely at the following components of each undergraduate application:

TC accepts applications for autumn and spring quarters. For the academic year 2005-2006, we offered admission to the department to approximately 70% of those that applied. The average cumulative gpa of students that were extended offers was between 3.3 and 3.4, and the range was around 2.6 to 3.9.

Questions? Please contact engradv@engr.washington.edu or call 206-543-1770

Engineering Advising & Diversity Center, 301 Loew Hall, 206-543-1770, eadc@u.washington.edu