Prospective Transfer Students
| Plan ahead | Apply to UW | Apply to departments | Deadlines | Scholarships |
Many students choose to begin their engineering studies at a Washington state community college, or at an out-of-state institution, and then transfer to the UW. Below are some tips to make the process as smooth as possible.
Planning Your Community College Course Work
Research Prerequisites and Curriculum Requirements
Study the application prerequisites and the additional freshman and sophomore course work for the engineering programs you are considering. While the application prerequisites are your priority courses, it is best to complete as much of the freshman/sophomore curriculum as possible. Information on required courses can be found at the following locations:
Know Which Community College Classes are Equivalent to UW Courses
See the UW Equivalency Guide to identify equivalent classes at your college.
Please note: While General Chemistry II will sometimes transfer as Chemistry 1XX, students who complete General Chemistry I & II* with accompanying lab at a Washington State Community College will satisfy the admission and graduation requirements for the following departments: CEE, ISE, MSE and ME.
*Courses such as Chemical Concepts, Introductory Chemistry and Chemistry Prep classes will not satisfy this requirement.
Know When to Apply to Engineering Programs
Find out the application quarters for the engineering programs you are considering. All engineering programs, with the exception of Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering, admit students to the program for autumn quarter.
Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Materials Science & Engineering also admit students for spring quarter.
Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering only admit students for spring quarter. Students interested in Bioengineering should visit the Bioengineering Prospective Students page for information on transfer strategies.
Work with Your College Adviser
Meet with your community college adviser to plan your course work. Many of the courses you will need are part of sequences, and since some courses will be offered only certain quarters, it is critical to know the timing of the course offerings at your college.
Meet with a UW Engineering Adviser
Advisers with Student Academic Services at the College of Engineering are available by appointment or on a drop-in basis, by email, and by phone.
- Call (206) 543-1770 to set up an appointment.
- Come to a Transfer Thursday information session, offered by the UW Office of Admissions. Engineering advisers are present.
Applying to the University of Washington and to an Engineering Program
Transfer students typically apply to the UW after completing engineering program admission requirements. If, however, you are a transfer student and have not yet completed these courses, you can be admitted to the UW as a pre-engineering major, particularly if prerequisite courses are not offered at your other school. Once you meet the prerequisites, you can apply to one or more engineering departments.
The are separate applications and application deadlines for general UW admission and admission to engineering departments. Therefore, you need to complete two applications at two different times to gain admission to one of the engineering departments. In some cases, the general University of Washington application will be due several months before the engineering department application is available.
Please contact an adviser if you have questions about the timing of your applications, or about any other application requirements.
Step 1: Apply to the University of Washington
The University of Washington application deadlines are as follows:
| Quarter | Transfer Students/ Post Baccalaureates |
International Students (Not US Citizens/Not Refugees) |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | February 15 | February 15 |
| Winter | September 15 | No admissions |
| Spring* | December 15 | No admissions |
| Summer | February 15 | February 15 |
* Spring quarter admission to the University is only an option for students who are also applying for direct entry to an engineering program that offers spring admission. Because spring quarter is not open for general admission, the University online application will not be available. Applicants will submit a paper application to the UW Admissions Office.
To find out more about applying to the UW, see UW Office of Admissions. To request an application, call the application request line at (206) 543-5150.
Step 2: Apply to Engineering Department(s)
Once you have completed the prerequisite courses for one or more engineering programs, you can apply for admission to those programs. To apply, submit an Engineering Department Application form and unofficial transcripts to each of your chosen engineering departments. Details are on the online application form.
Transfer applicants are considered at the same time as applicants who are UW students. The criteria by which applicants are judged vary from department to department, but are based in part on the GPA earned in prerequisite courses. For more information, contact an adviser in Student Academic Services at (206) 543-1770.
Application Deadlines by Quarter
| Quarter | Due Date | Departments Admitting during the Quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | July 1 | All departments with the exception of Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering. |
| Winter | No departments admit students during summer quarter. | |
| Spring | February 1 | Bioengineering Chemical Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science & Engineering Electrical Engineering Human Centered Design & Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Bioresource Science & Engineering The following departments DO NOT ADMIT students Spring Quarter: Aeronautics and Astronautics, Civil & Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering. |
| Summer | No departments admit students during summer quarter. |
Note that the engineering department application deadline is significantly later than the UW deadline (July 1 versus February 15 for autumn). The online application for engineering departments is opened in early to mid-June for autumn application and early to mid-January for spring application.
Engineering Scholarships
In addition to the general student scholarships and financial aid offered by the University of Washington, students intending to major in engineering are invited to apply for College of Engineering scholarships. See Engineering Scholarships for the common application form and additional details.
Contact Engineering Advising
Student Academic Services
301 Loew Hall
(206) 543-1770
engradv@uw.edu
For admissions questions, contact:
Dan Feetham
Academic Advisor
Student Academic Services
dfeetham@u.washington.edu
340 Loew
(206) 685-2426
Admissions Handout
The information on this page, along with additional details, is available in our admissions handout for transfer students.
Engineers Making a Difference
UW Engineering students, faculty and researchers tackle new problems and innovation every day. See how on the Engineers Making a Difference video gallery.
Applying to the University of Washington
Please visit UW Admissions to learn more about the freshman application process, and to apply online.