Some students do not have an interest in engineering when they start at UW, but rather discover their interest later.
While the majority of engineering students at the UW are admitted via the Direct to College pathway as freshmen, there is still an opportunity for UW students who discover an interest in engineering later to apply through our capacity-constrained pathway to departments. Capacity for “interest changers” varies dramatically by major.
If you are interested in applying to engineering majors, we encourage you to work closely with your assigned UAA or OMA&D adviser to ensure you plan accordingly. Additionally, you should reach out to advisers in your majors of interest as soon as possible. Use the resources in this page to guide your planning.
Topics: Review major options Admission requirements Deadlines Engineering advisers
1. Review engineering and engineering-related major options
Engineering at a glance »
Department overviews, including degrees offered, and links to department websites.
Engineering-related majors »
It's a good idea to also create a parallel plan for majors listed under the Biological & Environmental Sciences, Computing, Math, or Physical Sciences on this list.
2. Ensure you’re on track to apply
Understand admission requirements
Find information about the application requirements and the additional lower-division coursework, referred to as enrollment requirements, required for the engineering programs you are considering. While the application requirements are your priority courses to take, it is important to ensure you have a plan to complete the enrollment requirements prior to starting in the major.
Compare majors: Required courses by department »
Comparison of the application and enrollment requirements for the different engineering majors.
Know when to apply
Once you have thoroughly researched majors and their associated application and enrollment requirements, you’re prepared to apply to one or more engineering majors! It's important to keep in mind that engineering departments accept applications and admit students to the majors at different times. You can find the quarters when the majors you are interested in are accepting applications in the table below.
Engineering major application deadlines
| Start quarter | Application deadlines | Majors admitting during the quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Apply to department by April 5 | Aeronautics & Astronautics Bioresource Science & Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Environmental Engineering Human Centered Design & Engineering Industrial Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Mechanical Engineering |
| Spring | Apply to department by January 15 | Bioengineering Bioresource Science & Engineering Chemical Engineering Computer Engineering |