Current UW non-engineering students

Some students may not initially be interested in engineering when they begin their studies at the University of Washington, but many discover their passion for it later on.

Although most engineering students at UW are admitted as first-year students through the Direct to College (DTC) pathway, there are still opportunities for those who develop an interest in engineering later on. These students can apply to engineering departments through a capacity-constrained pathway. Please note that capacity for these "interest changers" varies significantly by major. Follow these steps to help you plan for a successful application.

1. Review engineering and engineering-related major options

Explore UW Engineering departments
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.

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 majors you are considering. While focusing on the application requirements should be your priority, it is important to have a plan in place to complete the enrollment requirements before starting your major.

Compare majors: Required courses by department
Comparison of the application and enrollment requirements for the different engineering majors.

Know when to apply

After you have thoroughly researched the various engineering majors and their application and enrollment requirements, you’ll be ready to apply to one or more of them. Keep in mind that different engineering departments have varying timelines for accepting applications and admitting students into their programs. You can find the specific quarters during which the majors you are interested in are open for applications in the table below.

Engineering major application deadlines

Start quarter	Application deadlines	Majors admitting during the quarter
Autumn	Apply to major by April 5	Aeronautics & Astronautics Bioresource Science & Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Environmental Engineering Human Centered Design & Engineering Industrial Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Mechanical Engineering
Spring	Apply to major by January 15	Bioengineering Bioresource Science & Engineering Chemical Engineering Computer Engineering

3. Connect with an adviser in your engineering major(s) of interest

We strongly encourage you to work closely with your assigned advisers from the Undergraduate Academic Advising (UAA) or the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D) to ensure you are planning effectively.

Additionally, reach out to advisers in the specific engineering majors you are interested in as soon as possible. You can find their contact information in the table below.

When mailing information to the individuals listed below, for all departments, the rest of the mailing address is: University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-_ _ _ _ (use last four digits of campus box number)

Expand All | Collapse All

4. Submit applications to your majors of interest

Apply to engineering majors