Undergraduate application requirements & procedures
We welcome your application! Before you apply, make sure you meet the department's minimum requirements and understand that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee an offer of admission.
How you apply to the ISE department depends on your class standing and when you were admitted to the UW, as outlined below. If you have questions about admission, contact ISE undergraduate advising at ieadvise@uw.edu.
High school students – Direct to College
Freshman applicants who meet UW admissions criteria and who list an engineering department (or Engineering-undecided) as their first choice major on the UW application will automatically be considered for Direct to College admission.
Freshman students admitted via this process will enter the College of Engineering as Engineering Undeclared Students. These students will be able to place into one of the College’s engineering majors if they meet minimum progress requirements.
If the number of Engineering Undeclared students requesting placement into a major exceeds the department capacity for Engineering Undeclared students, a competitive matching process will be used. The department will use a holistic review process that considers grades and a personal statement to guide the matching process. If you have questions about Direct to College admission, the placement process, or advising for Engineering Undeclared Students, see the College of Engineering website.
Students admitted to UW as Engineering Undeclared starting autumn 2019
To be eligible for placement into the BSIE program you should have completed all of the following requirements with a minimum grade of 2.0 or above in English Composition and PHYS 121 and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in the courses required for placement.
| Course number | Credits | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 124, 125, & 126 | 15 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry |
| PHYS 121 | 5 | Mechanics |
| CHEM 142, 152 or PHYS 122, 123 | 10 | Two additional courses of physical science and accompanying labs, at the level of CHEM 142, 152 or PHYS 122, 123 |
| English Composition | 5 | Course from the UW English composition list |
Students admitted to UW as Engineering Undeclared starting autumn 2020 and beyond
To be eligible for placement into the BSIE program you should have completed all of the following requirements with a minimum grade of 2.0 or above in English Composition and PHYS 121 and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in the courses required for placement.
| Course number | Credits | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 124, 125, & 126 | 15 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry |
| PHYS 121 | 5 | Mechanics |
| CHEM 142, 152 or PHYS 122, 123 | 10 | Two additional courses of physical science and accompanying labs, at the level of CHEM 142, 152 or PHYS 122, 123 |
| English Composition | 5 | Course from the UW English composition list |
| ENGR 101 | 1 | Engineering Exploration |
| Choose one of the following: AMATH 301, CSE 142, CSE 160 | 4 | Beginning Scientific Computing, Computer Programming I, Data Programming |
Current non-Engineering Undeclared students at UW, and transfer students
Students admitted to UW as non-engineering majors should complete prerequisites and apply for admission to engineering departments through the College of Engineering Application. The ISE department admits non-engineering undeclared and transfer students once a year in autumn quarter only. One application web portal will be used for all engineering departments. Applications will open mid-March and the final deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m. on April 5.
The admission process is competitive, and completion of the requirements does not guarantee admission. All students who meet the minimum admission requirements will be considered for admission.
Department application and deadline
The College of Engineering department application opens mid March. The deadline is April 5.
Even when the application is not open, you can read the list of requirements and see the personal statement prompts by visiting the online application to prepare.
Requirements
- Cumulative UW GPA of 2.5 or higher
- Grade of 2.0 or higher in each application requirement course
Application requirements
Application requirements must be completed by the application deadline.
| Course number | Credits | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 124 | 5 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I |
| MATH 125 | 5 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry II |
| MATH 126 | 5 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry III |
| CHEM 142 | 5 | General Chemistry with lab |
| PHYS 121 | 5 | Mechanics with lab |
| PHYS 122 | 5 | Electromagnetism with lab |
| AA 210 | 4 | Engineering Statics |
| English Composition | 5 | Course from the UW English composition list |
Enrollment requirements
Enrollment requirements must be completed by the start of your first quarter in the major.
| Course number | Credits | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 152 | 5 | General Chemistry with lab |
| PHYS 123 | 5 | Waves with lab |
| CEE 220 OR ME 230 | 4 | Introduction to Mechanics of Materials |
Recommended courses
We strongly recommend you take the following courses to make your application competitive.
| Course number | Credits | Course title |
|---|---|---|
| CSE 142 | 4 | Computer Programming I |
| MATH 307 | 3 | Introduction to Differential Equations |
| MATH 308 | 3 | Matrix Algebra with Applications |
Transfer students
To be eligible to apply, transfer students must meet the admission requirements listed above.
Refer to the BSIE degree requirements and Sample quarterly schedule when planning your courses to make sure you are on track. We strongly encourage you to consult the UW Equivalency Guide to ensure you have completed all required prerequisite coursework before the deadline.
Learn more about transferring into an engineering major on the College of Engineering transfer webpage.
| Start quarter | Application deadlines |
|---|---|
| Autumn |
|
Selection criteria
Selection is based on various factors including overall academic track record, grades in prerequisite courses and cumulative GPA, personal statement, and the potential for success as an ISE major and in the profession. We encourage prospective students to speak with the undergraduate adviser to understand how to be a competitive applicant.
Notification
Students will be notified of acceptance or denial in early May.
Direct to College admission assures incoming freshman students who are admitted into the College of Engineering that they can pursue an engineering degree at the UW. The changes took effect starting with the 2018 incoming freshman class.
Jennifer Tsai