Admissions Requirements
Minimum University Admission Requirements
The following minimum requirements must be met in order for your application to receive a holistic admissions review:
- Completion of College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR’s)
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Submission of high school courses and grades from most recent high school attended
- Proof of English language proficiency is required for all students who completed more than half (at least 7 years) of their primary and secondary education in schools a) where English was not the language of instruction and b) in countries outside the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom. Learn more on our English language proficiency webpage.
- The University of Washington Bothell no longer requires SAT or ACT scores. (Read the January 27, 2021, announcement for more information.)
Additional information for international students
Students currently enrolled in high school are required to submit an academic transcript for grades 9, 10, and 11 and to list the courses in progress. If grade 9 was part of junior high school in your country, you must submit a copy of your transcript for the final year of junior high school (equivalent to grade 9 in the U.S.).
If you did not complete high school, you must submit a transcript for all years completed, including grade 9. Coursework completed before grade 9 or its equivalent will not be considered as having satisfied the CADRs.
College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs)
In accordance with Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) requirements and to ensure that students entering UW Bothell are adequately prepared to succeed in college, all first-year student applicants are required to complete a minimum level of preparation in the below subject areas through high school or college course work prior to entering the university.
Completing your CADR requirements
Almost all applicants will have satisfied these subject requirements through high school course work, which is generally defined as that completed in grades 9-12. Homeschool applicants may require additional information.
If CADR is not entirely satisfied through high school course work, college level course work may also be used. In general, five quarter credits (or three semester credits) at the college level equals one year of high-school study. For example, if you completed three years of English in high school, you can use one college English composition or literature course to bring your total to four years. A college course may be used to satisfy both an admission CADR requirement and a UW Bothell graduation requirement.
A passing grade must be received in all core subject requirements; this includes a Pass in a course taken on a Pass/Not Pass basis. However, if you are completing CADR through college course work you are strongly encouraged to choose a letter or numerical grade, because you may later want to apply the course(s) towards requirements for your major and/or University graduation requirements, for which grading restrictions pertain.
English Composition/Literature
If taken in high school:
Four years of study are required, at least three of which must be in college-preparatory composition or literature.
- One of the four years may be satisfied by courses in drama as literature, public speaking, debate, journalistic writing, business English, or English as a Second Language (ESL).
- Courses that are generally not acceptable include those identified as remedial or applied (e.g., acting, basic English skills, developmental reading, library, speed reading, newspaper staff, remedial English, review English, vocabulary, yearbook/annual).
For international students
- English courses taken in another country are considered equivalent to ESL unless taken in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom.
- Four high school years of Composition and/or Literature courses in the student’s native language satisfy this requirement.
If made up through college course work:
College course work must be at the 100 level or higher. For the composition/literature component, generally any course with an English or Writing prefix is acceptable.
- One of the four years may be satisfied by a college course in speech, drama as literature, journalistic writing, business English, ESL or engineering/technical writing.
Mathematics
If taken in high school:
Three years of study are required, at least at the level of algebra, geometry and second-year algebra.
- An algebra course completed in the last year of junior high school may partially satisfy the requirement if the second-year algebra is completed in secondary school.
- Arithmetic, pre-algebra, business math and statistics will not satisfy the requirement.
- Mathematics course work taken in the senior year may overlap with the Senior Year Math-Based Quantitative requirement.
If made up through college course work:
If high school preparation in mathematics was insufficient, one of the courses listed below is required:
- Intermediate Algebra: At Washington community colleges, qualifying courses in intermediate algebra are listed as equivalent to MATH 098 in the University of Washington Equivalency Guide. The course must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better, even though it does not transfer to UW Bothell as college credit and the grade earned in the course is not used in computing the transfer GPA.
- Trigonometry: The course must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better.
- Mathematics courses with intermediate algebra as a prerequisite: This includes any higher-level math courses such as elementary functions, calculus, and beyond. Courses in statistics, logic or computer science do not satisfy the mathematics requirement.
Social Studies
If taken in high school:
Three years of study are required in history or in any of the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, contemporary world problems, economics, geography, government, political science, psychology, sociology). Religion courses, consumer economics, student government or community service do not satisfy the requirement.
If made up through college course work:
Courses in the social sciences (e.g., anthropology, economics, ethnic studies, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology) satisfy the requirement.
Science
3 years of Science courses are required.
- 2 of the 3 years must be in laboratory-based courses
- 1 year must be in an algebra-based science course
- 1 year must be in either Biology, Chemistry, or Physics
Some courses may fulfill more than one science requirement and if taken in the senior year, may also fulfill the senior year math-based quantitative requirement (any algebra-based science course). Please check with an admissions counselor if you have any questions.
World Language
If taken in high school:
Two years of study in the same language are required.
- The world language requirement will be considered satisfied for students who complete more than half their primary and secondary education in school(s) a) where English was not the language of instruction or b) in countries other than the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
- International students who entered the U.S. education system prior to the seventh grade must satisfy the world language requirement.
- Any natural language that has been formally studied may be used to satisfy this requirement, including American Sign Language (AMESLAN, the language of the deaf community) and languages no longer spoken, such as Latin and ancient Greek. However, neither computer ‘languages’ nor forms of deaf signing aside from AMESLAN are acceptable.
- A world language course taken in the eighth grade may satisfy one year of the requirement if the second-year course is completed in high school.
If made up through college course work:
Students who have never studied a world language will need to complete ten quarter credits (or six semester credits) of a single world language. A student who studied a world language for one year in high school needs to complete only the second five quarter credits (e.g., FREN 102) or the second three semester credits of a first-year language sequence in college.
If using an exam:
Students who have not completed high school or college course work in a world language can demonstrate their proficiency using test scores.
- Advanced Placement [AP]: A score of 3, 4 or 5 on a College Board Advanced Placement world language exam will be awarded 5, 10 or 15 transfer college credits and satisfy the world language requirement.
- International Baccalaureate [IB]: A score of 5, 6 or 7 on an International Baccalaureate Program Higher Level world language B exam will be awarded 5, 10 or 15 transfer college credits and satisfy the world language requirement.
University of Washington Placement:
Placement into the third quarter of a world language by a UW Placement Exam satisfies the world language requirement. For placement and proficiency testing information, visit the UW Undergraduate Advising page. If the Testing Center does not offer a test for a language, it may be possible to have proficiency level evaluated by a UW faculty member in a one-on-one test; contact the appropriate UW language department to inquire about this possibility. Placement tests taken at other colleges will not satisfy the world language requirement.
Senior Year Math-Based Quantitative Course
If taken in high school:
One year of math-based quantitative course work is required in the senior year. Any of the following courses will meet this requirement if taken during 12th grade:
- The third-year level of math, such as intermediate algebra (Algebra II)
- The fourth-year level of math, such as pre-calculus, math analysis or calculus
- A math-based quantitative course (statistics)
- An Algebra-based science course (this may also count toward the lab science requirement)
- An AP Computer Science course
If made up through college course work:
College courses in math (e.g., pre-calculus, calculus, statistics) or algebra-based science satisfy this requirement.
Fine, Visual, or Performing Arts
If taken in high school:
One-half year or one trimester of study is required in the fine, visual or performing arts, to be chosen from art appreciation, band, ceramics, choir, dance, dramatics performance and production, drawing, fiber arts, graphic arts, metal design, music appreciation, music theory, orchestra, painting, photography, print making or sculpture. Courses generally not acceptable include architecture, color guard, creative writing, drafting, drill team, fashion design, world languages, interior design, sewing, speech, web design or graphics, woodworking and yearbook.
If made up through college course work:
Two quarter credits (or two semester credits) satisfy the requirement, chosen from art, art history, cinema/filmmaking, dance, drama (except drama as literature), music or photography. Courses in architecture are generally not acceptable, except for those in architectural history.
Elective in CADR Subjects
If taken in high school:
One-half year of study is required. Academic electives are courses in any of the six subject areas defined above beyond the minimum number of years specified above.
If made up through college course work:
Three quarter credits (or two semester credits) completed in any of the six subject areas described above satisfy this requirement.
Note: Any document submitted to the Office of Admissions to supplement the application becomes part of the official admissions record and cannot be released back to the student.