Admission Requirements
Are you a transfer applicant?
A transfer applicant has attended a college or university after high school graduation (summer excluded) but has not yet earned a bachelor’s degree. (Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree should apply as a post-baccalaureate student).
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the application is complete and true, and to be aware of all pertinent admission and application requirements. Failure to disclose complete and accurate information (e.g. all colleges/universities attended) and/or failure to submit all required application materials may result in the denial of admission or subsequent dismissal from the University.
Students who are denied admission to UW Bothell and wish to appeal the decision may request further consideration by presenting a written petition and additional information in support of their application.
Minimum admission requirements
Transfer applicants must meet the following minimum requirements to be considered for admissions:
- Minimum cumulative transfer GPA of 2.0.
- Supporting documents (transcripts, test scores, personal statement, etc. – varies by major program).
- Completion of CADR or core subject requirements if applicant has fewer than 40 transferrable credits (see below) at the time of application.
- Proof of English language proficiency (if required).
Whether an applicant must fulfill either the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR) or University core subject requirements depends on how many credits have been completed at the time of application.
- Admissions requirements for applicants with more than 40 credits
- Admissions requirements for applicants with fewer than 40 credits
Note: Minimum requirements are offered as a guideline and do not guarantee admission if met. Please review the material on the degree web pages carefully to prepare a competitive application that exceeds the minimum requirements.
Applicants with more than 40 Credits
Applicants with close to 90 transfer credits should choose a major at the time of application. Prerequisites must be completed or be in progress at the time of application. Each major has prerequisite requirements in addition to the University’s admission requirements, and some have special application requirements.
To be considered for admission, you must meet the minimum admission requirements:
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Proof of English Language proficiency (if needed)
Completing the minimum does not guarantee admission. For competitive admission criteria please refer to the Transfer Planning Worksheets.
Note: Students transferring with 135 or more credits must choose a degree and prerequisites must be completed or be in progress at the time of application.
Applicants with fewer than 40 Credits
To be considered for admission, applicants with fewer than 40 transfer credits at the time of application are required to complete a minimum level of preparation in six subject areas of the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR) through high school or college course work prior to entering the University. These applicants must submit their official high school transcripts (even if they did not graduate, high school academic history can be used to satisfy CADR requirements).
To be considered for admission, you must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and complete a minimum level of preparation in the following subject areas:
| Subject | If completed in high school | If completed in college |
|---|---|---|
| English Composition/Literature | 4 years | 5 credits of English Composition is equivalent to 1 year of high school English |
| Mathematics | 3 years including completion of Intermediate Algebra | Completion of Intermediate Algebra with minimum GPA of 2.0. |
| Social Science | 3 years | 5 credits of course work is equivalent to 1 year of high school course work |
| World Language* | 2 years of the same language | 10 credits of same language or completion of 102 level. |
| Lab Science | 2 years of lab science; one year must be algebra-based science | 10 credits lab science; one year must be an algebra-based science course |
| Fine, Visual, or Performing Arts | 0.5 years | 2 credits |
*Applicants required to prove English language proficiency are exempt from the World Languages requirement.
Note: An academic associate degree does not automatically satisfy the core subject requirements.
How to complete the core subject requirements
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, newspaper staff, remedial English, review English, vocabulary, yearbook/annual).
- English courses taken in another country are considered equivalent to ESL unless taken in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom.
- International Students: 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.
- Courses such as developmental or speed reading, vocabulary or remedial English are not acceptable.
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.
- MATH& 107: This course may be allowed if a 2.0 grade or higher is earned; please check with a UW Bothell admissions counselor for the most current information.
- 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 Science
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.
World Languages
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. Contact the UW Seattle Testing Center for information about taking a world language placement exam. 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.
Lab Science
If taken in high school:
Two years of lab science are required. At least one of the two years must be in an algebra-based science course.
Lab science course work taken in the senior year may overlap with the Senior Year Math-Based Quantitative requirement.
If made up through college course work:
College-level science courses with a lab satisfy the requirement. At least one course must be an algebra-based science course with a lab.
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.
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.