Biology Admissions

This page contains information on admission to UW Bothell’s Bachelor of Science in Biology. 

  1. Admissions process
  2. Prerequisite courses
  3. Personal statement
  4. Questions?

Admissions process

Timeline

The Biology major admits students for entry in autumn, winter, and spring quarters. Visit the UW Bothell Application Dates & Deadlines page for information on application deadlines.

Please expect to receive your admissions decision up to four weeks after applying.

Materials needed

When you apply, you will need to submit the following:

  1. Transcripts. All transfer applicants must submit unofficial or official transcripts with their application. Once admitted, transfer applicants must also submit up-to-date official transcripts with their final grades if they have not already.
  2. (optional) Personal statement

How to declare or apply

Submit an internal declaration if you are already a student at UW Bothell:

  • Pre-major student at UW Bothell
  • Already in a major at UW Bothell and you want to switch majors
  • Already in a major at UW Bothell and you want a double major or double degree
Submit an internal declaration

Submit a transfer application if you are coming from another institution:

  • Current student at UW Seattle or UW Tacoma
  • Transferring from another college or university outside of the UW system
Submit a transfer application

Review

The Biology major is currently a “minimum requirements” program with no set limit on the number of students admitted, so meeting the minimum entry requirements guarantees admission.

Prerequisite courses

Minimum grades. To be considered for admission, complete the courses below with a minimum grade of 2.0 or higher in each Intro Biology course and a 2.0 or higher combined average for the General Chemistry courses. The grades must be recorded on your unofficial or official transcript(s).

In-progress prerequisites. Your final Intro Biology and/or General Chemistry course may be in-progress at the time you apply, but they must be completed before your first quarter in the major.

Transfer courses. View a compilation of equivalent courses at other UW campuses and Washington state colleges, as well as important notes on transferring courses.

  1. One-year Introductory Biology series (3 quarters or 2 semesters)
  2. One-year General Chemistry series (3 quarters or 2 semesters)

Personal statement

Visit our Personal Statement Guidelines page for advice on writing an exceptional personal statement.

Prompt

A personal statement is not required for entry into the Biology major, but we encourage you to submit an optional statement reflecting on your reasons for joining the major, projects and courses you want to engage in, and long-term goals after graduation.

Questions? 

Internal applicants

If you are a pre-major student or already in a different major at UW Bothell, start by visiting the academic advising website or contacting your current academic advisor directly.

First-year and transfer applicants

If you are a student coming from high school or another institution, including UW Seattle or Tacoma, start by visiting the transfer admissions website or contacting the admissions advising team at uwbinfo@uw.edu.