Mechanical Engineering Admissions

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

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

Admissions process

Timeline

The Mechanical Engineering major admits students for entry in autumn quarter. Visit the UW Bothell Application Dates & Deadlines page for information on application deadlines.

Please expect to receive your admissions decision up to eight weeks after the application deadline.

Materials needed

1. Transcripts. All 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. Personal statement

How to apply

Submit an internal application 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 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

Review

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

If necessary, your application may be reviewed by a committee of Mechanical Engineering faculty. The committee uses a holistic approach when reviewing applications, evaluating each on its individual merit and making decisions on a case-by-case basis. Our goal is to admit students who will benefit from the program, contribute to our community of learning, and move on to make positive impacts after graduation. In making its decision, the committee considers the following:

• Completion of prerequisite courses. Decisions are not made until the committee receives final grades for all prerequisite courses.
• Academic performance, including overall GPA and improvements over time, grades in prerequisites and other relevant courses (such as mathematics and other quantitative areas), and the number of repeated courses.
• Personal statement, which can highlight:
  • Your specific interest in this program at the University of Washington Bothell.
  • Your long-term goals and the steps you have already taken to achieve them.
  • Your unique experiences and skills that will help you succeed in the program and beyond.
  • Any challenges or hardships you have faced, and how you approached and learned from them.

Prerequisite courses

Minimum grades. To be considered for admission, complete the courses below with a minimum grade of 2.0 or higher in all courses. The grades must be recorded on your unofficial or official transcript(s).

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. English composition I (1 quarter or 1 semester)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s BWRIT 134.
2. One-year calculus series (3 quarters or 2 semesters)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s STMATH 124, 125, 126 series.
3. Differential Equations (1 quarter or 1 semester)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s STMATH 207.
4. Multivariable Calculus (1 quarter or 1 semester)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s STMATH 224.
5. Calculus-based physics I and II (2 quarters or 2 semesters)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s BPHYS 121 and 122.
   • The third course in the series, BPHYS 123 (Waves) can be useful to take, but is not required for the major.
6. General chemistry I with lab (1 quarters or 1 semester)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s BCHEM 143 and 144.
7. One-year Introductory Mechanical Engineering series (3 quarters or 2 semesters)
   • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s BME 221, 222, 223 series (Statics, Mechanics of Materials, Dynamics).

Personal statement

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

Prompt

Your personal statement should be no longer than 650 words and answer both questions below:

1. Describe one or two of your core values. Make sure to include an adequate description of experiences that have helped you form and test those values. In addition, please relate your core values to the values, mission, and vision of UW Bothell.
2. Describe why you are interested in earning a mechanical engineering degree, both in general and more specifically at UW Bothell? Be sure to read our program website! This description should include discussion of:
   • Any relevant life experiences you may have had (e.g., employment, internships, military service, volunteer work, campus or civic activities, etc.)
   • Your anticipated career as a mechanical engineer.

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.