Students must have completed at least 55 academic credits at the time of application, including these prerequisite courses or equivalents. Transfer students should use the UW Equivalency Guide and the Plan of Study to plan coursework. Students are also encouraged to meet with a departmental adviser to discuss their plans.
Applicants can have up to two pre-requisites in progress during the time of application (e.g., MATH 207 and PHYS 122).
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CHEM 142 (or 143 or 145) |
MATH 124 |
PHYS 121 PHYS 122 with lab or equivalent physics courses. Students at semester colleges should complete the entire calculus based physics series |
ENGL 131 or other composition course |
- Minimum requirements:
- To apply, students must have a minimum 2.0 in each prerequisite course and a minimum 2.50 GPA in the prerequisite courses. (During AY 2023-24, we will pilot a minimum requirement pathway for UW Students, see our main admissions page for details)
- Recently:
- For the most recent admission cycles, nearly all students meeting the minimum requirements were admitted -we anticipate admitting all students meeting these requirements in 2023-2024.
Worried about the 90 credit rule for transfer credits?
We frequently receive questions about how the 90 credit rule, which is that the UW allows a maximum of 90 credits of lower-division transfer coursework to be applied toward a UW degree. Students and advisors wonder if this means prerequisites will need to be retaken after coming to UW. This rule only impacts how many credits apply to the 180 credits required to graduate - every class that meets the requirements to transfer and is equivalent to a UW class will fulfill that individual requirement.
Enrollment Requirements:
Students must additionally complete CHEM 162, MATH 207 and PHYS 122 prior to enrolling in CHEM E 310, which is offered only spring quarter.
Prior to autumn quarter following CHEM E 310, students are expected to have the following courses, or their equivalents, complete. See our website for a sample Plan of Study.
| CHEM 142 (or 143 or 145) CHEM 152 (or 153 or 155) CHEM 162 (or 153 or 165) CHEM 237 (or 223) CHEM 238 (or 224) |
MATH 124 |
PHYS 121 PHYS 122 PHYS 123 |
ENGL 131 |
Major application
The major application opens two weeks before the application deadline. 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 website in order to prepare.
Factors included in the admissions decision include grades, especially in prerequisite courses, the personal statement, and considerations such as difficulty of completed courses, frequency of incomplete or withdrawal grades, number of repeated courses, applicable work experience and maturity of attitude, record of honors, a demonstrated ability to take at least 12 credits per quarter, and special circumstances as disclosed by the applicant.
Appeals of admissions decisions
Students may appeal the admissions decision made by the committee by writing a letter to the Department chair. The letter should describe any extenuating circumstances and may include any additional information in support of the appeal that the student believes is relevant. For more information about the appeals process, see the Appeals page.