CSSE Admissions

This page contains information for applying to the CSSE (Computer Science & Software Engineering) undergraduate major.

1. Application timeline
2. How to apply
3. Prerequisite courses
   • Required UW Bothell skills labs
   • Accepted courses
   • Covid-19 and pass/fail grading
4. Personal statement
5. Review process
6. Related majors and minors
7. Questions?

Application timeline

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

How to apply

Submit an internal application if you are:

• A pre-major student at UW Bothell campus
• Already in a major at UW Bothell and you want to switch majors or double major

Submit a transfer application if you are:

• A current student at UW Seattle or UW Tacoma campus
• Transferring from another college or university outside of the UW system

If you are a post-baccalaureate student:

• We prioritize first-time degree seekers for our undergraduate degrees. Because of the high demand for these majors, students who have already earned an undergraduate degree generally cannot be considered for admission.
• Instead, we encourage post-baccalaureate students to join our Graduate Certificate in Software Design & Development, which covers the same core concepts as our undergraduate majors.

Materials needed

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

1. Unofficial transcripts from UW and/or from any other colleges or universities you have attended.
2. Personal statement. Read below for more information.
3. (optional) Resume or CV

Prerequisite courses

All prerequisite courses must be completed before you apply with limited exceptions for autumn regular quarter admission. Applicants with incomplete or in-progress prerequisites will not be considered for admission and are encouraged to apply for a later quarter of entry instead. If you are trying to apply during autumn regular admission, you can have prerequisites in progress during the spring quarter while you’re applying. Spring grades will post and the committee will review your autumn regular admission application after spring grades have been completed.

You must earn a minimum grade of 2.0 or higher in all prerequisite courses.

This equivalency guide is subject to change. Please refer to the UW Equivalency Guide for verification.

*Required UW Bothell skills labs

If taking the Computer Programming I and II (CSS 142 and 143) lectures at UW Bothell, then you must take the corequisite skills labs (CSSSKL 142 and 143) at the same time as the lectures.

CSSSKL 142 and 143 are not themselves prerequisites for entry into the CSS majors, but they are still very important for your learning and will be considered by the admissions committee along with the rest of the coursework on your academic record.

Accepted courses

English Composition

If you are trying to transfer to UW Bothell and have questions about if a course will count as an English Composition requirement, then please connect with your UW Bothell admissions transfer advisor. If you are an internal student then connect with the CSS program by emailing cssadv@uw.edu.

Please note that if you use ENGL& 230 (at a Washington state college) or HCDE 231 (at UW Seattle) you may need to take two more credits of writing later on to satisfy our additional writing general education requirement.

Computer Programming

Any programming language is acceptable for the Computer Programming I and II prerequisites, but both courses must be taught in the same language. Commonly taught languages include object-oriented, class-based languages such as Java, C++, other C family languages, and Python.

Washington colleges vary widely in their course numbering for introductory Computer Programming courses. Many use the Common Course Numbering (CCN) system for the first course, noted with an ampersand (&), and then use their own numbering system for the second course. Other colleges use their own numbering system for both courses.

Covid-19 and pass/fail grading

The University of Washington recognizes the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic. For courses taken during Extraordinary Circumstances Quarters (ECQ), we will consider pass/fail grading options for the purposes of admissions and graduation requirements.

• If taken at a UW campus during an ECQ, a grade of ‘S’ (Satisfactory) will be considered. A grade of ‘NS’ (Not Satisfactory) will not be accepted.
• If taken elsewhere during an ECQ, a “Satisfactory”, “Credit”, “Pass”, or similar grade will be considered if the definition of these grades indicate they would have been at least a 2.0 if the class had been numerically graded.

Personal statement

Your personal statement is your opportunity to tell your story to the admissions committee. This is where you can go beyond grades and explain how this major is the right fit for your goals. It is also an opportunity to put academic challenges you have faced in perspective and demonstrate how much you have grown.

Most colleges and universities have writing centers or similar resources that can help you. The UW Bothell Writing & Communication Center (WACC) works with UW Bothell students to help with their personal statements.

Writing guidelines

We recommend the following for your statement:

1. Do not underestimate the need for a well-crafted personal statement. It is a sample of your written communication skills, which are critically important for all computing professionals.
2. Strive for focus, clarity, and detail in your writing.
   • Be specific about which degree program(s) you are applying for and tailor your statement accordingly.
   • Make sure that your writing flows logically, and that every sentence serves a purpose.
   • Avoid unnecessary wordiness and overuse of adjectives. Write simply.
   • Be as detailed as possible about the activities you have engaged in, the skills they helped you develop, and how those skills prepare you for your major and long-term goals.
3. Keep readability in mind.
   • Check the formatting for font, font size, line spacing, and paragraph breaks. We recommend you use 12-point Times New Roman font and double-spaced lines.
   • The statement should not be too short (less than one page) or too long (more than two pages).
   • Have another person check your writing for correct grammar, punctuation, and readability.
4. Writing a good statement takes time.
   • Read the prompt several times.
   • Take notes as you come up with ideas and use them to decide how to build the best narrative.
   • Take breaks as you work and return later for a fresh read.
   • Double check your work. After writing your statement, re-read the prompt and compare. Did you answer the full prompt? Does your story describe your experiences in the best positive light?

Writing prompt

Write a one-to-two page personal statement. Please write the statement as a cohesive essay, and not as a series of short answers. At minimum, your essay should answer the following questions:

1. What specifically interests you about UW Bothell’s CSSE major, and what long-term goals will your chosen major help you achieve?
2. Do you have any experience in software or hardware development outside of the classroom? If so, please describe.
3. The computing field relies on communication and collaboration. Further, we believe diverse collaborations create better solutions. How do you plan to work with a diverse group of students, and what diverse perspectives will you bring?
4. If you have any repeated prerequisite coursework, have applied to the program before, or if there is anything else you would like to tell the Faculty Admissions Committee, please elaborate on these topics in the personal statement

You may use the personal statement to elaborate on the following:

• Repeated prerequisite coursework
• Gaps in education or low grades
• Comment on a previous application and what has changed since
• Personal hardship/overcoming adversity
• Anything else you would like the Faculty Admissions Committee to know
• Black Lives Matter, COVID-19 pandemic and/or online class environment

Review process

Applications are reviewed by a committee of CSS division faculty. The review is holistic, so although your prerequisite grades are important, we also consider other factors such as:

• Grades in other courses (especially mathematics, programming, and other quantitative work)
• Improvement in grades over time
• Courses you have retaken and number of retakes
• Your personal statement, including:
  • How well thought-out your long-term plans are, and what steps you have already taken to achieve them
  • How well you can detail your learning experiences (both in school and outside of school) and skills acquired, and connect them to your long-term goals
  • Any challenges or hardships you have faced, and hopefully have also overcome and learned from

Related majors and minors

If you want to explore other ways of gaining computing-related knowledge and skills at UW Bothell, consider these programs as well!

Major programs

• Applied Computing (B.A.)
• Business Administration: Management Information Systems concentration (B.A.)
• Computer Engineering (B.S.C.E.)
• Data Visualization (B.A. and B.S.), formerly Mathematical Thinking & Visualization
• Earth System Science (B.S.)
• Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.)
• Mathematic (B.S.)
• Physics (B.A. and B.S.)
• Science, Technology, and Society (B.A.)

Minor programs

• Minor in Computer Science & Software Engineering (CSSE)
• Minor in Data Analytics
• Minor in Data Science
• Minor in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Minor in Information Technology (IT)
• Minor in Mathematics
• Minor in Physics & Astronomy
• Minor in Science, Technology, and Society (STS)

Graduate programs

• Graduate Certificate in Electrical & Computer Engineering Foundations
• Graduate Certificate in Software Design & Development
• Master of Business Administration, Technology
• M.S. in Accounting
• M.S. in Computer Science & Software Engineering
• M.S. in Cybersecurity Engineering
• M.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering

Questions?

Premajor applicants

Start by visiting the premajor advising website or contacting the First Year & Premajor Programs (FYPP) team at uwbadvis@uw.edu.

Transfer applicants

Start by visiting the transfer admissions website or contacting the admissions advising team at uwbinfo@uw.edu.

Other applicants / further questions

Contact us directly at cssadv@uw.edu.