Electrical Engineering Admissions

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

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

Admissions process

Timeline

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

Please expect to receive your admissions decision up to six 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
Submit an online application

Review

The Electrical Engineering 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.

If necessary, your application may be reviewed by a committee of Electrical 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 cumulative GPA. You must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher to be considered for admission.

Minimum grades. You must complete the English Composition course with a minimum grade of 2.0 and the Calculus and Physics courses with a minimum grade of 2.7. 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. Calculus I and II (2 quarters or 2 semesters)
    • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s STMATH 124 and 125.
    • Calculus III. Calculus III is not a prerequisite for entry into the major, but is required for graduation and as a prerequisite for other courses in the major.
  3. Calculus-based physics I (1 quarter or 1 semester)
    • Must cover content equivalent to UW Bothell’s BPHYS 121 (Mechanics).

Personal statement

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

Prompt

Your Personal Statement is an opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions committee and provides context for the rest of your application. The statement is very personal and belongs to you alone. Write what you feel strongly about and what matters most to you–not to your friends, parents, or colleagues. In other words, we invite you to distinguish yourself through telling your story. Your statement should be no longer than 650 words and answer both questions below:

  1. Why are you interested in Electrical Engineering and specifically in UW Bothell’s program? How did your passion for Electrical Engineering form and what talents/skills will you bring to our community? In reviewing the Electrical Engineering faculty profiles, what research areas are you most interested in?
  2. What relevant life experiences have you had (employment, internships, class projects, military service, volunteer work, campus activities, etc.) that will guide you in your anticipated career as an Electrical Engineer? If you have experience with hardware development, please describe here.

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.