Physics

Admissions

Admission prerequisites

The prerequisites for entry into the Physics program at the University of Washington Bothell are:

Two quarters of Calculus coursework intended for science majors. The courses should be equivalent to STMATH 124 and 125 as offered at UW Bothell.
A one-year Calculus-based Physics series intended for science majors. The series should be equivalent to the B PHYS 121, 122, 123 series at UW Bothell and must include labs.
One introductory programming course, preferably in Python (CSS 112 at UW Bothell), is recommended but not required prior to starting the major.

The University of Washington operates on a quarter system. If you are transferring from an institution that operates on a semester system, then please note that a three-quarter series and a two-semester series are usually considered equivalent. It is strongly recommended that you take the entire series before transferring from a semester institution.

You may submit an application while you have your final Physics course in progress, but all prerequisite coursework must be completed before you begin your first quarter in the Physics major.

All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a minimum of 2.0 in each course. However, reaching this minimum is not a guarantee of admission. An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher is recommended for applicants.

How to apply

Internal applicants

If you are a pre-major student at the University of Washington Bothell, please submit an internal application online. The Autumn 2023 internal application opens February 8, 2023 and the deadline is August 1, 2023. Students from UW Seattle or UW Tacoma must complete a transfer application. Information for transfer applicants is below.

If you have questions about the internal application process, please contact pre-major advising at uwbadvis@uw.edu or visit the pre-major advising website.

Transfer applicants

If you are a student from an institution other than the University of Washington Bothell, please submit a transfer application online. Students from UW Seattle or UW Tacoma, use this application.

For priority transfer application deadlines, visit the application deadlines page.

If you have questions about the transfer application process, please visit the transfer advising website.

Transfer coursework

To determine how most courses from a 2-year institution in Washington State transfer to the University of Washington Bothell, visit the transfer equivalency guide.