Undergraduate Studies

Information for Prospective Students

Thank you for your interest in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). The CEE department offers the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) degree, which is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, Tel: 410-347-7700).

This page provides information to help prospective students to prepare for
admission to the CEE Department:

General Information

Applying for Admission to the BSCE Program

Links to Helpful Sites

To download a BSCE program planning worksheet (PDF), click here.

General Information

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department admits students only once
a year in Autumn quarter and admission to the program is competitive, so
students are encouraged to start planning early!

Transfer and post-baccalaureate applicants seeking admission to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering must also be admitted to the University of Washington through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For UW application instructions and application deadlines, see Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Indicate your interest in the CEE program when applying to the UW.
See UW's Equivalency Guide for Washington Community and Technical Colleges for community college transfer equivalencies.
Currently-enrolled UW students must be in good standing.
Prerequisite courses must be completed by end of spring quarter. Under special circumstances, students may apply for conditional admissions pending the completion of one or two prerequisite courses.
Prospective students are encouraged to explore the CEE program prior to admission by enrolling in CEE 100 (“21st Century Civil and Environmental Engineering”), attending an information session and tour of More Hall labs, and/or meeting with a pre-engineering or CEE advisor.
The CEE program is designed to be completed in two years (attending full-time) upon admission to the degree. Applicants may be considered for part-time study based on evidence that they will be able to make steady progress toward graduation.

Applying for Admission to the CEE Program

The Civil and Environmental Engineering accepts new majors for Autumn Quarter only. All applicants must submit an Online Application Form. The application deadline is 5 pm on July 1.

The College of Engineering, which manages the online application, typically activates the application approximately three weeks prior to the deadline of July 1 (after spring quarter grades are posted at the UW). The application will require information that includes your educational summary (list of colleges attended, dates, GPA's and credits), an employment summary (list of work experience and dates), a departmental selection page (list of other engineering departments to which you may be applying), and a corresponding courses summary page (list of all prerequisite and other relevant classes required for all departments to which you are applying). Information already available on your UW transcript will automatically be filled in with options to edit. Otherwise, new students will need to type in the information. Additions and deletions can be made at any time while the application is open and before the application is officially submitted.

Applicants are encouraged to work on their personal statement and gather information, such as transfer transcripts, while waiting for the online form to become available in mid-June.

Only online applications are accepted (no paper submissions). Late applications will not be considered.

Personal Statement
As part of the online application, you will submit a personal statement. Your personal statement (approximately one page) should give the departmental admissions committee a better understanding of your interest in this program. You may wish to describe your experiences (i.e: work, research, leadership, or extracurricular) that have been important to you.

In addition, you may submit an Optional Supplemental Topics statement (of approximately one more page) to address the following topics:

Describe how you could bring a broader perspective to the engineering classroom based on your awareness of cultural differences.
Describe any personal hardship or barriers you have faced and explain how they have affected your education.

Transcripts
Transcripts may be submitted electronically (as PDF) as part of the online application or sent by mail to the CEE Department at the following address.

Civil & Environmental Engineering
Attention: Undergraduate Program Admission
University of Washington
201 More Hall, Box 352700

Seattle, WA 98195-2700

Transcripts must be received by the CEE department by July 1. (Unofficial copies of the transcript are accepted.)

If you have questions regarding the application procedure or requirements, please contact Mariko Navin, Academic Counselor, at ceadvice@u.washington.edu. Please be sure to include your full name, UW ID number (if available), and contact information.

Notification
The Civil and Environmental Engineering Admissions Committee reviews applications and selects those best qualified to complete the BSCE degree. The primary admission criterion is the potential for success in civil engineering as indicated by academic performance, work experience, and other factors. You will be notified of the committee's decision via email within one business day of the Admission Committee's meeting. Applicants denied admission may appeal by petitioning the Department Chair in writing, asking for reconsideration and submitting pertinent information to the petition. An application is valid only once; reapplication must be made for consideration for a future admission date.

Links to Helpful Sites:

UW Office of Undergraduate Admissions
http://admit.washington.edu/

UW Course Equivalencies for Washington Community Colleges
http://admit.washington.edu/BeforeYouApply/Transfer/Plan/EquivalencyGuide

Washington Course Applicability System
http://admit.washington.edu/BeforeYouApply/Transfer/Plan/WACAS

UW Tuition Rates
http://www.washington.edu/students/sfs/sao/tuition/rates.html

UW Academic Calendar

http://www.washington.edu/students/reg/calendar.html

UW Course Catalog

http://www.washington.edu/students/crscat/

College of Engineering Information for Prospective Students

http://www.engr.washington.edu/advising/prospectivestudent.html

College of Engineering Advising and Diversity Center

http://www.engr.washington.edu/advising/

CEE information session and tour

View the schedule.

The University of Washington reaffirms its policy with equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran in accordance with University policy and applicable federal and state statutes and regulations.