Skip to main content

Current students

BSCE Engineering and Science Electives

BSCE students are required to complete 12 credits of Engineering and Science Elective coursework.

Included in these 12 credits, students must include only one science course from the following list. This sub-requirement is listed on the BSCE degree audit as "R1" located under the E&S Elective requirement:

  • BIOL 180 (5cr), ATMS 101 (5cr), ATM S 211 (5cr, SSc), ATM S 212 (3cr, SSc), ESRM 100 (5cr, SSc), ESRM 101 (5cr, SSc), ESRM 210 (5cr), ESS 101 (5cr, SSc) ESS 106 (3cr, SSc), ESS 201 (3cr), ESS 211 (5cr), ESS 212 (5cr), NUTR 200 (4cr), OCEAN 102 (5cr, SSc), or OCEAN 200 (3cr).

(Please note that most courses on the list above will only satisfy the science sub-requirement (R1) and not the remaining credits needed to complete the E&S Elective requirement. For details about which courses satisfy the E&S Elective requirement, see the summary/course list below)

Upper Division Engineering and Science Electives are courses that require substantial college-level preparation on the part of the student. The intent is to require courses that provide in-depth learning in a particular subject as opposed to an introductory and/or survey course. All CEE technical elective courses meet this standard and can count towards requirements in this section. Beyond this, the department maintains a list of non-CEE courses that meet these standards. However, new courses are continually developed at UW, some of which may meet these requirements. Seminars generally do not meet these requirements. If a student identifies a course that they believe meets these requirements but is not on the departmental list, they may submit a course petition to have it count toward their upper division engineering and science elective requirement. The following definitions are provided to help students identify such courses:

  • Engineering course: Offered by the College of Engineering or its departments.
  • Science course: Offered by a department, not in the College of Engineering, that addresses the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world. This excludes courses such as math, social sciences, business, anthropology, music, and others that do not meet the definition. 
  • Substantial college preparation: The course contains a recommended college-level background as indicated by prerequisites, minimum credit requirements to enroll, required academic progress (e.g., junior/senior standing) to enroll, required permission, or entry code to enroll). These courses are typically offered at the 300- and 400-level, although some 100 and 200-level courses meet this definition.

Courses that will satisfy the BSCE Engineering & Science Electives requirement

Most CEE 3XX and CEE 4XX credits not used elsewhere will satisfy the E&S requirement. CEE 4XX Courses that will NOT satisfy E&S: Capstone Courses, CEE 440.

CEE 291: AutoCAD

Engineering Fundamentals courses not used elsewhere: AA 260, EE 215, ME 123, and MSE 170

Most 300 and 400 level courses from the following engineering departments: AA, CHEM E, CSE, IND E, ME, and MSE. To see if a specific course will satisfy UD E&S electives, please speak to your CEE adviser/submit a course petition.

Independent Study Credits: You may use up to 3cr of CEE 499 Independent Study credits.

Student Organizations/Leadership Credits: Up to 3cr student org/leadership credits (CEE 428, ENGR 498) will automatically count. Additional credits must be petitioned.

CC@E Internship Program Credits: Up to 4 credits of Engineering Internship Program (ENGR 321 and 322).

Study Abroad: CEE study abroad courses can count toward the BSCE UD E&S Elective Requirement.

Course approval by petition: If you are interested in having a course not listed below count toward the BSCE Engineering & Science Elective requirement, you may complete a course petition to have the course evaluated by the Undergraduate Education Committee.

Courses from the approved list (listed below by most common first, then alphabetically by dept prefix).

Non-CEE courses

Commonly used courses: AA 260, BIO180, CEE 291, CHEM 162, EE 215, MSE 170

COURSE TITLE CREDITS
A A 260 THERMODYNAMICS 4
BIOL 180 INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY 5
ARCH 310 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN DRAWING I 3
ARCH 331 ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS 3
ARCH 431 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL PRINCIPLES 3
ARCH 436 BUILDING ACOUSTICS 3
ARCH 574 DESIGN AND CONST LAW 3
ASTR 301 ASTR FOR SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS 3
ASTR 322 THE CONTENTS OF OUR GALAXY 3
ATM S 211 CLIMATE AND CLIMATE CHANGE 5
ATM S 212 AIR POLLUTION: FROM URBAN SMOG TO OZONE HOLE 5
ATM S 301 INTRO ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES 5
ATM S 321 THE SCIENCE OF CLIMATE 3
ATM S 340 INTRO THERMODYNAMICS & CLOUD PROCESSES 3
ATM S 358 FUND ATMOS CHEMISTRY 3
ATM S 370 ATMOSPHERIC STRUCTURE & ANALYSIS 5
BIOL 180 INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY 5
BIOL 200 INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY 5
BIOL 220 INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY 5
BIOL 340 GENETICS & MOLECULAR ECOLOGY 5
BIOL 356 FOUNDATIONS IN ECOLOGY 3
BIOL 471 PLANT ECOLOGY 5
BIOL 473 LIMNOLOGY 3
BIOL 474 LIMINOLOGY LABORATORY 2
BIOL 476 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 5
BSE 420 BIORESOURCE ENGINEERING I 4
CEP 470 TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES 4
CHEM 162 GENERAL CHEMISTRY 5
CHEM 165 HONORS GENERAL CHEMISTRY 5
CHEM 223 ORGANIC CHEM, SHORT PROGRAM 4
CHEM 224 ORGANIC CHEM, SHORT PROGRAM 4
CHEM 237 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 4
CHEM 238 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 4
CHEM 239 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 3
CM 260 DIGITAL TOOLS 3
CM 310 INTRO TO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 3
CM 312 CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTING 3
CM 320 CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT DOCUMENTS 3
CM 331 CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATING I 4
CM 332 CONSTRUCTION EQUIP MANAGEMENT 3
CM 333 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY 3
CM 340 SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES 3
CM 410 CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATING II 5
CM 411 PROJECT PLANNING & CONTROL 3
CM 415 HEAVY CONSTR PRACTICES 3
CM 420 TEMPORARY STRUCTURES 3
CM 421 PROJECT MANAGEMENT I 3
CM 422 COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION 2
CM 423 CONSTRUCTION LAW 3
CM 425 CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY 3
CM 428 HEAVY CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES 3
CM 450 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MGMT 5
CSE 143 COMPUTER PROGRAMMING II 5
ENV H 405 TOXIC CHEM AND HUMAN HLTH 0-3
ENV H 440 WATER, WASTEWATER, AND HEALTH 3
ENV H 445 SOLID WASTE MGMT 3
ENV H 446 HAZARDOUS WASTE MGMT 3
ENV H 448 COMMUNITY AIR POLLUTION 3
ENV H 472 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK & SOCIETY (I&S) 3
ESRM 210 INTRODUCTORY SOILS 5
ESRM 311 SOILS AND LAND USE 3
ESRM 315 NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES : OLD-GROWTH & FOREST 5
ESRM 401 SPRING COMES TO THE CASCADES 3
ESRM 426 WILDLAND HYDROLOGY 4
ESRM 430 REMOTE SENSING OF THE ENVIRONMENT 5
ESRM 441 LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY 5
ESS 201 EARTH'S CLIMATE SYSTEM 3
ESS 210 PHYSICAL GEOLOGY 5
ESS 211 PHYSICAL PROCESSES OF THE EARTH 5
ESS 212 EARTH MATERIALS & PROCESSES 5
ESS 213 EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH 5
ESS 301 GEOLOGY OF THE NW 5
ESS 302 GREAT ICE AGE 5
ESS 304 VOLCANOES & GLACIERS OF THE PACIFIC NW 5
ESS 305 GEOLOGY OF THE NATIONAL PARKS 5
ESS 306 PLANETARY GEOLOGY 5
ESS 311 GEOMECHANICS 5
ESS 312 GEOCHEMISTRY 5
ESS 313 GEOBIOLOGY 5
ESS 315 ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE 5
ESS 326 GEOMORPHOLOGY 5
ESS 345 THE ENVIR OF FUEL & MINERAL DEPOSITS 3
ESS 401 REGIONAL GEOLOGY OF THE PACIFIC NW 3
ESS 403 GLOBAL TECTONICS 5
ESS 411 GEOPHYSICAL CONTINUUM MECHANICS 5
ESS 412 INTRODUCTION TO SEISMOLOGY 3
ESS 413 GEOPHYSICS: THE EARTH 3
ESS 414 GEOPHYSICS: FLUIDS 3
ESS 415 SPACE AND PLASMAS 3
ESS 416 GEOPHYSICS: THE ATMOSPHERE 3
ESS 421 INTRO TO GEOLOGICAL REMOTE SENSING 4
ESS 422 INTERMEDIATE SPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING 4
ESS 424 WATER IN THE ENVIR 3
ESS 426 FLUVIAL GEOMORPHOLOGY 5
ESS 427 HILLSLOPE GEOMORPHOLOGY 5
ESS 431 PRINCIPLES OF GLACIOLOGY 4
ESS 432 GLACIAL GEOLOGY 5
ESS 433 ENVIR CHANGE IN THE GLACIAL AGES 5
ESS 439 PETROLOGY OF IGNEOUS ROCKS 5
ESS 440 PETROGRAPHY & PETROLOGY OF METAMORPHIC ROCKS 5
ESS 441 PETROLOGY & PETROGRAPHY OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS 5
ESS 445 GEOLOGY OF ORE DEPOSITS 5
ESS 452 VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY 5
ESS 454 HYDROGEOLOGY 3
ESS 455 STRATIGRAPHY 4
ESS 456 DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS 4
ESS 462 VOLCANIC PROCESSES 4
ESS 463 STRUCTURE & TECTONICS 5
ESS 467 SEISMIC EXPLORATION 5
ESS 471 INTRO TO SPACE PHYSICS 3
FISH 312 FISHERIES ECOLOGY 3/5
FISH 323 CONSERVATION & MGMT OF AQUATIC RESOURCES 5
FISH 324 AQUATIC ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY & REPRODUCTION 3/5
FISH 428 STREAM & WATERSHED RESTORATION 5
FISH 447 RIVER ECOLOGY & WATERSHED MANGEMENT 3
GEOG 230 GEOGRAPHIES OF GLOBAL INEQUALITY 5
GEOG 277 GEOGRAPHY OF CITIES 5
GEOG 360 PRINCIPLES OF GIS MAPPING 5
GEOG 370 PROBLEMS IN RESOURCE MGMT 5
GEOG 435 INDUSTRIALIZATION & URBANIZATION IN CHINA 5
GEOG 461 URBAN GEOGRAPHIC INFO SYS 5
GEOG 471 METHODS OF RESOURCE ANALYSIS 5
HCDE 333 ADV TECHNICAL WRITING AND ORAL PRESENTATION 4
L ARCH 331 LANDSCAPE GRADING & DRAINAGE 4
L ARCH 341 SITE DESIGN & PLANNING 3
L ARCH 363 ECOLOGICAL DESIGN AND PLANNING 3
L ARCH 433 DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION 3
MICROM 301 GEN MICROBIOLOGY 3
MICROM 302 GEN MICROBIOLOGY, LAB 2
OCEAN 200/201 INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY / LAB 3/2
OCEAN 400 CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 4
OCEAN 410 MARINE GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS 4
OCEAN 420 PHYSICAL PROCESSES IN THE OCEAN 4
OCEAN 421 SPECIAL TOPICS IN PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 3
OCEAN 450 CLIMATIC EXTREMES 4
PHYS 224 THERMAL PHYSICS 3
PHYS 225 INTRO QUANTUM MECHANICS 3
PHYS 227 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS 4
PHYS 228 ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS 4
URBDP 405 THE URBAN FORM 3
URBDP 457 HOUSING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 3
URBDP 466 INFRASTRUCTURE & COMMUNITY FACILITIES 4