How to Apply to Physics at the University of Washington (Seattle): Admitted to the University First, Then a Separate, Capacity-Constrained Application to the Major, Three B.S. Tracks, with Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Undergraduate physics at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle campus, is taught by the Department of Physics and leads to the Bachelor of Science in Physics. The UW admissions office lists Physics under Arts & Sciences in its list of majors that require college math for admission and/or graduation. The UW runs on quarters. Astronomy, mathematics, computer science and engineering are not covered here beyond where they overlap. Below is what the university’s website says, for domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and tracks

• Three tracks: the department says the Physics B.S. has three tracks: Comprehensive, Applied and Teaching. It calls the program one of the largest in the nation, with about 100 degrees awarded each year. Students choose a track when declaring and can change it any time before applying to graduate.
• Comprehensive: for students who want a strong foundation in physics with in-depth mathematical understanding, and those planning careers in physics or graduate study in physics or astronomy; the website advises taking as many upper-division courses and research opportunities as possible.
• Applied: for students seeking technical jobs; fewer required courses and less intense math, with room for climate science, data science, electrical engineering, aerospace or entrepreneurship, and easier double majors in another STEM field. Unique requirements include a statistics-focused lab (PHYS 231) and a programming class (AMATH 301).
• Teaching: for those interested in teaching physics or math at pre-college levels or in science communication; includes the Physics by Inquiry sequence (PHYS 407/408/409), which does not need college-level math.
• Biological Physics track: the requirements page says it is no longer accepting new students as of spring 2024.
• Courses the website lists: the common requirements for all tracks are 52 credits: PHYS 121/122/123 (or the honors 141/142/143), MATH 124/125/126 (or 134/135/136), and PHYS 224, 225, 227, 294, 321, 322 and 334. Comprehensive adds 38 to 46 credits (PHYS 226, 228 and 324, three more physics courses, two advanced labs, 6 credits of electives and 3 to 5 capstone credits); Applied adds 34 to 43 credits; Teaching adds 41 to 43. See the department’s requirements page for the full lists, including the pre-autumn-2021 requirements.
• Labs and thesis/research: every track needs advanced laboratory courses (two; one for Teaching) and a “capstone” that applies physics outside the classroom: research for credit (PHYS 499), an engineering team project, an off-site internship, Directed Reading (PHYS 498), physics pedagogy with a learning assistantship, or a senior seminar. The pages read do not require a thesis.
• Joint programs: the physics pages read do not describe joint degrees with mathematics or other fields. Astronomy is a separate major and not covered here.

2. How admission works: the university first, then the major

• When applying to the UW: the admissions office’s admission-to-majors page lists the majors that admit first-years directly (architectural studies, biochemistry, business, computer science, engineering, informatics, neuroscience, statistics, certain music majors and others); physics is not on the list. The page says the vast majority of students enter their major through the standard process after enrolling. Applicants list a first- and second-choice major, which the site says may be factors in admission.
• Physics is capacity constrained: the department’s declaration page says admission to the major is capacity constrained, requires an application, and that completing the application does not guarantee admission; the Undergraduate Admissions Committee reviews applications holistically.
• Standard pathway: the page says successful applicants typically have grades of 2.6 or higher in recent physics and math courses and a cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher; they must have completed PHYS 121/122/123 (or 141/142/143) and MATH 124/125/126 (or 134/135/136) and be enrolled in a physics lecture course above 220, and submit a personal statement and a graduation plan completed in MyPlan.
• Early pathway: typically 3.2 or higher in recent physics and math courses and cumulatively; for current UW students, or transfer applicants who wish to apply for direct admission to the physics major while applying to the UW. It requires PHYS 121/122 (or 141/142) and MATH 124/125 (or 134/135) and current enrollment in PHYS 123 or 143 and/or MATH 126 or 136. A transfer applicant’s unofficial transcript must show current enrollment, or be accompanied by a screenshot of the current schedule.
• Application windows (the page does not print a year, so check it applies to your entry year): for autumn quarter, applications open September 15 and close October 5, with enrollment in the major in winter; for spring quarter, March 15 to April 6, with enrollment in summer or autumn. A winter-quarter application (January 1 to 15, enrollment in spring) is only for recently admitted UW transfer students or current students with at least 105 credits and at least five post-high-school college quarters.
• Decisions: emailed within about two weeks of the deadline. Admitted students must register in the quarter after the decision or forfeit the offer and reapply. A negative decision can be appealed by petition within two weeks of the notification email.
• After you are in: new majors must file a graduation plan approved by Physics Student Services by the end of the quarter in which they become majors, or face a registration hold. To continue, students need a numerical grade of at least 2.0 in each course counted for the major, a cumulative average of at least 2.0 in physics classes, and graded (not S/NS) enrollment; failing to make satisfactory progress leads in turn to Academic Alert, Warning and Drop, with one appeal.
• Whether Arts & Sciences has its own admission cutoff: not on the pages read; not published.
• Moving in from another UW major: the department’s page states its conditions for “current UW students”; no separate rule for moving in from other majors is written on the pages read.

3. Preparation

• UW’s high school distribution requirements (CADR): English 4 credits; math 3 (at least algebra, geometry and second-year algebra); social science 3; world languages 2; science 3, including two years of lab science (at least one in biology, chemistry or physics, and at least one lab science that is algebra-based); plus one senior-year math-based quantitative course, 0.5 fine arts and 0.5 academic elective. The pages read do not require high school physics or calculus specifically for the physics major.
• Before declaring: the department says you must complete one year of introductory physics and one year of calculus before you can declare (both sequences are available at community colleges and every quarter at the UW). The early pathway only asks for the first two courses of each with the third in progress. The two statements differ slightly; follow the current application page.
• Introductory courses: PHYS 114-115-116 (life sciences, algebra-based), 121-122-123 (physical science and engineering, calculus-based) and the honors 141-142-143 (for students with a strong interest in physics and strong calculus preparation). The department says a strong performance in AP, IB or A-level physics (or PHYS 114) may substitute for PHYS 121, possibly for PHYS 122, and only very rarely for PHYS 123. The honors sequence is offered once a year starting in autumn and may suit students with AP/IB/A-level credit who want to reinforce that knowledge.
• Math advice: the sample plans mostly assume MATH 124 and PHYS 121 are taken together; if you start with a higher math class, substitute it. Students placing into MATH 120 are encouraged to join the Freshman Interest Group pairing MATH 120 with PHYS 101, then MATH 124 in winter and PHYS 121 with MATH 125 in spring.
• AP credit (UW’s AP table): Physics C: Mechanics 4 or 5 gives PHYS 121 (5 credits), a 3 gives PHYS 101; Physics C: E&M 4 or 5 gives PHYS 122, a 3 gives PHYS 102; Physics 1 at 4 or 5 gives PHYS 114 and 117, a 3 gives PHYS 101; Physics 2 at 4 or 5 gives PHYS 115 and 118, a 3 gives PHYS 102; both Physics 1 and 2 qualifying gives PHYS 114/117, 115/118 and 116/119. Calculus AB 3, 4 or 5 gives MATH 124; Calculus BC 4 or 5 gives MATH 124 and 125, a BC 3 gives MATH 124; AB 2 allows placement into MATH 112 or 124. Overlapping AP, IB or college content earns credit once.
• IB credit: Physics HL 6 or 7 gives PHYS 114/117, 115/118 and 116/119 (15 credits); HL 4 or 5 gives PHYS 101 and 102; Physics SL 6 or 7 gives PHYS 101 and 102. Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL 6 or 7 gives MATH 124, 4 or 5 gives MATH 120. An IB diploma adds 5 credits. The A-level table was not read. The AP page says AP credit counts toward the cap of 90 lower-division transfer credits, and the IB page says the same for students entering autumn 2025 or later.
• Placement exams in physics or math: not on the pages read; not published.
• Honors entry: the honors physics sequence is above; the university’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program was not read.

4. Timeline and materials (autumn 2027)

• First-year: applications open August 15; autumn deadline November 15; English and any test scores by December 31; decisions March 1 to 15; May 1 is National College Decision Day, the date by which most first-year students need to confirm (follow your offer letter). The dates page prints no year, so confirm it is for autumn 2027.
• Application: the Common App with an essay of up to 650 words; after applying, self-report your courses and grades in the UW’s STARS system. Official transcripts are not required at application; a final official transcript is required if you are admitted and enroll.
• Fee: USD 85 for U.S. first-years (waivers available) and USD 95 for international first-years (no waivers).
• Tests: SAT/ACT are no longer required for most applicants; reviewers do not see submitted scores and you are not disadvantaged for not sending them, although the site says very high scores (1400 SAT/31 ACT or above) may help a handful of students, and another line on the same page says scores above the middle 50% of admitted students. Homeschooled applicants and those from schools without letter or numeric grades must still submit scores.
• Recommendations: the website asks applicants not to send letters of recommendation or supplemental materials, and the UW does no interviews and does not consider demonstrated interest. A science-teacher recommendation is therefore not needed.
• What reviewers weigh: academic preparation and performance remain primary (grades, depth, breadth and rigor of curriculum, use of AP, IB and similar courses, the senior year, grade trend); AP, IB, Cambridge, Running Start and College in the High School coursework are viewed equally.
• Physics competitions: the pages read say nothing about how competitions such as USAPhO are viewed; not published.

5. Domestic students

• Costs: the 2026-27 Seattle undergraduate nine-month budget (October to June): resident tuition USD 13,406; resident total USD 24,044 (living with parents or relatives), USD 36,746 (on or off campus) or USD 41,594 (with dependents). Books USD 900; housing and food USD 6,156 to 23,199; personal USD 2,508; transportation USD 1,074 to 1,581. Some majors or programs may have extra fees; whether physics does is not stated.
• Aid and scholarships: the FAFSA/WASFA priority date is February 1 (the same for transfers). Among university scholarships, the Presidential Scholar (USD 10,000, renewable up to four years) is for Washington residents and considered automatically; Purple & Gold is for U.S. students (citizens, permanent residents, refugees and undocumented residents) who are not Washington residents, with amounts varying and four-year terms; the Costco Scholarship is USD 10,000 a year for four years. Physics scholarships: the Cox, Dehmelt and Pitzel scholarships each provide one quarter of in-state tuition (Dehmelt for a student engaged in experimental research, Pitzel for an undergraduate physics major); there are also Andersen, Boas and Miller scholarships and several prizes. See the physics scholarships page for details.
• Resident preference or guarantees: not stated for physics on the pages read; not published. The UW accepts Washington’s Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) plan.
• Tests: SAT/ACT not required (above).

6. International students

• English: an official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score is required: TOEFL iBT (before January 21, 2026) 76; TOEFL iBT (effective January 21, 2026) 4.0; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 110. Exams must be taken by December 31 of the year of application; no TOEFL MyBest, no superscoring, no conditional admission. Alternative: an average grade of B in all English writing or literature courses in grades 10 to 12 taught in English, plus an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 580 or an ACT English score of 22 (used for English proficiency only). Exemption: primary and secondary education entirely in Australia, Canada (English-speaking provinces), the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand or the U.S.
• Transcripts: applicants from schools outside the U.S. with a national curriculum upload a scanned unofficial transcript for grades 9 and higher to the Common App, with official English translations if not in English; they also self-report courses in STARS.
• Costs: international students pay non-resident tuition: tuition USD 44,460; total USD 55,098 (living with parents or relatives), USD 67,800 (on or off campus) or USD 72,648 (with dependents).
• Aid: the website says the UW does not provide financial aid or scholarships to undergraduate international students, who should be prepared to cover all expenses. Whether international students can apply for the department’s scholarships is not stated.
• Proof of funds and credential evaluation: not on the pages read; not published.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used; not published. Ask the admissions office.
• Transcripts and exam certificates: the only statement is the transcript upload for schools outside the U.S. with a national curriculum; there is no China-specific provincial exam or credential-agency requirement on the pages read.
• English: as above, with no China-specific waiver.
• Tests: SAT/ACT not required; see the English alternative above.

8. Research, honors, scholarships and outcomes

• Undergraduate research: the department says it aims to provide research opportunities for all physics majors regardless of financial need. The first step is finding a faculty mentor (a “Door Knocker” faculty list and a Student Research Guide are on the MyPhys intranet). Research can be taken for PHYS 499 credit, as a volunteer, or paid through Work Study or hourly employment, but the same hours cannot earn both credit and pay. Other programs listed: LSAMP, PATHS (for community college transfers), INTURN (Institute for Nuclear Theory) and a 10-week summer Physics REU.
• Departmental honors: to enter, you need admission to the physics major, at least 15 graded UW physics credits numbered above 220 (at least 6 within the past year), a GPA of at least 3.60 in those courses, and at least three quarters to go before graduating. To graduate with honors: at least 53 physics credits, a 3.60 GPA in physics courses numbered 220 or above and a UW GPA of at least 3.30, any two of PHYS 485, 486, 487 and 498, and PHYS 488 (Senior Honors Thesis). This is separate from the university’s Interdisciplinary Honors.
• Outcomes: the Physics B.S. page says graduates pursue diverse paths including further studies in physics, teaching careers and positions in the private sector. The department also posts presentations on careers (including a 2000 to 2022 senior exit survey), which were not read. No employment data is printed on the pages read; not published.

9. Transfer students

• Timeline: the autumn transfer application opens December 15; the deadline differs between pages: the transfer page says February 15 and the dates page says February 28; notification May 1 to June 30. Neither page prints a year, so confirm it is for autumn 2027. Winter is open to U.S. transfer applicants only, and spring only to certain engineering and computer science departments, not physics.
• Application: a personal statement; a high school transcript if you have under 40 transferable quarter credits; the fee is USD 85 for U.S. and USD 95 for international applicants (no waivers for international). No recommendations and no demonstrated interest. International transfer applicants submit English proficiency scores. The minimum GPA for transfer admission is not on the pages read; not published.
• The physics major: the admissions office says some majors need a separate department application (check the MyMajor tool and the department) and lists Physics among majors requiring college math. The department’s early pathway lets transfer applicants apply for direct admission to the physics major while applying to the UW; otherwise apply after enrolling through the standard pathway.
• Credit transfer: the UW transfers credit course by course. For physics, the department requires at least 75% content overlap, equivalent prerequisites (such as calculus) and equivalent credits (1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credits); 100-level courses go to the Introductory Physics committee chair and higher courses to the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor, after you have sent official transcripts to Admissions, with syllabus, weekly schedule, textbook, lab evidence and transcript. Holders of a qualifying Direct Transfer Agreement associate degree get junior standing, though the DTA is not an admission agreement. Multiply quarter credits by 0.67 for semester credits and semester credits by 1.5 for quarter credits; credit from outside the U.S. is generally capped at 45 quarter credits per full year.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Apply through the Common App by November 15; USD 85 fee; self-report courses in STARS; do not send recommendations; SAT/ACT not required
• Three credits of science including two years of lab science, math through second-year algebra, and a senior-year quantitative course
• File the FAFSA/WASFA by February 1
• After enrolling, complete a year of introductory physics (PHYS 121/122/123 or 141/142/143) and a year of calculus, then apply to the department through the standard (typically 2.6) or early (typically 3.2) pathway with a personal statement and a MyPlan graduation plan

International students (including those from China):

• USD 95 fee; TOEFL 4.0 (76 on the old scale), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 110 by December 31; upload scanned transcripts from grade 9
• Ask admissions whether Gaokao results can be used; the UW does not provide aid to undergraduate international students, so prepare all costs
• The physics major application comes after enrollment and is capacity constrained

Transfer students:

• Autumn deadline February 15 (February 28 on the dates page); take the physics and calculus sequences, check the equivalency guide, and use the early pathway or apply after enrolling

Sources: University of Washington, Physics B.S. overview; Physics B.S. degree requirements; Declaring a physics major; Advice for physics majors; Capstone options; Continuation in the major; Physics transfer credit; Undergraduate research; Departmental honors in physics; Physics scholarships and awards; Introductory physics courses; Dates and deadlines; How to apply (first-year); English proficiency; SAT/ACT scores; Holistic review; Admission to majors; College Academic Distribution Requirements; AP credit; IB credit; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Scholarships; Applying for aid; Transfer admission; Transfer how to apply; Transfer credit policies; Majors requiring college math. Information is for autumn 2027 entry; costs are for 2026-27. Check UW for the latest.