How to Apply to Psychology at the University of Washington: Get Admitted First, Then Apply to the Major, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, psychology is offered as a BA or a BS. Unlike many schools, you cannot be admitted directly to psychology: it is a capacity-constrained major. You are admitted to UW first, complete prerequisites after enrolling, and then apply to the department. Here is what you need to know for autumn 2027 entry, based on UW’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. How to enter the psychology major

• University first: UW says the vast majority of students enter their major after enrolling. Direct first-year admission covers majors such as business, computer science, engineering, neuroscience and statistics, but not psychology. You can still list psychology as your first-choice major, and first- and second-choice majors may be used as factors in your admission decision.
• Prerequisites (minimum 2.0 in each):
  • PSYCH 101 Introduction to Psychology (or AP Psychology or a transfer equivalent);
  • PSYCH 202 Biopsychology;
  • PSYCH 209 Fundamentals of Psychological Research (2.5 for the BS);
  • MATH 111, 120 or 124 (MATH 124 is needed to register for PSYCH 317 in the BS).
  You need a 2.5 cumulative GPA across the three PSYCH courses and a 2.0 cumulative UW GPA.
• When to apply: you must be a matriculated Seattle student; newly admitted students wait until their first quarter. Applications are taken in autumn, winter and spring (not summer), due the Friday of the second week: 9 October 2026 (autumn), 15 January 2027 (winter) and 9 April 2027 (spring). Decisions come in week five.
• Review: the department weighs grades in the three gateway courses and two personal responses (250 and 100 words), along with space and time to degree. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission.

2. BA or BS, and honors

• BS: research-oriented, with more math and statistics and at least 3 credits of PSYCH 499 (undergraduate research), mainly preparing for research PhD programmes.
• BA: more flexible, suited to counseling master’s programmes, law, medicine and other professional schools or direct employment. UW says about 65% of majors choose the BA. Admission requirements are the same; the statistics sequence is where the paths split.
• Related requirements: both degrees need one anthropology or sociology course and one biology course; the BS also needs PHIL 120 or 160. College of Arts and Sciences general education requirements also apply.
• Honors: a two-year programme from autumn of junior year, with research in a faculty lab and a senior thesis; applicants need a UW GPA of 3.50 or higher and at least 10 credits of PSYCH 498/499 during the programme.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Application: apply on the Common App with the personal essay (650 words maximum); the international first-year fee is US$95, with no waivers, and international first-year applicants can only start in autumn.
• Grades: after applying, self-report all courses and grades in STARS (no changes after submission); students in a national curriculum also upload unofficial transcripts from grade 9 onward to the Common App, with official English translations if needed. UW does not say whether Gaokao results are considered.
• Tests: UW no longer requires SAT or ACT for most applicants.
• Not considered: no interviews, no recommendation letters and no demonstrated interest.
• English: submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (see section 5).

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• English exemption: you are exempt if both your primary and secondary education took place in English-speaking Canada (or Australia, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or the US). If you studied only high school in Canada, this exemption does not apply, and you need a test score or the alternative below.
• Alternative: a B average in all grade 10–12 English writing or literature courses at an English-medium school (80 on a 100-point scale), plus SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 580 or ACT English 22. These SAT/ACT scores count only for English, not for holistic review.
• Otherwise: self-report grades in STARS; SAT/ACT are not required.

5. English requirements for international applicants

• TOEFL iBT 76 for tests before 21 January 2026, or 4.0 after;
• IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 110;
• tests must be taken by 31 December of the application year and sent directly by the testing agency; no TOEFL MyBest and no superscoring;
• applicants who have not met the minimum by the deadline are not considered, and UW does not offer conditional admission.

6. Timeline for autumn 2027

• Applications open 15 August;
• Deadline 15 November (UW has a single first-year deadline);
• English tests by 31 December;
• Decisions 1–15 March; confirm enrolment and pay the deposit by the date in your offer letter, typically around 1 May.

7. Costs

• 2026-27 (nine months; international students pay non-resident tuition):
  • tuition US$44,460;
  • housing and food (on or off campus) US$18,858, books US$900, personal costs US$2,508, transportation US$1,074;
  • total US$67,800.
  Some majors have additional fees.
• Aid: UW states that it does not provide financial aid or scholarships to undergraduate international students, who should be prepared to cover all expenses.

8. Transfer students

• Timeline: for autumn, applications open 15 December and close 28 February, with decisions from 1 May to 30 June. International transfers pay US$95, must meet English proficiency and do not need SAT/ACT. Applicants with fewer than 40 transferable quarter credits also send a high school transcript.
• Psychology on the application: the department advises answering the departmental application question with “I will be submitting a separate departmental application for a future quarter, after enrolling.” If you have PSYCH 101, 202, 209 and math done when you start, you can apply in your first quarter; otherwise, finish them at UW first. Many community colleges do not offer 202 and 209, and the department holds some seats for new transfers.
• Credit:
  • courses are evaluated individually; for study outside the US at a ministry-recognised institution, generally no more than 45 quarter credits per full year;
  • a maximum of 90 lower-division credits and 135 total transfer credits count toward the degree;
  • most degrees need 180 credits, and 45 of the last 60 must be taken at UW.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit the Common App by 15 November; you can list psychology first, but you will still apply to the major after enrolling
• Self-report grades in STARS and upload transcripts from grade 9; no SAT/ACT required
• TOEFL 76 (or 4.0), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 110 by 31 December
• Plan to self-fund about US$67,800 for 2026-27
• Take PSYCH 101, 202, 209 and math early at UW

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Exempt from English tests only if both primary and secondary schooling were in English-speaking Canada; otherwise submit a score or use the English-grades plus SAT/ACT alternative
• Deadline 15 November; complete prerequisites after enrolling, then apply to the major

Transfer students:

• Deadline 28 February; try to finish PSYCH 101, 202, 209 and math before transferring
• Apply to the major by the second Friday of your first quarter

Sources: University of Washington, Admission to majors; Dates and deadlines; First-year: how to apply; English proficiency; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Transfer: how to apply; Transfer credit policies; Psychology major admissions; Choosing a BA or BS; Transferring to UW Psychology; Psychology Honors Program. Information is for autumn 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check UW for the latest details.