Transfer Student Admissions

Direct-to-Major Transfer Admission Pathway

Students who currently attend another college or university, and who plan to apply to transfer to the University of Washington to pursue Economics as their major staring in the 2024 Autumn Quarter can be considered through the direct-to-major (i.e., transfer-direct) admissions pathway. Prospective transfer students will be eligible to apply to the UW and the Department of Economics at the same time. When submitting the transfer application to the UW, students will be asked about their intended major as part of the application process. Applicants will be prompted to select an intended major -- either the Economics Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) -- and then will complete an application for consideration to the Department of Economics. Note: We will not hold direct-to-major admissions for Winter 2024.

Admission to both the BA and BS majors in Economics is capacity-constrained based on the following criteria:

Grades earned in each Bachelor of Arts -or- Bachelor of Science prerequisite course
- Prospective transfer students will need to submit syllabi for each prerequisite course taken at their current non-UW institution so equivalency to UW courses can be assessed
- Application eligibility is contingent on prerequisite course equivalency assessment (if a course is found not to be equivalent, the student will need to wait to apply as a UW student in a later quarter once the prerequisite coursework is completed)
The RTW Exam
Personal Statement
Department of Economics Application (see below for link!)

-Our Application Requirements, including the application form and personal statement prompt can be found on our website.
-Meeting the criteria does not guarantee admission.

**Since equivalents to STAT 311 are uncommon in WA State community and technical colleges, it can sometimes be a challenge to take the course prior to applying to UW. At this time, we know that Shoreline Community College, North Seattle College, Seattle Central College, and South Seattle College all offer the equivalent of STAT 311 (look under their math courses).

***English Composition courses must be taken at a U.S. institution.

Application and RTW Registration Forms

The deadline for Autumn 2024 admission consideration is Friday, April 5th, 2024. The RTW Exam should also be completed in Spring 2024 when it is made available [Exam date is TBD, and will be in late March or early April].

The application and RTW exam registration for prospective direct-transfer applicants will be posted here in late-February or early March 2024.

Timeline for Autumn 2024 Direct-to-Major Admission Pathway

December 15, 2023 - UW Transfer Application opens
February 16, 2024 - UW Transfer Application deadline
Mid-March, 2024 - Department of Economics Transfer-Direct Application is made available on this website
March TBD, 2024 - Take the Economics RTW Exam
April 5, 2024 - Department of Economics Transfer-Direct Application deadline
Mid- to late April - Review of Department f Economics Transfer-Direct Application occurs
Early May - Department of Economics notifies UW Office of Admissions of Transfer-Direct Application decision
May 1 - June 30, 2024 - UW Office of Admissions notifies applicants of admission to both the UW and to the Department of Economics
Summer 2024 - New admits attend UW Advising & Orientation session and register for 2024 Autumn Quarter courses

General Transfer Admission Pathway

For students who are unable to meet the specific requirements for the Direct-to-Major Pathway, it is still possible to pursue Economics as a major, but only admission to the UW. Prospective transfer students can follow the instructions and timeline for UW's general transfer admission process. When offered admission and enrolled at the UW, the student can work to complete any missing requirements, and then aim to apply to the Department of Economics through its general admission process for UW students.

A common scenario that leads to pursuing the General Transfer Admission Pathway: University of X does not offer an equivalent course to UW's ECON 200, ECON 201, STAT 311, MATH 124-126, and/or English Composition. Student can still pursue the UW's General Transfer Admission process, gain admission, enroll at the UW, and then plan to apply to the Department of Economics during a future cycle.

Applying to the University of Washington

The University of Washington Admissions website has answers to most questions about application to the university. When you fill out an application to UW you will be asked about your intended major as part of the application process. You should list Economics as your intended major, but keep in mind that you will be applying to the major separately, after starting at the University of Washington as a student. It is also a good idea to talk in your UW application essay about the topics and ideas you want to study at UW and particularly in the Economics major. The strongest applicants to the UW are those who not only show evidence of previous academic success, but those who have also made the case in their personal statement for their interest in specific academic fields of study offered by UW.

Transcripts are evaluated officially by the UW Admissions Office only when a student applies to the university. If you are transferring from a Washington State community or technical college, you can determine the way your classes transfer to UW by using the Admission Office’s Transfer Equivalency Guide.

Information Sessions