Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and post-baccalaureate students enrolled at one UW campus may register for courses at another UW campus beginning in Period 2 registration. 

A maximum of 15 credits per academic year (autumn quarter through summer quarter) may be taken on a campus other than the home campus. A maximum of 45 credits taken through cross-campus registration may be counted toward the degree.

1st year students: Once admitted, 1st year students must complete 25 credit hours on their home campus before registering in courses on other UW campuses. (UW Professional & Continuing Education courses are not considered home campus courses.)

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors: All students with a class standing from sophomore to post-baccalaureate, must complete 15 credits on their home campus before cross-enrolling.

Non-matriculated: students may not register cross campus except for summer quarter. This includes non-matriculated students taking courses under the staff or Washington State Tuition Waiver.
For further details, visit the cross-campus registration page.

Advanced Placement Policy: The UW recognizes AP coursework as a challenging academic program that provides excellent preparation for university study. College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams are scored on a scale of 1 – 5. At the UW, scores of 3 or higher are considered for college credit awards or placement into UW courses. The table below shows the UW’s departmental policies for awarding course equivalencies and credits for each exam. Students who complete two exams with duplicate or overlapping content (e.g. AP and IB), or who complete an exam and a college course with duplicate or overlapping content will be awarded credit for only one exam or course.

Note: AP scores may be submitted only for courses taken while in high school and for tests taken during or within six months after leaving high school. AP test results may not be used to waive admission requirements. More details on applicability to UW graduation requirements can be found here.

International Baccalaureate Policy: The UW recognizes the IB curriculum as a challenging academic program that provides excellent preparation for university study. In most cases, credits are awarded for subjects in which the student has earned a grade of 4 or higher. Consult the table below for specific information about credit awards in particular subjects.

Additionally, students who earn an IB diploma (not a certificate) will be awarded 5 more quarter credits toward UW graduation requirements.

A maximum of 45 quarter credits may be awarded for IB. Students who complete two exams with duplicate or overlapping content (e.g. AP and IB), or who complete an exam and a college course with duplicate or overlapping content will be awarded credit for only one exam or course.

More details on applicability to UW graduation requirements can be found here.

Running Start policy: Running Start allows academically qualified students in grades 11-12 to take college courses online or on the campus of the college offering the courses. More information on running start can be found here.

Students with world language deficiencies are occasionally admitted by petition. Students have an admission deficiency in world language if they lack the University admission requirement of two units (years) of one world language in high school. If they lack this admission requirement, normally they must make it up with college coursework before transferring to the UW. A passing grade in the second college quarter of a world language removes the admission deficiency. UW placement into the third quarter of a world language will also remove the deficiency.

The world language courses a student takes to remove an admission deficiency can also count toward the world language graduation requirement. Although courses taken pass/fail can be used to make up an admission deficiency, they must take the third quarter of the world language for a grade, and receive at least a 2.0, if they plan to use the course to satisfy the world language graduation requirement.

In general, it is University policy to accept credits earned at institutions fully accredited by their regional accrediting association for colleges and universities, provided that such credits have been earned through university-level courses appropriate to the student’s degree program at the University of Washington. However, the university (and a department) reserves the right to accept or reject credits earned at other institutions per this policy page.

We approve transfer credit on course-by-course basis. The Equivalency Guide provides transfer information for academic courses completed at community and technical colleges in Washington State.

The information recorded on the transfer credit evaluation, including the transfer of credits and the transfer GPA, becomes part of the student’s permanent record at the UW. If a student applies to an academic program with special admission requirements, transfer coursework and the transfer GPA will be considered.

The UW allows a maximum of 90 credits of lower-division transfer coursework to be applied toward a UW degree.

For more information, please visit transfer credit policies and procedures.