Mechanical Engineering Admissions

This page contains information on admission to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. 

  1. Admissions process
  2. Prerequisite courses
  3. Personal statement
  4. Questions?

Admissions process

Timeline

The Mechanical Engineering major admits students for entry in autumn quarter. Visit the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell Application Dates & Deadlines page for information on application deadlines.

Please expect to receive your admissions decision up to eight weeks after the application deadline.

Materials needed

  1. Transcripts. All applicants must submit unofficial or official transcripts with their application. Once admitted, transfer applicants must also submit up-to-date official transcripts with their final grades if they have not already.
  2. Personal statement

How to apply

Submit an internal application if you are already a student at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell:

  • Pre-Major student at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell
  • Already in a major at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell and you want to switch majors
  • Already in a major at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell and you want a double major or double degree

Submit a transfer application if you are coming from another institution:

  • Current student at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Seattle or 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Tacoma
  • Transferring from another college or university outside of the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø system

Review

If necessary, your application may be reviewed by a committee of Mechanical Engineering faculty. The committee uses a holistic approach when reviewing applications, evaluating each on its individual merit and making decisions on a case-by-case basis. Our goal is to admit students who will benefit from the program, contribute to our community of learning, and move on to make positive impacts after graduation. In making its decision, the committee considers the following:

  • Completion of prerequisite courses. Decisions are not made until the committee receives final grades for all prerequisite courses.
  • Academic performance, including overall GPA and improvements over time, grades in prerequisites and other relevant courses (such as mathematics and other quantitative areas), and the number of repeated courses.
  • Personal statement, which can highlight:
    • Your specific interest in this program at the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø.
    • Your long-term goals and the steps you have already taken to achieve them.
    • Your unique experiences and skills that will help you succeed in the program and beyond.
    • Any challenges or hardships you have faced, and how you approached and learned from them.

Prerequisite courses

Minimum grades. To be considered for admission, complete the courses below with a minimum grade of 2.0 or higher in all courses. The grades must be recorded on your unofficial or official transcript(s).

Transfer courses. View a compilation of equivalent courses at other 56³Ô¹ÏÍø campuses and Washington state colleges, as well as important notes on transferring courses.

  1. English composition I (1 quarter or 1 semester)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s .
  2. One-year calculus series (3 quarters or 2 semesters)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s .
  3. Differential Equations (1 quarter or 1 semester)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s .
  4. Multivariable Calculus (1 quarter or 1 semester)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s .
  5. Calculus-based physics I and II (2 quarters or 2 semesters)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s .
    • The third course in the series, BPHYS 123 (Waves) can be useful to take, but is not required for the major.
  6. General chemistry I with lab (1 quarters or 1 semester)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s .
  7. One-year Introductory Mechanical Engineering series (3 quarters or 2 semesters)
    • Must cover content equivalent to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s (Statics, Mechanics of Materials, Dynamics).

Personal statement

Visit our Personal Statement Guidelines page for advice on writing an exceptional personal statement.

Prompt

Your personal statement should be no longer than 650 words and answer both questions below:

  1. Describe one or two of your core values. Make sure to include an adequate description of experiences that have helped you form and test those values. In addition, please relate your core values to the .
  2. Describe why you are interested in earning a mechanical engineering degree, both in general and more specifically at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell? Be sure to read our program website! This description should include discussion of:
    • Any relevant life experiences you may have had (e.g., employment, internships, military service, volunteer work, campus or civic activities, etc.)
    • Your anticipated career as a mechanical engineer.

Questions?

Internal applicants

If you are a pre-major student or already in a different major at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell, start by visiting the academic advising website or contacting your current academic advisor directly.

First-year and transfer applicants

If you are a student coming from high school or another institution, including 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Seattle or Tacoma, start by visiting the or contacting the admissions advising team at uwbinfo@uw.edu.