Prerequisites for Current UW Students
Lower-Division Courses
In order to be considered for admission, applicants who are current UW students must complete all four prerequisite courses. They must be completed by the end of the quarter prior to submitting your application to the Informatics program.
Prospective students who have completed all listed prerequisites may focus on completing their general education requirements and preparing for an alternative major.
Effective autumn 2026: Beginning with applications for entry in autumn 2026 (application due April 5), recent transfer students will no longer have a one-quarter grace period for meeting the INFO 200 requirement. All current students of the UW Seattle campus will be required to complete INFO 200 before applying.
Prerequisite Courses
| Prerequisite | 2024-2025 Average Grade and Range | Course | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFO 200 | Average 3.81 Range 2.1-4.0 | INFO 200 | |
| Computer programming | Average 3.80 Range 2.3-4.0 | INFO 201, or one of the following: CSE 121, CSE 122, CSE 123, CSE 142, CSE 143, CSE 143x, CSE 154, CSE 160, CSE 163, CSE 373, INFO/STAT/CSE 180 | |
| Statistics | Average 3.71 Range 2.1-4.0 | One class: STAT 220; STAT 221 / SOC 221 / CS&SS 221 & CS&SS 321 (all offered jointly); BIOSTAT 310; CSE 312; EDPSY 490; IND E 315; MATH 390; MATH 394/ STAT 394; PSYCH 315; PSYCH 317; QMETH 201; Q SCI 381;STAT 290*; STAT 311; STAT 390; STAT 1XX | The courses listed in bold are officially recognized by DARS as fulfilling the statistics requirements. The other courses will also be accepted; they just won’t show up as approved through a DARS audit. *Note: STAT 290 is the course that is awarded based on AP score. It is not an actual course at the UW that students can take. STAT 1XX is acceptable for this prerequisite but you will still need to take a STAT 200 level courses for graduation purposes. |
| Social Sciences (SSc) course | Average 3.95 Range 2.1-4.0 | Any SSc (Social Sciences) [SSc], formerly I&S (Individuals & Societies) | Any [SSc] course other than INFO 200 |
The course designations given are for courses taken at the UW. However, we are happy to accept non-UW courses. Please refer to the information below regarding transfer credits:
- For schools that have a transfer agreement with the UW, refer to the Equivalency Guide for courses equivalent to the prerequisites.
- Students attending a four-year school or an out-of-state community college should take equivalent courses at the school they are attending. Learn about our practices and policies regarding how we review transfer credits. View our list of pre-approved transfer courses.
Additional Information
- Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of 2.0 or higher, AP/IB scores (if awarded credit by the UW), or Cr (if a Cr/NC class).
- Prerequisite courses taken for an S will count toward prerequisites.
- If you have taken multiple classes that fulfill the same requirement, we will consider the course where you earned the highest grade.
- Prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the quarter prior to the application deadline. For Winter Quarter start it means the Summer before. For Autumn Quarter start it means the Winter before.
- If you need assistance finding SSc courses, please use the General Education Requirement Course Search tool.
- If you want to petition a course you have taken for one of the prerequisites, but it is not listed above, please email iask@uw.edu. Include the course code and prerequisite area and email the request at least one week before the deadline.
Period 3 Non-Major Registration
During registration period 3, courses with available space open for non-majors to register. You are welcome to join additional Informatics courses during this time. Note, we do not consider courses beyond the prerequisites when making admissions decisions.