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 and would like to take additional classes before applying to the program are encouraged to take any courses in the program. (If you are interested in taking Informatics courses but are not currently in the program, please see our Add Code Policy.)
Prerequisite Courses
| Prerequisite | 2023-2024 Average Grade and Range | Course | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| INFO 200 | Average 3.89 Range 2.7-4.0 | INFO 200 | |
| Computer programming | Average 3.87 Range 2.1-4.0 | 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 3.72 Range 2.3-4.0 | One class: STAT 220; STAT 221 / SOC 221 / CS&SS 221 (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 | 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. STAT 1xx is acceptable for this prerequisite. |
| Social Sciences (SSc) course | Average 3.97 Range 2.8-4.0 | 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.
- Exceptions:
- Transfer students who started at the UW in Winter quarter are not expected/required to have taken INFO 200 in order to be eligible for the next Autumn quarter admission.
- Transfer students who started at the UW in Autumn quarter are not expected/required to have INFO 200 in order to be eligible for the next Winter quarter admission.
- Transfer students are only allowed one “grace quarter” where INFO 200 is not required (described above). If they chose to apply in a future cycle, they would be considered a current UW student and INFO 200 would be required.
- Exceptions:
- 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.
Add Codes
If you are interested in taking Informatics courses but are not currently in the program, please see our Add Code Policy.