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Transfer Credit

For a non-UW physics course to be equivalent to a physics course offered at UW, there must be at least 75% overlap in the covered content and equivalent prerequisites (e.g., calculus) and credits (1 semester credit = 1.5 quarter credits).  The standard syllabi for various physics courses offered at UW are available here.  Please compare your course to these syllabi before requesting evaluation. 

To have a non-UW physics course evaluated for equivalency, assemble the following information:

  1. Your name and UW Student ID number.
  2. The name of the College or University, indicating whether it uses a semester or quarter system.
  3. The name of the physics course, with the respective number of credits.
  4. A brief catalog description of the course specifying, for introductory courses, whether it is calculus or algebra based.
  5. A complete syllabus of the course along with a week-by-week lecture schedule of topics covered. Include the name and author of the textbook, and a list of chapters covered.
  6. If appropriate, evidence that the class included a laboratory component (e.g., as a requirement in the syllabus or as a list of labs performed).
  7. A copy of your transcript (unofficial is fine) from the other institution including your grade in the course.

For 100-level courses, send this information to the chair of the Introductory Physics (1XX) Committee (phys1xxchair@uw.edu). For higher level courses, send this information to the Undergraduate Faculty Advisor (UFA) (ufaphys@uw.edu). You will also need to have previously sent an official copy of your transcript from the other institution to the Admissions Office with a request that they enter these courses into your transfer record. Once the UW registrar has given you transfer credit for Phys 1XX or Phys 2XX, the UFA or their designate can change the transfer credit to show equivalency with the appropriate UW physics course based on the above provided information.

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