Main Content
Before becoming a student in the School of IAS you must be accepted as a student at UW Tacoma. Contact the UW Tacoma Office of Admissions for more information.
- Before you begin, verify the quarters in which new applications are accepted.
- Complete applications received by the application deadline will be reviewed; complete applications received after the deadline may be reviewed on a space-available basis.
Undergraduate applicants to SIAS majors
- 40+ college quarter credits
- Some majors have additional prerequisites or suggested preparatory courses for admission, which are noted below by major.
- We encourage you to work with your Academic Advisor early and often to ensure the most best path to college success
UW Tacoma admissions process:
Transfer and returning students
- Submit an Application for Transfer Admission, with the $60 application fee;
- Submit one official transcript from each college or university attended; and
- Submit a high school transcript if using high school credit to fulfill admission requirements.
Current UW Tacoma students
- Identify the SIAS major you want to pursue by speaking with advisors and checking your degree audit through MyPlan
- Request to Declare/Change A Major or Minor by contacting your Academic Advisor (Note: you must have 45 quarter credits and meet the prerequisites for the requested major)
Majors with Prerequisites or Suggested preparatory courses:
List of SIAS Majors
Preparatory courses must have been completed within the last 5 years. If they were completed before that time frame or for specific transfer courses that are accepted, please consult an academic advisor.
Additionally, students must be computer literate, which is defined as the ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and communication software. Workshops are available for students with deficiencies in any of these areas.
- TCHEM 142 General Chemistry 1 (6)
- TCHEM 152 General Chemistry 2 (6)
- TCHEM 162 General Chemistry 3 (6)
- TBIOL 120 Introductory Biology 1 (6)
- TBIOL 130 Introductory Biology 2 (6)
- TBIOL 140 Introductory Biology 3 (6)
- TMATH 124 Calculus 1 (5)
- TMATH 125 Calculus 2 (5)
- TCHEM 251 Organic Chemistry 1 (5)
- TPHYS 121 Physics 1 (6)
All students declaring the Communication major must earn a minimum grade of 2.5 in one of the following courses:
Although Environmental Science does not have prerequisites beyond the SIAS admission requirements, there are several science and math courses that are required for the major and should be taken in sequence to ensure progress is made. All of the courses listed below should be taken within five years of admission to UW Tacoma. If your coursework is older than five years, please contact an Environmental Science advisor.
Preparatory courses for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science:
- Biology: 15 credits, college-level majors sequence with lab, Minimum grade of 2.0 in each class
- Chemistry: 15 credits, college-level majors sequence with lab, Minimum grade of 2.0 in each class
- Geology: 5 credits, college-level course with lab, Minimum grade of 2.0
- Physics: 5 credits, college-level mechanics course with lab, Minimum grade of 2.0
- Calculus: 5 credits, minimum grade of 2.0
- Statistics: 5 credits, minimum grade of 2.0
Although Environmental Sustainability does not have prerequisites beyond the SIAS admission requirements, there are several science and math courses that are required for the major and should be taken in sequence to ensure progress is made. All of the courses listed below should be taken within five years of admission to UW Tacoma. If your coursework is older than five years, please contact an Environmental Sustainability advisor.
Preparatory courses for the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Sustainability:
- TBIOL 110 General Biology (with lab); minimum 1.5 GPA
- TCHEM 131 Chemistry and Society (with lab); minimum 1.7 GPA
- TECON 200 Introduction to Microeconomics; minimum 2.0 GPA
- TGEOS 243 Geography of the Physical Environment (with lab); minimum 2.0 GPA
- TMATH 110 Introductory Statistics with Applications; minimum 2.0 GPA
- TPHIL 251 Data and Discourse; minimum 2.0 GPA
- TPSYCH 340 Environmental Psychology; minimum 2.0 GPA Note: prerequisite of TPSYCH 101
- TWRT 211 Argumentation and Research; minimum 2.0 GPA or TWRT 291 Technical Communication in the Workplace; minimum 2.0 GPA
For admission to the Spanish Language & Cultures major, students must demonstrate, through a placement exam or coursework, proficiency at the 300-level in the Spanish language.
Completing the following lower-division prerequisites (100- or 200-level) are necessary before declaring the Psychology major. A minimum grade of 2.0 is required for each prerequisite course.
- One general or introduction to psychology course (TPSYCH 101 or equivalent)
- Two psychology foundation courses chosen from more than one of the following areas:
- Developmental psychology (Lifespan Development; TPSYCH 220 or equivalent)
- Abnormal psychology (TPSYCH 210, TPSYCH 212 or equivalent)
- Social psychology (TPSYCH 240 or equivalent)
- Human cognition (TPSYCH 250 or equivalent)
- Biological Bases of Behavior (TPSYCH 260, TPSYCH 265 or equivalent)
- One introductory statistics course (TMATH 110, THLTH 305, TSOCWF 351, TURB 225 or equivalent)
- One introductory methods course (TPSYCH 209 or equivalent)
All students declaring the Writing Studies major must earn a minimum grade of 2.0 in each of the following courses:
