Running Start is a Washington state program that allows 11th and 12th-grade students to take college courses at Washington's 34 community and technical colleges. Students earn both high school and college credits for these courses.
More information
For more information about Running Start, please visit the University of Washington's Running Start page.
- Applying to UW as a Running Start student
- How to check eligibility for applying to an engineering major
- Running Start credits as an ENGRUD
- Engineering major application deadlines
Applying to UW as a Running Start student
All prospective first-year students apply by November 15 through the first-year application process. Applicants who are interested in engineering should select an engineering major as their first choice on the application.
Students can get into an engineering major in one of three ways:
- Applying for direct-to-college (DTC) admissions and then requesting placement at the end of their first year as an Engineering Undeclared Student
- Applying for direct-to-major (DTM) admission to the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering
- Applying to an engineering major through the capacity-constrained pathway (before or during studies at UW)
Applying DTC and Requesting Placement
First-year students who are admitted directly to the College start their studies as Engineering Undeclared Students (ENGRUDs). ENGRUDs get to explore different engineering disciplines and interests in their first year before requesting placement into a major. Students who go through the placement process and complete all requirements are guaranteed placement into an engineering major.
Applying DTM at the Allen School
Applicants who select computer science or computer engineering as their first-choice major on their UW first-year application will be considered for direct-to-major admissions through the Allen School. Students who use the direct-to-major admissions process are not part of the ENGRUD cohort. They can still apply to other engineering majors via the capacity-constrained application pathway.
Applying to an engineering major through the capacity-constrained pathway
Students with enough Running Start credits to fulfill all the application and enrollment requirements for their desired engineering majors can apply through the capacity-constrained pathway shortly after their general first-year UW application.
Engineering majors are capacity-constrained, which means that they are selective and have some extra requirements. That said, admission rates do vary between engineering majors; some majors have more capacity than others. Students who want to maximize their chances of admission should strongly consider applying to multiple engineering majors.
Students should also explore the ways different engineering majors can help them meet their academic goals. For example, a student interested in Nanoscience & Molecular Engineering could study as a Bioengineering major or as a Chemical Engineering major.
As a general guideline, the minimum number of credits to qualify for any major is 45 credits, but these credits must meet all of the application and enrollment requirements. The flowchart below can help determine if a student can apply to an engineering major before their first quarter at UW.
Flowchart steps
Determining eligibility for applying to an engineering major, as follows:
1. Apply to UW by November 15
2. Check the number of credits you have.
2a. If you have fewer than the minimum number of credits, proceed to "Receive Admissions Decision and continue as ENGRUD if admitted"
2b. If you have the minimum number of credits or more, proceed to step 3.
3. Check the application requirements for desired major(s)
3a. If you do not meet application requirements, proceed to "Receive Admissions Decision and continue as ENGRUD if admitted"
3b. If you meet application requirements, proceed to step 4.
4. Check enrollment requirements for desired major
4a. If you are not on track to meet enrollment requirements before your first quarter at UW, proceed to "Receive Admissions Decision and continue as ENGRUD if admitted"
4b. If you are on track to meet enrollment requirements before your first quarter at UW, proceed to step 5.
5. You can apply for a capacity-constrained major.
How to check eligibility for applying to an engineering major
- Find the college where earned Running Start credit was earned and open the relevant equivalency guide.
- One by one, locate the courses the student has taken in the guide and note the UW course equivalents. Pay attention to the “Effective date” column to ensure the information is current.
- Compare the student’s list of courses to the application and enrollment requirements for their desired major(s).
- If all the application requirements are fulfilled and the student is on track to complete the enrollment requirements before their first quarter at UW, they can apply to an engineering major.
Alternatively, students and parents may be able to run a Degree Audit utilizing MyPlan. MyPlan can be accessed with a personal Google account or a UW NetID.
Running Start credits as an ENGRUD
Beyond the application: maximizing the UW experience
Running Start credits are a great resource for ENGRUD students. Coming into university with a number of credits can make planning classes easier and offer broader academic opportunities.
Depending on how many credits a student completes, it may also offer an accelerated timeline for graduation. Students who start as an ENGRUD but are close to completing the requirements for their desired major(s) may be able to complete the remaining requirements partway through their first year. In that case, students can apply to majors early, rather than waiting for the placement process. This could allow a student to graduate in three years. Even if an ENGRUD student applies to an engineering major and is not offered admission, they can still go through the placement process at the end of the year, staying on their original graduation timeline.
In fact, most Running Start students choose to complete four years at the UW. Bringing in Running Start credits creates flexibility in their academic plan and allows students to work, travel, explore research opportunities and more. We encourage students to consider their post-graduation goals while deciding how to get the most out of their UW education.
- Interested in working for an international company after graduation? Consider studying a foreign language and/or participating in a study abroad.
- Interested in attending graduate school? Explore an extended research opportunity and/or taking preparatory coursework for that program.
- Other opportunities could include completing an additional undergraduate degree outside of the College of Engineering, completing a minor, or completing an internship.
An engineering adviser will help students explore these options.
Engineering major application deadlines
Students who are eligible to apply to an engineering major before their first quarter at the UW may be able to graduate on a two-year timeline. When planning to complete these courses and be on this timeline, it is very important for students to be in contact with engineering advisers in advance to stay on track. Note that autumn majors and spring majors apply on different deadlines.
| Start quarter | Application deadlines | Majors admitting for the start quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | April 5 | Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical and Computer Engineering Environmental Engineering Human Centered Design & Engineering Industrial Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Mechanical Engineering |
| Spring | January 15 | Bioengineering Chemical Engineering |
Application timelines for engineering majors
Fall major timeline
- Apply to UW by November 15
- Receive UW admissions decision in mid-March
- Apply to major before April 5
- Receive major admissions decisions
- Commit to attend to May 1
Spring major timeline
- Apply to UW by November 15
- Apply to major before January 15
- Receive major admissions decisions
- Receive UW admissions decision in mid-March
- Commit to Attend to May 1