Thank you for your interest in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington!
Declaring a Major in Earth and Space Sciences
While the ESS department is not involved in undergraduate admission to the university, any prospective ESS majors (freshmen, transfer, international, or post-baccalaureate students) are encouraged to contact ESS Advising with questions about our department or major before applying.
Earth and Space Sciences is an open major with no entrance requirements or prerequisite classes for admission to the major. You may declare your major on your UW Admissions Application form, or at any time during the year as long as you are in good academic standing with the university.
Prospective UW Freshman and High School Students
If you are interested in applying to UW as a freshman, the UW Office of Admissions website provides comprehensive information about the application and enrollment process. On your application, please list “Earth and Space Sciences” as your first-choice major to be considered for direct admission.
Prospective Transfer Students
Prospective transfer students (external to UW) are encouraged to attend one of the UW Admissions Office’s Transfer Thursday info sessions and to complete supporting science & math coursework at their current institution prior to transferring to UW. See here for important information needed for transferring to UW. Other resources can be found on the UW’s transfer student portal website.
Current UW Students
ESS is an open major. Students currently registered at UW are free to declare the Earth and Space Sciences major at any time as long as they have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average at UW. For undergraduate students already enrolled at the University of Washington, please schedule an appointment with ESS Advising to declare the ESS major.
How to Visit
We welcome visits from prospective students! If you are planning to visit the UW Seattle Campus, UW Admissions offers campus tours and residential life tours. If you’d like to visit an ESS class, please email the instructor ahead of time to obtain permission. Follow the information on our Contact page to visit ESS.
