Prepare and Apply
Declaring a Major in Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management (ESRM)
To declare the major, contact the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences adviser to schedule an appointment. At the appointment, students will complete the declaration paperwork, discuss requirements, design a degree plan and ask any questions about the major.
Prepare
Students should prepare for studies at Environmental and Forest Sciences by following a few key steps, meet with us to learn about our exciting degree program and our excellent facilities, and use our tips to help navigate the admissions process at the University of Washington.
Prospective UW Freshmen and High School Students
- The student should start planning in the summer of the junior year of high school.
- Preparatory coursework (high school)
- Students should take as much math, science and writing as possible while keeping grades high. Writing is very important in science. A strong background in math and science will better prepare students for the ESRM major. We recommend students take AP and Honors courses if they are offered by their school.
- Complete the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR). These subject areas are admission requirements, and must be completed before enrolling at UW. To be competitive, applicants should try to challenge themselves by exceeding the minimum requirements.
- Preparatory coursework (Washington State Running Start or College in the High School)
- ESRM Transfer Planning Worksheet: Lists suggested coursework to prepare for the ESRM degree (Note that the intro bio series should be taken in its entirety either at a community college or at UW. Incomplete series may not transfer, requiring students to take similar coursework again at UW).
- UW Equivalency Guide for WA Community and Technical Colleges: Use to see how Washington state community college courses will transfer to UW.
- Students should try to finish a series (chemistry, biology, calculus) wherever the series was started. If a student cannot complete biology or calculus before starting at UW, it is advisable to take those series at UW.
- Volunteering and internships
- Volunteering and internships are great ways to gain hands-on experience and discover strengths, passions and career goals. They are also useful for networking with educators and professionals, who can serve as mentors and references for applications, scholarships, jobs, etc.
Prospective Transfer Students
- Students do not need to complete an AS or AA degree to be eligible to apply to the UW, but most transfer students admitted to the UW have completed 90 credits before transfer.
- All applicants to UW must complete the College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADR). These subject areas are admission requirements, and must be completed before enrolling at UW. To be competitive, applicants should try to challenge themselves by exceeding the minimum requirements. UW also examines whether transfer students have taken additional courses that have prepared them for the departmental courses. The more courses completed, the better prepared students will be.
- Preparatory coursework
- ESRM Transfer Planning Worksheet: Lists suggested coursework to prepare for the ESRM degree. Note that the intro bio series should be taken in its entirety either at a community college or at UW. Incomplete series may not transfer, requiring the student to take similar coursework again at UW.
- UW Equivalency Guide for WA Community and Technical Colleges: Use this site to understand how Washington state community college courses will transfer to UW.
- Students in four-year schools or non-Washington community colleges: Currently, there is no equivalency guide for coursework at these institutions, so it is recommended that students take classes similar to what is listed on the transfer planning worksheet:
- One year of intro biology w/lab (cell, plant, animal)
- One quarter/semester of general chemistry
- One quarter/semester of organic chemistry
- One to two quarters/semesters of calculus
- English composition
- Note: We cannot guarantee that coursework will transfer exactly as listed here.
- Students should try to finish a series (chemistry, biology, calculus) wherever the series was started. If a student cannot complete biology or calculus before starting at UW, it is advisable to take those series at UW.
- All prospective transfer students should save copies of the syllabi for all of the courses that are taken. This will facilitate evaluation of courses, if needed.
- Volunteering and internships
- Volunteering and internships are great ways to gain hands-on experience and discover strengths, passions and career goals. They are also useful for networking with educators and professionals, who can serve as mentors and references for applications, scholarships, jobs, etc.
Current UW Students
- ESRM is an open major, which means students currently registered as a UW student can declare the ESRM degree at any time as long as they have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.To declare the major, contact the Environmental and Forest Sciences adviser to schedule an appointment, at which point students can complete the declaration paperwork, discuss requirements, design a degree plan and ask any questions about the major. Students can also add a minor or double major, depending on interests, credits and graduation timeline. Students should be sure to let the ESRM adviser know about plans like this.Students interested in the ESRM major are encouraged to declare early. Advantages for early declaration include:
- Development of a comprehensive study plan that provides a clear path to graduation. The earlier this plan is developed, the more flexibility it will provide in allowing experiential learning, study abroad and more.
- Eligibility for departmental scholarships
- Subscription to a Environmental and Forest Sciences-major email list with notification of scholarships, internships, jobs, and other opportunities
- Ability to enroll in courses that are restricted to majors during priority registration
Postbaccalaureate and Non-Matriculating Students
- Postbaccalaureate (Postbac) vs. Non-Matriculating
- Non-Matriculating Students: If a student wants to enter graduate school at UW, the student lives locally and has a bachelor of science in biology or another field closely related to Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management Degree, or the student simply wants to take a few courses, the student should enter as a non-degree seeking student. Non-Matriculating status is less expensive and is suitable in most cases. Please see the FAQ site for non-degree enrollment at UW. Information on graduate Non-Matriculating status at Environmental and Forest Sciences can be found here.
- Postbaccalaureate: If a student’s first bachelor’s degree was in an unrelated field and the student wants to study for a second degree (regardless of the final objective), the student should apply as a postbaccalaureate (postbac) student. A postbac student is admitted for a second bachelor’s degree. Postbacs are treated almost the same as other matriculating undergraduates; they register at the same time as other undergrads and have priorities for courses. There are a few differences: Financial aid treats postbacs differently, postbacs cannot declare minors or honors and students are not always eligible for specific internships and scholarships.
- Those interested can apply for postbac admission through UW Admissions. Admission can be competitive for postbacs, so those interested should take special care to complete the application fully. Students should declare the intention to complete the ESRM degree on the admissions application. Here are some tips to strengthen the application:
- Complete core foundational science coursework (intro bio, chemistry, calculus, physics, etc.) at a local community college prior to applying. Students are more likely to be admitted as a postbac if they need courses that are only offered by the UW ESRM degree. UW Admissions’ assessment of coursework will be similar to that of a transfer student so refer to recommended preparation for prospective Environmental and Forest Sciences transfer students, available above. Pay particular attention to the transfer planning worksheet and the course equivalency guides.
- It is possible to take a mix of community college courses with some UW ESRM degree courses as a non-matriculating student while preparing for admission as a postbac. Please contact the Environmental and Forest Sciences adviser to explore this option.
- Many students seek to add a postbac degree in preparation for applying to a graduate program in a related field. While most postbacs admitted to UW ESRM complete their second bachelor of science degree, there is no formal policy that prohibits applying to graduate school prior to completion. Enrolling in UW ESRM as either a postbac or non-matriculated student does not guarantee admission to the UW Environmental and Forest Sciences graduate program.
Applying to the UW
All students who would like to enroll in the ESRM degree must first be admitted to UW. Application information can be found on the UW admissions website. Admission to UW is competitive and applicants are evaluated on a number of factors. These include grade point average, test scores and academic preparation, as well as personal achievements and characteristics.
Incoming students are admitted to the UW during autumn, winter and summer quarters, although most are admitted in autumn quarter. Students should sure to check the deadlines for the quarter they hope to be admitted and start working early to get materials together in order to apply on time. There are also a number of scholarships available for incoming students through Environmental and Forest Sciences, as well as the College of the Environment.
Once a student has been admitted to UW, the Environmental and Forest Sciences undergraduate adviser should be emailed. Let the adviser know for which quarter the student has been admitted. Return the confirmation deposit.
TIP: Be sure to read all letters and materials carefully. It is easy to miss a vital step in this process. Once confirmed, students will be able to sign up for an Advising and Orientation Session (A&O). Students will not be able to register for courses until they have completed the A&O session, so be sure to sign up early.