<p>When entering a backup major (assuming I would be accepted), can I still apply to other majors that are more competitive (all the while remaining in the backup major)? And if get accepted to the competitive major, are the two majors simply swapped or will the system allow me to double major in both (although they would be declared during different periods)?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>You can double (even triple or quadruple) major. You can also change majors post-admission. See:</p>
<p>[UW</a> Advising - Declaring a Major](<a href=“http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/majors/declare.php]UW”>http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/majors/declare.php)
[UW</a> Advising - Double Majors and Double Degrees](<a href=“http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/majors/double.php]UW”>http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/majors/double.php)</p>
<p>That’s not what I meant. I know you can do that, but I’m curious about the actual process behind majoring, which is not described in those links.</p>
<p>If I were to declare a backup major (say, Electrical Engineering), would I still be able to apply to Computer Science until I get admitted? And when that happens, do I keep my previous major and the new one is added on to it (double majoring), or does the new major replace the old one?</p>
<p>Are you asking if you can apply to another major after you are already admitted to a different one? I would say it depends on how different the majors are. If they have a lot of common requirements, it shouldn’t be a problem. If they don’t, then most likely after a certain point you will have to petition for a permission. The U generally wants you to graduate as soon as possible.</p>
<p>I see. What happens if a student is completely adamant about choosing alternative majors? Will the University eventually force students out if they go beyond the established 4 years of schooling (or 180 credits) without being accepted into their primary major?</p>
<p>You probably have to contact an adviser - he certainly will have more info than we do. I know that, for example, in Business School you can change your concentration until you hit 135 credits. If you want to do it after, you will have to establish and follow a graduation plan and in some cases you just won’t be allowed to change. So I assume that it works in a similar way at the UW in general.</p>
<p>Alright, I’ll ask my adviser when I have a chance. Thanks.</p>
<p>It is definitely possible to apply to multiple majors at the same time, such as different engineering majors, e.g. CSE and EE. This is common. It is also possible to declare a non-competitive major then subsequently apply to a competitive major, but there isn’t usually much point in that since you are not required to declare a major until you reach 105 credits.</p>
<p>If you apply to two competitive majors, such as CSE and EE, you can be accepted into more than one major, and you can then decide which major(s) you want to declare. If you aren’t yet at 105 credits, it is not a problem to swap or add majors. After 105 credits, UW generally wants you to make progress towards your declared major until you graduate, but there is an appeals process and students have been known to drag this out for some time after 105 credits.</p>
<p>If your intention is to pursue a double major or double degree, that can work even if the majors have nothing in common, but you have to show “reasonable progress” towards a major and at the same time, make sure that you don’t complete all the requirements of one of the majors first – if you do, then UW will expect you to graduate before you complete the second major. So you need to carefully time your coursework so that you make steady progress towards each major, complete the final requirements for each major or degree in the same quarter, and apply for graduation from both majors concurrently.</p>
<p>[Registration</a> Policies](<a href=“Policies & Procedures - Office of the University Registrar”>Policies & Procedures - Office of the University Registrar)</p>
<p>If you learn anything that adds or contradicts this, please do share it here.</p>
<p>Thanks. That was pretty helpful.</p>