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Study Abroad

Incoming Exchange Students

We’re excited to welcome students from KTH, ETH, EPFL, and Saarland! After your home university has selected you for an exchange to UW CSE, you will need to complete the following steps to enroll here. Please note that you will need to coordinate with multiple offices: the CSE department will be your primary contact, but you will also work with the UW Graduate School, the Study Abroad office, and UW Admissions. The following checklist gives details on the process of enrolling.

1: Be nominated by your home institution

Your exchange is initiated when your home school nominates you for an exchange to UW. This happens in January or February. Your exchange coordianator at home will send CSE some basic information, including your name and contact info.

2. Formally apply to the UW.

Each student must formally apply to the UW via an online application. There are different processes for undergraduate and graduate students – please apply through the correct application for your current standing at your home institution.

UW requires proof of English language ability, such as a certificate of English proficiency or a letter from your home university. We do not require an English proficiency test (TOEFL or IELTS), although these scores are also acceptable as proof of proficiency. 

3. Read through the “Practical Matters” section of the UW Study Abroad site for visiting exchange students.

In particular, their pre-departure checklist provides information on FIUTS orientation, fees, health insurance, applying for campus housing, registration, submitting your measles immunization verification, etc. The majority of steps here are required for all incoming exchange students, so it’s important that you read through this page carefully. The Admissions Office will communicate with you about many of these steps, too.

6. Register!

Registration at UW happens months in advance. For your first quarter, you can register after submitting after your measles immunization verification and completing the online ISS orientation. Beginning your second quarter, you can register in Period 1 (in the middle of each preceding quarter). Check the UW’s Academic Calendar for specific registration dates.

Because classes may fill, you should register soon after your registration is available. You can change your schedule through the first week of the quarter. Use the following to plan your courses:

10 credits is full-time for graduate students, and 12 credits is full-time for undergraduate students. Most CSE exchange students take 10-15 credits, including a combination of the following types of courses:

  • 400-level undergraduate CSE classes. These are 4th-year bachelors’ courses.
  • 500-level graduate CSE classes. These will be a bit more work than 400-level classes; people rarely take two 500-level classes at once.
  • CSE 590, our graduate research seminars (many different sections/topics). For 1 credit, you just attend each weekly discussion. For 2 credits you must present on research; ask the faculty member if you would like 2 credits for presenting.
  • CSE 519 and 520, our colloquia series of guest speakers. Just attend — no extra required work.

A typical schedule is two “real” classes and two credits of either seminar or colloqiua. Some students take three real classes, though this will usually be a large amount of work. Remember that UW quarters are only 10 weeks, so courses are fast-paced. Assignments may be due during the first week, and exams happen in the week immediately following the end of the instruction.

As a visiting graduate student, you can register for graduate courses (numbered 500+) on your own. Just check that you have completed the appropriate prerequisites. You will need a CSE advisor to add you to undergradaute courses (numbered below 500). Space may be limited in undergraduate courses, but we will do our best to find a space for you. We encourage you to check in with your CSE exchange coordinator about your intended schedule and with questions about courses before you register.

Classes outside of CSE will have various registration restrictions: Many classes are restricted to students in a particular department (ex: Law classes are only open to Law students). Some classes will only be open to undergraduate. If you wish to take classes outside of CSE, check each course for specific restrictions. If there are no obvious restrictions, you will just need to contact the advisor in the appopriate department to be registered.

5. Email Jill with your intended arrival date

… and the date you’d like to check-in at the department. When you arrive, we’ll give you a CSE computer account for using the undergrad labs and other computing resources, go on a little building tour, and discuss any course questions.

Exchange Program Contacts

Jill Louthian, Undergraduate Advisor and Exchange Coordinator

Elise Dorough, Graduate Advisor