Overview

A university education is about learning to ask and answer complex questions. The Individualized Studies programme allows highly motivated and self-directed students to pursue the questions about which they are most passionate when those questions cannot be pursued in current UW programmes. Individualized Studies students epitomize the intentional intellectual engagement at the core of a great liberal education: focused, rigorous, disciplinary learning, even when integrating multiple disciplines.

The Individualized Studies programme from University of Washington is not a means to vocational or applied versions of existing degrees; nor does it provide a secondary alternative to (or a light version of) existing majors. It is, instead, a place for intellectually curious, reflective, and highly self-directed students who embrace learning for its own sake. This programme is not a place to simply get a degree; this is a place to pursue deep learning.

The Individualized Learning Plan

The learning plan articulates, very specifically, what you want to learn, why those things are worth learning, how you are going to learn them, and how you are going to demonstrate that you have learned them. These goals constitute the most important part of the learning plan, and the most important factor in determining whether you are admitted to the programme.

The learning plan must include all of the following. More details are included in the separate Learning Plan Guide. Incomplete plans will not be considered.

Statement of purpose. This is the rationale for your programme. In broad terms, what do you want to learn, and why? Why can't you learn this in an existing UW programme?
Learning goals. This is the heart of the learning plan. Here you must translate your broad interests into specific learning goals. Everything in Individualized Studies centers around these goals. You must also identify a clear plan to assess your learning, which you cannot do without clear goals.
Annotated course plan. This is where you explain how you will meet your learning goals, including a brief discussion of how each proposed class connects to your learning goals. These are not course descriptions (which you should also include as an appendix; see below); this is your explanation of how each course will help you meet specific learning goals. This section will also include a tentative quarterly plan.

Programme Structure

Additional appendices:

Catalog course descriptions (from the UW catalog).
Your Plan B. You must explicitly address what major you will study if you are not admitted to Individualized Studies.
Signed faculty agreement form; must be a regular, full-time (tenure-track or permanent lecturer) UW Seattle faculty member.
Approval by key departments, where appropriate.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-13 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

110

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Seattle, United States

Disciplines

Liberal Arts Social Policy View 1432 other Bachelors in Liberal Arts in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

Required

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

110

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

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Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

All freshman applicants will self-report their courses on the application. A minimum level of preparation in six subject areas must be met for admission.

The writing section is a required and important part of your application. Please note that the UW essay questions must be answered within our application. For the Common App, that means within our UW questions. We do not consider the Common App essay.

The UW no longer requires SAT or ACT scores for most applicants. Homeschooled applicants and applicants who come from schools with non-standard grading practices that do not have letter or numeric grades are still required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Do not send high school or college transcripts unless you receive a request from the Office of Admissions. The application asks you to provide a detailed account of your academic coursework, and that’s all we need to review your application.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

43209 USD / year

≈ 43209 USD / year
Out-of-State

43209 USD / year

≈ 43209 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12973 USD / year

≈ 12973 USD / year

Living costs

Seattle

United States

1480 - 2580 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Individualized Studies.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

The Individualized Learning Plan

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Seattle

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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