All persons who wish to pursue a degree program at the University must submit the following documentation with the Admissions Office, Roseman Building 2060: an application for admission, an official high school transcript, test scores (when applicable), and official transcript(s) of all previous post-secondary work attempted or completed. Priority dates for applications are established each year.
A successful University experience depends upon the student’s prior educational coursework in high school and post-secondary school as well as other professional and personal experiences. Previous coursework and experiences should include a breadth of subject areas including English, mathematics, natural science, social studies, and other areas.
Students can apply for admission as new freshman applicants as early as August 1. Applicants can apply using the UW System Application or the Common Application. Completed applications must include the application and a high school transcript. Students who wish to appeal their admission decision should contact the Director of Admissions.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater follows the below unit requirements for all new freshman applicants on behalf of the UW System Board of Regents:
| Subject | Units | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 units | which may include one unit of communication |
| Mathematics | 3 units | including algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra, algebra II or their equivalents |
| Natural Science | 3 units | preferably biology, chemistry, and physics |
| Social Studies | 3 units | |
| Electives | 4 units | from any of the required areas or from the fine arts, computer science, foreign language, accounting or other academic areas approved by UW-Whitewater |
UW-Whitewater completes a comprehensive application review for students. A student’s prior academic preparation is the most important factor used in the decision, but a review of standardized exam scores, high school GPA, history of academic rigor, student activities and/or volunteerism, the personal statement on the application, letters of recommendation, and anything else a student provides as part of the application is seriously considered. It is our goal to discover whether we believe the student can be successful in the collegiate environment. Our process affords the admissions office the opportunity to learn as much as they can about a person before making a decision.
Per UW System Policy this requirement has been temporarily waived.
Incoming freshmen attend one of several summer registration/orientation programs. At that time, students meet with an advisor for assistance in selecting courses to be taken in their freshman year. Family members and guests are invited and encouraged to attend, as there will be a special program scheduled while students receive advising and register for classes.
Also, there will be additional orientation activities during the first few days of the Fall term. These programs are designed to make the transition to college life as smooth as possible.
Applicants should use the online application available here. Instructions with the admissions application will explain the procedure to be followed. In addition to the admissions application and high school records, students must submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended. Applicants may be accepted on a tentative basis during the last term of enrollment at the sending institution, provided they meet the minimum academic requirements for University admission.
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater requires a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (4.0 system) to transfer; however, admission requirements may be higher for students planning to enroll in particular academic programs and during periods of enrollment limitation. Students who are enrolled in their first term and who do not meet freshman admissions standards must complete 12 college transferable units to receive transfer admission consideration. Students who wish to appeal their admission decision should contact the Transfer Coordinator in the Undergraduate Office of Admissions.
Degree credit may be transferred to UW-Whitewater if the grade earned in the course at the previous institution is recognized as a passing grade (D or better) at UW-Whitewater and provided that the course parallels work offered at UW-Whitewater. Course units accepted will transfer either as equivalent course units or as elective units. Any adjustment in the credit evaluation received by a transfer student must be requested within one year of the time of acceptance.
After a student has accumulated 72 semester units, the student must earn a minimum of 48 units at UW-Whitewater and/or other accredited four-year college before a bachelor's degree is awarded. Upper division UW-Whitewater students who decide to attend a two-year college after accumulating 72 units toward graduation must obtain permission from the dean of their college in advance of their attendance at the two-year college in order for the units to transfer.
Credit for some course work in areas other than those offered at UW-Whitewater may be granted upon written petition to the appropriate department chairperson, if the chair feels that the course content is related to the student's major or minor and that granting this additional credit is of demonstrable educational value to his/her program at Whitewater.
A student’s grade point average compiled at previous post-secondary institutions is considered for purposes of determining eligibility for a variety of programs. Some departments or programs require a higher GPA than the 2.0 standard requirement. See the Transfer website to learn more.
Students interested in the College of Education & Professional Studies should consult the college regarding prerequisite requirements. See the College of Education & Professional Studies website.
Students interested in the College of Business and Economics should consult the college regarding prerequisite requirements. See the College of Business and Economics website.
Transfer credit is not granted for upper-division (300/400) business courses at UW-Whitewater unless the equivalent courses were taken after completing at least 60 units at the previous institution. Before receiving a degree in business, students must earn at least 18 units in their major at UW-Whitewater.
For transfer students enrolling in the College of Business and Economics or the College of Education & Professional Studies, the grade point average compiled at previous post-secondary institutions is considered for purposes of determining eligibility.
Transfer students are required to attend an orientation session and receive academic advising for registration purposes. Advising is normally handled by personnel from the major department; however, students should consult with their minor department (if applicable) as well. Online students and students admitted under the “special student” classification are not required to attend the orientation program.
UW-Whitewater will accept credit only from regionally accredited colleges and universities. Wherever possible, transfer courses are converted to exact UW-Whitewater course equivalents. Students who receive credit for equivalent courses should be careful not to enroll in courses with the same course number since duplicate credit in courses cannot be awarded.
Although grades earned at other post-secondary institutions will be included on the evaluation of transfer credit and the Academic Advisement Report (AAR), the UW-Whitewater grade point average is not affected by grades earned elsewhere. Grades earned at other institutions are considered only for purposes of determining eligibility for admission to the University and eligibility for registration and graduation in certain majors, such as those in Business, Education, Communication, Integrated Science and Business, Occupational Safety and Social Work.
For majors requiring higher grade point averages, the combined cumulative GPA of both the transfer college(s) and UW-Whitewater will be used to determine eligibility for course enrollment. Additionally, business students must complete course work in residence at UW-Whitewater in at least six courses (18 unit minimum) in their major field. A maximum of two transfer courses will be allowed to count in any major in the BBA curriculum. Regardless of major, a minimum of 25% of the major course units and 25% of the minor course units must be completed at UW-Whitewater.
In order to be equated to a UW-Whitewater course, a course taken at another post-secondary institution must be taken for at least 2/3 of the number of term units for which the course is offered at UW-Whitewater.
Credit may be transferred to UW-Whitewater if the course parallels work offered at UW-Whitewater. All grades earned in the course at the previous institution are entered in the student record. If a course is identified as incomplete, it is recorded as a failing grade credit may be transferred to UW-Whitewater if the grade earned in the course at the previous institution is recognized as a passing grade (D- or better) and the course parallels work offered at UW-Whitewater. If a course is repeated, credit will only be granted for repeated courses in which grades of C- or below were received. Students may repeat courses transferred to UW-Whitewater from other post-secondary institutions subject to UW-Whitewater’s repeat policy. Coursework completed at one transfer institution and repeated at a second transfer institution is recognized when calculating the transfer grade point average during the admission process. Please contact the Office of Admissions for further details or reference the Repeat Policy section of this Catalog.
Appropriate units may be transferred from one curriculum to another within the University. Program to Program articulation agreement transfer courses/units are accepted only for the degree specified in the agreement. A change of major invalidates these courses/units for transfer unless they are approved within some other Program to Program Articulation Agreement for a different major at UW-Whitewater. Waiver(s) granted by one of the four colleges may not be recognized if the student switches colleges.
Quarter Units: The number of units earned for a course taken on the quarter system must be multiplied by 2/3 in order to convert to the term (semester) system. Thus a course for 3 quarter units would be changed to 2 term units when transferred to UW-Whitewater.
It is possible that some credit in academic areas other than those offered at UW-Whitewater may be accepted upon written appeal to the office of the Assistant Director of Admissions. In considering appeals, the Assistant Director will consult with the appropriate department chairperson to determine whether the course content is related to the major or minor and whether granting the credit is of demonstrable educational value.
Students who feel that an adjustment in an evaluation is necessary should contact the Admissions Office before proceeding with academic advising and registration. Any adjustment in the unit evaluation must be requested within one year of the date of UW-Whitewater enrollment.
After accumulating 72 units, students must earn a minimum of 48 additional units at UW-Whitewater and/or other accredited four-year colleges before a degree may be awarded. Upper-division UW-Whitewater students who decide to attend a two-year college after accumulating 72 units toward graduation must obtain prior permission from the associate/assistant dean of their college. After permission is granted from the associate/assistant dean, students must complete a Transfer Credit Agreement (TCA) through the Assistant Director of Admission.
Students enrolled in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) who wish to continue their education at UW-Whitewater may be eligible to transfer units toward their bachelor’s degree in the following ways:
For more information about these transfer opportunities, students should consult with their Wisconsin Technical College advisors or the UW-Whitewater Admissions Office.
Transfer students with an Associate of Arts and Science degree from the UW Colleges, or an Associate of Arts/Associate of Science degree from Madison Area Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Nicolet Area Technical College, or other approved accredited state community college, who transfer at least 40 acceptable units to UW-Whitewater may be considered to have fulfilled the General Education (Communication & Calculation Skills, Core and General Studies Electives) Requirements. Although the associate degree satisfies all General Education requirements, there may be additional courses still required to meet degree and/or major/minor requirements. In addition to satisfying General Education requirements, the UW-Colleges’ Associate of Arts and Science Degree satisfies the U.S. Racial/Ethnic Diversity requirement. Students should remind advisors that they have earned the associate degree to ensure they are not needlessly advised into General Education courses. The final official transcript from the sending institution must indicate that the degree specified has been awarded, or the student will be responsible for fulfilling the remaining General Education Requirements.
If a student transfers into a UW-Whitewater degree program which requires math, and the student has not completed the equivalent of UW-Whitewater MATH 139 or higher, the student will be required to complete a math placement exam.
For applicants who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution and are seeking a second bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the first degree satisfies the General Education and U.S. Racial/Ethnic Diversity requirements.
All transfer students will be required to complete the following General Education Core Course requirements:
Students transferring without the associate or bachelor’s degrees described above are required to complete any remaining Communication & Calculation Skills requirements prior to completion of 60 units toward graduation. Transfer students with 60 or more units toward graduation must complete any remaining proficiency requirements within their first UW-Whitewater term.
Students who do not receive transfer credit for ENGLISH 101 or MATH 139 will be placed according to ACT or SAT sub-scores or will be required to take the appropriate placement examination.
| Year | Units |
|---|---|
| Number of Units Transferred | UW-W Core Course Requirements |
| 0 - less than 21 | All General Education core courses |
| 21 - less than 40 | CORE 390 and an additional core course assigned by Gened Coordinator - check AAR for required course |
| 40+ units (no AA/AS degree) | CORE 390 only |
| Conferred AA/AS degree from UW-Colleges, Madison/Milwaukee Area Technical Colleges, Nicolet Technical College, or other approved state community colleges | General Education and core course requirements satisfied |
Students who wish to earn an online bachelor’s degree from UW-Whitewater can visit here to learn more.
Students who do not wish to earn a degree from the UW-Whitewater may apply for admission as “special students without credentials.” Some record of previous academic work may be required to establish academic eligibility. Prospective students who do not meet admission standards will not be granted admission as special students. Special students without credentials may attend summer school without establishing academic eligibility and may take as many units as are regularly allowed in the Summer term for all students. Special students can visit here to learn more.
Special students without credentials are not considered candidates for a degree and are not required to receive formal academic advising upon enrollment. Academic Advising Reports (AARs) are not available for special students. Special students without credentials are not eligible for financial aid.
Students who have a conferred bachelor’s degree and wish to enroll only for undergraduate work may apply as “special students with full credentials.” An admissions application and an official transcript indicating receipt of the degree must be submitted for review. Students in this classification must meet the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater program grade point average requirement and are considered to have fulfilled Proficiency, General Education, Core, and U.S Racial/Ethnic Diversity requirements. Transfer unit evaluations and Academic Advising Reports (AARs) are not available for these special students. Formal academic advising is not required. Special students can visit here to learn more.
If you have not attended another college or university since leaving UW-Whitewater, and you left UW-Whitewater in good academic standing, or on probation, follow the steps below for applying to the university as a reentry student.
If you attended another college or university after leaving, in good academic standing or on probation, UW-Whitewater regards you as a transfer student in terms of your application for admission. Follow the below steps for applying to the university as a transfer student.
If you left UW-Whitewater in academically dismissed standing, you may seek re-admittance. Click here to see further reentry detail.
Adult and returning students follow the same basic admission process as other students. Students may seek additional resources here
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is approved by the State Approval Agency. Veterans may receive a minimum of four (4) elective units if they received an honorable discharge after six (6) months or more of service or if they were discharged into the National Guard or Reserves. The discharge certificate (DD214) can be submitted to the Admissions Office to obtain these units. Credit will be granted for military training and experience if the guide compiled by the American Council on Education so recommends. Students should consult the Admissions Office about this type of credit. Students submitting the Joint Services Transcript or Community College of the Air Force transcripts will be evaluated to receive additional elective or degree units.
UW-Whitewater will consider applications from international students who demonstrate appropriate academic preparation, English proficiency, and adequate financial resources to cover the expenses of attending UW-Whitewater. Scholarships are available for international, undergraduate, degree-seeking students.
Further information about the admissions process for international students can be found here.
Early College Credit Program (ECCP) provides an opportunity for qualified students in 9-12 grades at Wisconsin public and private high schools to enroll in courses offered at UW-Whitewater on a space-available basis. To qualify, students must have a 3.00 GPA OR rank in the top 40% OR have a 22 ACT score. Please visit here to learn more.
To apply, Early College Credit students must follow the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) guidelines and submit the following items to UW-Whitewater for each term in which the student wishes to enroll:
For more information on group tests, see the UW Center for Placement Testing.
For more information on individual tests, please contact the UW-Whitewater Testing Office.
The UW-Whitewater provides opportunities for students to receive advance academic credit and/or advanced standing on the basis of examination. Students who wish to obtain credit by examination should contact the Testing Office for information. Students may also visit here,which lists the examinations approved by the University. A maximum of 60 units by examination is allowed; this includes departmental and nationally administered examinations as well as other credit by examination transferred to UW-Whitewater from another institution.
A student with a score of 3 or better on a College Advanced Placement (AP) Examination or a score of 4 or better on a Higher Level (HL) International Baccalaureate (IB) Examination will receive credit for a specific course offered at UW-Whitewater if the appropriate department has approved the examination. General elective credit will be granted for AP or IB courses even if they do not have direct relationship to specific courses offered at UW-Whitewater, provided that the above minimum score or better is earned. Additionally, general miscellaneous (MISC 999) credit will be awarded to students who complete the full IB diploma program with a minimum score or 28.
UW-Whitewater also recognizes certain tests offered by the College Board through College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and by Prometric through DSST. For detailed information, visit here.
If a student is enrolled in a course and desires to take a test for credit, the test must be taken no later than one month after the beginning of classes. Students who have completed credit by examination elsewhere should have official test scores sent to the Testing Office.
Each department at the University is authorized to devise its own test for purposes of granting advance credit for any course offered by the department.
Students may be placed in advanced courses, without receiving advanced units, on the basis of standardized tests, high school performance, or departmental interviews.
Qualified students may attempt to earn retroactive units in foreign language (French, German and Spanish). The procedure in each case is outlined here.
Applicants who are adults and who have been bona fide residents of the State of Wisconsin for one full year prior to the beginning of the term of enrollment, or minor students whose parents have been bona fide residents of the state for 12 months prior to the beginning of the term of enrollment, are exempt from payment of non-resident tuition. Also, applicants who have been continuously employed full-time in this state and were relocated to Wisconsin by their current employer, or applicants who moved to Wisconsin for employment purposes and accepted current employment before applying for admission to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, may, along with their spouse and dependents, be exempt from the payment of nonresident fees, provided the person making the application demonstrates an intent to establish and maintain a permanent home in Wisconsin.
In addition, persons may become exempt from the non-resident tuition if they meet any of the following criteria:
Intent to become a bona fide resident may be demonstrated or disproved by factors including, but not limited to, timely filing of Wisconsin income tax returns, eligibility to vote in Wisconsin, motor vehicle registration in Wisconsin, possession of a Wisconsin operator’s license, employment in the state, and self-support.
However, applicants who enter and remain in this state principally to obtain an education are presumed to continue to reside outside this state, and such presumption continues in effect until rebutted by clear and convincing evidence of bona fide residence.
Visit here for more information.
Subject to yearly approval by Minnesota and Wisconsin state governments, this agreement allows Minnesota residents to pay a reciprocity tuition rate* to attend a Wisconsin university. Arrangements to participate in this program may be made by filing an application with:
Minnesota Higher Education Services Office
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
651-642-0567 or 1-800-657-3866
*Please note: online programs typically are not eligible for reduced tuition charges including Minnesota Reciprocity as online tuition rates are the same regardless of residency.