We are going through graduation applications and it seems that many students are not understanding that the last 60 credits you take for your UW degree need to be here at UW (this does not include official UW study abroad).
There is an exception for up to 15 credits taken via distance learning, community college transfer, etc, but beyond that is generally not allowed. If you are taking a course at a local community college in your last two years after matriculating at UW, you need to be aware of this restriction and check with advising before assuming it is okay. You also need to be really careful with distance learning courses. Here is a link to the UW page with the official explanation of Residence Credit.
https://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/academic-planning/terms-and-policies/
Residence Credits
To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, a student must complete at least 45 credits in residence at the UW. Residence credits are UW credits earned through the campus granting the degree.
In addition, 45 of the last 60 credits must be taken in residence; this is referred to as the final-year residence requirement. The idea is that in order to earn a UW degree, the majority of your final courses — which are usually upper division courses in your major — should be taken through the UW. These courses may be part of a study abroad program as long as the courses are offered as part of a UW program. Exceptions to the final-year residence rule may be made by each individual college.
Residence credit includes:
- Day and evening courses from the quarterly time schedule at the student’s home UW campus, including fieldwork and individual-study courses that don’t require that the student be on campus, but not including C-prefix or DL-prefix online learning courses
- Evening Degree Program courses
- Credit courses offered by UW Professional and Continuing Education taken by students in good academic standing, except C-prefix and DL-prefix online learning courses
- Foreign study credit earned through UW-sponsored International Programs and Exchanges that are recorded on the transcript as UW credit
Residence credit does not include:
- Transfer courses
- UW online learning courses, including both UW C-prefix and DL-prefix courses
- Any UW courses taken by students on drop status
- UW-Bothell or UW-Tacoma credits, for students matriculated at the Seattle campus, and vice-versa. Only credits earned at the campus granting the degree are considered residence credits.
- AP and International Baccalaureate credit
- Advanced placement credit
- Credit by examination
- College in the High School, including courses sponsored by UW Professional and Continuing Education
- Armed Forces Training School credit
- Foreign study credit that appears on the student’s transcript as transfer credit