College Preparatory Course Requirements
All UW System institutions require a minimum of 17 college preparatory credits from course work completed in high school. College credits should include:
4 English credits:
-many campuses require at least 3 credits in composition and literature.
3 Mathematics credits:
-Geometry, Algebra 2 and other more advanced math courses are required at most institutions. Some schools may not count “Transition Math” or Statistics as a math credit.
3 Natural Sciences:
-Courses accepted include: biology, chemistry, physics and other laboratory courses. Astronomy, earth science, and physical science are also accepted.
3 Social Sciences:
-History, culture, political science, economics, sociology, and psychology are all common courses.
4 Elective credits:
-Electives may be chosen from English, mathematics, natural science or social science, foreign language, fine arts, computer science and other academic areas. Some campuses may accept technical and career courses for these elective requirements.
*A minimum of 2 credits in a single foreign language is not required for entrance into any UW University. UW Madison and UW Platteville require 2 years of a single foreign language to graduate from their institution. Other UW system schools may require a foreign language for specific programs of study on their campus.