Freshman Interest Groups

Find your own UW community

It's no secret that the University of Washington is a big place — it's a city within a city with thousands of classes to choose from and countless opportunities for advancement and enrichment. But how will you meet people? Which classes should you take? How will you tap into all that awaits?

For more than fifteen years, the UW's Freshman Interest Group (FIG) program has given freshmen a way of registering for their autumn quarter classes that makes the university just a bit smaller and more welcoming.

How do FIGs work?

A FIG is a pre-packaged cluster of high-demand freshman courses. Approximately 70% of all entering freshmen will register for a FIG. They offer several advantages:

They simplify the registration process. You can register for most or all of your courses at once, all of which are guaranteed to fulfill general education requirements. Take classes with the same 20–25 students, so even lecture classes will seem small. Meet students with similar interests — after all, you chose to register for the same courses! GEN ST 199: The University Community is included in every FIG. It's a two-credit course designed to assist you in your transition into the UW.

To get started, choose the right FIG for you on our FIG Search page.