Future Students
"I feel there is a family atmosphere due to the small size of the individual programs. I know basically everyone in the senior class of electrical engineering, and this makes group work and projects in our classes more enjoyable and easier to complete with people you already know."
- Aaron Moody, electrical engineering
Whether you are exploring the fields of engineering and computer science for the first time, or planning to enhance your knowledge with graduate education, we thrive on the family atmosphere here at the VCU School of Engineering. We welcome you to explore this site and learn about the program requirements and admission standards. We also invite you to visit us in person for an informational meeting and a tour of our facilities, to see first-hand what makes VCU Engineering so unique.
Admissions Criteria
Students must be well prepared to be successful in our rigorous curriculum. Students who are successful in their applications for admission on both the freshman and transfer levels are good students overall with a very strong background in mathematics and the sciences. It is important that students display consistent performance in high school or college-level classes as that usually indicates the ability to manage time and the course work required for success.
Freshman Applicants
A strong college preparatory program in high school including:
- four units of English
- three units of college-prep mathematics, at least one full credit beyond Algebra II (credit in pre-calculus/calculus is desirable but not required)
- chemistry, physics, and biology
- three units of history or social sciences and government
- foreign language is not required
- SAT I using Mathematics and Critical Reading sub-scores (for a 1600 total maximum score) or the ACT Composite score
- The middle 50% of admitted freshman students for Fall 2011 with SAT scores fell between 1190 - 1350
- The middle 50% of admitted freshman students for Fall 2011 with ACT scores fell between 26 - 30
- The middle 50% of admitted students for Fall 2011 had a GPA between 3.58 and 4.22
Transfer Applicants
- Completed college courses in math to at least the pre-calculus level.
- Completed at least one college course in a laboratory science.
- GPA of 3.0 or higher on all college coursework, with an emphasis placed on grades in math and science.
- Transfer applicants with more than 30 college credits completed do not need to send standardized test scores.
Both Freshmen and Transfer Applicants
If you complete an essay or send a recommendation to the Office of Admissions we can obtain those items directly the Office of Admissions. Please do not send additional materials to the School of Engineering unless specifically requested. In some cases, students may be asked to provide a letter of reference from a specific teacher, or be asked to have a campus or phone interview with a VCU Engineering faculty member to clear up any questions we might have about your academic preparation.
