FAQ
About the College
In the fall of 2016, VCU College of Engineering official enrollment was 2,013 students (1,746 undergraduate, 247 M.S. and Ph.D., and 20 certificate).
We enrolled 308 in the fall of 2013, 367 in the fall of 2014, 382 in the fall of 2015 and 361 in the fall of 2016. We expect the size of the freshman class to slowly increase in the next couple of years.
The student body is quite diverse. The makeup resembles that of society in general, which is a strong point mentioned frequently by hiring managers and human resource professionals recruiting for engineers and computer scientists. In fall 2016, the undergraduate student body was 52 percent non-white and about 25 percent female.
The first classes offered at the VCU College of Engineering occurred in fall 1996. The founding class of 97 undergraduates graduated in May 2000.
Learn more about our history, including how the college was a direct response to the needs of a thriving, local business community.
Programs
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Life Science Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering; Master of Science in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering and Computer and Information Systems Security; Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering.
Learn more about our our programs or search the VCU Bulletin for our degree and certificate program offerings.
VCU supports a universitywide general education program for all of its majors, which includes the VCU Core Education Program. The College of Engineering enthusiastically supports this initiative and has approved general education electives in place for each major, which can be viewed on the individual program pages in the Undergraduate Bulletin.
Our graduates are in high demand in a wide range of post-baccalaureate activities, whether it be the workforce or further education. Alumni may pursue graduate degrees in engineering, computer science, dentistry, medicine, business and law. Those entering the workforce will find challenging, high-paying jobs in the fields of computer programming, network development, engineering design, manufacturing, technical sales and marketing, chip design and manufacturing, technical business development, and more.
Companies such as Infineon, Philip Morris USA, Dominion Virginia Power, Alstom Power, Motorola, Capital One, IBM, McDonnell Douglas, Medtronics, Northrop Grumman-Newport News, Dupont, Lockheed Martin and Honeywell actively recruit our graduates. Graduates also find challenging employment in a variety of state and federal organizations, including NASA, CIA, DEQ, Naval Surface Weapons Center, VDOT and others.
Admissions
All undergraduate applicants must complete an application package as requested. Be sure to request one of the engineering majors or computer science. Once reviewed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, your application will come to the College of Engineering for review and discussion by engineering staff and faculty.
Certainly. Apply as an international student on the VCU application. You should submit your application through the Global Education Office, which we will work with to review your preparatory course work for applicability and relevance to the college course work at the College of Engineering.
Apply via the standard university process (see the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for details). Be sure to apply as a transfer student and provide all transcripts, including grades and dates completed. For all courses required by your computer science or engineering major for which you expect transfer credit, provide a course description and syllabus for each course.
You might also want to view the Transfer Guide for course equivalencies or speak to someone in the Transfer Center to discuss evaluating credits you intend to transfer.
For general undergraduate admission to the College of Engineering, applicants should submit materials to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by Jan. 15. For scholarship consideration, all materials should be submitted by Dec. 1. Applicants should refer to the Graduate School for information about its deadlines.
VCU is a state-supported institution. Rates vary for resident and non-resident students. Refer to the Student Accounting website for the most current information.
Applicants to the College of Engineering are required to submit an essay. This essay doubles as the essay required for scholarship eligibility. Therefore, you are automatically eligible for university-sponsored merit scholarships upon acceptance into the university and the College of Engineering. No further application or effort is required for these merit-based scholarships. You must, however, follow the deadlines requested by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
A strong high school regimen of college preparatory courses is required for success in engineering and computer science at the college level. These classes would include advanced mathematics (trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus), physics, computer programming, chemistry and biology. Honors classes, advanced placement courses, dual enrollment or IB courses in English, government, science, history and engineering are viewed favorably.
Minimum high school GPAs of 3.3 are expected with 3.7 or higher preferred. SAT scores greater than 1150 are expected; scores greater than 1300 would be considered outstanding. The average SAT for incoming freshmen is approximately 1270 and is increasing yearly. For students taking the ACT, scores greater than 25 are expected; scores greater than 29 would be considered outstanding. The average ACT for incoming freshmen is approximately 28.
Students finishing in the top 10 to 20 percent of their high school class are reviewed favorably. Those graduating in the top 5 percent of class would be considered outstanding. Extracurricular activities, especially those centered on science, computers, engineering and technology, are viewed favorably. Typical clubs or activities of special interest include science clubs, FIRST Robotics competition, computer programming contests and the Virginia Academy of Science.
The College of Engineering computer hardware and software requirements for entering freshmen mirror those of the university. In addition to the Microsoft Office suite of programs, we make use of appropriately licensed software, which will be available to you as needed. More information can be found through the VCU Technology Services website.
Campus visits and contacts
VCU holds two Open Houses each fall and one in the spring. A Preview Day for all accepted students is held in April of each year. In addition, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions offers campus tours and information sessions Monday through Saturday except on holidays and holiday weekends. The College of Engineering offers information sessions on most weekdays; Engineering info sessions include an admissions presentation and tour of the engineering facilities.
Email ugrad@vcu.edu or call (800) 841-3638.
Email the engineering recruitment team at askengineering@vcu.edu or call (804) 828-2129.