Engineering

Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VA (USA), Virginia Commonwealth University is ranked nationally by the Carnegie Foundation as a top research institution and enrolls nearly 30,000 students in more than 170 certificate, undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral programs in the arts and sciences. 29 graduate and professional programs have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the nation’s best. VCU has more than 1,300 international students from 112 countries studying on F-1 visas.

Richmond, the capital city of Virginia, is 90 minutes from Washington, DC. Richmond is home to multiple universities and seven Fortune 500 headquarters. The region is home to more than 210 international businesses, representing nearly 30 countries. Located in one of the top five states for business (Forbes Magazine), the Richmond region isannually rated highly for its cost of living, entertainment, access to the outdoors and for ease of creating a start-up business.

The College of Engineering attracts applications from more than 60 countries. Our international student population represents one of the largest segments of the more than 1,500 international students currently at VCU. The university has more than 27 student organizations associated with cultures around the world. Our international students’ non-academic needs are supported by our Global Education Office in the areas of transportation, housing, immigration and social programming.

All engineering students are eligible to participate in study abroad programs and dual-degree programs with partners abroad. In addition, students actively personalize their experiences and opportunities. For example, among the 27 engineering-based student organizations, the Engineering World Health organization led trips to Tanzania and Nicaragua to repair hospital equipment and train local staff. College of Engineering students recently completed Fulbright study abroad in Greece, a semester robotics program in Barcelona and competed at the European Innovation Academy in Turin, Italy.

In recent years, more than 600 engineering students have completed internships, more than 145 have completed Co-Ops, and more than 300 companies regularly hire VCU engineering students as interns. In addition, the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Initiative provides one-year fellowships for students to participate in undergraduate research alongside the college’s grad students, postdocs and faculty. Nearly 80% of all undergraduates are participating in research initiatives.

For an undergraduate degree, an international undergraduate student should be prepared to pay a total cost of $47,798, annually, prior to any financial award (if given).

A student preparing for a graduate degree can estimate costs using the VCU Cost Calculator. Please note, all international students entering an engineering master’s program automatically receive a distinct and highly competitive tuition structure by way of the Graduate Education Innovation Program.

Prospective international undergraduate students are eligible for merit-based scholarships. Scholarships are awarded to fall-semester applicants only and are academically competitive.

GPA and SAT scores are heavily weighted and both are compulsory for consideration. Other factors are also considered. In your application packet, please include any awards, honors, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, community service and employment in which you have participated.

Please note, all documents should be sent to International Admissions and arrive by Nov. 15 of the preceding calendar year for consideration.

Prospective international graduate students should be aware funding is not available at the master’s level. Funding consideration is only given to applicants pursuing a doctoral (Ph.D.) degree and applicants should know opportunities are highly competitive.

Undergraduate students should follow the deadlines for undergraduate admissions to the university. Awards will be announced within acceptance packages.

Students entering a master’s program should be aware scholarships are unavailable from the college and they are encouraged to explore external scholarship opportunities or seek employer assistance. All applicants to an engineering doctoral program are automatically considered for funding upon applying without needing to complete a separate application.

International undergraduate applicants do not need to submit an SAT/ACT score unless they are applying for a Mechanical Engineering degree or want to be considered for a merit scholarship.

For international graduate applications, the GRE is not required at the master’s level and only required for select doctoral programs.

International applicants must also demonstrate proof of English language proficiency by submitting a TOEFL/IELTS score of at least 80IBT/6.5. Additional testing information, like for Duolingo, is available on the international admissions webpage.

International applications are considered on a rolling basis with a preferred deadline of June 1, for fall, and Nov. 15, for spring. As noted earlier, for consideration of funding, applicants are encouraged to submit completed applications as soon as possible.

International applicants will receive their I-20 documents within two weeks of an acceptance. This process is expedited if the applicant submits a financial guarantee along with their application materials.