Engineering

If you are planning to transfer, your transfer credits will be evaluated during the application process. Transfer credit will only be accepted from colleges that are accredited by one of the seven regional accreditation bodies in the U.S., or on a case-by-case basis for institutions outside the U.S. It may be necessary for students to provide course descriptions to gain transfer credit. It is possible for students to “challenge” courses with permission of the faculty and must be done within university guidelines. Results from CLEP, AP or IB exams must be submitted for credit to be considered.

If you are entering as a freshman and have AP, IB or dual enrollment credits with appropriate grades, those credits will be applied toward your degree requirements within the College of Engineering. An examination report or official college transcript is required before the credit is transferred. We strongly encourage you to take the final examinations in AP or IB courses because credit cannot be granted without an examination result. View specific AP and IB equivalencies now.

Students who transfer from a college in the Virginia Community Colleges System or Richard Bland College should be aware that transfer course equivalencies have been determined through an agreement between VCU and VCCS. Students are encouraged to contact the College of Engineering about transfer equivalencies of specific courses toward requirements in the engineering and computer science curricula. View the transfer guide now.

Students who have an associates degree have met VCU’s core requirements. Depending on your community college credits, you may still have VCU Engineering core course requirements to complete. See how your prior college credits transfer or contact the VCU Transfer Center.

While you may come in at a sophomore or sunior level from the number of credits, it may take you more than 2 academic years to finish your degree. The amount of time it takes to finish your degree will depend on how “degree applicable” your community college courses are to your College of Engineering major requirements.

All transfer credit is evaluated on an individual basis. VCU has evaluated many courses, which you may look up. You may also contact the VCU transfer office for an unofficial evaluation of prior credit. The amount of time it takes to finish your degree will depend on how closely related your prior coursework is to the major you choose.

If you are changing careers with a prior degree, your pathway will be similar to that of a transfer student who finished a degree at a community college (see above). If your prior education is closely related to engineering and computer science, it is more likely that your transfer credits are degree or certificate applicable. If you have credits without a full degree, your experience is closely related to a student who has started at a university or college without an associates (see above).

If you are changing careers without prior college or university credit, we encourage you to review the information above about mathematics and science requirements for your intended major.

Your pathway will look similar to "changing careers" (see above). Be sure to submit your military experience for a credit review.

• College course credits in math to Calculus 1 (equivalent to VCU MATH 200) or higher
• College credit for at least one laboratory science course (see lab science notes below)
• A GPA of 2.7 or higher on all college course work, with an emphasis on grades in math and science (see lab science notes below)

Ideally, transfer students will have lab science courses that count toward graduation requirements. Specific courses vary by major. Ideal VCU equivalents are:

• Biomedical Engineering
  • BIOL 151
  • CHEM 101 + CHEZ 101
  • PHYS 207
• Chemical and Life Science Engineering
  • CHEM 101 + CHEZ 101
  • BIOL 151
  • PHYS 207
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • CHEM 101 + CHEZ 101
  • PHYS 207
  • PHYS 208
• Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
  • CHEM 101 + CHEZ 101
  • PHYS 207
  • PHYS 208
• Computer Science
  Students in Computer Science choose a science pathway, choose from ONE of the bullet options below.
  • CHEM 101 + CHEZ 101
  • PHYS 207
  • BIO 151

Successful transfer applicants should be good students overall with a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or above, and math and science grades should be 3.0 or better.

When we review an application, we consider courses taken at all previous colleges and universities. More recent courses are the most important, but we take earlier grades into account. Because many transfer students have attended multiple institutions, or have not been continuously enrolled the evaluation process is highly individualized and the GPAs above can only be considered rough guidelines.

Applicants should display consistent performance in high school or college-level classes, which helps indicate ability to manage time and complete the course work required for success at VCU Engineering.

If you are enrolled in the Virginia Community College System or Richard Bland College, be sure to review the transfer maps VCU has created to help you prepare for your desired major. You can find these and other resources to help make sure you will graduate on time with minimal dept and loss of transfer credit.

Our collaborative, creative, entrepreneurial culture means transfer students quickly become part of the VCU Engineering family. If you have a passion for innovation and meet the criteria below, you may be a future Ram engineer.

Evaluating and Awarding Credit

Accepted students who have paid a tuition deposit receive official credit evaluations. Many students would like to see an unofficial credit evaluation. To do this, make an appointment with our transfer advising office at https://transfer.vcu.edu/contact/ and select Request Transfer Advising.

We only accept transfer credits from colleges that are accredited by one of the seven regional accreditation bodies in the U.S. Transfer credits from institutions outside the U.S. are evaluated, on a case-by-case basis.

It may be necessary for students to provide additional information to gain transfer credit. It is possible for students to “challenge” courses with permission of the faculty and must be done within university guidelines. Official results from CLEP, AP or IB exams must be submitted for credit to be awarded based on Learn more about additional sources of credit at http://bulletin.vcu.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-study/admission-university/additional-sources-of-credit/.

Equivalencies for courses completed through the Virginia Community College System and Richard Bland have been evaluated through a collaborative agreement between VCU and VCCS. Students are encouraged to contact the College of Engineering about transfer equivalencies of specific courses toward requirements in the engineering and computer science curricula.

Standardized Test Scores

Applicants with an associate’s degree or higher do not have to submit standardized test scores. Transfers under the age of 22 who have fewer than 30 college credits must submit a high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores. . Veterans who have military education credits should forward documentation so that possible transfer credits can be identified.