https://www.gwu.edu/

Student has the option of transferring to the following program.

Short description about the program:

The Preferred International Partnership program is designed to allow international graduate students from Vellore Institute of Technology the ability to receive a graduate degree from the George Washington University, School of Engineering & Applied Science, at a discounted cost while still being eligible to participate in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and/or Optional Practical Training (OPT). Students would start their graduate studies at VIT by taking 2 to 3 pre-approved graduate level courses for a total of six or nine credit hours depending on the specific degree program they are enrolled in. So long as the student has received the equivalent grade of “B” or higher, they will have the ability to transfer courses from VIT into the MS program at GW.

Benefits of this model:

Students participating in the program will benefit from course structure that will ensure students will be physically in the United States for 3 semesters. This will allow all participants to qualify for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) after their first full academic year in the US (2 full semesters, not including summer) which grants F-1 visa seeking students the ability to work off-campus. After graduating from the program, students will also qualify for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and will be eligible to remain in the US for twelve months. Additionally, all GW Engineering programs qualify for STEM-OPT which will allow students the ability to remain in the US on OPT for an additional 24 months (totaling 36 months or 3 years) post-graduation while remaining on their F-1 student visa. This program model also ensure that students will pay a reduced tuition rate outlined in the fee structure below.

Short intro about the program:

GW Engineering and VIT are partnering to offer the preferred international partnership program for students interested in pursuing an Master of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering at GW. More programs are to come so please stay tuned for additional MS programs that will be added to this partnership!

Master of Science in Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE):

The CEE program at GW is a total of 33 credit hours for those students who do not pursue a thesis or 30 credit hours for those students who do pursue a thesis during their final semester of the program. Students who participate in this program and decide to not pursue a thesis will have to complete a total of 33 credit hours and may transfer up to three courses from VIT for a total of nine credit hours into the CEE program at GW. Students who participate in the program and decide to pursue a thesis during their studies at GW will need to complete a total of 30 credit hours and can transfer up to two courses from VIT for a total of six credit hours into the CEE program at GW.

VIT & GW Course equivalencies:

The following courses at VIT have been deemed equivalent to the following graduate courses at GW and will be eligible for students to transfer from VIT to GW so long as the student has received the equivalent to at least a “B” grade.

VIT Course: MSTE501L: Theory of Elasticity and Plasticity
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6207: Theory of Elasticity I

VIT Course: MSTE503L: Structural Dynamics
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6340: Structural Dynamics

VIT Course: MSTE505L: Finite Element Analysis
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6210: Introduction to Finite Element Analysis

VIT Course: MSTE601L: Matrix Methods of Structural Analysis
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6202: Methods of Structural Analysis

VIT Course: MSTM503L: Construction Planning and Scheduling
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6115: Project Planning and Scheduling

VIT Course: MSTM505L: Contract and Administration Planning
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6110: Contracts and Specifications in Construction Engineering

VIT Course: MSTM605L: Green Building and Energy Management
GW Course Equivalent: CE 6116: Green Building Design and Construction

Admissions Requirements:

Applicants must submit their GW Engineering application by the deadlines listed below. The $80 application fee will be waived for all applicants to the Preferred International Partnership Program. Along with the online application, students must submit:

• A 250–500 word Statement of Purpose
• 1 letter of recommendation from a VIT faculty member, or 2 letters of recommendation from other individuals (professional and/or academic).
• GPA Requirement: Applicants will be required to have an equivalent US GPA of 3.0 or higher to be considered for admission into the program. Students how have completed their bachelor’s degree at VIT will be required to have a VIT GPA of 7.0 or higher.
• English language requirements: Applicants from VIT are expecte to submit mimimum TOEFL scores of 100 (internet-based test) or 600 (paper-based test), an overall band score of 7.0 on the academic IELTS with no individual band score below 6.0 or Duolingo English Test score of at least 125.

Fee structure:

Students participating in the program are responsible for paying VIT directly for all tuition and fees associated with enrolling in VIT courses during their first semester. Students participating in the Program are responsible for paying GW directly for all tuition and fees associated with enrolling in GW courses. Students are also responsible for all other charges or costs, including, without limitation, any special activity fees, athletic event ticket fees, and course-assigned book or materials purchases, as well as all personal expenses including, but not limited to, health insurance, visas, housing, food, and travel.

The GW tuition rate will vary depending on the approved GW credit hour rate at the time of on-campus enrollment at GW Engineering. Students will be charged per credit hour per semester and are required to be enrolled full time (for a total of 9 credit hours) as international F-1 visa seeking students. All students admitted to the program will receive the SEAS Merit Award which will lower the tuition rate by 25%. The credit hour rate for GW Engineering for the academic year 2023-2024 is $2,075.00.

Deadlines:

Fall semester start—students interested in beginning their studies at VIT during the Fall semester and joining GW the following spring semester, must submit their complete GW Engineering application with all application materials no later than April 15th.

Spring semester start— students interested in beginning their studies at VIT during the Fall semester and joining GW the following spring semester, must submit their complete GW Engineering application with all application materials no later than September 1st.

Social media handles:

Facebook: GWEngineer

Twitter: gwengineering

Contact details:

Students should contact the GW Engineering Office of Graduate Admissions & Students Services at engineering@gwu.edu and VIT International Office at ir3@vit.ac.in with any questions.