| Admissions Deadlines: | Fall - January 15 |
| Spring - September 1 | |
| Summer * - March 1 (non-F1 visa seeking applicants) | |
| Standardized test scores: | The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all applicants. (Institution code 5246). |
| The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the PTE Academic is required of all applicants except those who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree from a college or university in the United States or from an institution located in a country in which English is the official language, provided English was the language of instruction. Minimum scores: | |
| - Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0; applicants requesting funding consideration must have an overall band score of 7.0 with no individual score below 6.0; or | |
| - TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 80 on Internet-based; applicants requesting funding consideration must have 600 on paper-based; or 100 on Internet-based; or | |
| - PTE Academic: 53; applicants requesting funding consideration must have 68. | |
| Recommendations required: | Three (3) recommendations required. If possible, one of these recommendations should be from your advisor at the institution from which you earned your highest degree. |
| Prior academic records: | Transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Unofficial transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be uploaded to your online application. Official transcripts are required only of applicants who are offered admission. |
| If academic records are in a language other than English, a copy in the original language and an English language translation must be uploaded. Transcript evaluations should not be uploaded. Applicants who have earned a degree from an Indian university are required to submit individual semester marksheets. | |
| Statement of purpose: | Please write a comprehensive essay of 400 to 600 words, indicating your primary and supporting fields of study, your specialized interests, and the general subject area of your planned dissertation or professional project. |
| Additional requirements: | Admission to the PhD program requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree, evidence of a strong academic or relevant professional background, course work designated by the department as pertinent to the field of study, and capacity for research. Applicants whose highest earned degree is a bachelor’s degree should have a grade-point average of at least 3.3 (on a 4.0 scale). Applicants whose highest earned degree is a master’s degree should have a grade-point average of at least 3.4. |
| All applicants must choose an area of focus that most closely matches their interests and note this on the online application. Applicants to the PhD program should identify one to three faculty members whose research interests most closely match their own and note this on the online application. All applicants must submit a resumé or CV. | |
| International applicants only: | Please follow this link - https://graduate.admissions.gwu.edu/international-student-application-requirements - to review the International Applicant Information carefully for details on required documents, earlier deadlines for applicants requiring an I-20 or DS-2019 from GW, and English language requirements. |
* A limited number of doctoral applicants are accepted for the summer. Please contact the admissions office for details.
For additional information about the admissions process visit the SEAS Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page.
Contact for questions:
202-994-1802 (phone)
202-994-1651 (fax)
Hours: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under School of Engineering, Doctoral Program Regulations.
Students with an MS degree must take a minimum of 30 credits, of which at least 18 must be from graduate courses, and at least 12 must be dissertation research credits. The courses to be taken by the student must be approved by the student’s advisor. Students with a BS degree must take a minimum of 54 credits, of which at least 42 must be graduate course credits, and at least 12 must be dissertation research credits. The courses to be taken by the student must be approved by the student’s advisor. In some cases, particularly when the student undertakes a doctoral program in a field other than that in which the earlier degree was earned, the program of study exceeds the minimum number of credits.
No specific courses are required; the student and advisor design the curriculum to meet the student's needs and goals.
Other requirements
- Qualifying examination—Administered twice a year, the examination covers subject matters at both the master's and doctoral levels. Students should prepare for comprehensive questioning on all subject matters regardless of any particular course included in the actual doctoral coursework load.
Student should contact the department for additional information and requirements
Visit the program website for additional information.