The School of Engineering and Applied Science was organized in 1884 as the Corcoran Scientific School of Columbian University. It was named in honor of William W. Corcoran, president of the University's Board of Trustees from 1869 to 1888. The school was among the first to accept women for degree candidacy in engineering. The organization and offerings of the school have evolved over the years, but throughout most of its history the program has been characterized by its emphasis on the principles guiding the advancement of technology.

Through its five departments—Civil and Environmental Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Engineering Management and Systems Engineering; and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering—the School of Engineering and Applied Science offers graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Science and to the professional degrees of Engineer and Applied Scientist. Programs are individually planned according to the student's preparation and needs. The School also offers many graduate-level certificate programs through its departments.

Research centers and institutes offer opportunities for student and faculty research, strengthening ties with counterparts in government and industry, and contributing to the development and harnessing of emerging technology. These include Aviation, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Graphics, Intelligent Systems Research, Networks Research, Space and Advanced Communications Research, National Crash Analysis, Cyber Security Policy and Research, MEMS and VLSI Technologies, Magnetics Research, Materials Science, High-Speed Telecommunications, Knowledge and Innovation Management, and Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management.

Degree Programs

The following list shows the eight fields of graduate study and representative areas of focus. Degree requirements are presented in subsequent pages. Within some fields, students may choose to focus their course work in other specialties as well. For information on professional and doctoral degrees in a given field, contact the department administering the field.

Computer Science—algorithms and theory; bioinformatics; biomedical computing; computer architecture and networks; computer security and information assurance; database and information systems; machine intelligence and cognitive science; multimedia, animation, graphics, and user interface; parallel and distributed processing; software engineering and operating systems

Admission Requirements

Transfer of Credit

With the approval of the student's advisor and department chair, graduate credit may be transferred, when applicable, to meet degree requirements of the School. For a master's or professional degree candidate, or a doctoral candidate whose highest earned degree is a master's, up to 6 credit hours may be transferred. For a doctoral candidate whose highest earned degree is a bachelor's degree, up to 24 credit hours may be transferred from another doctoral program. The credit must have been completed with grades of A or B at another accredited and recognized institution, at a level of study equivalent to that being pursued at GW. The professional and doctoral degree programs require that the credit be earned no more than five years prior to admission to the GW program, and some departments require that it be earned more recently. Credit applied toward a previous degree may not be transferred. Transfer of credit regulations apply to courses taken as a nondegree student through GW's Office of University Students; that is, up to 6 credit hours may be taken in nondegree status before applying for admission to degree status. For purposes of transfer of credit, SEAS graduate certificate programs are not considered prior degrees; at the discretion of the department concerned, the credit hours earned in a SEAS certificate program may be applied to a subsequent master's degree program.

English Language Requirements for Admission of International Students

Applicants from countries where English is not an official language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The University looks for a minimum score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 80 (Internet-based) on the TOEFL, or an overall band score of 6.0 on the academic IELTS with no individual band score below 5.0, in considering candidates for admission. Those admitted as degree candidates must take the GW English for Academic Purposes Placement Test. Only those students who score 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or 100 (Internet-based) or higher on the TOEFL, or an overall band score of 7.0 on the academic IELTS with no individual band score below 6.0, will be exempted from this requirement.

Depending on the test results, the student may be restricted in the number and type of courses that can be taken. Students assigned English for Academic Purposes courses should anticipate additional related tuition expenses as well as possible extended periods of time required to complete their degree programs.

Departments may set higher standards and should be consulted.

SEAS Regulations

Grades

At the option of the instructor, the grade of I (Incomplete) may be recorded if a student, for reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to complete the work of the course and if the instructor is informed of and approves such reasons before the date when grades must be reported. The grade may be used only if the student's prior performance and class attendance in the course have been satisfactory. Any failure to complete the work of a course that is not satisfactorily explained to the instructor before the date when grades must be turned in will be graded F. If acceptable reasons are later presented, the instructor may initiate an appropriate grade change. Although the grade of I may remain on the records for a maximum of one year, the instructor should normally set a much briefer period within which the uncompleted work must be made up. The grade of I cannot be removed by the student's reregistering for the course here or taking its equivalent elsewhere. An incomplete that is not removed within one calendar year or at the time of graduation of the student, whichever occurs first, is automatically changed to an IF. When the I is changed to a letter grade, the grade of I followed by the letter grade (e.g., IB) will appear on the student's record.

Program of Study

In consultation with the academic advisor, each student develops a program of study and enters it on a form that governs the student's degree requirements and that must be approved by the advisor and department chair. The form should be established soon after matriculation and must be completed before the student is certified for graduation.

Residence and Continuous Enrollment

All work for the degree must be done in residence unless an exception is granted by the department chair. A student in a degree program is expected to be continuously enrolled in the School until the degree is conferred. A student who breaks his or her registration must apply for readmission to the degree program under whatever conditions and regulations are in force at that time. To maintain continuous enrollment, a student may register in one of the following categories.

Master of Science Degree Program

Entrance Requirements

Admission to the Master of Science degree program requires an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized institution and evidence of capacity for productive work in the field selected, such as may be indicated by undergraduate grades, GRE scores, and similar data. Although GRE scores are not generally required for admission to SEAS, applicants are encouraged to take the examination. In general, a grade average of B (3.0 on a scale of 4.0) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work is required. Department-specific requirements are indicated below.

Scholarship Requirements

Courses specified in a student's program of study must be completed with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 for award of a master's degree. All graduate courses and undergraduate courses taken for graduate credit after becoming a degree candidate will count in the grade-point average. A student who receives two grades of F or three grades below B[minus] is barred from further enrollment in graduate courses and, ordinarily, will not be readmitted as a degree candidate. A student may not repeat for credit a course in which he or she has received a grade of C[minus] or above, unless required to do so by the department chair. A written statement requiring the student to repeat such a course for credit must be submitted to the registrar by the department chair.

Time Limits

A full-time student in the master's program is allowed a maximum of three calendar years (excluding any time spent taking only English as a Foreign Language courses) to complete all degree requirements, from the date of first registration as a degree candidate in prerequisite or graduate courses. A part-time student in the master's program is allowed a maximum of five calendar years. The time limit does not include any period of registration as an unclassified student before admission to degree candidate status or any period spent on approved leave of absence. Students who do not complete degree requirements within the allowed time will have their degree candidate status terminated. They may be readmitted to degree candidate status under conditions specified by the department chair and approved by the dean.

Master's Thesis

The master's thesis must demonstrate the student's ability to make independent use of the knowledge and discipline of thought acquired through graduate study, to undertake constructive work in a given field, and to communicate the results of the work in writing. Suitable work for which the student has professional responsibility may be considered, whether done on or off campus, provided no significant amount of work is completed without facultysupervision.

To register for the thesis course sequence (299–300), the candidate must submit the thesis area to the appropriate department chair, on the form obtained from the department office and approved by the faculty advisor. At the beginning of the semester of expected graduation, the candidate must submit the thesis title to the dean, on the form available in the department office. While registered in the thesis course sequence, the student is entitled to the advice of the faculty member under whom the thesis is to be written. Students may consult with their advisors, but they have primary responsibility for the thesis. Students orally defend their thesis before a committee of School faculty.

The thesis in final form must be submitted to the department chair by the stated deadline. In the event a thesis is unfinished on the date specified, the student must register for continuing research. The overall time limit for earning the degree (see Time Limits, above) may not be exceeded.

Copies of detailed regulations regarding the form and reproduction of the thesis are available in the department office. Accepted theses, with accompanying drawings, become the property of the University and are deposited in the Gelman Library, where bound copies are made available for circulation.

Fields of Study

Graduate programs in the School of Engineering and Applied Science are available in eight fields of study, indicated under the offering department, below. Each field in turn encompasses several areas of focus. The course of study responds to the unique interests of the student, who designs an individual program in close consultation with the assigned advisor. In most areas, students follow a prescribed core and elect approved courses from within the School of Engineering and Applied Science and from other schools of the University. Because engineering expertise includes a broad foundation in technology, engineering study may profitably be combined with study in other areas to sharpen the engineer's focus in practice. Students must have satisfied, through undergraduate studies, the prerequisites specified, or approved equivalents.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering administers the field of civil and environmental engineering. In addition to the entrance requirements stated above, the applicant is expected to have an undergraduate degree in engineering, the physical sciences, or applied mathematics. Minimum requirements for the degree are 33 credits of course work or 24 credits of course work and 6 credits of thesis.

Representative Areas of Focus Leading to the Master of Science

Department of Computer Science

The Department of Computer Science administers the field of computer science. In addition to the entrance requirements stated above, students are expected to be adequately prepared in the basic physical sciences and in mathematics (one year each of university laboratory science and of math beyond precalculus), and have taken a course in computer programming using a structured language and CSci 123, 133, and 135 or their equivalents.

The program of study must have a minimum of 30 credit hours, of which at least 24 credits must be at the 200 level or above. CSci 210, 211, 212 are required. The following undergraduate courses may be taken for graduate credit if they are included in the student's approved program of study: CSci 144, 166, 168, 173, 174, 175, 185, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 193, and 194. Normally, no more than two courses may be taken outside of those offered by the department.

Representative Areas of Focus Leading to the Master of Science

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering administers the fields of computer engineering, electrical engineering, and telecommunications and computers. In addition to the entrance requirements for the degree listed above, students are required to have a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science and be adequately prepared in the basic physical sciences and in mathematics. Students with a bachelor's degree in another field and a basic knowledge of (a) mathematics and (b) electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science may be admitted, with a set of deficiency courses to be determined by the student's advisor.

The student is required to take three of the following eight courses: ECE 201, 203, 210, 211, 219, 225, 248, and 280. The student chooses additional courses (five courses in the thesis option, or seven courses in the non-thesis option) based on individual interests, subject to the approval of the student's faculty advisor.

A maximum of three ECE courses at the 100 level may be counted toward the requirements for the degree, provided that an indication of ?May be taken for graduate credit" is in the course description. Every ECE graduate degree student must register for the 0-credit colloquium course ECE 390. Students satisfy the requirements for this course by attending five colloquium seminars, workshops, or symposia sponsored by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering

A grade of C or better in Math 32 or its equivalent is prerequisite to all graduate programs offered by the Department. The Department requires that the applicant have a suitable bachelor's degree in an area such as engineering, a physical science, or mathematics from a recognized university with a B or better average for the last two years of undergraduate study. Applicants with different academic backgrounds may be considered for admission; additional course work or other requirements may be a condition of admission in such cases.

Engineering Management—Representative areas of focus leading to the Master of Science degree include crisis, emergency, and risk management; economics, finance, and cost engineering; engineering and technology management; environmental and energy management; knowledge and information management.

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering administers the field of mechanical and aerospace engineering. In addition to the entrance requirements stated above, the applicant is expected to have a background that includes an undergraduate degree in engineering, the physical sciences, or applied mathematics. The minimum program consists of 33 credit hours of course work or 24 credit hours of course work plus a master's thesis (6 credits). Some areas of mechanical and aerospace engineering leading to the Master of Science are offered at the NASA–Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. NASA–Langley's extensive scientific and engineering facilities are used whenever possible.

Representative Areas of Focus Leading to the Master of Science

Professional Degree Program

The School of Engineering and Applied Science has established the professional degree program for those students who wish to pursue course work beyond the master's degree with emphasis on applied subject material rather than on basic research. Successful completion of the professional degree program leads to the degree of Engineer or of Applied Scientist.

Admission to study toward the professional degree requires an appropriate master's degree from a recognized institution and evidence of capacity for productive work in the field selected as indicated by prior scholarship and, where appropriate, professional experience. The Departments of Computer Science and of Electrical and Computer Engineering require applicants for the professional degree to have had two years of professional experience after receiving the master's degree.

To study toward the degree of Applied Scientist, an applicant must possess a master's degree in engineering, computer science, natural science, or mathematics. Applicants who have an equivalent quantitative background may be considered as special cases by the respective departments.

Normally, a B average in graduate work is required, although the departments often set higher admission standards. Some programs have specified prerequisites. An applicant who has significant deficiencies in preparation may be required to take prescribed prerequisite courses, which do not count toward any part of the requirements for the professional degree.

Each department may require its degree candidates to undertake and defend the results of a technical design project or a development problem or to prepare a comprehensive technical report to demonstrate the candidate's ability to make independent use of the knowledge and discipline of thought acquired through graduate study. When applicable, the student will be informed of this requirement by the faculty advisor at the time the student's program is being formulated. The project may not be more than 6 credit hours out of the minimum 30.

Scholarship Requirements—If a student studying for the professional degree receives two grades of F or three grades below B[minus], study is terminated and further enrollment prohibited. A student must have a final grade-point average of 3.0 to receive the degree. The Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering requires a final grade-point average of at least 3.4.

Time Limits—A full-time student in the professional degree program is allowed a maximum of three calendar years to complete all degree requirements, from the date of first registration as a degree candidate in prerequisite or graduate courses. A part-time student in this program is allowed a maximum of five calendar years. The time limit does not include any period of registration as an unclassified student before admission to degree candidate status or any period spent on approved leave of absence. Students who do not complete degree requirements within the allowed time will have their degree candidate status terminated. They may be readmitted to degree candidate status under conditions specified by the department chair.

Relationship with the Doctoral Program—Candidates for the Doctor of Science degree or professional degree who are in good academic standing may, with the approval of the faculty advisor and department chair, transfer from one degree program to the other within their department if they meet the qualifications and requirements specified by the department. In the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, only one such transfer is permitted.

Doctor of Science Degree Program

The doctoral program is designed to prepare the student for a career of creative scholarship by providing a broad but balanced background of knowledge and guidance in the performance of research. The program is divided into two stages. The first comprises a study of related fields of learning that support the general area of research concentration and culminates in the qualifying examination. The second, composed of original research and the presentation of findings in a written dissertation, culminates in the final examination.

Entrance Requirements

Admission to the Doctor of Science degree program requires an appropriate earned baccalaureate or master's degree from a recognized institution, completed course work designated by the department as pertinent to the field to be studied, an acceptable professional background, and a capacity for creative scholarship. All applicants must submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination general test and provide two letters of recommendation. Students whose highest earned degree is a baccalaureate must present a grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a scale of 4.0 in undergraduate work. For students whose highest earned degree is a master's degree, departmental requirements for the grade-point average in course work leading to that degree are as follows (on a scale of 4.0): Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 3.4; Computer Science, and Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, 3.5. Consult the department concerned for field-specific admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Upon admission to the first stage of the program (that is, study of related fields culminating in the qualifying examination), the student is assigned a faculty advisor who directs his or her studies. In some departments a faculty committee may be appointed instead of a single advisor. Programs of study are structured to include a major field and two minor or supporting fields. Check with the department concerned for requirements.

A minimum of 30 credit hours in a formal program at the graduate level beyond master's study or, for students without master's degrees, a minimum of 54 credit hours in a formal program at the graduate level beyond the baccalaureate, is required. In many cases, particularly when the student undertakes a doctoral program in a field other than that in which the earlier degree was obtained, the program of study exceeds the minimum number of credit hours. Consult the department concerned for specific curriculum requirements. In addition, all doctoral students take a minimum of 24 hours of dissertation research.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires a preliminary examination that must be taken before completing 18 credits after initial registration. The examination is guided by but not limited to the core material of the master's program. Specific details regarding the structure of the exam are available in the department.

To be admitted to the qualifying examination, the student must have an overall grade-point average of 3.2. The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering require a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.4.

If a doctoral student receives two grades of F or three grades below B[minus], graduate study is terminated and further enrollment prohibited. Courses in which the student earns grades below B[minus] are not included in the total credit-hour requirement for the degree. Students who receive any grade below B[minus] are required to review their programs of study with their advisors.

The Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is the principal means of determining whether a student will qualify as a candidate for the doctoral degree and progress to the second stage of the program. Its purpose is to ascertain that the student's background and intellectual development are adequate to support doctoral research in the central field. (Some departments may administer a prequalifying examination prior to completion of the study program.)

Qualifying examinations may be written or oral, or both, and are scheduled over a period of several days. They are conducted on dates established by the departments and are administered by a faculty committee. Upon favorable report of the examiners to the dean through the department chair, the student is admitted to candidacy for the degree; the student then begins specialized study and research under the supervision of a designated member of the faculty or, in special instances, an outstanding engineer or scientist who is not a member of the faculty.

Dissertation and Final Examination

The student admitted to candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Science chooses the faculty member under whom he or she wishes to conduct research; the faculty member may accept or reject the request to serve as the student's director of research. The research area is approved by the director, and throughout the remainder of the doctoral program the candidate conducts dissertation research under the director.

However, the student may consult other members of the faculty on an informal basis. In the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, students are required to present a written dissertation proposal to a committee of three full-time faculty members and to successfully defend the proposal in an oral defense subsequent to performing the bulk of their dissertation research. Work on the dissertation encompasses a minimum of 24 credit hours.

The dissertation should embody the results of an extended original study and include material deemed worthy of publication in recognized scientific and engineering journals. The student is expected to attempt to have the results of the research published as soon as possible after he or she receives the degree and to submit copies of the published material to the dean. The Departments of Computer Science and of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering require submission of a conference paper or an article to a refereed journal prior to completion of degree requirements. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering requires the submission of a paper to a refereed journal and its acceptance for publication prior to the completion of degree requirements. Credit must be given in the publication to the fact that the material is abstracted, summarized, or developed from a dissertation submitted to The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Science degree.

The candidate must submit to the department five complete copies of the dissertation and an abstract. Detailed regulations regarding the form of the dissertation and preparation of the abstract are available in department offices. Accepted dissertations are submitted electronically, with a processing fee paid directly to Proquest/UMI. The dissertation, with accompanying drawings, becomes the property of the University.

The Final Examination—Upon acceptance of the dissertation by the research committee, the candidate is presented for the final examination. The final examination is oral and is open to the public. The candidate must demonstrate a mastery of the special field of study and of the materials and techniques used in the research. The committee of examiners may include qualified experts brought to the University especially to participate in the examination. The director of research usually serves as advocate for the candidate. Students should consult department regulations concerning the formation of the committee. When the examining committee is convinced of the quality and originality of the candidate's contribution to knowledge as well as his or her mastery of the scholarship and research techniques of the field, the committee recommends the candidate for the degree of Doctor of Science. The candidate should consult the department chair about scheduling the examination.

Enrollment Requirements

Full-time doctoral students must register for a minimum of 9 credits per semester until 24 credits of Dissertation Research have been completed, and 1 credit of Continuing Research each semester thereafter until satisfactory completion of the final examination. Part-time doctoral students must normally register for a minimum of 6 credits per semester until 24 credits of Dissertation Research have been completed and 1 credit of Continuing Research each semester thereafter until satisfactory completion of the final examination. No minimum load is required during the summer sessions.

Time Limits

In general, one year of study is the minimum amount of time to be spent in preparation for the qualifying examination, although the student may apply for the examination whenever he or she feels properly prepared. The qualifying examination must be completed within five years of the date of admission, and the entire degree program must usually be completed within seven years. A minimum of two years of full-time study and research should be expected in meeting the requirements for the degree. The time period for completion of the degree will be adjusted for an approved leave of absence. All time periods listed above are increased by two years for a student entering the doctoral program without a master's degree.

Graduate Certificate Programs

The School of Engineering and Applied Science offers graduate certificate programs in several fields. At the discretion of the respective departments, credit earned in the certificate program can be applied to a subsequent master's degree program. Details are available in the Office of the Dean. Certificate programs include the following:

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SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE

Degree Programs

Admission Requirements

Transfer of Credit

English Language Requirements for Admission of International Students

SEAS Regulations

Grades

Program of Study

Residence and Continuous Enrollment

Master of Science Degree Program

Entrance Requirements

Scholarship Requirements

Time Limits

Master's Thesis

Fields of Study

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Representative Areas of Focus Leading to the Master of Science

Department of Computer Science

Representative Areas of Focus Leading to the Master of Science

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Representative Areas of Focus Leading to the Master of Science