Incoming Students

Welcome to the School of Engineering and Applied Science! You are about to embark on an exciting journey that will prepare you for a career in engineering or computer science.

To prepare students to succeed academically and to support their transition to the School of Engineering and Applied Science, we have provided some orientation guidelines for first year students, internal transfer students (from another GW school or college), and external transfer students (from another academic institution).

The information varies based on how you were admitted to GW Engineering, but our goal is the same: to create a seamless transition for you.

Important Recommendations

There is a lot of important information below and we do not expect you to retain it all in one sitting. Please consider bookmarking this page for reference as you transition to GW.

First-Year Students

All prospective first-time, full-time students interested in attending The George Washington University and the School of Engineering and Applied Science must apply through the GW Undergraduate Admissions First-Year  process. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

General Guidelines

As part of the GW New Student Orientation program, all incoming GW Engineering students who are attending college for the first time and have been admitted to the School of Engineering and Applied Science must complete a variety of steps before arriving to campus.

Fall Start	Spring Start
Things to Do in May/June:	Things to Do in November/December
Create Your GW Identify (GWID, UserID, and Email) Check your GW email regularly Complete your online GW New Student Orientation Module - Ready, Rev, Go! Register and attend GW New Student Orientation (June/January) or First Year Group Advising and Registration Webinar (Fall Only) For Spring, schedule your New Student Advising Appointments (December/January) Complete your GW Engineering First-Year Academic Interest Survey (Fall Only) Complete your first attempt at the ALEKS Math Placement Test. Complete your first attempt at the ALEKS Chemistry Prep Course. Take a departmental foreign language placement if you wish to continue language study. Prepare draft schedules using Plan Ahead Submit all official AP/IB scores and/or transcripts for college credits to GW.
Things to Do in July:	Things to Do in January:
Attend GW New Student Orientation (June/January) or First Year Group Advising and Registration Webinar (Fall Only) For Spring, schedule your New Student Advising Appointments (December/January) Submit all official AP/IB scores and/or transcripts for college credits to GW. Continue working on your ALEKS Math Placement Test until you’ve earned your required score and before the registration deadline Continuing working on your ALEKS Chemistry Prep Course until you’ve earned your required score and before the registration deadline Report any unofficial AP/IB score and/or transfer credits received before registration that are not applied to your record by submitting them to our online first year submission box. Review your schedule when it is released and reach out to your advisor with any questions or concerns.

DOWNLOAD GW ENGINEERING FIRST YEAR CHECKLIST – FALL 2025

Summer First Year Registration

For first year students admitted for the Fall, the registration process is different. Students should visit the GW Engineering First Year Experience website for more details about the advising and registration process as well as our special pre orientation program.

VISIT THE GW ENGINEERING FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE WEBSITE

Common First Year Questions

Does my SEAS 1001 and major-specific orientation seminar (ASPC 1001, BME 1010, CSCI 1010, ECE 1010, EMSE 1001, or MAE 1001) conflict?

There is actually not a conflict. SEAS 1001 and your department orientation course are scheduled sequentially in the term. SEAS 1001 will meet for the first several weeks of the semester, then you will transition to your department orientation course for the remaining weeks of the term.

What should I do if I cannot decide on an engineering major?

In reference to your major selection, nothing is set in stone. As long as you communicate early and often with your advisors, we will work with you to find the major that’s right for you.

If you are unsure of what program you want to study, you have two options.

Option 1: If you are completely unsure of what to study, you should come in as an Engineering- Undecided major and take APSC 1001 as your department orientation course. APSC 1001 allows you to explore the different majors offered in GW Engineering so you can make a more informed decision.

Option 2: If you have an idea of what you want to study but are second-guessing yourself, you can always start with one major and determine over the course of the semester if your interest remains. If it changes, you can work with your Professional Advisor when registering for the spring to explore other engineering disciplines.

This advice will vary depending on the individual student and their major. If you have questions about your situation, the first step is to contact your advisor via [email protected].

SPECIAL: For GW Engineering first year students admitted for the fall, you can change your department orientation course up until the end of the first two weeks of classes as long as there are no course conflicts. You will have time throughout the summer to speak to your advisor, department faculty, and SEASSPAN mentor about your major choice.

What if I do not take or get into UW 1020 my first semester?

If you do not take UW 1020 in your first semester you can stay on track with your curriculum so long as you take the course in the following term. The University expects about half of its incoming students to take UW 1020 in the fall semester and half to take it in the spring semester. You can work with your advisor to plan the best semester to take the course if you do not take it in your first year.

Internal Transfer Students

Students are admitted to a home school at the time of their admission to the university. Those who wish to change their home school must submit a Request for Internal Transfer form to the University Registrar. A university-wide graduation requirement is that students must be registered in the college/school in which their primary major is housed. Some schools may require that certain prerequisite courses have been taken and that minimum grades have been earned before the transfer is processed.

General Guidelines

To remain on track, students should follow the curriculum for their chosen major, outlined in the University Bulletin, as closely as possible when selecting classes and meeting the transfer requirements. The outline of a student's first year below fits into a four-year plan for graduation. Students who do not take the courses listed below could extend their time to graduation. Also, since certain courses are restricted until the student is eligible to transfer to GW Engineering, it is important to plan ahead as well as allow for a longer timeline to graduation if your internal eligibility and/or decision is not made until later in your academic career.

First year students outside of GW Engineering, who are not sure of their intended major within GW Engineering, should follow the curriculum below as closely as possible in order to limit the number of courses that may need to be completed at a later time.

Fall Schedule		Spring Schedule
Course	Credits	Course	Credits
MATH 1231	3	MATH 1232	3
CHEM 1111	4	PHYS 1021	4
UW 1020	4	University General Education - Humanities	3
University General Education - Social Science***	3	University General Education - Social Science***	3
Exploratory Course for Parallel Major*	3	Exploratory Course for Parallel Major*	3
Total	15	Total	16

AP/IB Credit or Dual-enrollment credit
Students who have AP/IB Credit or Dual-enrollment credit for any of the above listed required courses, can continue following the non-GW Engineering course sequencing outlined in the bulletin for the specific major they are interested in pursuing.

Exploratory Course for Parallel Majors*
Exploratory Course for Parallel Majors refers to developing a plan which will give you alternate options while pursuing a transfer to GW Engineering. These courses may not apply to the GW Engineering degree requirements but would offer you additional pathways to graduation if the transfer is not approved.

PHYS 1011 or PHYS 1012**
Students interested in pursuing any of our BS degree options should not take PHYS 1011 or PHYS 1012 as they will not count towards your degree.

GW Engineering Non-Technical Elective Policy and Requirement***
Internal transfer students should review the GW Engineering Non-Technical Elective Policy and Requirements before registering for classes as the requirements vary by major. In general, choosing courses that fulfill the University General Education Requirement for Critical thinking in the humanities or Critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences first, will definitely give the student the greatest flexibility when transferring.

Major-Specific Transfers
Internal transfer students who plan to transfer at the end of their first year and know which major they plan to pursue, should have completed between 30-35 credits of coursework equivalent to the most updated curriculum for the major outlined in the GW Bulletin.

Meeting with GW Engineering Academic Advisor
Students interested in a transfer to GW Engineering should meet with a GW Engineering professional advisor during Open Advising Hours as well as their home school academic advisor to review their plans and parallel program options, as transferring may extend the time it takes to graduate.

Internal Transfer Orientation

As a current GW student, once you are approved for an internal transfer to the School of Engineering and Applied Science (GW Engineering), you will receive an email about the next steps from the GW Engineering Office of Undergraduate Studies and Student Success. The email will include important information pertaining to major selection, advisor assignment, and registering for your first semester as a GW Engineering student.

In addition, be sure to work through the steps below and click the button following the list to download the GW Engineering New Transfer Student Checklist. Pay careful attention to these tasks in order to make sure your first semester in GW Engineering goes smoothly!

Select ‘TO DO’ Highlights

Complete the online GW Engineering New Student Questionnaire received via
email once you deposit.
Complete the online GW Engineering Internal Transfer Orientation Module.
Review the degree requirements for your major in the University Bulletin.
Once assigned a faculty advisor you should contact them to discuss course
selection, review your transfer credit evaluation from GW, and complete an
Undergraduate Advising Form via the portal (blue button) on the GW
Engineering Forms webpage to have your course plan approved.
If you are planning to register for MATH 1220, MATH 1231, and/or ECON
1011 you must complete the ALEKS Math Placement Test and receive the
required score.
If you are planning to register for CHEM 1111 (CHEM 1113) you must
complete the ALEKS Chemistry Prep Course and receive the required score.
If you are planning to register for foreign language course you may need to
complete a Foreign Language Placement Exam and receive a certain score.
If you opted into have a peer mentor, respond back to their outreach and
schedule a meeting with your SEASSPAN Ambassador. If you have any
questions about your peer mentor assignment, email [email protected].

DOWNLOAD GW ENGINEERING NEW TRANSFER STUDENT CHECKLIST

External Transfer Students

Students outside of GW interested in transferring to the School of Engineering and Applied Science must apply through the GW Undergraduate Admissions Transfer process.

General Guidelines

When external transfer students select classes at their current institution, they should follow the curriculum outlined in the GW University Bulletin as closely as possible in order to remain on track. A grade of C- or better must be earned in order for a course to transfer to GW. Also, all students must complete a minimum of 60 credits towards their degree at GW in order to receive their degree. If a student does not complete all of the courses listed per major below, it will likely extend time to graduation.

Students who apply to GW Engineering after one year of undergraduate study outside of GW and want to select a major in GW Engineering: External transfer students who plan to transfer at the end of their first year, should have completed between 30-40 credits of coursework equivalent to the first two semesters outlined in the University Bulletin for that specific major.

Students who apply to GW Engineering after two years of undergraduate study outside of GW and want to select a major in GW Engineering: External transfer students applying to GW Engineering after two years of undergraduate coursework should have completed between 60-70 credits of coursework equivalent to the first four semesters outlined in the University Bulletin for that specific major.

GW Engineering Non-Technical Elective Policy and Requirement

External transfer students should review the GW Engineering Non-Technical Elective Policy and Requirements before registering for classes as the requirements vary by major. In general, choosing courses that fulfill the University General Education Requirement for Critical thinking in the humanities or Critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences first will definitely give the student the greatest flexibility when transferring.

Determining Transfer Course Equivalents

Typically, pre-approval of transfer courses for external transfer student is not available. External transfer students can refer to the University Bulletin for specific courses descriptions in order to consult with their current university about likely course equivalents. If needed, students can request a copy of a course syllabus from the respective GW department or course instructor.

Upon admission, students will receive a transfer credit evaluation outline of approved equivalents. If you have any questions about the transfer credit evaluation, please reach out to [email protected].

Re-evaluation of Non-Articulated Transfer Credit

Periodically, courses from other institutions will be transferred as a department 1099 course (e.g., ECE 1099). This means that the course does not currently have a designated course equivalent at GW. However, you are able to have this course reviewed by the department if you believe you have found a potential course equivalent at GW. In order to facilitate this review, you should compile the following information about the course: both course descriptions (external and GW course), a copy of the course syllabus for the external course, a copy of your transcript (including final grades) from the external institution, and a completed Transfer Credit Approval Form. The information will need to be approved by the department in which the course equivalent is taught and authorized by your home school (GW Engineering) via a Transfer Credit Approval Form.

HOW TO PROCESS THE TRANSFER CREDIT APPROVAL FORM GUIDE

Time to Graduation

Finally, transferring to GW and GW Engineering may affect your timeline to graduate depending on your major, courses that are approved to transfer, and when you are officially admitted to GW/GW Engineering. If you have any questions once admitted and you have received your transfer credit evaluation, please email [email protected].

Credits for University Writing (UW 1020)

As an external transfer student, if you are transferring in a writing course that you think would satisfy the university writing requirement but it was not accepted, you can petition to have the course reviewed in order to count. For more information about the transfer policy and exceptions for the University Writing Requirement (UW1020), visit the UW1020 Exemptions page.

External Transfer Orientation

Once you have received your acceptance from the GW Office of Undergraduate Admissions, and have officially paid your deposit, you will begin to receive additional communication from the Office of Student Life and New Student Orientation. In addition, the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Office of Undergraduate Studies and Student Success will reach out to help you prepare for your first semester at GW. Note, you will have a registration hold on your account until you have completed the questionnaire, met with your faculty advisor, and submitted your Undergraduate Advising Form.

Be sure to stay on top of these tasks to ensure a smooth first semester at GW and click the button below the list to download the GW Engineering New Transfer Student Checklist for more detailed tasks and deadlines.

Select ‘TO DO’ Highlights

Create Your GW Identity (GWID, UserID, and Email)
Submit all official AP/IB scores and/or transcripts for college credits to GW.
Complete the online GW Engineering New Student Questionnaire received via email once you deposit
Complete your online GW New Student Orientation Module.
Review your transfer credit evaluation to make sure your credits are transferring as expected and review your DegreeMAP to see how they apply to your new degree.
Review the degree requirements for your major in the University Bulletin.
Once assigned a faculty advisor you should contact them to discuss course selection, review your transfer credit evaluation from GW, and complete an Undergraduate Advising Form via the portal (blue button) on the GW Engineering Forms webpage to have your course plan approved.
If you are planning to register for MATH 1220, MATH 1231, and/or ECON 1011 you must complete the ALEKS Math Placement Test and receive the required score.
If you are planning to register for CHEM 1113 (or CHEM 1111) you must complete the ALEKS Chemistry Prep Course and receive the required score. If you are planning to register for foreign language course you may need to complete a Foreign Language Placement Exam and receive a certain score.
If you opted into have a peer mentor, respond back to their outreach and schedule a meeting with your SEASSPAN Ambassador. If you have any questions about your peer mentor assignment, email [email protected].

DOWNLOAD GW ENGINEERING NEW TRANSFER STUDENT CHECKLIST

Top 10 Frequently Asked New Student Questions

How do I find my GWID number?

Your GWID is a 'G' followed by a series of eight numbers. If you have forgotten your GWID, you may use the GWID Retrieval Request Form to look it up or contact the IT Support Center at (202) 994-4948

Are there specific laptop/desktop requirements for a GW Engineering student?

There are no requirements on the brand of computer, but the engineering school does split up the groups of users into two general categories: those who are going to use CAD software and those who aren’t. This is the recommendation of the minimum specifications needed for each group:

Non-CAD Workstation

64-bit Processor (Intel 64 or AMD64)
16GB RAM (minimum)
500GB SSD hard drive (minimum)
Integrated graphics

CAD Workstation

Add a dedicated video card that meets Solidworks Hardware Certification.

Prospective Computer Science students can follow the Non-CAD Workstation specifications. All other students should follow the CAD Workstation specifications.

The engineering software students use over four years is typically large (50-200GB) so a 256GB hard drive is almost always too small to be usable. 8GB of memory is also not enough to run most of the software they encounter.

Moving forward, you can usually get the minimum specs for a CAD workstation by looking at the Solidworks requirements, which is by far the largest and most taxing CAD program we run in GW Engineering.

How do I contact my Academic Advisor?

GW Engineering uses both professional and faculty advisors to maximize the guidance we offer our students. Academic advisor assignments will vary by major and class year. For first year students your primary academic advisor is your major-specific Professional Advisors. For sophomore, junior senior students (including transfer students) your primary advisor will be your major-specific Faculty Advisor. You can find the contact information for all of our Faculty and Professional Advisors and when/how to meet with them on the Meet Your Academic Advisor page. If you have not been assigned an advisor or if you have a general question, please reach out to [email protected].

If I am a full-time student in GW Engineering, what does my tuition cover?

A full-time schedule for a GW Engineering student is defined as 12-19 credit hours per semester. A part-time schedule is fewer than 12 credits per semester. If their curriculum requires it, GW Engineering undergraduates may take 19 credits without being charged for additional credits.

How and when do I register for classes?

First-year students in GW Engineering admitted for the fall will register for class on a designated day and time in the summer. This special day for GW Engineering first year students is provided to help ensure registration for required courses that are needed to remain on track for graduation. More information about this process will be available in your GW pre-orientation online module section about advising and registration and the GW Engineering First Year Experience website.

First-year students GW Engineering admitted for the spring will register for classes after completing your GW pre-orientation online module which includes a section about advising and registration as well as meet with their Professional Advisor to complete their Undergraduate Advising Form.

Transfer students GW Engineering admitted for the spring will register for classes after completing your GW pre-orientation online module which includes a section about advising and registration as well as meet with their Faculty Advisor to complete their Undergraduate Advising Form.

Transfer students admitted for the fall will register for classes after completing your GW pre-orientation online module which includes a section about advising and registration as well as meet with their Faculty Advisor to complete their Undergraduate Advising Form.

For both first year and transfer students, additional resources about registration can be found on the “How to Register” webpage hosted by the Office of the Registrar

What happens if I do not receive necessary placement score to register for Chemistry or Math?

First, make sure you give yourself enough time to review material, practice and take the test. However, if you are concerned about and/or do not place into CHEM 1110 and/or MATH 1220, please email the GW Engineering Undergraduate Advising Team at [email protected] to discuss their situation.

How do AP or IB scores work?

If you have taken College Board Advanced Placement (AP) courses, the official score results must be sent to GW from The College Board. GW's College Board Code is 5246. International Baccalaureate (IB) course results should be sent as soon as they are available. A maximum of 24 credits can be applied as college credit at GW. A list of scores required and credit given can be found on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.

Any AP or IB credits applied will be displayed in DegreeMAP audit and on your unofficial transcript, available through GWeb.

What are the University General Education Requirements and how do they relate to my GW Engineering degree?

Coursework for the University General Education curriculum includes 19 credits in approved courses in writing (including two Writing in the Disciplines courses), natural or physical science, mathematics or statistics, social science, and the humanities. These requirements are outlined in DegreeMAP for each undergraduate degree program at GW.

Most of these requirements are embedded in the degree requirements for your major in GW Engineering, and you will not need to go out of your way to satisfy them. However, in several cases you will need to make specific elective course selections from designated lists which can vary by major. For more detailed information, visit our webpage about the GW Engineering Non-Technical Elective Policy and Requirement.

How do I get into the 5-year BS/MS program in GW Engineering?

In the first semester of college, you do not have to do anything but do well academically. Students will apply in their junior year for the 5-year program and must meet certain admissions requirements (including a GPA requirement). Focus on doing as well as possible and consult with your advisor during your junior year.

When can I add a double major or minor?

Most students will not start on a double major or minors during their first semester. It is more important to do really well academically during your first semester to gauge how you handle your required coursework before adding additional requirements to your program. That said, plenty of students do complete a minor or double major but this typically depends on your primary program of study and selected major or minor. Additionally, it may require you to take summer courses to complete all requirements depending on your expected time to graduation. To explore various majors and minors at GW, visit the Find Your Program feature in the University Bulletin. To see how the courses, you have taken may apply in your DegreeMAP audit, use the “What if” feature.