Cardinal Education is a collaborative effort of the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University and George Mason University. The University of Mary Washington participates as a funded receive site.

See the College of Engineering Graduate Programs section of this bulletin for information on VCU’s graduate programs in engineering.

Administration

Ram Gupta, Ph.D.
Associate dean for research and graduate affairs

The VCU program director works closely with the other Cardinal Education directors, the VCU Dean of the College of Engineering, and local businesses and industries.

Program description

Students who have baccalaureate degrees in engineering or strong backgrounds in the sciences may work toward a master’s degree in engineering at VCU. Graduate engineering courses are available from the Cardinal Education member universities via interactive television, the Web and two-way audio/video teleconferencing. In addition to the required engineering courses, elective courses are available in applied mathematics, mathematical statistics, chemistry, operations research and physics in classes at VCU. The following academic programs are available through Cardinal Education:

  • Chemical Engineering
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Engineering Management
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering
  • Manufacturing and Design Engineering
  • Materials Sciences and Engineering
  • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Modeling and Simulation

Degree-seeking students

Students enrolling in the program should apply for admission in a given academic area of study and may select courses from any of the participating institutions, consistent with selected degree requirements.

Nondegree-seeking students

Qualified individuals may enroll in a particular course without pursuing a formal degree program of study. Admission will be based on the individual’s academic preparation and the availability of space.

Admission requirements

Students should apply for admission to a Cardinal Education-participating university that offers the desired degree program. Applicants should have a B average, but successful professional experience may strengthen admission credentials. Three letters of recommendation from persons who are qualified to give information concerning the applicant’s probable success in the program and the completion of any program-specific graduate admission criteria are required.