ECE 5-Year BS-MS Program
 

Combined Five-Year BS & MS Degrees in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The program provides an opportunity for students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to earn both the Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS) degrees in any of the following combination of majors:

Bachelor of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering (including Medical Preparation option)

Master of Science:

  • Computer Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering

Students can complete a conventional four year Bachelor of Science degree and then, with one additional year of study, earn a Masters of Science degree.

Academic Requirements

  1. The completion of any of the department’s Bachelor of Science curricula with the requirement that two (2) of the Technical Electives for a minimum total of six (6) credits be Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering graduate courses. Per current practice, all undergraduate Technical Electives must be approved by the student’s academic advisor. These two Department of ECE graduate courses are then double-counted towards the completion of the combined BS and MS degree.
  2. The completion of an additional eight (8) graduate level courses for a total of twenty-four (24) credit hours. All graduate level courses must be approved by the student’s academic advisor per current academic rules.
  3. All current Department, School and University Master of Science rules apply towards the aforementioned ten graduate level courses (30 credit hours) for the completion of the Master of Science portion of the degree. See the graduate programs bulletin, or web pages, for details on the graduate portion of the program.
  4. Students in the combined program will be provided with a greater opportunity to participate in research at the undergraduate stage and are encouraged (but not required) to do a MS thesis.

Application and Deadlines

  1. Department of ECE undergraduate students who wish to enter the combined program may apply starting from the third semester (start of the Sophomore year) but no later than the beginning of the seventh semester (start of the Senior year). A minimum GPA of 3.4/4.0 is required for admission.
  2. Students who have applied to this program must have a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 by the end of their eighth semester to be able to continue with the combined program to the ninth semester.
  3. The Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded to those who do not meet this GPA requirement but who otherwise meet SEAS requirements for graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree.
  4. All students must consult with their academic advisors first prior to applying to the program.

How to Apply

To apply for admission to the Five-year program the student must submit the following information before the application deadline:

  1. Fill out a graduate admissions application form (available in the Department of ECE and the SEAS Dean’s Office) and submit it to the Department. Applicants must leave the program code blank, but indicate that the application is for the Five-Year program.
  2. Transfer students (who have transferred to GWU from another school) must include the transcript(s) that show the grades in all courses taken at another institution. The GPA calculation for transfer students (who have transferred to GWU from another institution) will include courses from their previous institution(s) transferred towards their respective curricula.