Interna onal Student Guide Master of Science in Project Management
Table of Contents 1 Introduc on 2 Applica on Deadlines & Important Dates 3 Applica on Checklist 4 English Proficiency Requirements 5 Interna onal Creden als 6 Visa Requests 7 Tui on & Financial Aid
Introduc on The George Washington University (GW) welcomes applicants from all over the world and is commi ed to a diverse student body. In addi on, the GW School of Business and the Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) program are delighted by the diversity exhibited at GW. The student body at the School of Business is of a different makeup. Not only do students come from various backgrounds and cultures, but they also have the same values, the same intel- lectual curiosity, and the same intent on doing good in the world. They re volunteers, mentors, entrepreneurs, scholars, business ex- ecu ves, and more. It s not uncommon to hear of your peers teaching underprivileged youth in Africa or volunteering in the Peace Corps. Enrolling at the GW School of Business, you ll come away with a global perspec ve, a well-rounded leadership style, and a network of people who support your personal and profes- sional goals. This guide will assist you in applying to the MSPM program as an interna onal student. Included are helpful admission checklists, applica on deadlines, informa on on the visa process, and more. GW also provides comprehensive informa on on applying to grad- uate school as an interna onal student. Visit h p:// graduate.admissions.gwu.edu/interna onal-applicants to learn more. If a er reading this guide you have addi onal ques ons on the program, applica on process, or visa requirements, contact our office at mspminfo@gwu.edu or +1-202-994-6145. 1
Applica on Deadlines for Interna onal Students The MSPM program admits students in the fall and spring semes- ters. Applica on deadlines vary depending on whether or not an applicant requires an F-1 visa from GW. Students who require an F- 1 visa must submit all applica on materials by the dates listed be- low. Fall Semester (begins in late August) April 1 Spring Semester (begins in early January) October 1 Interna onal Student Types 1. Students who require an F-1 visa to study in the US at GW. 2. Students who do not require an F -1 visa from GW to study in the US. This includes students who will obtain a visa through their own means, are ab le to study in the US without a visa, or are plan- ning on studying outside of the US through our online program. Uncertain of your status? Contact our office to discuss your situa on. Students who do not need an F-1 visa must submit all applica on materials by the dates listed below. Fall Semester (begins in late August) June 30 Spring Semester (begins in early January) November 15 Other Important Dates Fall Semester May 1 date that all visa materials, including financial cer fica on and the I-20 request forms, are due Mid-August mandatory 2-day orienta on for incoming MSPM students Spring Semester November 1 date that all visa materials, including fi- nancial cer fica on and the I-20 request forms, are due Early January mandatory 2-day orienta on for incom- ing MSPM students 2
Applica on Checklist To be considered for admission to the MSPM program, complete each of the items on the checklist that is applicable to your situa on. [ ] Schedule and complete the required English proficiency exam. TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores are required of all applicants who are not ci zens of the countries where English in the official language. A list of the countries where English is the office language is available online and on page four of this guide. The MSPM requires the following minimum scores: TOEFL: 600 on paper-based or 100 on Internet-based IELTS: an overall band score of 7.0 with no individual score below 6.0 PTE: 68 [ ] Complete and submit GW s online applica on with all required documenta on, including GMAT or GRE scores. [ ] Submit official copies and/or evalua ons of all university or college transcripts. See page five for in- forma on on interna onal creden als. This is required for all colleges and universi es a ended, wheth- er or not credit was earned, the program was completed or the credit appears as transfer credit on an- other transcript. [ ] Submit paperwork required to obtain the necessary visa type. Submit documents via email, fax, or mail. Email: mspminfo@gwu.edu Fax: +1-202-994-2736 Mail: GW School of Business, MSPM 2201 G St, NW, Funger Hall, Ste 415 Washington, DC 20052 USA 3
English Proficiency Requirements Qualified Exemp ons for Interna onal Students Individuals may qualify for an exemp on from the English proficiency requirement if any of the following apply: 1. Individual is a ci zen of a country where English is the official language, or 2. Individual holds a bachelor s, master s, or doctoral degree from an ins tu on in which English is the language of instruc on and the official language of the country in which the university is located, or 3. Individual holds a bachelor s, master s, or doctoral degree from an ins tu on that is accredited by a US regional accredi ng agency (see list of acceptable schools). In addi on to the United States, the countries where English is the official language are as follows: Anguilla Canada* Liberia Seychelles An gua & Barbuda Cayman Islands Micronesia Sierra Leone Australia Dominica Montserrat Trinidad and Tobago Bahamas Gambia Namibia Turks and Caicos Islands Barbados Ghana New Zealand Uganda Belize Guyana Nigeria United Kingdom Bermuda Jamaica St Ki s and Nevis Zimbabwe Botswana Kiriba St Lucia Bri sh Virgin Islands Lesotho St Vincent and the Grenadines *Applicants whose post-secondary degree is from a Canadian university in which the language of in- struc on was not English must submit English language test scores. 4
Interna onal Creden als A transcript, detailed marks cer ficate or comparable document showing all course work, grades and proof of earned degrees must be submi ed for each ins tu on a ended. This is required for all colleges and uni- versi es a ended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. All interna onal transcripts must be submi ed to an approved, accredited independent evalua on agency prior to submission. A list of acceptable foreign creden al evalua on services is available through Na onal Associa on of Creden al Evalua on Services (NACES). The list below is current as of February 24, 2014, however NACES offers the most up-to-date list. Creden als evalua ons are also accepted from AACRAO. Be sure to request a detailed evalua on that includes all course tles, credit hours, grades, recommended Unit- ed States degree equivalency, grade-point average (GPA), and date of degree conferral. A2Z Evalua ons, LLC Academic Evalua on Services, Inc. Center for Applied Research, Evalua ons, & Educa- on, Inc. E-ValReports Educa onal Creden al Evaluators, Inc. Educa onal Perspec ves, nfp. Educa onal Records Evalua on Service, Inc. Evalua on Service, Inc. Foreign Academic Creden al Service, Inc. Global Creden al Evaluators, Inc. Global Services Associates, Inc. Interna onal Academic Creden al Evaluators, Inc. Interna onal Consultants of Delaware, Inc. Interna onal Educa on Research Founda on, Inc. Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. Interna onal Educa on Consultants SpanTran Evalua on Services Transcript Research World Educa on Services, Inc. Founda on for Interna onal Services, Inc. 5
Visa Requests To apply for a visa to study in the US, you will need a visa-qualifying document, either an I-20 (for an F- 1 visa) or a DS-2019 form (for a J-1 visa). These documents must be generated through the Student and Exchange Visitor Informa on System (SEVIS) and issued by a US college or university or a US Depart- ment of State-designated sponsor organiza on. The informa on provided on the page is intended to help you understand the process of ge ng an I-20 or DS-2019 from GW and the steps involved in ge ng a visa. For full details on the process, visit is h p://graduate.admissions.gwu.edu/visa-requests. 1. Complete the Visa Request form and collect the necessary suppor ng documents for financial cer - fica on. 2. Scan the Visa Request form, financial support documents, Dependent Informa on form (if re- quired), and all other required documents and upload these materials to your online applica on for admission. 3. If you are offered admission, promptly submit the Enrollment Decision form (linked from your online le er of admission) to indicate whether or not you plan to enroll at GW. This will signal to the GW Interna onal Services Office (ISO) to review and issue the visa forms (I-20 or DS-2019). 4. Upon receipt of your I-20 or DS-2019, pay the SEVIS fee. 5. Schedule an appointment for a visa interview with the nearest US embassy or consulate. Be sure to review the es mated wait mes for interview appointments and visa processing at each loca on. 6. Make your travel plans once a visa has been issued. 7. As soon as possible upon arriving in Washington, DC, you must check-in at GW s Interna onal Ser- vices Office at 2033 K St, NW, Suite 310, Washington, DC. The GW School of Business offers a designated point of contact within our Global & Experien al Edu- ca on team to assist with the visa applica on process. This individual with work with you directly to ensure that you have submi ed all necessary documents within the prescribed meline. The earlier you can gain admission to the program and submit all necessary documents, the earlier the applica on process may begin for the visa. 6
Tui on & Financial Aid Tui on Tui on is $1,420 USD per credit hour not including the student ac vi es fee of $1.75 USD/credit hour, a $35 USD/semester enrollment fee, and an op onal $50 USD library fee.* Full payment is due by the first of the semester. Payments made a er the due date are subject to late fees and a finance charge. Students can pay with an electronic check via GWeb Info System or via a direct link emailed a er regis- tra on. Students may also have the op on of paying tui on with a credit card using the credit card payment form at www.gwprojectmanagement.org/forms for any DE sec on (credit card processing fees do apply). *Tui on and fees are subject to change. For the most up to date informa on please visit Colonial Cen- tral s website at h p://www.gwu.edu/tui on-and-fees. 3 rd Party Payment Plans Students may elect to par cipate in 3 rd party billing, if a sponsor, government agency, or private com- pany is paying your tui on bill in part or full. 3 rd party billing authoriza on documents should be sub- mi ed by the deadline provided at h p://colonialcentral.gwu.edu/billing/thirdparty/. The University does not accept sponsorship documenta on that is con ngent upon grades received for course work. You are responsible for all tui on and fees not covered by your sponsor. Payment Plans GW offers three payment plans through ECSI: annual, semester, and summer semester. The payment plans allows payments to be spread over a period of months. Details on this payment op on are availa- ble on the web at h p://colonialcentral.gwu.edu/billing/paymentplan/. Scholarships The School of Business offers a limited number of scholarships to students applying for the Master of Science in Project Management program. The scholarships range from $4,000 to $8,000 USD. Given the total es mated cost of $52,000 USD for the MSPM students are encouraged to also seek outside funding assistance. Applicants who wish to be considered for scholarships should visit h p:// business.gwu.edu/mspm/ for scholarships applica ons. Students are also encouraged to seek funding from scholarship programs external to GW. For a com- prehensive list of external scholarship programs, visit h p://gwprojectmanagement.org/resources/ scholarshipsfinancial-aid. Fellowships and Assistantships The Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships (OGSAF) provides general informa on on fellowship opportuni es for graduate students. The OGSAF oversees all graduate, non-sponsored project funding and directly administers special programs and endowment fellowships, plus the Gradu- ate Teaching Assistantship Program. Visit h p://www.gwu.edu/~fellows/ for details. 7
The George Washington University School of Business Master of Science in Project Management 2201 G St, NW Funger Hall, Suite 415 Washington DC 20052 Phone: (202) 994-6145 Fax: (202) 994-2736 Email: mspminfo@gwu.edu Website: h p://business.gwu.edu/mspm/ Blog: www.gwprojectmanagement.org Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twi er, and YouTube