Federal Academic Alliance
Federal Academic Alliance Program for Federal Government Employees, Spouses & Dependent Children:
The George Washington University School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) is a proud member of the Federal Academic Alliance (FAA). As a member institution, SEAS supports the Federal Government’s talent development efforts by offering high-quality graduate education programs taught in-person and online in a variety of engineering and computer science fields.
As a member of the FAA, SEAS will waive the application fee and offer a 20% tuition discount to all Federal government employees, spouses and/or dependents who apply and enroll in one of the following programs:
| On-Campus Graduate Programs (Foggy Bottom Campus in Washington, DC): | |
|---|---|
| Master of Science or Master of Engineering Programs | Biomedical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Cybersecurity in Computer Science, Data Analytics, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering |
| Doctor of Philosophy Programs |
Biomedical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering |
| Doctor of Engineering Program | Engineering Management |
| Graduate Certificate Programs |
Environmental Engineering, Geoenvironmental Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Smart Cities and Transportation, Computer Security and Information Assurance, High-Performance Computing, Machine Intelligence, Emergency Management and Public Health, Energy Engineering and Management, Engineering and Technology Management, Environmental Systems Management, Energy Systems Management, Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness and Response, Systems Engineering, Computer-Integrated Design in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering |
| Eligible Online Graduate Programs: | |
|---|---|
| Master of Science or Master of Engineering Programs | Applied Computer Science, Regulatory Biomedical Engineering (M.Eng.) |
| Graduate Certificate Programs |
Gateway to Computer Science |
Additional online programs that are not included in this agreement are listed below. Please visit the Online Engineering program website to learn more.
| Ineligible Online Programs | |
|---|---|
| Master of Science or Engineering Programs | Electrical Engineering, Engineering Management, Systems Engineering, Cloud Computing Management (M.Eng.), Cybersecurity Analytics (M.Eng.), Cybersecurity Policy (M.Eng.) |
| Doctor of Engineering Programs |
Cybersecurity Analytics, Engineering Management, Systems Engineering |
| Doctor of Philosophy Program | Systems Engineering |
On-campus M.S. degree programs are thesis-optional and range from 30-36 total credit hours. The online master’s programs are consistently ranked among the best in the U.S. according to U.S. News and World Report (ranked #14 Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs in 2021). Graduate certificate programs consist of 12-18 credit hours and can be taken in coordination with or be counted towards an M.S. degree program.
Many of our face-to-face classes are offered in the evenings to enable our colleagues to pursue their graduate education without interrupting their professional careers. For Federal employees in the Washington, D.C. area, our campus is very conveniently located right at the Foggy Bottom Metrorail station in northwest D.C.
Federal employees who pursue graduate education on a part-time basis will be provided access to all University resources and activities on the same basis as full-time on-campus students, such as access to the GW libraries and other facilities, and the ability to participate in seminars, colloquia and the extremely large number of additional activities that characterize our University.
Although our program is in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, one doesn’t necessarily need an undergraduate degree in engineering to pursue our graduate studies. Professionals with appropriate undergraduate degrees in non-engineering fields may be able to take advantage of some of our programs as well.
Application Deadlines:
On-campus graduate programs:
Fall semester: August 1
Spring semester: December 1
Summer semester: April 1
For instructions on how to apply to our on-campus graduate programs, please visit our admissions requirements page. All eligible FAA Program applicants will receive an application fee waiver (instructions below in the FAQ section).
Online graduate programs:
Application deadlines vary based on the program. Learn more about application deadlines on the online degree programs page.
FAQ
- What is this alliance?
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Learn more about the FAA program on the OPM website.
- How much is the discounted rate participants receive?
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Eligible federal employees, spouses or dependent children will receive a 20% off the published tuition rate for the applicable graduate programs at SEAS. This discounted rate will only apply to graduate programs, not undergraduate programs at SEAS.
- How do you determine if you are eligible for this program?
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All civil service employees, their spouse and/or dependent children are eligible. Active duty military service members are not eligible.
- How will Federal employment be verified for those who participate in this program?
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A federal government employee will provide a Leave and Earning Statement for verification. SEAS will verify this information prior to a participant enrolling in a graduate degree program at SEAS.
- How do I receive the application fee waiver?
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All eligible federal government employees, spouses and/or dependent children should select the “FAA Program Participant” special affiliation section of the online application. At the end of the application, when prompted to pay the application fee, please select “FAA Program Participant” when the following prompt appears:
"Please indicate if you are associated with any of these organizations or activities. If you are not associated with any of these, please choose None."
After you select “FAA Program Participant” the application fee will automatically be waived and you can complete the submission process.
- How do I receive the tuition discount?
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After you have submitted the application and have been verified as an eligible participant on the program, the tuition discount will be applied to your student account prior to the start of your first semester of classes. You must be registered for at least one course in order for the discount to appear on your student account. Please do not pay your E-bill until the discount has been applied. Your E-bill must be paid by the first day of classes for each semester. If you have questions regarding your tuition discount, please email [email protected] or call 202-994-1802.