Admitted Graduate Students

Your offer of admission will include any prerequisite coursework and/or any conditions placed on your admission. Please review these carefully. If you have any questions about these requirements, contact your Director of Graduate Study (faculty academic advisor - see Step 4 below).

Your offer of admission will also include a list of any missing documents that are required. Please send these documents to the Office of Graduate Studies as soon as possible (see Step 9 below).

If you are completing a degree program before enrolling at GW, please wait until your degree is conferred before sending us your official transcript.

Your admission letter is only sent to you electronically through your online application. Please print a copy for your records.

View Offer of Admission

When you View Your Decision letter, you can accept or deny the offer of admission through the Reply to Offer link. Please ensure you Reply to Offer before the deadline indicated in your admission letter.

If you received an award, you will also need to log-in to the GWeb Information System and complete the online award acceptance form.

To log into GWeb, enter your GWid (provided in your admission letter) and Personal Identification Number (PIN). By default, your PIN is your date of birth in this format: MMDDYY.

GWeb Information System

After accepting your offer of admission, you must establish a GWMail email account. GWMail is the university's email system for students and alumni. All official communication will be sent to your GWMail email address, so set up your account as soon as possible.

• Claim your GW Email Address

Using the Graduate Program Directors directory, contact your Director of Graduate Study (faculty academic advisor) to discuss your course selection for the upcoming semester and develop a program of study. When it is time to register for classes, it will be helpful to have your course selection ready in advance.

If you are enrolling in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, you will receive a detailed letter with instructions on courses and do not need to contact an adviser unless you have questions that are not answered in the letter.

If you are applying for federal student loans you will need to complete the GW Graduate Loan Questionnaire in addition to the FAFSA. The Office of Student Financial Assistance can provide information on the loan process.

Office of Financial Assistance

On-campus housing for graduate students is limited, which GW Housing has information on. For off-campus housing, GW’s Office of Off-Campus Student Affairs provides answers to common questions and information on D.C. neighborhoods and local resources. The Foggy Bottom Campus is easily accessible via public transportation so there is a wide variety of convenient off-campus options.

GW Housing Office of Off-Campus Student Affairs

The District of Columbia Immunization Law requires all students under the age of 26 to provide proof of certain immunizations prior to registration.

• All GW students who are younger than 26 years old must sign-in to the Colonial Health Center patient portal at mychc.gwu.edu using their GW Email Address and password, and complete the Medical Clearances section. If you have any questions regarding the

  immunization requirement, please contact the Colonial Health Center office directly at [email protected].

  If your completed form is not received by the appropriate deadline, a hold will be placed on your account and you will not be able to register for classes.

  Deadlines

• August 1 for Fall Admits
• January 1 for Spring Admits

Colonial Health Center

You may register for classes through the GWeb Information System unless your program has provided you with other specific instructions for registration. GWeb is the gateway to your student records. Through GWeb, you can search and register for classes, view grades, print unofficial transcripts, update your personal information and check your student account.

To log into GWeb, you will need to enter your GWid (provided in your admission letter) and Personal Identification Number (PIN). By default, your PIN is your date of birth in one of this format: MMDDYY.

Consult the Schedule of Classes for details on which courses are available. You must register before the first day of the semester to avoid being charged a late registration fee. Please note: for courses that require department approval, you will need to complete a paper registration form (RTF), which may take longer to process.

If you have any questions about registration, call 202-994-4900 or email [email protected].

GWeb Schedule of Classes

Send all outstanding official transcripts and/or test scores to the Office of Graduate Studies. The office should receive these documents before the first day of the semester.

All transcripts must be sent to us from your institution; or, if they were sent to you, they must be in the original institution sealed envelope. We will not accept transcripts if the envelope has been opened.

International students may need to submit additional official documentation with their transcripts. See the below International Transcript Requirements section.

All official hard copy documents should be sent to our mailing address. Escript transcripts can be sent to [email protected].

Mailing Address
Office of Graduate Studies
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
801 22nd St. NW, Phillips Hall 107
Washington, DC 20052

Once you have registered for classes, a Statement of Account will be mailed to you specifying your payment due date. Review the materials carefully. Please note that payment is usually due before the first day of the semester or summer session, or by the first day of class for courses offered in a timeline other than the traditional semester or summer session. Details about billing and payments are available at Colonial Central.

Colonial Central

The GWorld card is the official identification card of the George Washington University.

To obtain a GWorld card, you must go to the GWorld Card Office after you have:

1. received or retrieved your GWid number, and
2. are officially registered for at least one course.

Please note that the earliest date the GWorld card can be issued is one month prior to the first day of classes. Don't forget to bring a government-issued picture ID (e.g., a driver's license or passport) and to look up the GWorld Card Office location and hours of operation.

This card is required for access to some University buildings (e.g., libraries, residence halls) and to obtain university services, including checking out library materials, requesting a transcript, cashing checks and obtaining a parking permit.

You can deposit funds to a pre-paid, non-refundable debit account (Colonial Cash) that allows you to use your GWorld card to make purchases in select locations on and off campus in place of cash, checks or credit cards. Some services offered on campus, such as parking and paying for printing and copying materials in the library, require the use of Colonial Cash. The GWorld Card Office can provide additional detailed information about the card and its usage.

GWorld Card Office

The University’s Admitted Students webpage provides an overview of GW services, resources and policies that are particularly important to graduate students. From campus life to student support services, you will find all the information you need to make your transition to graduate study at GW as smooth as possible.

GW Admitted Students

Each Columbian College department holds an orientation for new students. Contact your department to see when your orientation will be held.

The International Services Office (ISO) facilitates a two- to three-day New International Student Orientation the week before classes start. It is mandatory for all new international students to attend the ISO orientation.

You must submit all official documents listed for the country where you earned your undergraduate degree. You may mail the documents to the Columbian College Office of Graduate Studies or deliver them in person after you arrive in the U.S.

Mailing Address
Office of Graduate Studies
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
801 22nd St. NW, Phillips Hall 107
Washington, DC 20052

The deadlines to submit these documents are:

• Summer - July 1
• Fall - September 1
• Spring - February 1

Unless otherwise specified, all of the documents you submit must be:

• Official (printed and issued by your undergraduate institution); 
• Original (no photocopies or scans); 
• Translated into English, if applicable. Please submit both the original document and the translation; and
• Received by the Columbian College Office of Graduate Studies in an envelope that is sealed (closed) by your undergraduate institution. You may not put the documents in an envelope yourself. The person at your undergraduate institution who gives you the documents should put them in the envelope and place his/her signature or an official university stamp over the flap of the envelope after it is closed. Do not open the envelope before you submit it to Columbian College.

Transcripts from some countries must be submitted with additional documentation. If you have questions about document requirements for a country that is not listed, please contact us at [email protected].

Bologna Process Member Countries
The European Higher Education Area maintains a list of current Bologna Process participants.

• Official transcript and
• Diploma Supplement (in English)

Brazil

• Official transcript (Historico Escolar) and
• Certified copy of Diploma or Certificate of Conclusion

Canada

• Official Transcript (must indicate that the degree was conferred/awarded)
• Note: Transcripts from institutions in Québec must be supplied in both French and English.

China

• Official final transcripts, graduation certificates and degree certificates, in Chinese and in English.
• Verification report of your degree certificate from China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC).

India

• Attested copy of Diploma or Provisional Certificate and
• Attested copy of Official Transcript or Mark Sheet. Consolidated mark sheets are not acceptable.

Iran

• Official (university-issued) copy of Final Transcript and
• Official (university-issued) copy of Diploma and
• Official translations of Final Transcript and Diploma authorized by the Ministry of Justice

Nigeria

• Official Transcript and
• Certified copy of Degree Certificate

Russia

• Official, certified, or attested copy of Diploma and
• Official, certified, or attested copy of Addendum to Diploma

Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and United Kingdom

• Official Transcript (must indicate that the final degree was conferred/awarded)