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VT-MENA Frequently Asked Questions
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| Q | Are applicants outside of computer and electrical engineering considered for the program? | ||||||||||
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Yes. Applicants from out-of-area majors will be considered for acceptance into the program. However, students will be responsible for all background material required for the program. | ||||||||||
| Q | Is there a part-time student option for the program? | ||||||||||
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The initial program will only offer a full-time option. However, a part-time option may be considered for the near future. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Am I required to take the GRE and/or TOEFL to gain acceptance into the program? | ||||||||||
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The GRE and TOEFL exams are both required for acceptance into the VT-MENA program. The only exception is for graduates of Virginia Tech, who are not required to take either the GRE or TOEFL exams. Students who have taken these exams recently can always fill in the “self reported” grades given to them at the conclusion of the exam until the official grades are reported to VT. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Can credit hours be transferred into the VT-MENA program? | ||||||||||
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Yes. Up to half of the overall course hours may transferred. For example, PhD students may transfer up to 15 credit hours of coursework, which is half of the 30 credit hours required to complete the degree. Only courses approved by VT faculty as equivalent to VT courses are eligible for transfer. Transfer courses, not taken at Virginia Tech, do not contribute to your VT GPA. Transfer credit hours must have a letter grade of B or higher. | ||||||||||
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| Q | How long should a student wait before picking a research area and advisor? | ||||||||||
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Students are encouraged to begin looking for a research area immediately during their first semester. Students will initially be assigned an “interim advisor” to help with initial decisions, and may then work under their degree advisor once a specialty has been chosen. | ||||||||||
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| Q | How much does the program cost? Does tuition change with the number of courses a student is enrolled in? | ||||||||||
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All local VT-MENA administration including tuition payments will be handled directly by the AAST. The VT out of state tuition is about $12,000 per year. Qualified students would receive partial or full exemption towards program tuition. This annual tuition entitles the student to enroll as a full-time student. Part-time enrollments are being considered for future semesters. | ||||||||||
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| Q | How many classes should a full-time student take at one time? | ||||||||||
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Students who are not engaged in active research generally take around three courses (9 credit hours) at one time, but there is no hard-and-fast rule. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Does the 3.2 GPA requirement refer only to courses recently taken or to the overall cumulative GPA? | ||||||||||
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VT will consider only the coursework from the applicant’s last two years of study to determine the GPA. Several other factors determine the student’s admissibility to the program including (but not limited to) work experience, publications, references, and GRE scores. | ||||||||||
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| Q | How does the excellent, very good, good, system translate to the 4.0 GPA system? | ||||||||||
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VT uses formulas to convert between other grading systems and its 4.0 systems. The formula for premiere Egyptian Universities is: | ||||||||||
| Excellent is | 4.0/4.0, | ||||||||||
| Very Good is | 3.3/4.0, | ||||||||||
| Good is | 2.7/4.0, and | ||||||||||
| Pass is | 2.0/4.0. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Are professional work experience and/or past publications considered in a student’s application? | ||||||||||
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Yes. Work experience and publications are both considered to be very important elements of a student’s application. GPA will be weighted less for applicants who have been out of school and working for a number of years. | ||||||||||
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| Q | What are the prerequisites for entering the program? | ||||||||||
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There are no set prerequisite courses for entering the program. However, students will be assumed to have knowledge of the subject matter of all prerequisite courses. The exact prerequisite courses are not required to have been previously taken. | ||||||||||
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| Q | On the online application, which checkbox should I check for the campus field? | ||||||||||
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Please check the “Blacksburg campus” options. Provisions are currently being made to add a “VT-MENA” option to the application. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Are non-thesis option applicants considered for the PhD program? | ||||||||||
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Non-thesis applicants will be considered equally for the program. However, many professors have a heavy preference for students who have completed a master’s thesis. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Which areas of study are offered for the VT-MENA program? | ||||||||||
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The initial degrees will be offered in the areas of Communication Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science. As the program grows, degrees in additional fields will be added to the curriculum. | ||||||||||
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| Q | In case I didn’t meet the 3.2 GPA, will I still be considered? | ||||||||||
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Applicants are still encouraged to apply even if they are slightly under the 3.2 GPA requirement. GPA is only one of the many factors considered when the school considers applicants. Class rank will also be taken into account. | ||||||||||
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| Q | In order to finish my degree requirements, is it required that I reside in the US? How long should the residence period be? | ||||||||||
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A residency period is required for all Ph.D. students. This is not a requirement for master’s students, but they may also choose to come to the U.S. for a semester or more. | ||||||||||
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| Q | My B.Sc. result is not announced yet. My final graduation project grade is A. | ||||||||||
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You can apply with the grades that you have at the time of application. You will need to provide the official transcript including the final grades as soon as they are available. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Will the study be commenced in Cairo or in Alexandria? | ||||||||||
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Program will start August 22, 2005 in Alexandria. Starting the program in Cairo is in progress. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Who is the contact person in Egypt? | ||||||||||
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Dr. Yasser Hanafy, eMail is yhanafy@aast.edu | ||||||||||
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| Q | Are there any scholarships available for the program? If so, how can I apply? | ||||||||||
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All applicants will be automatically considered for scholarships. | ||||||||||
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| Q | What score is required for the TOEFL? | ||||||||||
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Minimum TOEFL score required is 250. TOEFL scores are not required of US permanent residents and US naturalized citizens. | ||||||||||
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| Q | If I am already enrolled in another program, can I be admitted to the VT-MENA program or do I need to resign the other program? | ||||||||||
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VT will not require you to resign the other program. It will be up to you to manage your time and effort between the two programs if you decide to enroll in both. | ||||||||||
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| Q | If I have only a B.Sc., can I admit in Ph.D. program directly? | ||||||||||
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VT accepts “direct” Ph.D. applications from highly qualified students. | ||||||||||
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| Q | Can I join in if I dont have any background in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science? | ||||||||||
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No. The current program is designed for students knowledge in one or more of these areas. Future expansion of this program will include more areas of study. | ||||||||||
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| Q | For more information, visit the following links: | ||||||||||
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