CCP FAQ

Georgetown University does not provide education in the field of Engineering, but as a service to students on campus who find interest in this field, we participate in the CCP. This program allows students to study at a liberal arts institution for three to four years, matriculate at Columbia’s College of Engineering to study for an additional two years, and to earn two undergraduate degrees; one from Georgetown and one from Columbia. This is an attractive option for students who discern their path in Engineering once matriculating at Georgetown and who aspire to values of both liberal arts and technical educations.

For students who matriculated at Georgetown prior to Summer 2019, the CCP is a mode for guaranteed acceptance at Columbia. What this means is that students who meet all of the curricular, metric, and eligibility requirements set by Columbia will have assurance of matriculation into an Engineering major after completion of three to four years at Georgetown. Unfortunately, guaranteed acceptance is not available to students who matriculated from Summer 2019 onward.

Students without guaranteed acceptance are considered in a competitive application process along with students who are not at CCP affiliate institutions. One could liken this to applying for college all over again. However, there are still advantages to being at an affiliate school like Georgetown. The CCP liaison works with you during your time on campus to make sure you are meeting all the requirements and facilitates your curricular path to Columbia. Additionally, the liaison writes a letter of recommendation for you, and is well-equipped to speak to your fit for the CCP specifically, since there is institutional knowledge and experience with this program. For these reasons, the CCP is a great program for students who have discerned, while at Georgetown, that they would like to become engineers. While there is no longer guarantee of admission, there is certainly still competitive edge.

The CCP is not an Engineering program housed at Georgetown. While we believe the CCP is a great addition to our degree options, for a student who is confident that they would like to study Engineering, the CCP is not a reason to choose Georgetown over a school with its own Engineering major(s).

Students may also want to consider that the length of time needed to complete the CCP (five to six years) could be used to earn both Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees, and at some schools this is possible in Engineering. Considering this, students should consider the true benefit (or lack thereof) of the CCP over traditional routes to a Master’s degree. An employer is more likely to be impressed by a Master’s degree than by two undergraduate degrees, and this should be part of an Engineering student’s calculation in their choice of undergraduate institution.

• Applied Mathematics
• Applied Physics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Earth and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Engineering Management Systems
• Engineering Mechanics
• Industrial Engineering
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Operations Research

There are two types of coursework required of students in the CCP: Foundational Courses and Major-Specific Courses. Foundational Courses are required of all students, regardless of major, and must be completed/in progress before application to the CCP in the Spring of the student’s last year at Georgetown. These span a broad range of STEM disciplines and also include basic liberal arts coursework. Major-Specific Courses are unique to the major and are determined by each individual program at Columbia. In general, the best practice is for all of these courses to be complete/in progress before application to the CCP in the Spring of the student’s last year at Georgetown. However, some departments are flexible, allowing certain coursework to be optional or for it to be taken after matriculation at Columbia. Because of the wide variability between majors, students are encouraged to carefully read the Columbia Combined Plan Curriculum Guide for Georgetown University Students, which can be found on Georgetown’s CCP website.

To be competitive for acceptance to Columbia in the CCP, Georgetown students should expect to meet the following list of academic standards (note: the process is holistic, so these are not requirements, but useful baselines):

• Full-time study at an accredited college or university for at least three full academic years. This may be interpreted as either three academic years or as six full semesters.
• An overall GPA of ≥ 3.30.
• A pre-engineering GPA of ≥ 3.30. This can be interpreted as the cumulative GPA across all Foundational requirements as well as Major-Specific requirements, and is calculated internally by Columbia.
• A minimum grade of B in the first attempt of all science and mathematics Foundational and Major-Specific requirements.

Students across all undergraduate schools are welcome to participate in the CCP. Previous students of the CCP are from a variety of majors including, but not limited to, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Finance, Science Technology and International Affairs, Operations and Information Management, Mathematics, and Physics. As one might imagine, some majors lend themselves better to the CCP than others because of overlap between their requirements and the requirements of the majors offered through the CCP.

After three to four years at Georgetown, students apply to the CCP and if accepted, are place on an administrative Leave of Absence (LOA) beginning in August of their application year. What this means is that the Georgetown degree is not conferred at the end of a student’s studies here, but rather is conferred after completion of the CCP. The reason behind this is founded within financial consideration of both Universities, in particular allowing for students to be eligible for financial aid as undergraduates at Columbia. If the Georgetown degree were conferred, it would not only make the student ineligible for financial aid at Columbia, but would actually void the student’s eligibility for the CCP. Thus, students remain on a LOA from Georgetown until mid to late February of their final year at Columbia. Once reinstated, the student will receive both their Georgetown degree and their Columbia degree that May.

At Georgetown, each school has at least one advising Dean or academic counselor who oversees students that participate in the CCP. These advisors are well-equipped to give basic and general direction to students who are interested. However, there is only one CCP liaison; the bridge between Georgetown and Columbia. This Dean is housed within Georgetown College, and is the primary advisor for all science majors in the College. Currently, this position is held by Assistant Dean Michael Parker.

Advisors in each school should be a student’s first stop in their journey to Columbia. During the first semester, the advisor assigned to a student is exceptionally well-versed in how to navigate that first semester and year at Georgetown and is thus an invaluable resource. When a student first expresses interest in the CCP, they may be referred to a specific advisor within their school who oversees those students. It is important to work closely with these advisors first, as they provide insight into your school’s and major’s specific requirements and timelines.

Once a student has discerned their interest in the CCP and met with their first-year advisor, they should fill out this form so that the CCP liaison will be able to include them in future CCP-specific correspondence. They may also want to schedule a meeting with the CCP liaison to discuss their plans further and to get a more complete picture of how to plan their academics over the next few years. However, if a first-year student has not yet met with their first-year advisor, the CCP liaison will insist that they do this before scheduling a meeting. Students who discern interest in the CCP after their first semester should immediately fill out the above form and schedule a meeting with the CCP liaison to expedite the planning process.

Before scheduling advising appointments, students are encouraged to carefully read the Columbia Combined Plan Curriculum Guide for Georgetown University Students, which can be found on Georgetown’s CCP website. This outlines all the specific standards and requirements for every major at Columbia to which CCP students may apply. Then, students should fill out the Academic Planning Worksheet relevant to their Georgetown major that can also be found on the website. The most common majors at Georgetown for students pursuing the CCP are the College’s majors in Mathematics and Physics, which is why these majors have sheets specific to them. There may also be a sheet available for students in non-College schools, depending on whether those schools submit one to the CCP liaison for posting. Otherwise, students may fill out the General worksheet.

After meeting with both their school advisor as well as the CCP liaison, students will have the CCP track added to their degree audit. This allows a student to keep up to date on their progress toward their Georgetown major as well as the required coursework for their proposed Columbia major.

Throughout their time on campus, students may identify that in order to meet the requirements of their proposed Columbia major, they will need to take coursework that requires exceptions, that their audit needs to be modified, or that they need to take coursework elsewhere or during the summer. For any and all of these issues, students may work with either their school advisor or the CCP liaison. However, in the case the student works with the school advisor, they must notify the CCP liaison of what steps they have taken. In particular, approvals of coursework outside of Georgetown’s normal Spring and Fall semesters should be coordinated through and/or communicated to the CCP liaison. This is integral, as the CCP liaison is most familiar with the requirements at Columbia and how to delineate whether non-Georgetown coursework will be acceptable by Columbia.

In the Spring of a student’s last year at Georgetown (either their third or fourth year), they apply to the CCP, through Columbia’s website. This necessitates that all required coursework is completed/in progress by the time of application, usually in early- to mid- February. The most important thing to note for this application is that it requires three letters of reference: One each from the CCP liaison, a math instructor, and a science instructor (biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, or human science). To guarantee timely letter preparation, students should contact each letter writer by mid-November of their final year at Georgetown. In particular, all CCP students should schedule an individual appointment with the CCP liaison the Fall of their application cycle so that their letter is sure to address important considerations relevant to their time at Georgetown.

The process of application evaluation by Columbia generally takes two months, and decisions are typically made and communicated in mid-April. Please note that the CCP liaison has no part in the decision process and is not privy to the timing of decisions. Upon learning of their application’s outcome, students must fill out this form so that the CCP liaison can facilitate their smooth transition either to Columbia or back to Georgetown for the upcoming Fall semester.

• The Official CCP website, hosted by Columbia, which has specific and general FAQs.
• Columbia’s descriptions of the courses in the CCP guide for comparison to Consortium or Non-Georgetown Summer School coursework.
• Georgetown’s website dedicated to providing information about the CCP.
• The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
• The application for Non-Georgetown Summer School.

All students receive their degree the year they graduate. Technically, this is two years after the last semester at Georgetown. For example, a student who matriculates at Columbia in Fall 2019 finished their time at Georgetown’s campus in Spring 2019. That student will then receive both their Georgetown and Columbia diplomas in Spring 2021.

Students may walk in Commencement either in their last semester at Georgetown or after completion of their two years at Columbia, similar to August graduates. For example, a student who matriculates at Columbia in Fall 2019 finished their time at Georgetown’s campus in Spring 2019. This student could choose to walk at Georgetown’s May 2019 or May 2021 Commencements. Students must declare (via email to the CCP Liaison) their walk year by April 15th of their last semester at Georgetown.

If a student elects to participate in senior week festivities, they must do so during the Spring that they walk at Commencement. See “When do I walk at Commencement?” above for more information.

All students are considered for Latin Honors and Tropaia the year they receive their Georgetown degree. For example, if your last semester at Georgetown is May 2023 and you graduate from Columbia and Georgetown in May 2025, you would be eligible to participate in Tropaia in May 2025. See “When do I get my Georgetown degree?” above for more information.

Note: This may result in small shifts in the cutoffs for each of the Latin Honors categories. Participation in the CCP indicates a student’s willingness to defer their consideration for Latin Honors and Tropaia until the year of receipt of their Georgetown degree.

If a student has completed all Georgetown degree requirements by the end of their time at Georgetown, their Department may elect to either consider them for Departmental honors in their last semester at Georgetown or after their return from Columbia. If a student has not completed their Georgetown degree requirements by the end of their time at Georgetown, they will be considered for Departmental Honors after their return from Columbia.

No, this is not allowable.

Financial aid is not transferrable from Georgetown to Columbia and students will need to apply for financial aid directly with Columbia’s offices. Having had financial aid at Georgetown has no bearing on Columbia’s decision on financial aid status.

Yes, but the only mechanism is through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. It should also be noted that while a student is on a Leave of Absence from the University for any reason except for the CCP, those courses are not able to be transferred to the student’s transcript.

Historically, this is not encouraged; however, due to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Columbia allowed online courses for all 2020 semesters and Spring 2021.

From Fall 2021 onward, students are expected to complete Required coursework for the CCP in person. If you would like to petition Columbia for an exception to this policy, please contact the CCP liaison, who can guide you through the process. Note that Columbia has historically not allowed online coursework, even through petition.

Courses that are required for Columbia MUST be taken for a letter grade. For courses outside of Foundational or Major-Specific Requirements for Columbia, students may elect these alternate options. Before making any decisions about alternative grading modes, students are encouraged to contact the CCP liaison for clarification.

Yes, you can W from a course, and it will NOT affect your eligibility for the CCP. In particular, the standard of “B or better in your first attempt” of a required course does not include W grades. So, if you take a required course and aren’t doing well, it is better to W from the course (which will maintain your eligibility) than to receive a grade lower than a B. As Columbia transitions away from guaranteed acceptance, it is possible that grades lower than a B in the first attempt may become less detrimental to a student’s prospects for the program. However, to ensure their application is competitive, students should continue to assume that a grade of B or better on the first attempt is quite important to maintain.

Yes, as long as you do not exceed four Non-Georgetown courses across all semesters (see policy). To request this, you would first consult the list of previously approved away coursework for the CCP (available via the Georgetown’s CCP website or the CCP liaison) and then fill out a Non-Georgetown Summer School application (contact your advising Dean, as each school has a different form). Once that application is approved, forward the results to the CCP liaison. Please remember that online/distance learning courses are generally not allowable for the CCP. See “Can I take online courses toward the CCP Requirements?” above for exceptions to this rule.

The best mechanisms for gaining access to these courses is via Consortium schools (to take courses in Fall or Spring) or through Non-Georgetown Summer School (to take courses in Summer). Students should also note that some Columbia majors allow students to take a course or two after matriculation at Columbia.

Students may transfer a maximum of 20 credits from Columbia to their Georgetown degree, as free electives only. However, because of the requirements of the core, major, and CCP, most students have only a few credits left (if any) in their Georgetown degree by the time they matriculate at Columbia.

No, courses taken at Columbia or through Consortium do not count against the four non-Georgetown course limits (see policy). Courses at Columbia are allowed to count toward the Georgetown degree (usually as free elective credits) as long as the student meets the minimum requirement of 100 credits taken before leaving for Columbia. However, because of the requirements of the core, major, and CCP, most students have only a few credits left (if any) in their Georgetown degree by the time they matriculate at Columbia. Consortium courses are actually considered Georgetown coursework, and so should not be a concern whatsoever.

Only under exceptional circumstances. Because Columbia expects students to have completed all prerequisite coursework by the time of application, students are generally not permitted to take coursework during the Summer toward their degree. If a student has not yet completed the necessary courses for their Georgetown degree (excluding free electives that can be transferred back; see above question “How many credits can I transfer back from Columbia to apply to my Georgetown degree?”), it is possible they could remain enrolled during that Summer to complete this coursework. However, this would require exceptions from Columbia, and it is likely that the student would instead be encouraged to apply to the CCP the following year.

Yes, Columbia allows students to be enrolled in Spring coursework that would fulfill all remaining requirements. In fact, this is very common for students to do, as the workload for the program is so intensive. Be mindful that Columbia’s acceptance of a student is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all of these courses, as exhibited by sending your official transcript.

Yes, unless there is specific reference in a major’s guidelines that a course may be delayed until matriculation at Columbia. Please note that taking summer coursework to meet CCP requirements between Georgetown and Columbia is unlikely to be acceptable. However, Columbia’s Academic Advising department may evaluate individual proposals for such a plan.

Note: If you are a student outside of Georgetown College, the answer to this question may differ slightly from what is presented here, as some coursework necessary in the first semester is different across schools. Please consult your first-year Dean to make sure you are following your school’s track.

We suggest that students choose any two of the below bullets (so, two to three courses):

• General Chemistry I with Laboratory (CHEM-1100, -1105)
• Principles of Economics (ECON-1001)
• English Composition (WRIT-1150)
• Intro to Computer Science: Python (COSC-1001) or Computer Science I (COSC-
  1020).
• Calculus I, Calculus II, or Multivariable Calculus (MATH-1350, -1360, -2370)

Please note that if you have AP credits that exempt you from some of these courses, we suggest that you select others on the list to take in your first semester. Doing so places you well along your way to completing the Foundational Requirements in a timely manner. For more information on suggested sequences of coursework and the courses that students need to take for each major, please refer to the CCP Curriculum Guide on Georgetown’s CCP website.

In general, international students are held to the same academic standards and course requirements as domestic students. However, student Visa status is an important consideration between the time a student is enrolled at Georgetown and then at Columbia. Specifically, students should note that during the Summer between enrollments, they may only be able to work as part of a practical training program combined with an internship course. There are special considerations, particularly in regard to degree completion progress and eligibility toward these practical training programs, that are imperative to plan for at least two semesters in advance. As a precaution, international students should consult the Office of Global Services, the CCP liaison, and Columbia’s undergraduate admissions office to best understand their options.

Yes, students who transfer to Georgetown are eligible, albeit they must have completed six full-time semesters of college in total (combined across the other school(s) and Georgetown) before matriculating to Columbia.

Sometimes. Please see Georgetown’s AP/IB coursework guidelines. Columbia requires that a course be noted on the student’s official transcript, so your course/credit must fit the guidelines for such, as presented in these guidelines.

This responsibility is held by the College’s CCP advisor. Currently, this position is held by Assistant Dean Michael Parker. It behooves students to check in with Dean Parker on a regular basis (Read: Two to three times a year) to keep in touch and to make sure they are on track.

Students should obtain one letter from a Georgetown science professor (biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, or human science), and one letter from a Georgetown mathematics professor.

Students who are not accepted at Columbia simply continue and finish their Georgetown degree. This is one of the reasons it is important that students fill out the application outcomes form, so that the CCP liaison can facilitate an expedited registration for coursework, if necessary.