MITRE McLean Student Resources

Updated for the 2016-2017 academic year

WPI Policies

WPI has a well-established set of policies and procedures to encourage respectful and ethical behavior of students while at the same time providing means for students to voice complaints and grievances.  With such a comprehensive set of policies and procedures, the specific policy and/or procedure is very dependent on the nature and context of the individual situation.  For this reason, WPI assigned an operations manager to each corporate program to help guide students to the appropriate course of action.

Commonly encountered complaint procedures:

Please visit the WPI University Policies page for a complete list of official policies here.

On-Site Program Details

WPI currently offers a Master of Science in Systems Engineering in the state of VA.  Students must complete a prescribed program of study totaling 30 credit hours; the program of study includes 27 credits of coursework and concludes with 3 credit hours of capstone project work.  For course work, each credit hour is equivalent to 15 hours of classroom time, with a typical course having 3 credit hours.  Typical coursework also requires 30 hours of time outside of the classroom for each credit hour, but this varies depending on individual pace on assignments.  The 3-credit capstone project typically requires about 150 hours of effort for each student, though again, this varies based on individual factors.

  • Current number of students enrolled in WPI’s VA programs: 22
  • Number of students who graduated in the 2015-2016 academic year: 0

View full course descriptions and learning outcomes

Financial Aid Resources

Currently, there are no Virginia students receiving federal financial aid.  Further, with no graduates from VA programs, there is currently nothing to report with respect to average student indebtedness at graduation.

For new students wishing to explore funding options, WPI provides a comprehensive guide to financial aid found here.

WPI Tuition Information

Students in the program will be responsible only for tuition at the university’s current standard per-credit graduate tuition rate, plus any required or recommended textbooks or supplemental materials.  For the 2016-2017 academic year, this tuition rate is $1408 per credit hour.  The only other expenses that students should be expected to incur are the costs of textbooks and similar supplies required or useful to support their coursework, typically less than $200 for each course. It is also expected that student have access to a computer that can be used to prepare assignments, run course-related software, and participate in online course-delivery tools.

Please visit the WPI Registrar’s website for current tuition details here.

Career Advising

Career advising and development services are provided to all degree-seeking students and alumni through our Career Development Center.  Learn more at the Career Development Center website.

WPI Refund Policy

WPI has a standard refund/withdrawal policy for graduate tuition that is compliant with section 8VAC40-31-160(N) of the Virginia Administrative  Code.  Please note that the refund only applies to tuition expenses and does not apply to textbook or other supplies that may be purchased for a course.

See the WPI Graduate student refund policy here.

Satisfactory Completion of Program

Academic standards and degree requirements are documented in the graduate catalog. In general, students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 throughout their program (Page 16) and must achieve a minimum GPA of 3.00 to graduate (Page 21).  For Systems Engineering (currently the only program offered in VA), the specific degree requirements (shown on Pages 172-3) generally require a minimum of 15 credits of systems engineering coursework, 3 credits of management coursework, and at least 3 credits of capstone project work.

View the full Graduate Catalog

Transferability of Courses

WPI does not distinguish the students, courses, or credentials of the VA location from those offered at the home campus in Worcester, MA (other than to internally label such students and courses for reporting purposes).  All courses and programs delivered at the McLean, VA location are established and approved by WPI faculty in accordance with standards set forth in the university’s faculty handbook, and all courses are taught by faculty and instructors appointed by the WPI Provost and corresponding Department Head.  As a result, credit earned on site in McLean, VA is applicable to any program of study at WPI’s main campus (or online) subject to the “Acceptability of Credit Applicable to an Advanced Degree” (Page 13 of the Graduate Catalog) and any individual degree requirements of the relevant academic program.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute has been granted the authority to award degrees by the Department of Higher Education in their home state of Massachusetts, in accordance with the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.

Complaint Procedure

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the agency of last resort in the grievance process.  Please use this form to submit complaints to SCHEV. (Please see WPI policies above prior to contacting SCHEV.)