Special Interest Programs

At GW, first-year applicants can choose to expand their academic pursuits through our special interest programs across a variety of interests. Many of the programs offer co-curricular experiences, specialized coursework, and residential housing options, in which students with similar interests live together in communities. All programs are fully integrated into each student’s general curriculum and major requirements.

Living-Learning Communities have a residential component, where students live together on the Mount Vernon campus during their first year at the university. GW's University Honors Program and Women's Leadership Program offer continued opportunities for students beyond the first year.

Fall first-year applicants may apply for these programs during the overall application process to GW on the Common Application. Students may only apply to one residential living-learning community (Civic House, Politics & Values, University Honors, or Women's Leadership). Applicants to the B.A./M.D. program must apply Regular Decision to GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

Learn more about these programs in the drop-down and the video below.

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B.A./M.D.

A joint program between GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Seven-Year B.A./M.D. Program is designed for students who have decided to become physicians and want to accomplish that goal in a shorter amount of time than a traditional program of study usually requires. U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, and Canadian citizens may be considered for admission to the program.

During the first three years of the program, a student must meet all general curriculum requirements and complete a major in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Progress is reviewed annually by a special faculty committee. In the fourth year, students enroll in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and begin formal medical training.

How to Apply

The deadline to apply to the program is November 15. Students applying to this program must apply as Regular Decision candidates to GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences; due to the timing of the interview process, students are not eligible to apply for Early Decision admission. An SAT or ACT examination is also required of B.A./M.D. applicants.

To apply to GW's B.A./M.D. program on Common App:

Select Regular Decision. Choose Columbian College of Arts and Sciences as your primary college.
Submit your ACT or SAT score directly from the testing service to George Washington University Undergraduate Admissions (do NOT send any scores to the George Washington University MD Program). Our College Board code is 5246 and our ACT code is 0664.

Applicants who are not accepted to the B.A./M.D. program will be considered for admission to GW and merit scholarships under Regular Decision.

B.A./M.D. applicants may also apply to the University Honors Program but will only be considered for Honors if they are not admitted to B.A./M.D.

Learn More

Note that this video was filmed in 2021 and some program details have changed or were in limbo due to COVID-19. The text above reflects the requirements for the current cycle, and our office can clarify any remaining questions.

Cisneros Scholars

Cisneros Scholars is a rich and immersive program that supports the Latino community through university participation, community involvement, and academic achievement. Throughout their undergraduate career, students participate in an innovative leadership development program that includes financial, academic, and social support. The Cisneros Institute supports Cisneros Scholars beyond college to ensure paid internships and exposure to mentors and career coaches in the private and public sectors. Cisneros Scholar cohorts are typically tight-knit groups that also participate as summer counselors and mentors for the Caminos al Futuro summer program for rising high school seniors.

How to Apply

Students apply for the Cisneros Scholars program on the Common Application. Once you select Cisneros Scholars on the GW member screen, a required essay question will appear under the Supplement (the regular GW Supplement remains optional, however).

Civic House (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The Civic House Academic Residential Community (ARC) is a selective first-year program for students interested in becoming active citizens engaged in their communities. The three core values of Civic House are live, learn, and serve. Students work with nonprofit organizations across the city through their service-learning coursework in University Writing 1020 and a number of service projects during the academic year.

The Mount Vernon Campus is home to several innovative living and learning communities for students who want to combine a small-college experience with the resources and opportunities available at a major university. If you value the opportunity for individual expression and exploration, Mount Vernon is the place for you. Programs at Mount Vernon provide guided academic opportunities for students who want to collaborate with other students, faculty, and post-doctoral fellows on a variety of exciting cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary themes and projects and who eventually want to chart their own path with individual research projects and other challenges. Mount Vernon also provides special programs for residents, from cultural events to excursions.

How to Apply

Students apply for Civic House on the Common Application.

Corcoran Scholars

The George Washington University's Corcoran Scholars program engages talented students across many disciplines who are driven by challenging academic and artistic growth. Located in the heart of Washington, D.C., GW offers a vibrant community of practitioners and supporters of the arts.

Corcoran Scholars are supported in their artistic pursuits as they explore a diversity of practices and interpretations across disciplines, gaining a deeper understanding of the creative process and its place in a greater cultural context. Scholarships are renewable for up to 10 consecutive semesters of undergraduate study, assuming continuous full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress.

Eligibility

Each year, an exceptional group of first-year students joins the Corcoran Scholars program. Recipients must either major or minor in their arts discipline, depending upon the academic program.

Dance, Music, and Theater: Priority consideration is given to students wishing to major in these areas; however, those intending to minor may apply.

Art & Design: Students must major in Fine Art, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Interior Architecture, or Photojournalism.

How to Apply

To apply to the Corcoran Scholars program, students must submit an application for admission to GW via the Common Application and submit an audition application or a portfolio via Slideroom. Applications for Corcoran Scholars are due by January 5. Students applying Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2, and Regular Decision may apply. Candidates will be notified of their Corcoran Scholars decision in late March.

To learn more about Corcoran Scholars and to see audition and portfolio guidelines, visit the Corcoran Scholars webpage.

If you have questions about Corcoran Scholars, please contact Carol Lee Conchar at [email protected].

Politics & Values Program (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

In the Politics & Values community, a select group of students has the opportunity to explore relationships between individual citizens, society, politics, and values, while living and studying together in an intensive year-long course. The course covers Political Theory, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Relations – all at an accelerated pace, with each field studied in great depth.

How to Apply

Students apply for Politics & Values on the Common Application.

University Honors Program (Four-Year Program; First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The University Honors Program (UHP) is a diverse community of scholars across all GW schools & colleges who are intellectually and socially engaged with each other and their faculty members. UHP students live together in West Hall on the Mount Vernon campus during their first year and, in later years, have the option to live in an Honors community on the Foggy Bottom campus. Our distinctive curriculum promotes a broad liberal education that encourages students both to probe the most foundational questions of humanity and to apply their understanding to complex problems of the world today. Students enhance their coursework with research and other experiential opportunities and work with our faculty and staff to achieve intellectual and personal development throughout their undergraduate years.

How to Apply

Applicants must indicate their intent to apply to UHP on the Common Application. Once you select Honors on the GW member screen, two required essay questions will appear under the Supplement (the regular GW Supplement remains optional, however). Please answer the related essay questions in 500 words or less.

1. With small classes and a dedicated faculty, the University Honors Program (UHP) embraces the ideals of a liberal arts education. Within the UHP, students take classes in many different academic fields (philosophy, science, history, art, social science, etc.) and hone their critical thinking skills. Explain why, as a member of the UHP, you would value the opportunity to engage with topics outside your major field(s) of study.

2. The UHP represents a community of scholars at GW. First-year UHP students live and take classes together on the Mount Vernon Campus. Upper-level UHP students remain connected to our community for the remainder of their time at GW through courses, faculty mentoring, advising, research, an optional Foggy Bottom housing opportunity, and our many co-curricular/social activities. How do you see yourself contributing to and/or benefiting from this community as a member of the UHP?

Women's Leadership Program (First-Year Living-Learning Community)

The Elizabeth J. Somers Women's Leadership Program (WLP) is a selective, year-long, living and learning program for first-year women of any school at GW. They offer 4 cohorts to which a student may apply:

Offered exclusively at the Mount Vernon Campus, WLP students live together in Somers Hall with a graduate teaching assistant who serves as a mentor and academic resource. The program offers development in women's leadership through academic courses, weekly symposia, workshops, and special lectures.

How to Apply

Applicants must indicate their interest in the WLP and select a cohort on the Common Application.