Resources for students transferring to Virginia Tech
We are so excited that you are considering transferring to the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. While the individual departments do not participate in the admissions decision-making process, on your road to joining the Computer Science Department there are resources and information to help you prepare for the transition, get acclimated, and succeed!
The Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Admissions team that supports students at all stages of your journey as a prospective student. In addition to other duties, there are specific admissions counselors assigned to work with prospective transfer students. They are specific to different “territories” in the US. The current cadre of counselors specific to transfer students is included below. Please note that counselors may be suggest to change and you are encouraged to visit the main staff listing linked above.
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions provides Transfer Roadmaps to use as a planning tool for prospective transfer students. A key component of creating a competitive transfer application to Virginia Tech is having successfully completed certain coursework prior to admission, as to demonstrate your ability to jump right into your intended program and perform at a high level. The current CS Transfer Roadmap is linked here. New roadmaps are added in late May/early June each year.
Students are highly encouraged to review the roadmap and adhere as closely as possible to the course listing. If admitted to Virginia Tech, this greatly assists in course evaluations, course sequencing and registration.
The transfer guide is structured to be as easy to use as possible. When reviewing the guide, you'll find a great deal of information, including data on the Virginia State Policy on Transfer and current articulation agreement, course equivalencies, and general information about being a student including housing, student life and campus security at Virginia Tech.
The transfer guide includes information specific to AP, IB, Military, CLEP, Cambridge, Virginia Community College System, Richard Bland credits, as well as as the Transfer Equivalency Database. This is where students can research transfer credits to see if they have been previously accepted at Virginia Tech and, if so, what Virginia Tech course credit was awarded.
The College of Engineering Dean's Office of Academic Affairs also provides support to prospective transfer students through Ryan Wagoner, Director of Transfer Services. Ryan is responsible for the review, evaluation, articulation, and processing of transfer credit for new, continuing, and returning students. He provides assistance and serves as a resource for students, parents, staff, and faculty to interpret and apply university, state, and federal policies as they relate to transfer credit. Further, he supports the College of Engineering and external, partner academic institutions with dual degree agreements, as well as oversight and management of involvement to Academic Affairs with international programs for undergraduate engineering students.
Ryan is a great resource and can answer many of your questions about transfer credits and their applicability at Virginia Tech.
The Office of Academic Advising Initiatives (AAI) guides and supports academic advising at Virginia Tech. Through Hokie Corner, AAI offers flexible options for prospective students to connect through the Hokie Corner Program! View more below and find the way to connect, in-person or virtually, that best fits your needs and schedule.
New to CS@VT: What To Expect
The transition from community colleges or other four-year institutions can be exciting, but also challenging. At CS@VT, we have a comprehensive process for welcoming and onboarding our new transfer students. This, in collaboration with the College of Engineering, provides each student with individualized orientation advising, registration, and support for a successful transition.
Orientation at Virginia Tech is a hybrid program that combines virtual experiences and in-person events for new Hokies to engage in a variety of ways. Virtual orientation helps new Hokies learn about academics, support services, policies, and next steps in their transition to Virginia Tech.
Once admitted, students will complete this orientation in addition to the orientation requirements for the College of Engineering and the Department of Computer Science.
College of Engineering Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Keith Thompson, and Director Advising Dr. Marlena Lester welcome students at the COE Overview session. This is mandatory for all new students. The COE session will feature details about the college, academic expectations specific for engineering, policies, and procedures, campus resources and support, and much more! Advance registration will not be required for any of these sessions. Students only need to attend one of these virtual dates live or watch the recording.
In addition to this session, COE will offer additional optional information session about academic, student life and success at Virginia Tech.
Before your one-on-one meeting with a Computer Science Professional Academic Advisor, you will attend an Overview of Computer Science information session specifically for new transfer students. More information about what and when will be provided in your welcome email.
While you are waiting for your orientation session, advising and registration, there are a number of tasks you can complete to make your transition easier. The College of Engineering has compiled these tasks into a handy checklist. These tasks include setting up your VT email, getting your VT ID number and lots of other tasks to get your time at Virginia Tech started off right.
All Engineering students need a minimum level of hardware to be able to successfully use required software programs. Instructors count on students having a standard level of technology available in the classroom. Students who cannot meet these requirements will be at a disadvantage. Much like course prerequisites ensure a common level of knowledge among students, a computing requirement ensures a common level of technology.
To help students find the right computer and software, comprehensive technology requirements are outlined on the Computer Requirements page.
If you need more immediate assistance, please email our Instructional Technology Office or call 540-231-9076.
Students curious about the possible applicabilty of transfer courses they plan to bring to Virginia Tech are encouraged to complete a self-evaulation. A detailed guide for how to review credis and how they may apply at Virginia Tech is provided by the College of Engineering.
Engineering Orientation: Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration - Summer/Fall 2025
Virtual academic advising and course registration is a series of modules, events, and meetings designed to support you as you transition to college and is required for all new engineering students. This experience is in addition to the University First-Year and Transfer Fall Orientation. An outline of the process is here. If you have questions about Engineering Orientation, email Dr. Marlena Lester, Director of Advising (marlenal@vt.edu).
Engineering Orientation Timeline:
- May 6: Receive the College of Engineering Orientation Welcome email
- May 6 - June 11: Complete the engineering orientation checklist items.
- June 6: Receive the Virtual Academic Advising and Course Registration email
- June 11 - July 25: Attend mandatory virtual academic advising for your major, dates vary by major (this can be done after you begin registering for courses)
- June 11 - August 29 : Register for fall courses (this will be an ongoing process throughout the summer and can begin prior to meeting with an academic advisor)
- June 11 - July 25: Attend one of the mandatory virtual COE overview sessions (schedule below)
- June 11 - July 25: Attend optional virtual COE Q&A sessions (schedule below)
CS@VT: Your First Semester and Beyond
Navigating larger classes, a large and bustling campus, and more demanding coursework require support. According to our Transfer Advising Guru, Tonisha Montgomery, taking advantage of university resources and reaching out to advisors are integral parts of a positive experience as a transfer student. Below is a sampling of the resources available to support you! To see a comprehensive list of University Resources, click here.
Our team of Computer Science Professional Academic Advisors are ready to welcome you and help you get acclimated to your new academic home. Students will hear from us about the CS Department, with one-on-one with a CS advisor, and have support each step of the way from the first semester to the graduating semester.
The College of Engineering Office of Academic Affairs supports Departments and students across the College including questions about changing your major, transferring credits, orientation, absence verifications, academic relief and much more.
Gilbert Place Suite 3309
220 Gilbert Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061
coeacademicdean@vt.edu or Academic Affairs contacts
540-231-3244
Samantha Wilhelmi, M.S.W., is the embedded counselor with the College of Engineering. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Samantha is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a background working in community mental health, private practice and higher education.
Samantha enjoys working with college students and recognizes the unique challenges that students often face in this stage of life. She has experience working with a variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, adjustment issues, substance use, trauma, LGBTQ+ and relationship issues. Her approach to counseling is influenced by humanistic and interpersonal therapies. She also incorporates aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, positive psychology approaches and is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). As an embedded counselor, Samantha is available to any engineering student who might be interested in counseling. She is also available to faculty and staff for consultation, outreach and training related to student mental health and well-being.
Samantha can be contacted:
Email: samanthaw22@vt.edu*
Phone: 540-231-6557
*Email is not a secure form of communication and confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
Please keep this in mind when deciding whether to send personal information through email.*
The Hokie Wellness team offers a variety of educational services and works to provide programming and resources which will enhance health and well-being by focusing on the physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and financial well-being of all Hokies.
Hokie Wellness has many different health and wellness resources available to help you live your best life at Virginia Tech. Explore information about individual topics, or help us guide you to the right resource on campus.
Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) strives to create an accessible and inclusive campus community. We collaborate with campus partners to remove barriers and meet the individualized access needs of disabled students in the learning, living, and dining environments. SSD supports success through the promotion of student learning and the development of advocacy skills.
The following broad categories represent common accommodations supported at Virginia Tech. These are not exhaustive. To request accommodations, please follow the instructions on the How to Connect page.
Examples
Students going through the interactive process will work with an access team advisor to pinpoint disability related barriers and accommodations to remove them. As stated above, the categories below are not exhaustive. They describe in broad terms the most common accommodations that we support.
Please note: this is not a menu of accommodations students can choose from. It is provided for informational purposes only. Instructors are invited to reach out to us if they need guidance on how an accommodation might be implemented in their course. Likewise, students are welcome to reach out to their access team advisor if they are unsure if or how an accommodation might apply to a particular course.
VT Engage is Virginia Tech's center for service learning, leadership education, & civic engagement. There are many opportunities for students to build community, hone their leadership skills and serve through VT Engage. Students are encouraged to see all that VT Engage has to offer through their student programs.
Are you a current Virginia Tech Student planning to change or add a major/dual degree in Computer Science, Data Centric Computing or Secure Computing? Your process to becoming a CS student is different. Hop over to the Join Computer Science page for more information.