Virginia Tech

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (also known as Virginia Tech or VPI) is one of the most frequently searched universities in America, according to a recent internet keyword search of American colleges.

VPI, established in 1872, is a public research university based in the state of Virginia, with numerous locations throughout the state, and one in Switzerland.

The university currently maintains an enrollment of more than 32,000 undergraduate and post graduate students, throughout all of the school's facilities.

The student faculty ratio at VPI is about 14 to 1.

The college features a medical school, and also has a world renowned ROTC program. In fact, Virginia Tech is one of only six "senior military colleges" in the nation.

Still, VPI is not as hard to get admitted to as some other universities are: About half of this year's accepted freshman class had SAT scores between 1160 and 1340. Roughly 3 out of 4 high school students who apply to VPI are accepted.

above image credit: oneclass.com

Virginia Tech Q&A

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Virginia Tech.

1. Where is Virginia Tech?

The main campus of VPI is located in Blacksburg, but the school also has branch campuses in Abingdon, Falls Church, Newport News, Richmond, Roanoke, and Virginia Beach.

Here is the official physical address of the college's undergraduate admissions office on the main campus:

Virginia Polytechnic Instiute

925 Prices Fork Road

Blacksburg, Virginia

24061

Here is the official physical address of the college's medical school:

Carilion School of Medicine and Research

2 Riverside Circle

Roanoake, Virginia

24016

Shown above: A sunset over the main campus of VPI.

image: desktopbackground.org

2. What is the academic structure of Virginia Tech?

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute consists of the following 10 colleges and schools:

Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Architecture and Urban Studies
College of Engineering
College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
College of Natural Resources and Environment
College of Science
College of Veterinary Medicine
Pamplin College of Business

Here is a list of VPI's research institutes:

Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech
Carilion Research Institute (VTCRI)
Fralin Life Science Institute
Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT)
Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS)
Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment (ISCE)
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI)

3. What courses and programs are offered at Virginia Tech?

VPI offers more than 150 Bachelor degree, Masters degree, Doctoral degree, and professional degree programs in various fields of study.

Here is an alphabetical list of the undergraduate degree majors at VPI:

Accounting and Information Systems
Aerospace Engineering
Agribusiness
Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural Technology
Animal and Poultry Sciences
Applied Economic Management
Architecture
Art History
Biochemistry
Biological Sciences
Biological Systems Engineering
Building Construction
Business
Business Information Technology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Cinema
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Classical Studies
Clinical Neuroscience
Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
Communication Studies
Computational and Systems Neuroscience
Computational Modeling and Data Analytics
Computer Engineering
Computer Science
Construction Engineering and Management
Consumer Studies
Creative Technologies
Creative Writing
Criminology
Crop and Soil Sciences
Dairy Science
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Science and Mechanics
English
Environmental Horticulture
Environmental Informatics
Environmental Policy and Planning
Environmental Resources Management
Environmental Science
Experimental Neuroscience
Family and Consumer Sciences
Fashion Merchandising and Design
Finance
Fish Conservation
Food Science and Technology
Forestry
French
Geography
Geosciences
German
History
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Human Development
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Industrial Design
Interior Design
International Public Policy
International Relations
International Studies
Landscape Architecture
Landscape Horticulture and Design
Liberal Arts
Life Sciences
Literature and Language
Management
Marketing
Materials Science and Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Meteorology
Microbiology
Mining Engineering
Multimedia Journalism
Music
Nanoscience
National Security and Foreign Affairs
Natural Resources Conservation
Neuroscience
Ocean Engineering
Packaging Systems and Design
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Professional and Technical Writing
Property Management
Psychology
Public and Urban Affairs
Public Relations
Real Estate
Religion and Culture
Residential Environments and Deisgn
Russian
Sociology
Spanish
Statistics
Studio Art
Sustainable Biomaterials
Systems Biology
Theatre Arts
Technology
University Studies
Urban Studies
Visual Communication Design
Water Resources, Policy, and Management
Wildlife Conservation

VPI also features numerous graduate and professional programs. These include most of the ones mentioned above, plus many more. Here is a list of areas of interest for full time or part time graduate studies at V-Tech:

Architecture
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Computer Science
Education
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Government and International Affairs
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Information Technology
Landscape Architecture
Marriage and Family Therapy
Natural Resources
Nuclear Engineering
Public Administration and Policy
Science and Technology Studies in Society
Urban Affairs and Planning

Here's a more specific list of graduate study programs available:

Aerospace Engineering
Agricultural and Applied Economics
Agricultural and Life Sciences
Agriculture Leadership and Community Education
Animal and Poultry Sciences
Architecture
Art History
Biochemistry
Biological Sciences
Biological Systems Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Technology Development and Management
Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences
Building Construction Science and Management
Business, Accounting, and Information Systems
Business Administration
Business Finance
Business Information Technology
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Communication
Computer Engineering
Computer Science and Applications
Creative Technologies
Creative Writing
Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
Dairy Science
Education (Career and Technical; Counselor; Curriculum and Instruction; Higher; Leadership and Policy Studies)
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Mechanics
English
Entomology
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Sciences and Engineering
Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
Food Science and Technology
Foreign Languages, Cultures, and Literatures
Forest Products
Forestry
Geography
Geosciences
Government and International Affairs
History
Horticulture
Hospitality and Tourism Management
Human Development and Family Science
Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
Industrial Systems Engineering
Information Technology
Landscape Architecture
Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Material Culture and Public Humanities
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Mining Engineering
Natural Resources
Nuclear Engineering
Ocean Engineering
Philosophy
Physics
Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science
Political Science
Psychology
Public Administration and Public Affairs
Public Health
Science and Technology Studies
Sociology
Statistics
Theatre Arts
Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health
Urban and Regional Planning

Go here to see a full list of PhD Programs at Virginia Tech.

Above: The Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Virginia.

image: wvtf.org

Above: Burruss Hall, VPI's main campus landmark. Notice the convenient public bus service.

image: ivanmorozov.com

Above: The War Memorial at Virginia Tech.

image: techsideline.com

4. How much does it cost to attend Virginia Tech?

According to the school website, the current estimated cost of tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year at VPI is

For undergraduate students and incoming freshmen:

$13,620 per year (or $475 per hour) for residents of the state of Virginia
$31,908 per year (or $1,212 per hour) for out-of-state enrollments.

For graduate students, the cost of tuition at VPI is:

$740 per credit hour for residents of the state of Virginia
$1,490 per credit hour for out-of-state enrollments.

The above costs do not include room and board, which comes to approximately $9,000 per school year. Freshmen at Virginia Tech are required to live on campus.

Additional fees may also apply. These may include application fees, registration fees, activity fees, lab fees, course fees, technology fees, insurance fees, and parking fees, to name a few.

Financial aid may be available to students who apply for it by completing and submitting the FAFSA form. Financial aid at VPI may consist of grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs, or any combination of these.

Above: Renovated residence halls in the upper quad of campus. These are normally used as barracks for the cadets.

image: clarknexsen.com

5. What is the Virginia Tech campus like?

The main campus in Blacksburg spans about 2,600 acres in a "college town" atmosphere.

At the center of the campus is a large green oval called the Drill Field.

Many of the buildings on campus are constructed using "Hokie" stone, a type of limestone found in western Virginia.

Campus landmarks and attractions include Burruss Hall, the Newman Library, the Perspective Gallery, and the Museum of Geosciences, among others.

Student housing is available, both on and off campus. There are nearly 30 on-campus residence halls to choose from.

A convenient public bus system shuttles students around campus, and around town.

A short distance northeast of campus is Main Street, featuring all the conveniences one might expect a "Main Street" to have. Located just northwest of the campus is the University Mall.

The school colors are Chicago maroon and burnt orange. The student varsity athletes at VPI are known as the Hokies. They play for the NCAA Division I - Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Intercollegiate sports for men and women at VPI include

Baseball
Basketball
Cheerleading
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Swimming / Diving
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Wrestling

Intramural sports include most of the ones listed above, as well as cycling, dance, handball, ice hockey, and rowing, among others.

In addition to sports, the campus is home to a great many non athletic clubs and organizations. These include academic clubs, arts clubs, drama clubs, language clubs, music groups, science clubs, multi cultural clubs, community service associations, and more.