Graduate Admissions

How to Apply

Applications from domestic and international students are accepted for fall and spring enrollment. The admission application is used to request financial aid, and no separate form is required. The largest number of applications for admission and aid are received for the fall semester. Students applying for fall or summer should submit a complete application package no later than December 15 (PhD applicants) or March 1 (MS applicants) and prior to August 15 for spring. Please note that all supporting documentation must be sent or uploaded directly to the admissions office, not to the department.

A complete application package contains the following:

Online application (Apply Now)
A well-written statement of background and goals
Unofficial* transcripts from all colleges attended with official English translations (if necessary); documentation showing award of degree
At least two letters of recommendation (preferably from faculty)
Resume or curriculum vitae (be sure to list all publications and presentations)
$75 application fee (not required for RPI students and alums)
(International Students Only) Unofficial* TOEFL or IELTS scores that are fewer than two years old. The TOEFL may be waived if the applicant has completed a degree program at a U.S. university within two years of the application deadline.
(Optional) Unofficial GRE scores that are fewer than five years old

*Official version of these documents will be required if you are admitted and choose to enroll.

Tips for Completing the Application

It is important that all students identify a specific area of concentration within the degree on the admission application. It is also important for the applicant to spend time researching the faculty associated with each area to determine interest and fit. This helps in matching a student with the appropriate faculty and available funding opportunities. Students should further address their specific interests in the statement of background and goals. The six broad areas of research are:

Please see our complete list of faculty.

The statement of background and goals (also called the "personal statement") is very important, and applicants should take their time with it. Ideally, the document should be no more than one to two pages in length and should detail the students' motivations for pursuing graduate school, research interests, future goals and any other information that supports the application. Spelling and grammar do count! This document would also be the place to discuss any anomalies in the application.

A resume or CV containing up-to-date contact information is required. Be sure to include all publications and presentations.

Letters of recommendation should be from faculty who know the applicant well and can speak to their potential as a graduate student. Letters from employers (co-ops or professional positions) are allowed, but they should be relevant to the intended program of study. For applicants who recently completed a master's degree or are currently master's students, it is expected that one letter of recommendation will come from the master's degree advisor.

Admission

Students often want to know their chances of being admitted and awarded aid. Applications that are complete by the deadline are considered first for admission and financial aid. Applications that become complete after the deadline will be considered for admission and any aid that may still be available. Each file is read carefully, and the admissions committee is looking for students who are academically well-prepared to pursue graduate study and whose research interests most closely match those of our faculty. It is very important that students identify an area of specialization or concentration within the degree.

Applications are encouraged from students whose undergraduate record reflects an overall grade point average of 3.3 or higher from a school comparable to RPI and are strongly encouraged from those who already possess a master's degree and wish to pursue the PhD.

All students will be notified via email when an admissions decision has been made.

If a student elects not to accept admission (either with or without aid) the first time it is offered, there is no guarantee that admission and/or aid will be awarded in a future semester. Typically, we do not defer admission with aid to a future semester except in rare cases. Applicants who wish to defer to a future semester must contact Graduate Admissions via email directly. Applicants may be expected to re-apply and supply additional documentation.

Financial Aid

Financial aid for doctoral students is available in the form of teaching assistantships (TA), research assistantships (RA) and graduate fellowships. These are awarded to top applicants who are interested in pursuing the PhD degree and are a good match with our research and our faculty. The largest number of financial aid awards are made to those starting in the fall semester, but TA and RA awards may also be made in the spring as they become available. It is important to note that financial aid is given only to full-time students and is based on previous academic performance, not on need. Students must have a minimum 3.3 GPA to be eligible for TA consideration. Almost all ECSE PhD students in good standing receive financial support (stipend and tuition) throughout their doctoral study.

The amount of financial aid for PhD students can vary depending on the type of award, but all are full awards. TAs and RAs are awarded on an academic year basis and include a stipend and full tuition for fall and spring. TAs and RAs are expected to work up to 20 hours per week. The stipends for fellowship winners can vary widely depending on the fellowship but usually include a stipend and full tuition.

MS applicants are considered for merit-based tuition scholarships.

Students who enroll without aid may apply for support in future semesters but should be aware that funding opportunities are extremely limited and in no way guaranteed. They should plan to finance their entire education on their own. International students who are admitted without aid must provide official bank documents showing they have enough funds to support their educational expenses (tuition, books, fees and personal living expenses) before an I-20 can be issued.

Students who are awarded financial aid with their admission can expect to continue receiving aid in some form, provided they meet all the department and RPI guidelines for continuing aid and based on the availability of funding. Decisions on applications requesting aid consideration will be made after the application deadline so that all applications that are complete as of the deadline will compete as a group for whatever aid is available. Students who apply for aid will be notified by email as the decisions are made. Students may be informed the aid decision is pending and may remain pending until all potential for aid is exhausted.

There is no final deadline date for notification of aid awards. RPI and the ECSE department abide by the April 15 deadline for a response by the student on all first-round aid awards for fall admission. Awards made after April 15 will have a deadline response date set by the department.

Graduate Admissions FAQs

What is the application deadline?

The application deadline for fall admission is December 15 for the PhD program and March 1 for the master's program. The deadline for spring admission is August 15. Applications are reviewed by the ECSE Admissions Committee on a rolling basis, but an application will not be reviewed until it is complete.

Applications submitted or completed after the deadline will be reviewed as long as space is still available in the program but will not receive priority for financial aid .

How do I apply for financial aid?

There is no separate application for financial aid. The application for admission includes a section that allows you to indicate your desire for financial aid and your preference for the type of aid you seek. Financial aid is available in the form of teaching assistantships (TA), research assistantships (RA), and Rensselaer Graduate Fellowships (RGF). Financial aid offers are merit-based and are extended to the strongest applicants. For non-RPI aid, such as external fellowships and federal student loans, please contact the institution offering the aid to apply. For example, if you wish to apply for federal student loans (available to US citizens and permanent residents), go to studentaid.gov. The Office of Graduate Education also maintains information on external fellowships.

Teaching Assistantships

For incoming students, the teaching assistantship is the most common form of aid. The department deems this role a very important one. It is invaluable preparation for any career, for the departmental qualifying examination, and for mastering subject matter. The teaching assistantship consists of a stipend and full tuition.

Research Assistantships

Research assistantships, another form of aid available to many of our graduate students, include a stipend and cover the full cost of tuition. The availability of research assistantships depends upon the research needs of individual professors' research programs. It is governed by contract requirements. Research assistantships are normally extended for the academic year, and in many cases, summer support is also available. It is expected that during the course of the PhD, students admitted with a TA will eventually transition to an RA with their doctoral research advisor.

Fellowships

The admissions committee will automatically consider applicants for the Rensselaer Graduate Fellowships, which are funded by the Institute. Students are encouraged to seek their own external fellowship funding as well.

How do I keep my financial aid?

The continuation of your award is contingent upon your successful academic performance and the quality of your teaching or research work. Graduate students at RPI are expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Is summer support available?

The majority of our students are supported via research or teaching assistantships, summer internships, or employment outside of RPI during the summer.

If I wish to pursue a PhD but do not hold a master’s degree, can I apply directly to the PhD program or would I need to apply for the master’s program first?

You may apply directly to the PhD program if you hold a bachelor’s degree. If you are interested in earning both the MS and the PhD within our program, you should apply for the PhD program. Do not indicate MS on your application form. You will have the opportunity to add the master’s degree once you are enrolled as a student.

My undergraduate program was abroad and I am uncertain if it is equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree. How would I assess this?

If an applicant is uncertain of the US bachelor’s degree equivalency of their degree, they may obtain an academic credential evaluation from a US-based credential evaluation agency (e.g., WES.org).

Is there a minimum GRE requirement?

There isn’t an official minimum GRE requirement or cut-off. Applications are reviewed and considered in their entirety.

Strong scores and grades do not guarantee admission. Applicants must also demonstrate research potential.
An application is reviewed holistically. Having research experience, published work, and presentation experience strengthens an application and should be indicated on the resume that is uploaded with your application. These are a few factors that make your application very attractive and can make up for what may appear as less than desirable grades. Often what distinguishes admitted applicants from other highly qualified applicants is their research accomplishments. Applicants should be sure to include on their resume all published papers and all presentations given in workshops and at conferences.

At present, applicants are not required to submit GRE scores. Submitting them is optional.

Is there a minimum TOEFL requirement?

The TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The minimum scores for these tests are set by Graduate Admissions:

TOEFL score of 88 iBT
IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5
Duolingo score of 120
PTE score of 59

Can I visit the department?

Yes. In fact, we encourage you to visit our campus! Please contact our graduate program administrator Dr. Melanie Ungar at ungarm2@rpi.edu to coordinate a visit. She will see to it that you are able to meet with faculty who work within your area of research interest(s), in addition to meeting current students. Regional information, maps, and directions can be found on the Office of Graduate Admissions' website.

Contact Us

For more information, please send an email to: ecse-admissions@rpi.edu or book an appointment with our graduate program administrator Dr. Melanie Ungar.

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