Here in the School of Science, we discover answers to humanity's most compelling questions, define new fields of study, and invent solutions to global challenges. Moving seamlessly across disciplinary boundaries, we bring together the best of all fields in order to advance the cause of science.

Rensselaer Students working at a microscope

You are in control.

Our undergraduate degree programs include many electives so you can tailor a curriculum to meet your interests and talents. This flexibility provides an opportunity to explore dual-major degrees, accelerated programs, or begin your graduate work with a co-terminal degree.

Introducing—The Advising Hub

 
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Information Technology and Web Science

Launch into any profession with a foundation in Information Age technology. The Information Technology and Web Science program combines mastery of data, web, and information technologies with an academic discipline of your choice.

 
Renssealer The Arch

Summer Here. The World Away.

The Arch shuffles the academic calendar to pack more experience into your education. Spend a unique summer semester on campus, then take the fall or spring semester of junior year to pursue professional or personal development opportunities.

 

 

Rensselaer has long been noted for its "low walls" - There are no rigid divisions across departments and schools.

Academic Opportunities within the School of Science

Announcements

The School of Science is excited to announce our 2023 Commencement Brunch for all of our School of Science graduates, both undergrad and graduate school! The brunch will be Friday, May 19th from 10:30 am - 1:00 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy. Students and their families will be seated with their department and surrounded by faculty and other graduates. Attendees can also expect a brief welcome from the School of Science Dean, Curt Breneman, followed by our departmental award ceremony.

The School of Science Advising Hub (The Hub) is a resource for School of Science students during their time at RPI and is a resource for all advising purposes. Staffed by experienced advisors, The Hub assists students in achieving their academic goals.

Department News

When a star goes supernova, a massive burst of neutrinos is the first signal that can escape the density of the collapsing star. Detecting and analyzing this phenomenon in real time would allow us insight into stellar dynamics and, potentially, black hole formation. Detection of these types of signals from modern physics detectors is notoriously hard and presents computational challenges that push the bounds of modern and next-generation computing. Transmitting and analyzing the data from the massive particle physics detectors to the next generation of extreme-scale computing will require detailed modeling of the networking, hardware, and leadership class computing systems. These models will allow researchers to find and optimize the computing pathways, configurations, and infrastructure topologies so that they can handle these massive data loads.

We are all aware of the dangers of pollution to our air, water, and earth. In a letter recently published in Nature Human Behavior, scientists are advocating for the recognition and mitigation of another type of environmental pollution that poses equivalent personal and societal dangers: information overload.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s James Hendler, Ph.D., was honored with the Semantic Web Science Association Service Award at the 22nd International Semantic Web Conference. Hendler was recognized for playing a founding role in creating the field, his support for the community, and for his contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially in supporting the advancement of women in the community. The award is the highest in the Semantic Web community.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Deborah McGuinness, Ph.D., has been elected a fellow of the ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, “for contributions to knowledge technologies including ontologies and knowledge graphs.” McGuinness is one of 68 fellows selected by her peers to receive the honor for transformative contributions to computing science and technology.

Jian Shi, Ph.D., associate professor in both the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), has been selected for the Simons Foundation's Pivot Fellowship. 

Contact Information

School of Science

Jonsson-Rowland Science Center
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 Eighth Street, Troy, NY 12180-3590
(518) 276-6305

School of Science Advising Hub
Empire State Hall 1107 (Polymer Center)
(518) 276-8079
scienceHUB@rpi.edu