Graduate Studies:

Programs & Degrees

Frequently Asked Questions

Admission
Requirements & Application

Financial Aid

Awards and Prizes

Graduate Handbook

Exam Handbooks

RPI Catalog
(Course Descriptions)

Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 Eighth Street, Troy, New York 12180-3590 USA

Telephone:
(518) 276-6310
Fax: (518) 276-6680

For questions about our graduate program, contact our Graduate Student Coordinator, Nicole McQuade.

Course Selection

On entering Graduate School each student is assigned to an academic advisor who is a member of the Department faculty.

Upon arrival, each entering student must consult with the academic advisor and the Graduate Program Committee to agree on a Plan of Study for the degree. The latter should be filed with the Graduate School during the first three weeks of the Fall Semester.

Students with deficient backgrounds may be advised to take certain undergraduate courses. If the advisor feels that such remedial work will delay the student's progress through various requirements (e.g. Qualifying and Candidacy Exams), the student, the advisor, and the GPC will agree on a written schedule to meet these requirements.

Deviations from the Plan of Study must be approved in advance in writing by the Graduate Program Committee in order for the student to remain in good academic standing.

Note that the department will not supply tuition waivers for courses outside of the Plan of Study unless the course is approved in advance in writing by the advisor and Graduate Program Committee and the student’s Plan of Study modified accordingly.