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Academic Planning

Accordion

Academic Requirements

Professional Development 2 Courses

All courses which satisfy the Professional Development II Requirement that are offered in:

New Course and Topic Course Descriptions

This section includes course descriptions for courses which are not yet included in the Rensselaer Catalog. They include courses which may only be offered for a few semesters, those being tested by a department to deterine if they want to offer it on a continuing basis, as well as courses which have not completely transitioned to the catalog.

NOTE: You can also access these descriptions through SIS Class Search. After doing a Class Search, click on the CRN, and for Topics Courses, a complete description will be displayed.

Communication Intensive (CI) Requirement

Every undergraduate student who entered as a freshman in Fall 2006 or later, or transfer student who entered Fall 2008 and later, is required to successfully complete at least 2 communication intensive courses (chosen from the approved list) as part of the requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree.

  • at least one of these must be in the student's major, and
  • at least one of the courses must be writing intensive and taught in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. (Courses taught by the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social sciences are noted on the list)
  • Communication Intensive courses CANNOT be taken as Pass/No Credit (effective for students who enter Fall 2010 or later)

COMMUNICATION INTENSIVE COURSES BEING OFFERED IN Spring 2024
 

Notes:

  1. Students pursuing a dual major or double degree only need to complete 1 Communication Intensive course in either of their majors in addition to the 1 course taught by the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
  2. Students entering as freshmen may not use AP credit, SAT scores or transfer credit from another university to satisfy the communication intensive requirement.
  3. Transfer students may be eligible to satisfy the Communication Intensive requirement through courses taken at another institution. To determine if your prior coursework will satisfy the requirement, contact the HA&SS Director of Student Services, Sage 5208.
  4. All courses approved as Communication Intensive include a "writing intensive" component.

Transfer students who entered prior to Fall 2008 must meet the Writing Intensive Requirement

HASS Inquiry Course Requirement

HASS Inquiry courses are designed to give you the opportunity for meaningful interaction with your instructors through seminar-style discussion sections, Community Read discussions, and forums for dialogue and debate. Many HASS Inquiry courses act as introductory courses to the Integrative Pathways. The HASS Inquiry courses are a required component of your HASS Core curriculum. 

HASS INQUIRY COURSES BEING OFFERED IN Spring 2024
 

Proposing a CI Course

Faculty who want to have a course designated communication intensive should submit a proposal to any member of the CI review committee listed below. The proposal should include the following. 1) a brief memo giving the title of the course, the course description in the Catalog, and the first semester in which the course would be offered as a communication intensive course; and 2) a course syllabus showing how the course has the characteristics identified below.

Characteristics of CI Courses

The Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee has identified the following characteristics as being essential for all CI courses.

  • Students complete at least at least two formal assignments; three or more are preferable. Successive drafts of a longer assignment, such as a design report or undergraduate thesis, may count as separate assignments. However, note taking, daily logs, or journals do not count as formal assignments.
  • Over the course of a semester, each student is required to compose, at a minimum, the equivalent of 15 pages (typed, double-spaced) of writing done outside class. In determining the extent to which an oral presentation meets this requirement, one rule of thumb is that it can take speakers approximately two minutes to present the amount of information contained on one page of typed text. (This assumes that the lines of type are double-spaced.)
  • Each student is assessed on his or her ability to communicate orally and/or in writing. For group projects, assessment of individual students might entail such strategies as the following: assigning grades to each individual for his or her part in an oral presentation; basing individual grades for a lengthy report not only on the overall quality of the report but on each individual?s work on a section for which he or she is the principal author; asking students to write an explanation of how their portion of the group project displays communicative competencies listed below.
  • Grades on formal assignments count for at least 25% of the final grade for the course.
  • Grades on the formal assignments reflect students? ability to communicate effectively as well as their understanding of course content. Invariably, instructors will want to use formal assignments to assess students? understanding of course content. But a substantial portion of the grade for each final assignment should reflect students? ability to display communicative competencies listed below.

Communicative Competencies

Rensselaer graduates must be able to communicate effectively in a variety of media (written, spoken, visual, electronic) and in a variety of genres (reports, proposals, etc.) Whatever the medium and genre, Rensselaer students should be able to:

Understand the context in which they are communicating,

  • Identifying the goals of and audience for their communication
  • Using their understanding of goals and audience to choose appropriate media, language, and content

Organize their work,

  • Establishing a clear structure or principle of organization
  • Creating effective introductory and concluding passages in which they identify their main point and set their work in a larger context

Develop content appropriately,

  • Displaying a clear ethical sensibility (e.g., reporting data accurately, citing sources of information)
  • Asserting and elaborating on claims using evidence and reasoning that are appropriate for their audience and their discipline/profession
  • Addressing the questions and/or topics that are essential for success with a given assignment
  • Understanding, and, as appropriate, applying principles of visual communication (graphs, charts, animations, pictures) in their written or spoken work

Edit their written work carefully,

  • Observing the conventions of Standard English (e.g., correct usage, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation)
  • Observing the conventions (e.g., terminology and page format) of a particular discipline or workplace

Review Process

All proposed courses will be reviewed by a committee that is appointed by the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee and comprised of faculty from all five schools plus the Director of the Center for Communication Practices. This committee will:

  • Determine whether syllabi for proposed courses display the characteristics indicated above;
  • Make a recommendation to FSCC as to whether a proposed course should be designated communication intensive;
  • Review all communication intensive courses at three-year intervals.

 

Assistance for Students and Faculty

The Center can help students with communication in a variety of media, oral and visual as well as written. In addition to working with individuals or groups of students, the Center will work with faculty in planning CI courses, devising assignments, establishing criteria that reflect the goals of specific courses, and/or annotating exemplary samples of student work for posting on course web sites or on the Center?s web site. Although Center staff will not grade papers, they will visit CI classes to explain criteria and will base their tutorial work on criteria established specifically for each CI course. For further information about this assistance, please contact Center Director Barbara Lewis (lewisb2@rpi.edu).

Accordion

Transfer/Advanced Placement/IB Credit - New incoming students (Beginning Fall 2024 and Catalog 2024)

Obtaining Transfer/AP/IB Credit

Students entering as first-time freshmen can transfer a maximum of 32 credits hours toward their Bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer. First-time freshmen are required to complete all AP/Dual Enrollment/IB credit requests by the end of their first year to be considered.

Advanced placement or academic credit can be obtained in three ways:

  1. Transfer credit through dual enrollment in high school, which is granted for work done at an accredited college/university before beginning your freshman year at Rensselaer.
  2. Advanced Placement Examinations, which are given by the College Entrance Examination Board in Princeton, New Jersey.
  3. International Baccalaureate, which are awarded based on student performance in the Higher-Level examinations.

The following are the specific details involved in obtaining credit by these methods. If you have questions regarding these methods, please send an email to transfercredit@rpi.edu or call (518) 276-6231.

Transfer credit through dual enrollment

Courses completed at other colleges/universities while in high school, may be considered for transfer credit. Transfer credit may only be given for any college courses taken while in high school if they weren’t used to obtain their high school diploma. The Registrar’s Office will have your courses evaluated by the appropriate departments. Students may be required to submit additional course information or syllabus. Students can view Rensselaer’s Undergraduate Transfer Guide to view previously transferred courses. The Transfer Guide does not guarantee credit will transfer.

Please send the Dual Enrollment Credit: High School Certification form to your high school for completion. The form should then be sent to the Registrar at transfercredit@rpi.edu, or at Registrar, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180-3590.

An official transcript from the college/university is also required to be sent to the Registrar’s Office, in order to process any applicable transfer credit. No grade is given for transfer credit and the grades are not included in calculating the QPA. Transfer credit will be forfeited if a student takes an equivalent Rensselaer course.

New updates to Rensselaer’s Advanced Placement policy starting Fall 2024

  1. Students entering as first-time freshmen in Fall of 2024, may transfer a maximum of 32 credits hours toward their Bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer of which includes credit hours from AP, IB courses, and transfer credit.
  2. Students who achieve a score of 4 or 5 on an accepted exam may receive academic credit at Rensselaer.

Advanced Placement tests  

You should request your AP Score Report from College Board to be sent to Registrar’s Office at Rensselaer. The scores are evaluated by individual departments using the criteria outlined below.

When credit is granted, no grade is assigned; therefore, the grade received is not included in calculating the Quality Point Average (QPA) at Rensselaer. You always have the option of declining all or part of you Advanced Placement awards. Advanced Placement credit will be forfeited if a student takes an equivalent Rensselaer course.

 Accepted AP Credit and Equivalents Starting Fall 2024

International Baccalaureate College Credit

Students should request their IB Candidate Results to be sent to Rensselaer through their Program Coordinator before the release of their results. After the release of results, students should request their Candidate Results via the International Baccalaureate website. Results are delivered electronically to Rensselaer.

International Baccalaureate credits are awarded based on student performance in the Higher-Level examinations (standard level exam scores are not accepted), as outlined in the document below.

Accepted IB Higher Level Scores and Equivalents Fall 2024

Accordion

Transfer/Advanced Placement/IB Credit - Catalog Year 2023 and Prior

Transfer/Advanced Placement/IB Credit Policy - Catalog 2023

Students entering as first-time freshmen can transfer a maximum of 32 credits hours toward their Bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer of which only 28 credit hours may come from AP or IB courses. First-time freshmen are required to complete all AP/Dual Enrollment/IB credit requests by the end of their first year to be considered.

The advanced placement or academic credit can be obtained in three ways:

  1. Transfer credit through dual enrollment in high school, which is granted for work done at an accredited college/university before beginning your freshman year at Rensselaer.
  2. Advanced Placement Examinations, which are given by the College Entrance Examination Board in Princeton, New Jersey.
  3. International Baccalaureate, which are awarded based on student performance in the Higher-Level examinations.

The following are the specific details involved in obtaining credit by these methods. If you have questions regarding these methods, please send an email to transfercredit@rpi.edu or call (518) 276-6231.

Transfer credit through dual enrollment

Courses completed at other colleges/universities while in high school, may be considered for transfer credit. The Registrar will have your courses evaluated by the appropriate departments after receiving the student’s Incoming Freshmen Transfer Credit Procedure/High School Certification form and copies of the course catalog descriptions, for any courses a student wishes to have considered. Transfer credit will not be given for any college courses taken while in high school if they were used to obtain their high school diploma.

Please send the Incoming Freshman Certification form and catalog course descriptions for each course taken, or in progress, to the Registrar at transfercredit@rpi.edu, or at Registrar, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, New York 12180-3590. Be sure your name and Rensselaer ID number are included or on all pages of course descriptions.

An official transcript from the college/university is also required to be sent to the Registrar’s Office, in order to process any applicable transfer credit. No grade is given for transfer credit and the grades are not included in calculating the QPA. Transfer credit will be forfeited if a student takes an equivalent Rensselaer course.

New updates to Rensselaer’s Advanced Placement policy starting Fall 2023

  1. Students entering as first-time freshmen in Fall of 2023, may transfer a maximum of 32 credits hours toward their Bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer of which only 28 credit hours may come from AP or IB courses.
  2. Students who achieve a score of 4 or 5 on an accepted exam may receive academic credit at Rensselaer excluding Math*, Science, Computer Science, or Statistics courses.

*Students who receive a grade of 4 on the Calculus BC exam but achieve a score of 5 on the Calculus AB Subscore portion, will receive academic credit for MATH-1010 Calculus I.

Printable AP Credit info

Printable IB Credit Info

 

TRANSFER/ADVANCED PLACEMENT/IB CREDIT POLICY- CATALOG YEAR 2020, 2021, and 2022

New updates to Rensselaer’s Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate policy

  1. Students entering as first-time freshmen, may transfer a maximum of 32 credits hours toward their Bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer of which only 20 credit hours may come from AP or IB courses.
  2. Students who achieve a score of 5 on an accepted exam may receive academic credit at Rensselaer.
  3. First-time freshmen starting Fall 2022 are required to complete all AP/Dual Enrollment/IB credit requests by the end of their first year to be considered.

Accepted AP_IB Credit and Equivalents Catalog 2020-2022

CATALOG YEAR 2019-PRIOR POLICY

Rensselaer’s Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate policy

  1. Students entering as first-time freshmen, may transfer a maximum of 32 credits hours toward their Bachelor’s degree at Rensselaer of which includes AP or IB courses.
  2. Students who achieve a score of 4 or 5 on an accepted exam may receive academic credit at Rensselaer.

Accepted AP_IB Credit and Equivalents Catalog 2019-Prior

Accordion

Cambridge A-Level International Exams

For information on Cambridge A-Level International Exams and how each exam transfers to Rensselaer, please refer to the Transfer Course Guide.  Once there, click the down arrow under 'Nation', choose 'United Kingdom', then 'Get Institutions', and 'Univ of Cambridge Int'l Exam'.  This will provide a list of the exams and the transfer credit that is awarded for each. The required exam grade for credit is A or B. 

Accordion

Change of Major or Status

You can make a number of changes to your undergraduate Academic Program using the Undergraduate Change of Major / Change of Status Form.

Change of major

You may change from one curriculum to another with the approval of the Curriculum Coordinator in the department into which you want to switch. Your new department will assign an adviser to you, and you should arrange to meet with him or her as soon as possible to outline the program necessary to complete your degree in your new major.

Double degrees

You may become a candidate for a second baccalaureate degree when you have completed the following:

  • The equivalent of at least two terms (30 credit hours) of additional work beyond the requirements of a single degree.
  • The courses in the department in which you are registered, and such other courses as are required for the second degree.
Dual majors

If you fulfill all the degree requirements for two curricula and have met the conditions below, you will have completed a dual major. (Please note that you will receive one diploma noting both majors.)

  • You must designate a first-named and second-named major by filing an Undergraduate Change of Major Form at least one semester prior to graduation and have the appropriate department(s) approve this designation prior to filing the dual major form with the Registrar.
  • You will be assigned an advisor in each department who will monitor your progress in that department.
  • The degree clearance officer in the department will certify that you have met all degree requirements in that department.

Note that the 24 credit hour mathematics/science requirement and the 24 credit hour humanities and social sciences requirement will satisfy the Institute's requirements for both majors.

Graduate Students

If you are a graduate student here at Rensselaer, you may use the

Graduate Request for Change of Status Form

  • Change your degree program or curriculum
  • Add an additional degree program
  • Change campus
  • Return to "active" status

Note: This form requires signatures from your department, the Office of Graduate Education, and in some cases, the Student Health Center and/or International Students Office before the Registrar's Office will accept it.

Accordion

Transfer Credit - Currently Enrolled Students

Upperclassmen who wish to transfer coursework from other institutions should be sure that the course(s) will transfer before enrolling at the other institution. Since some courses are not equivalent to Rensselaer courses, transfer of credit is not guaranteed unless prior approval is obtained. All online courses need to be approved by the relevant Rensselaer academic department prior to registering for the course, even if the course is already listed in the Transfer Course Guide.

Undergraduates must earn equivalent A, B, or C grades at the other school to transfer credits. Graduate students must earn equivalent A or B grades.

Note that grades for transferred courses do not appear on the Rensselaer transcript, nor are they included in your Rensselaer QPA. They are, however, included in your Earned Hours total.

Under Rensselaer’s Repeated Courses Policy, courses taken at another college are not eligible to replace the Rensselaer grade in calculating the QPA.

Students entering as first-time freshmen can transfer a maximum of 32 credits (including Advanced Placement credit or other equivalent credit). Students entering as transfer students must complete four full-time semesters at Rensselaer and a minimum of 64 credits at Rensselaer, all of which will be applied to the baccalaureate degree. Students who participate in study-abroad programs not affiliated with the Institute may transfer in a maximum of 16 transfer credits from that program. Those credits will count toward the maximum 32 transfer credits allowed. Students who participate in study-abroad programs that are affiliated with the Institute can transfer in additional credits. Those credits will not count toward the maximum 32 transfer credits allowed.

 

Transferring Credits
  1. Go to the online Transfer Course Guide and see if the course at the other school has been evaluated for transfer. If it has been evaluated, fill in on the front of the Transfer Credit Approval Form the Visited College Course Number, Title, and Credit Hours. Check the box in the As Per Transfer Course Guide column. You do NOT need to get Departmental Approval in the column labeled Dept. Approval. Proceed to Number 3 below.
  2. If the course you wish to take has not been evaluated as per the online Transfer Course Guide, get a course description. These are usually available on the other school’s web site. Attach a copy of the Course Description to the Transfer Credit Approval Form, and have it evaluated by the Departmental Transfer Credit Evaluator in the corresponding Rensselaer department. For example, if you want to transfer a Math course, you will need the approval of the Rensselaer Math Department.
  3. Have your advisor approve transfer of the course by signing the Transfer Credit Approval Form.
  4. If the transfer course is part of your last 30 credits, obtain the approval of the Advising and Learning Assistance Center.
  5. Submit the completed form to the Registrar's Office.
  6. Once you have completed the course, have the other college send an Official Transcript directly to the Rensselaer Registrar's Office, Academy Hall 2000 level, 110 8th St, Troy, NY 12180-3590.

 

Transferring Study Abroad Credits

If you are considering the study abroad program, more detailed information can be found on the Office of International Programs website.

 

Transfer Credit Policy for Summer and Winter Break Programs
  •  A student may register for no more than 2 courses per summer term (or winter break).
  •  The course must be at least 5 weeks in duration.
  •  A student must register for summer and winter break courses directly with an appropriately accredited college or university—NOT through a third-party agency.
  •  Online versions of courses in Rensselaer’s Transfer Course Guide must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate school official in advance of registering   for the course.
  •  Once the student completes the course, an official transcript must be sent directly from the college or university to Rensselaer’s Registrar’s Office. The transcript will not be accepted if it is issued or delivered through a third party agency.
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Declare a Minor

As an undergraduate student, you may choose a number of courses to form a minor -- that is, a set of courses based on subject, methodology, or other factors. Many departments offer one or more such minors, several of them interdisciplinary.

  • Minors vary in their requirements from 15 to 21 credit hours, with most having 15 credit hours.
  • Students may not take courses for the minor on a pass/no credit basis.
  • Upon graduation, your minor will be documented on your transcript. However, it will not appear on your diploma.

If you wish to complete a minor:

  • Consult with the adviser for that minor before completing the second course in it
  • Submit an approved Minor Approval Form to the Student Records office.
  • All minors must be declared before the start of the semester in which you graduate. 
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Transcripts

Please note: The transcript process has changed.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has partnered with National Student Clearinghouse to provide official transcript ordering online. By using this service we will be able process your request faster and more efficiently.

How to place an order:

  • Current enrolled students can order transcripts online through the Student Menu in Student Information System (SIS) or by going to National Student Clearinghouse Transcripts and click on “Order Transcript(s). The site will walk you through placing your order, including delivery options and fees. You can still access your unofficial transcript via SIS.
  • Alumni can order transcripts online through the National Student Clearinghouse Transcripts and click on Order Transcript(s). The site will walk you through placing your order, including delivery options and fees.

PLEASE NOTE: Transcript requests submitted to the National Student Clearinghouse by students meeting the following criteria will be processed within 2-4 weeks by the Registrar’s office. We can only send transcripts through regular US mail or email to University Registrar or Admissions Offices-Not to Personal Email addresses:

  • You attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before 1981.
  • You attended Hartford Graduate Center. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the custodian of the Hartford Graduate Center academic records and provides information concerning former student’s academic history.

Transcript Cost:

  • Transcript requests to be sent by regular mail and email will cost $10/transcript. You can order as many transcripts as you like in a single session.
  • Students and Alumni also have the option of requesting transcript by expedited shipping. Additional processing and delivery fees may apply.

You can order transcripts using any major credit card. Your card will only be charged after your order is processed.

Delivery Options:

  • Regular mail: All transcript requests received by 1pm EST will be mailed out the next business day.
  • Expedited mail: All transcript requests received by 1pm EST will be mailed out the same business day.
  • Electronic mail: All transcript requests received by 1pm EST will be emailed by the next business day. Transcripts sent to a personal email address are not official once opened and should not be forwarded.
  • Hold for pickup:Transcript will be available at the Registrar’s Office the day after you receive the transcript ready email. The Registrar’s Office is located at Academy Hall Room 2600, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180. Our office hours are 8:30 am – 4:00 pm EST Monday – Friday, except Thursdays from 9:00am-4:00pm EST.
  • Hold for degree: Transcripts will be mailed/ emailed only after all degrees for that semester have been posted.
  • Hold for grades: Transcripts will be mailed/ emailed only after all grades for that semester have been posted.

You can opt to get order updates via mobile text message and they will also be emailed to you. You can also track your order online using your email address and order number.

Transcripts include all courses taken at Rensselaer, semester and cumulative Grade Point Averages, academic standing, and degrees awarded.

Transcripts will not be available if you have an academic or Dean of Students hold on your account.

If you have questions concerning transcripts, please contact the Registrar's Office or call 518-276-6231 for assistance.

                                                   Thank you for your cooperation during this time of transition.