Graduate Application

Complete the online application for full- or part-time graduate degree programs delivered on Rensselaer's Troy campus.

Applicants may apply only to one degree program per term. Multiple applications for one term are not permitted.Nonrefundable application processing fee of $75*

Credit card payment is available for electronic submissions. If you do not wish to submit payment by credit card, a money order or check drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, may be mailed to:

Office of Graduate Admissions

110 8th Street

Troy, NY 12180-3590

Include the applicant's full name, date of birth, and address on the money order or check. Do not send cash or stamps.

The application fee is waived for Rensselaer alumni, current Rensselaer students (matriculating and non-matriculating), employees, and employee spouses.Personal Statement*

Your Personal Statement should address your academic and research interests, and future career goals as they relate to the graduate program to which you are applying. The statement should include relevant academic/research, professional, and personal experiences that influenced your decision to apply to the graduate program. Resume or curriculum vitae*

Your resume should include details about your education, employment, and internship history, as well as any pertinent research experience. International students in the U.S. on OPT or CPT should include details about their current activities.

Two letters of recommendation*

Rensselaer requires two letters of recommendation. You will be required to enter two recommenders on the online application. Recommendations should be from your academic advisor(s), other professors, academic deans, etc., who can provide an assessment of your likelihood of success at the graduate level in your field of study. If you are currently working or have been out of school for several years, you may substitute a recommendation from a supervisor or co-worker. Rensselaer will send an electronic recommendation request to each recommender, who will then be able to submit his/her recommendation electronically. We have found this to be an efficient and effective method of submission for both the recommender and applicant. Electronically submitted recommendations do not need to be followed up with paper recommendations.Portfolio, if required by department*

Architecture, Built Ecologies, and Electronic Arts onlyIT Background Evaluation form (IT only)

*Transcripts and Degrees †

Transcripts and Degrees, in English (all post-secondary education, including transcript keys)

Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies, including course work taken as a non-degree student, must be submitted upon being admitted.

Student-printed or downloaded copies of transcripts are acceptable for application review.

If you are currently attending a university, a final transcript must be submitted upon completion of your course work. If you have completed your degree, the award of degree must be noted on the transcript. Transcript keys must accompany all transcripts in order to be considered acceptable.

If your school does not release official transcripts directly to students, you must request that the school send the official copy directly to Graduate Admissions.

If transcripts of previous or current study do not include the award of degree, include a certified copy of the diploma or other official evidence that the degree has been awarded.

All international transcripts must be recorded in, or officially translated to, English. Transcripts in the original language must accompany all translated documents. Uncertified translations, or translations by students, will not be accepted.

Do not submit secondary school (high school) exam results or transcripts.

Minimum Requirement for Admission Consideration

The minimum requirement for admission consideration to Rensselaer’s graduate programs is the completion and award of a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree or the U.S. equivalent. If an applicant is uncertain of the U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency of his/her degree, he/she may wish to obtain an academic credential evaluation from a U.S.-based credential evaluation agency, such as WES.Official GRE/GMAT Scores †

GRE general, GRE subject, or GMAT as required by the department

Check which test scores are required by your department

Rensselaer Code 2757 (GRE/TOEFL) GMAT Code Q69-LM-28

Applicants may submit unofficial GRE scores. Official scores must be submitted to finalize admission prior to enrollment.

Valid scores must be submitted. GRE or GMAT scores are not valid after five years.

The average GRE scores for admitted applicants are 159 (verbal), 163 (quantitative), 4.0 (analytical).

Official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Scores †

The TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. A minimum TOEFL score of 88 iBT/230 CBT/570 PBT is required for admission consideration for graduate study at Rensselaer. In lieu of the TOEFL, a student may submit IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or PTE (Pearson’s Test of English) scores. Only the academic format is acceptable, and a minimum score of 6.5 (IELTS) or 60 (PTE) is required for admission consideration. Some departments require a higher TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score for admission consideration. Test scores older than two years are no longer available from the testing agency. Rensselaer's TOEFL Code is 2757.

You will have the opportunity to upload test score(s) after you submit your online application. Scores taken from the testing agency’s website or issued on the day of the test are not acceptable. If you are admitted, you will be required to submit official scores directly from the testing agency.

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 of the program to which he/she is applying. Please note that this waiver will be applied after your application had been submitted and reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Office.