The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Engineering Programs
A graduate of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, Clifford "Cliff" Kigar performed well athletically and academically. In addition to high ranks in the school’s lacrosse program, Cliff Kigar received the Rensselaer Medal, a four-year scholarship for students with strong math and science skills.
As of 2022, Rensselaer’s School of Engineering consists of seven departments, and its students can earn one of 11 bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees in varied fields. For example, the mechanical engineering program teaches the design of machines like aircraft and spacecraft while teaching the uses of nuclear power.
Electrical and computer engineering, the engineering school’s most widely-applicable and flexible degree, allows students’ interests to shape their coursework. The bioengineering degree combines STEM design practices with medical knowledge, leading to products like prosthetics, medical devices, and drug delivery technology.
Rensselaer’s School of Engineering’s most unique program is the Design, Innovation, and Society (DIS) dual major. Alongside the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, students take seven semesters of integrated coursework about core mechanical engineering principles and product design. Students also learn the marketing side of product design and how to use software like drawing and prototyping suites to create and market products that solve problems at all scale levels.
