The Co-Terminal Program allows Rensselaer undergraduates to complete their Bachelor’s degree within eight semesters, while maintaining their Rensselaer financial aid for up to an additional two semesters of graduate study. Students can apply to MANE's Master’s Program, following the same curriculum as those who entered through the traditional route. The MANE department offers graduate programs in mechanical engineering, aeronautical engineering, and nuclear engineering. To accommodate a student’s career plans and interests, the graduate programs are structured to allow great flexibility in choosing appropriate courses, while ensuring sufficient depth and breadth.
The five-year co-terminal degree timeline is achievable by many students in good academic standing. Students who enter Rensselaer with some college credits (for example, AP credits) will find it easiest to complete the program in five years. For others, completion of the program may require more than five years.
Rensselaer undergraduates may apply to the program in the Spring or Fall semester of their junior year, once they have attained 90 credits (in progress or earned) of coursework towards their undergraduate degrees. Students must apply to the co-terminal program before the end of their first semester of senior year; late applications will not be accepted.
Only students who have already engaged in undergraduate research may find the Master of Science (M.S.) degree feasible, since there is a time-intensive thesis associated with it. Most students will find the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) more suitable, since it can be completed by taking a combination of coursework and a project research. Click here for project examples.
For additional information please contact Beth Macey at maceyb2@rpi.edu.
Minimum requirements for admission to the program:
- GPA of 3.3 for the MANE department programs (please note that this is higher than the 3.0 Institute minimum)
- A letter of recommendation/confirmation from your selected Graduate Research Advisor will be obtained by Graduate Student Services. Applicants are not required to provide them.
- Statement of purpose and goals – this should include your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your intended use of your graduate degree, and your preparation/qualifications for graduate work
- Resume
- Graduate Plan of Study and Course Planner – student should meet with their graduate research advisor for assistance in graduate course selection for the Plan of Study (pdf) and 4th/5th Year Course Planner. In preparing these forms, applicants should inform themselves of the MANE Masters requirements, which may be found at http://mane.rpi.edu/graduate.
- Applicants with a GPA between 3.0-3.29 must contact maceyb2@rpi.edu for additional instructions.
Important Financial Aid Info to Consider as a Co-Terminal Student
Application Process:
- Meet with your undergraduate advisor to ensure you are on track to complete your undergraduate course requirements within 8 semesters and your planned graduate coursework in up to an additional 2 semesters.
- Upon completion of all undergraduate requirements, you must apply to graduate with your BS degree. You will graduate and then continue the program as a graduate student until graduate degree completion.
- Find a graduate research advisor.
- Submit Graduate Plan of Study that has been signed by the applicant and graduate research advisor, along with the Course Planner to Beth Macey at maceyb2@rpi.edu.
- MANE Office of Graduate Student Services will review the proposed plan of study and confirm qualifications through Degree Works.
- Approved Plans of Study and Course Planner will be sent back to student with copy of Degree Works information.
- Student may then complete the on-line application and upload provided documents. Note that paper applications are no longer accepted.
- Application Deadlines:
- For students with a BS graduation in May: November 1
- For students with a BS graduation in December: April 15
Note: All Co-Terminal students are required to attend academic orientation held at the beginning of their admit term (January for spring admits and August for fall admits).
Advising
Students are required to meet with their advisors at least once per semester, from the time they are accepted into the co-terminal degree program until the time they are awarded their degrees. Most critically, students must submit an updated Graduate Plan of Study at a date between their pre-registration for their final semester and the start of that final semester. Once accepted into the program, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in courses used towards their graduate degree, as required by the graduate school, otherwise the graduate degree will not be granted.