About PhD Program,
The PhD in Computer Science is the highest professional degree awarded by the Rensselaer Computer Science Department, demonstrating the ability to do in-depth, original, and independent problem-solving at the highest level. RPI CS Ph.D. graduates go on to positions with great potential for leadership and contribution in the private sector, public sector, and higher education. Rensselaer CS faculty advise and train Ph.D. students in innovative and high-impact research areas and attract funding from a spectrum of federal Research and Development agencies and non-profits including the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, MacArthur Foundation and the U.S. Army. Faculty and students collaborate on cutting-edge research problems, contributing to the scholarly literature and the professional growth of RPI’s Ph.D. students.
Program Details
Emphasizing independent research in an area of specialization and working closely with one or more faculty advisors, students are required to complete at least 72 credits of advanced study above and beyond their undergraduate degree. Students must complete at least 36 credits of course work and at least 24 credits of research work. It is possible to obtain a PhD with or without an MS degree. To achieve professional-level status, a typical PhD study takes four to five years to complete.
Students complete the following major milestones in the Ph.D. program during their tenure at Rensselaer:
- Core Qualifying Exam (by the end of the third semester)
- Research Qualifying Exam (by the end of the second year)
- Candidacy Exam (by the end of the third year)
- Thesis Defense (upon completion of the thesis).
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Admission to the graduate program is highly competitive and admitted students have strong academic backgrounds in Computer Science and demonstrated research potential.
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.
The Electronic Arts Ph.D. program requires an additional and separate Research Proposal describing your research goals and academic plan.
The Electronic Arts Ph.D., Science & Technology Studies Ph.D. and Critical Game Design M.S./Ph.D. programs require an additional scholarly writing sample.
All Communication and Rhetoric programs require an additional research statement and writing sample.
All School of Architecture programs require a personal statement with research intent and an optional research statement.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Rensselaer offers a variety of merit scholarships. If you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you will automatically be considered for merit scholarships when you apply to Rensselaer.
One of our premier merit scholarships is the Rensselaer Medal, a scholarship opportunity worth $160,000 for outstanding math and science students.
Many students at Rensselaer make use of educational student loans offered through the Federal Direct Loan Program (Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized) to help fund their education.
- These loans are offered without regard to student credit history/score, and are based on FAFSA (and CSS Profile) eligibility.
- Students can supplement these loans with the following:
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan – Graduate/professional students, or parents of undergraduate students
- Private (a.k.a. alternative) credit-based student loans
Application Requirement,
- Graduate Application
- Nonrefundable application processing fee of $75
- Personal Statement
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- Two letters of recommendation
- Portfolio, if required by department
- IT Background Evaluation form (IT only)
- Transcripts and Degrees
- GRE/GMAT Scores
Applicants possessing a valid Green Card will be considered as a domestic student for purposes of admission and financial aid.
The TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or PTE is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The minimum scores for these tests are:
- TOEFL score of 88 iBT
- IELTS score of 6.5
- Duolingo score of 120
- PTE score of 59
Some departments require a higher language proficiency score than the Institute minimum. Test scores older than two years are no longer available from the testing agency. Rensselaer’s TOEFL Code is 2757.
Application Deadline,
Jan 01, 2025
Application Fee,
- Nonrefundable application processing fee of $75
- The application processing fee must be paid electronically after submitting your application.
