Rensselaer Catalog 2025-2026
Management
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The Lally Undergraduate Programs
The undergraduate programs at the Rensselaer Lally School of Management provides students with a solid education in the fundamental disciplines of management. They draw heavily on the strengths of Rensselaer in engineering, science, technology information, and entrepreneurship. Within these programs, the Lally School provides a balance between theory and practice while insuring rigor and relevance. There is a strong emphasis on the application of knowledge through team-based projects and a focus on the intersection of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Goals for the baccalaureate program in Management include:
- preparing students for professional careers.
- providing students with core management practices and an in-depth understanding in a specialized area.
- teaching theories, concepts, and techniques to help students learn how to solve problems and make effective decisions.
- helping students develop critical-thinking skills and the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing technological world.
- teaching students to set a high standard of ethics and responsibility in personal affairs and professional life.
- helping students develop competencies in utilizing information technology.
- developing students who engage in global thinking and who can work in a multi-cultural setting.
Students are encouraged to select one or more areas of concentration: Accounting, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Management Information Systems, Marketing, or Supply Chain Management.
The management core sequence emphasizes basic skills in the traditional business areas of finance, marketing, human behavior, computing, and organizational analysis and development. The math and science sequence provides a strong background in quantitative skills, while humanities and social sciences course work heightens the student’s appreciation for significant societal issues. Throughout the program, the topics introduced in the various courses are integrated. An internship in an organizational setting is required of all Lally Undergraduates.
Outcomes of the Undergraduate Curriculum
Students who successfully complete this program will be able to demonstrate:
- an ability to communicate effectively.
- an ability to examine ethical issues.
- an ability to understand work in accounting.
- an ability to understand work in finance.
- an ability to work in functional management area of operations management.
- an ability to work in functional management area of marketing.
- an ability to work in functional management area of organizational behavior and human resources.
- an ability to work in functional management area of strategy.
- an ability to work in functional management area of information systems.
- an ability to utilize analytical and technological skills.
Minor Programs
The Lally School also offers undergraduate minor programs for Management students and Rensselaer students majoring in other fields. Lally students may pursue a minor outside of the management school. Management majors typically use electives in their program for minor course work in complementary fields such as communications, computer science, economics, industrial and management engineering, or psychology. Students can elect to pursue interests in any Rensselaer school.
The minors offered by the Lally School are detailed in the Programs section of this catalog and require a minimum of 16 credit hours. Each student’s designated minor adviser can approve course substitutions to meet individual student needs.
Dual or Double Major Programs
To develop skills in other areas of interest or in preparation for careers related to specialized topics, students may pursue a dual or double major with other non-management curricula.
Such options can be arranged with the Schools of Engineering, Science, Architecture, or Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
Undergraduate Opportunities
The Lally School offers additional programs to meet undergraduate needs in the areas of research, and cooperative education.
Undergraduate Research Program (URP)
Through the URP, students have the opportunity to work with a faculty adviser on tangible research projects. Students are eligible for a Summer Research Fellowship stipend under a program sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Education. The stipend is intended to cover 10 weeks of full-time research.
Study Abroad Program
Study abroad has become an integral part of a well-rounded management education. An academic semester abroad offers Lally undergraduate students the opportunity to learn first-hand about management in a global context while enhancing communication skills and expanding cross-cultural perspectives. The Office of International Programs administers semester exchange programs at top business schools across Europe and offers additional exchanges at comprehensive universities worldwide. Foreign language proficiency is not required, and students earn credit towards the Rensselaer degree. Most semester opportunities require second-semester sophomore standing and a minimum GPA of 3.0.
For more information about these programs, check out the website: https://info.rpi.edu/international-programs
The Lally Graduate Programs
The Lally School of Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers graduate programs designed to prepare students for leadership in today’s data-driven, technology-enabled global economy. Our programs emphasize innovation, entrepreneurship, analytical decision making, and strategic use of emerging technologies across business functions. Students engage in hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and applied research from day one.
Master of Business Administration (STEM Designated)
The Lally MBA is a STEM-designated general management degree focused on innovation and technology leadership. This program develops professionals who can lead digital transformation, apply analytics in decision making, and manage across business functions with a strategic mindset. Students build a strong foundation in core business areas while gaining the skills to drive competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving global marketplace.
MBA in Design
The design concentration integrates innovation management, user-centered design, and business strategy. It is ideal for students interested in leading product development, service innovation, or creative business solutions in multidisciplinary settings. The program equips graduates to apply design thinking in real-world contexts.
MBA in Life Sciences Entrepreneurship
This concentration expands opportunities for students with backgrounds in biotechnology, biomedical engineering, chemical biology, chemical engineering, and other life sciences. The program blends business strategy and entrepreneurial thinking with scientific innovation, preparing students to lead ventures that bring life sciences technologies to market.
MBA in Marketing Analytics
This concentration prepares students to become strategic marketing leaders with a deep understanding of data analysis and performance metrics. Students explore how data informs branding, digital campaigns, customer segmentation, and market positioning, and how marketing strategy can be optimized through the use of analytics.
Master of Science in Business Analytics
The M.S. in Business Analytics prepares students to solve complex problems in data-intensive environments. The program emphasizes practical, applied learning through projects with real-world data and partnerships with leading firms. Students develop skills in predictive modeling, data visualization, and strategic analytics for business decision making.
Master of Science in Quantitative Finance and Risk Analytics
This program trains students for careers in financial modeling, investment analysis, and risk management. The curriculum combines financial theory with quantitative methods, including statistical modeling and computational techniques. Graduates are well positioned to contribute to data-informed decision making in finance, banking, and corporate strategy.
Master of Science in Supply Chain Management
The M.S. in Supply Chain Management provides a systems-based approach to operations, logistics, and supply strategy. Students learn to model supply chain networks, optimize performance, and develop strategies for sourcing, coordination, and demand fulfillment. The program prepares students for leadership roles in global supply chain and operations management.
Graduate Certificate in Life Sciences Entrepreneurship
This graduate certificate introduces students in life sciences, engineering, and technology disciplines to the foundations of business strategy, entrepreneurship, and innovation management. It is ideal for students seeking to commercialize new technologies or explore startup pathways in the life sciences sector.
Doctoral Program
The Ph.D. in Management is a research-oriented academic program. Students work on research topics aligned with their academic area. The Lally School, consistent with its mission to create and disseminate knowledge leveraging technological and analytics advances, to address the greatest challenges faced by the world in the 21st century, offers research opportunities in the following disciplines:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Organizational Behavior
- Strategic Management
- Supply Chain Management
Graduates of the doctoral program typically pursue academic and research positions at well-respected institutions in the United States and abroad.
Graduate Credit by Transfer and Examination
Credit for graduate work completed at other accredited institutions may be offered in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree at the Lally school when the work is appropriate to the student’s program. As a rule, this work will have been earned prior to enrolling at Rensselaer, but no more than five years prior to matriculation. A student already enrolled in Lally who wishes to take courses elsewhere must obtain the prior approval of their adviser and the Dean of Graduate Education.
Because the residence requirement for the master’s is 24 credit hours, not more than 6 credit hours may be transferred toward the 30-credit master’s degree, and not more than 6 credit hours used for a master’s degree in one area can be applied to a second master’s degree of 30 credits. In no case can the result of transfer or waived credits reduce this general degree requirement below 24 earned credit hours in a master’s program at Rensselaer.
Application for the transfer of credit must be made to the student’s program director. The area is responsible for evaluating course work taken elsewhere and reporting allowable transfer credit to the registrar on the transfer credit approval form. Courses taken elsewhere and approved for transfer to Rensselaer must be taken at the graduate level and have a grade of “B” or better to be approved. They are not considered in computing the B average requirement.
A graduate student who has taken courses at Rensselaer as a special non degree student may transfer to a degree program a maximum of 12 credits earned in that status. If a student has taken a graduate credit course while an undergraduate, received a grade of B or better, and did not use the credit to fulfill the requirements for the bachelor’s degree, he or she may request, through the faculty adviser, that the Office of Graduate Education count the credit toward the requirements for an advanced degree.
Additional Information
The Lally School of Management offers a robust range of resources, services, and co-curricular opportunities that enrich the student experience and support academic and professional success.
Student Services
The Lally Student Services team provides support throughout students’ academic journeys, including orientation, academic advising, professional development, and curricular planning. The team also assists with co-curricular engagement, career advising, and networking opportunities. Student Services is located in the Pittsburgh Building, Suite 3200.
Co-Curricular and Experiential Learning Opportunities
Lally students have access to a wide variety of co-curricular programs that foster interdisciplinary learning and entrepreneurial thinking. These include:
Centers for Innovation and Research
Students benefit from affiliation with research centers that extend the learning experience beyond the classroom:
Student Organizations
Lally students are encouraged to join student-run organizations that enhance their academic and professional development. Active groups include:
These organizations provide opportunities to engage with peers, attend professional events, and build leadership experience.
Internship and Career Support
Students are encouraged to pursue internships that align with their academic studies and career aspirations. These opportunities may take place during the summer or part-time during the academic year. The Lally School, in collaboration with the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), provides advising, resources, and tools—including access to the Handshake platform—to support students in securing internships and full-time employment opportunities.
The CCPD also offers a wide range of career development programming, including resume workshops, career fairs, employer networking events, and one-on-one advising to help students explore career paths and prepare for the job market.
International students are encouraged to consult with Student Services, the CCPD, and the Office of International Services for Students and Scholars (ISSS) to ensure they understand all requirements and remain in compliance before accepting any internship or employment offer.
Additional information on these activities may be found at www.lally.rpi.edu. and www.ccpd.rpi.edu
Course Descriptions
Courses directly related to all Management curricula are described in the Course Description section of this catalog under the department code - MGMT.
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