Engineering Science

Chair: Richard N. Smith (Interim)

Rensselaer’s graduate Engineering Science program serves students whose educational desires do not correspond to the standard professional engineering curricula. Although no B.S. degree is offered in Engineering Science, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are awarded to students whose programs of study are truly multidisciplinary. The M.S. degree in Engineering Science is reserved for students who are pursuing their program of study through the Education for Working Professionals core enterprise (either Distance Learning or Rensselaer at Hartford). The requirements for this program may be found in this Catalog in the School of Engineering section under the heading Engineering at Hartford. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Engineering Science is awarded by the School of Engineering for genuine multidisciplinary research. The degree is earned once the student’s dissertation adviser and doctoral committee agree that the student has demonstrated independent thought and research, has made original contributions to the fundamental knowledge in a given interdisciplinary field, and has produced a substantial body of information in the form of a dissertation, aspects of which are publishable in a refereed journal. Since each student develops an individual program in consultation with a faculty adviser, the program provides the opportunity to tailor programs of study to specific needs. Studies may be based on the sciences. For example, programs may concentrate on the application of engineering and scientific techniques to areas between technology and the humanities and social sciences. The general requirements for the Ph.D. in Engineering Science may be found in the Catalog chapter on Academic Information and Regulations under the heading Doctoral Degree. Specific information pertaining to the Engineering Science doctoral program is available from the Office of Academic and Student Affairs in the School of Engineering.