Application Deadlines:
- Spring 2024 Doctoral and Master's Applications Deadline: August 15, 2023
- Fall 2024 Doctoral Application Deadline: January 1, 2024
- Fall 2024 Master's Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
- Review The Lally School of Management MBA/MS Application Round Deadlines below.
Review the materials below to make sure you have everything you need to apply to your chosen department. Select the button below to begin your application.
Review your application carefully before submission.
Once your application is submitted, you can no longer make changes or revisions.
Admissions Requirements
Complete the online application for full- or part-time graduate degree programs.
Applicants may apply only to one degree program per term. Multiple applications for one term are not permitted.
The application processing fee must be paid electronically after submitting your application.
The application fee is waived for Rensselaer alumni, current Rensselaer students (matriculating and non-matriculating), employees, and employee spouses.
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.
Your resume should include details about your education, employment, and internship history, as well as any pertinent research experience. International students in the U.S. on OPT or CPT should include details about their current activities.
You will be required to enter two recommenders on the online application. Recommendations should be from your academic advisor(s), professors, research mentors, etc., who can provide an assessment of your likelihood of success at the graduate level in your field of study.
Architecture, Built Ecologies, and Electronic Arts only.
Critical Game Design M.S./Ph.D. requires examples of prior work (e.g.: portfolio, project samples).
Transcripts and Degrees must be in English (all post-secondary education, including transcript keys).
Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded to your graduate application. If you prefer to send your transcripts via postal or electronic mail, please note that they will not be returned to you. The minimum requirement for admission consideration is the completion and award of a four year U.S. bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, by the time of planned enrollment.
Required for:
- Cognitive Science, Ph.D.
- Applied Economics and Policy, Ph.D.
Optional for all other degree programs.
International Students Additional Requirements
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.
The English language test may be waived if the applicant has completed a degree program at a U.S. university within two years of the application deadline of the program to which he/she is applying. Please note that this waiver will be applied after your application has been submitted and reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Office.
English Language Proficiency scores are not required from citizens of the following countries: Australia, Cameroon, Canada (exception being Quebec province), The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, United Kingdom, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Lally Application Deadlines
The Lally School of Management MS/MBA Application Round Deadlines
| Fall 2024 | Lally Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | November 15, 2023 |
| Round 2 | January 15, 2024 |
| Round 3 | March 15, 2024 |
| Round 4 | May 15, 2024 |
| Final Round (Rolling) | August 15, 2024 |
| Spring 2024 | Lally Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Rolling Deadline | August 15, 2023 |
Ph.D. Applicants
| Round | Lally Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | January 1, 2024 |
| IMPORTANT NOTES |
|---|
| Interviews are offered by invitation only. |
- In addition to having application deadlines, we welcome all domestic and international applications on a rolling basis. If you apply earlier in any of the application windows, there's a strong likelihood you will receive your decision sooner than the guaranteed notification date for that round. Applications received after Round 4 will be reviewed and accepted on a space-available basis.
- International students are encouraged to complete their applications as soon as possible to allow for extra time to process their I-20.
- Scholarships are not always available but applying early increases your chances for priority admission and scholarship consideration.
- In order to receive a decision by one of the notification dates listed, you must submit and complete your application by one of the corresponding application deadlines. If your application is not completed by the round deadline it will automatically be considered for the following round.
- An offer of admission cannot be issued if an application package remains incomplete. If an application remains incomplete by the final round deadline, Lally reserves the right to withdraw or deny the application.