At Rensselaer, unique accelerated and combined degree programs ensure you are able to meet your fullest potential, and get a head start on your fellow professionals.
Program Options
This research-focused accelerated medical program allows students to earn a B.S. and an M.D. in seven years. Students spend three years at Rensselaer (in our School of Science) followed by four years at Albany Medical College, with no MCAT requirement. Due to the nature of the program, students enrolled in the accelerated medical program are not able to dual or double major.
How to Apply: Apply through the admissions office by November 1 of your senior year in high school. This program is open to all U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents (international students, including Canadian citizens, may not apply to the Physician-Scientist program). This program is not open to transfer students.
Please note: We cannot accept test scores later than the November test date for applicants for the Physician-Scientist program.
The ACCEL Program allows high-achieving students at Rensselaer the opportunity to complete their undergraduate degree in just three years.
Students in the ACCEL Program can choose undergraduate majors within the School of Engineering, School of Science, Lally School of Management, The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and our Information Technology and Web Science program. Students may also work with an academic adviser to create their own plan of study. All degrees will fulfill the same requirements of a four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree, and students will still have the opportunity to participate in study abroad, internships, and campus life, building a robust three-year college experience.
Students who decide to pursue the ACCEL Program may also have the opportunity to complete a Master’s degree in only one additional year through our ACCEL+ Program - meaning you could graduate with both a Bachelor's and a Master’s degree in four years.
Please visit the ACCEL website for more information, including FAQs.
Students may extend their eligible undergraduate Rensselaer financial aid to earn a Bachelor’s and then Master’s degree within ten semesters. Students may choose to pursue a Master’s degree in the same field as their undergraduate study, or a different program.
A Master’s degree through the Co-Terminal Program can increase employment prospects and starting salaries and allow students to continue their undergraduate research (an excellent segue to doctoral study).
How to Apply: You apply to the Co-Terminal Program late in your junior year or early on in your senior year at RPI. Students are encouraged to begin discussing their Co-Terminal interest with their adviser early in their academic career, and the Office of Graduate Education offers several information sessions for current students each semester.
In just five years, students earn a B.S. degree in an engineering discipline and an MBA from the Lally School of Management - a powerful combination to successfully lead, manage, and start companies who compete on the basis of technological advantage.
How to Apply: If you have been accepted by our School of Engineering, you qualify for the program. Students should contact the Lally School to attend an information session during their freshman year at RPI to learn about joining the program.
In just five years, students earn a B.S. degree in a science discipline and an MBA from the Lally School of Management - a powerful combination to successfully lead, manage, and start companies who compete on the basis of technological advantage.
How to Apply: If you have been accepted by our School of Science, you qualify for the program. Students should contact the Lally School to attend an information session during their freshman year at RPI to learn about joining the program.
The B.S./Ph.D. program through our School of Science gives exceptional students the unique opportunity to earn both their B.S. and graduate degree in just seven years.
How to Apply: Students in the School of Science who have a 3.5 GPA or higher after their freshman year are invited to apply to the program.
The Mechanical, Aeronautical, and Nuclear Engineering Department offers a B.S./Ph.D. program for Rensselaer undergraduate students with a passion for research. In this unique program, students are able to conduct research during their undergraduate studies, begin their Ph.D. immediately after receiving their B.S. degree, and get paid to do so.
How to Apply: All sophomores and juniors with a 3.5 GPA or higher will receive an invitation to apply. Students may also be recommended by faculty.
You may add a dual major after your first semester at RPI. Dual majors may be done within the same school, or between schools (i.e. engineering and business). Please note that due to the nature of the program, students enrolled in the accelerated medical program are not able to dual or double major.