You want to be at the forefront of innovation, so it only makes sense for you to seek out a school that's already there. Here’s a preview of what's in store for your creative, passionate, STEM-loving self at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Explore
BECOME PART OF THE EQUATION
You have an insatiable curiosity, a desire not just to learn about your passions, but to practice, build upon, and perfect them.
So do we.
An avid desire for exploration and learning is the common denominator of everyone at WPI. That’s why here, you’ll be able to study STEM while nurturing your love for music and theatre, your interest in entrepreneurship, your soft spot for magic and model trains.
There’s no need to choose—pursue what you love and discover new passions along the way.
I definitely (enjoyed) WPI’s Humanities and Arts requirement. Even in STEM fields, you’re going to have to communicate your ideas.
Caroline Flynn
Chemical Engineering and Professional Writing
Build
LEARN AT THE LIMITS OF YOUR IMAGINATION
Whatever you study, you’ll get far more than a degree out of your time here: get ready to explore the unexpected, collaborate more than ever before, and ultimately, fulfill your calling.
The only true “WPI experience” is that there isn’t one—here, you’ll utilize the WPI Plan to map out four years of academics that are entirely yours, whether you want to double-major, land your dream co-op, or earn your master’s degree (in five years, no less).
We’re here to help you get there, wherever there may be.
The NR (no record) grading option is a big reason I took a chance on robotics. I never imagined pursuing it before coming to WPI, but now it’s my concentration.
Renee Gruner-Mitchell
Mechanical Engineering with Robotics Concentration
Innovate
UNDERSTAND THE WORLD, THEN CHANGE IT
It’s one thing to learn concepts and skills in the classroom; it’s another thing entirely to apply them to real-world problems and offer solutions.
At WPI, you’ll do both.
Your IQP (the interdisciplinary Interactive Qualifying Project), MQP (the Major Qualifying Project in your area of expertise), and co-curricular humanities project help you take the theories you’ve learned and apply them to real-life situations at one of our 50+ project centers on six continents.
After all, there’s a reason our motto is “Theory and Practice,” not “Theory then Practice.”
I’m a real believer in going out and building something instead of just sitting in a classroom all day, learning about how to build something. That's the biggest reason I came to WPI.
Mitch Gaines
Robotics Engineering
Thrive
FIND YOUR PEOPLE
College isn’t just classes and projects. It’s also a time for you to discover new passions or rekindle old ones, step outside your comfort zone, gain experience in the wider world, develop strong leadership and entrepreneurial skills, and grow into yourself as a student, a professional, a volunteer, … and maybe even an underwater hockey player.
(Well, never say never, right?)
The specifics are up to you, but no matter what you decide to dive into, you’ll fit right into the inclusive, welcoming, quirky community that is WPI.
As (a Resident Advisor), I have an open-door policy. Anybody can pop in and talk or work. I knock on doors, too, to see if anybody needs help with anything.
Salvatore Lombardo
Engineering Management
Achieve
SUCCESS IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
Tech giants and new start-ups, Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofits—when you get right down to it, they all want the same thing: someone who is ready to do from day one.
That combination of expertise, collaboration, and real-world experience is exactly why employers (hundreds of whom recruit on campus every year during our career fairs) and graduate schools are eager for WPI graduates.
We’re all about initials at WPI, and here, you’ll gain the resources, skills, experiences, and connections to get you where you want to go ASAP.
One of the most important ways WPI prepared me for life was teaching me how to gain new skills rapidly. In my co-op and now full-time job, I stand out because I became productive right away.
