The WPI Plan
The Elements of the WPI Plan
The pioneering elements of a WPI education set the footing for a personal journey—yours. Here you’ll be encouraged to chart your own path and do things you’ve only imagined.
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Pursue your passion
Pursue your passion
WPI delivers on two critical promises—it will give you the opportunity to explore and the framework to succeed. Students have the freedom, tools, and support systems to solve, create, and imagine anything.
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Learn how to learn
Learn how to learn
At WPI, learning is not an end in and of itself. Here you will learn the fundamentals and how to apply them to real-world problems and situations. Students emerge prepared to continue learning and continuously adapt.
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Project-based learning
Project-based learning
Projects are the heart of WPI’s curriculum—from the moment you set foot on campus, you’ll work with peers to create solutions to real-life problems.
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Global immersion
Global immersion
Students apply their scientific and technological know-how to real problems, on campus and around the globe. They gain an expanded world view, an appreciation for different cultures, and a global perspective that serves as a foundation for effecting profound change.
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Beyond the classroom
Beyond the classroom
At WPI you won’t get lost in the crowd. From the welcoming community to one-on-one interaction with faculty to a wide diversity of co-curricular activities, formal and informal support systems are everywhere you turn.
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Personal impact
Personal impact
Just as critical as mastering technical skills, you will learn to achieve collaboratively, think creatively, and better communicate your ideas. Students leave WPI more sophisticated, well rounded, and prepared for whatever the world throws at them.
Every year at WPI is touched by the Plan.
It’s all before you. Where will the WPI Plan take you?
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Anything is possible, so set your sights high
When you love math and science but feel just as passionately about such things as athletics, music, theatre, or art, WPI is the right place. Here you can craft your own experience and accomplish more than you ever imagined.
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Real people, actual problems
“We put students into situations where we don’t know the solutions. That’s what the projects are for. Real world is one thing, but when the problem matters to someone, that’s when real world really matters.”
Art HeinricherDean of Undergraduate Studies
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A responsible balance
From day one, there’s support when you need it, often before you even realize you need it. At the same time, WPI promotes independent decision-making, self-advocacy, and resilience.
89%of WPI alumni surveyed* reported a positive impact in taking responsibility for their own learning due to project experiences
*2012 UMass Donahue Institute Survey -
Stepping up to the challenge from day one
“The hands-on experience from the moment you step on campus is something that people don’t get until their junior or senior year at other schools.”
RebeccaJunior, Electrical and Computer Engineering
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A jumpstart to project-based learning
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A spark ignited from a ‘great problem’ to solve
“In the United States we usually don’t have to worry about having access to clean water, but around the world, contaminated water kills millions of people each year.
By focusing on the problem in one place—Malewa, Kenya—our team was able to take a critical look at this important issue. The GPS [Great Problems Seminar] really lit a spark in me and I knew I wanted to do more. I was so passionate about the project that I just didn’t want it to end. Going to Malewa [for her junior year project] gave me a whole new perspective on thinking about global issues.”
Anna Chase ‘08
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Not your typical tech school welcome
Some tech schools welcome first year students with ‘Look left, look right: one of you will be gone at the end of the first year.’ Not WPI. Here the welcome message is ‘Look left, look right: these are the people who will teach you the most. You will excel here because of the project teams that you get to work on, from the partners you get to work with, the project work throughout the curriculum, and the collaboration that you have to embrace from the very first day.’
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Everybody’s working on something interesting
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Nothing typical about a WPI education—or students
The curriculum and the culture at WPI are designed for those who love to learn because they want to do. Maybe you’re a scientist who writes poetry or an engineer with a flair for drama. Fusing science..., technology, engineering and math with the humanities and arts and entrepreneurship and innovation, WPI pushes you to have a process, know your facts, express yourself creatively, and take risks.
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The method matters
“The way we learn at WPI is a very big part of the experience. The method matches what happens in the real world.”
NaomiSophomore, Biochemistry (Pre-med)
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Employers value what’s distinctively WPI…
Employers consistently cite the value of WPI student having much exposure to many different things: working with teams, working on conflict resolution within teams, problem solving—experiences that require they figure things out.
“The challenges and problems that we try to solve are of really great importance and have a big impact in many different arenas … so we need people who want to come somewhere where they can dig into big and complicated technical challenges…”
An employer of WPI graduates -
“WPI’s project work is really rewarding and it really sets us apart. We learn how to work with people and how to communicate, and we’re prepared for the real world because we’re already used to facilitating our own pace of work and working on cross-functional teams.”
MorganJunior, Management Engineering
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“One of the things I love most about WPI is the boundless opportunities to study abroad and still graduate on time. Global experiences are built into the flow of our curriculum and scheduling.”
Kayla,Sophomore -
“As my swim coach, Paul Bennett has not only taught me proper stroke technique and race strategy, but also how to be mentally tough. He sets high goals for me in and out of the pool and offers guidance and direction for all aspects of my life.”
JenniferSophomore, Mechanical Engineering
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“The interaction between student and faculty is incredible at WPI. From office hours to shooting hoops, the professors are real people that actually care about your future in academia or industry.”
AmaSophomore, Business
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“With WPI’s project-based curriculum and short terms, I am able to learn what it is really like to work on a team, have strict time constraints, and effectively communicate ideas and results.”
JenniferSophomore
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Not Your Typical Study Abroad
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Passions can change when you explore
“I initially came here for biology and biotechnology. After my first semester I realized this wasn’t what I wanted. I saw what WPI offered in the humanities. That’s where international studies came in. I knew that WPI was a top school for business. A lot of people get their MBAs here and that’s something I would like to pursue after graduation. That’s where management came into play. I could be a business major as an undergrad.”
CarolinaSenior, Business and International Studies
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Learning with each new challenge
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Jumping off and soaring
“Looking back on it, the ability to drink from a fire hose is something that WPI teaches really well. Without that, I don’t think I would have been able to jump into a career that had so little to do with anything I’d ever learned before and be successful.”
Dana Buckley Lenoir ’12,Toyota safety and crashworthiness engineer
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Good-bye comfort zone, hello potential
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About 65 percent of our students complete project work off campus. Wherever you go, whatever the challenge, you will become immersed in the local culture, researching and implementing projects as scie...
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Transformed my view on life
“Puerto Rico was an amazing experience. It really transformed my view on life. Being able to meet people from all different walks of life, people who’ve had completely different perspectives and life experiences than I have had really widened by own perspective of the world.”
MichaelSenior, Mechanical Engineering
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“Professor of Theatre Susan Vick helped me explore my inner creativity and to be sure of my self and my abilities, which has impacted how I approach work and classes in my major field as well.”
MikeJunior
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“Working with 30+ first year students as a Community Advisor was one of my best experiences at WPI. They taught me just as much as I taught them, and the energy and laughter they brought to every event was truly inspiring.”
JackJunior, Chemical Engineering, Fire Protection Engineering
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“Thanks to WPI, I’m comfortable in any role that makes my team successful. I can’t emphasize enough how much you will grow here—beyond just getting smarter.”
Whitney,Junior, Biochemistry
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“WPI does a great job teaching soft skills across academic disciplines. We all learn sophisticated team-building, communication, and leadership skills through the project-based curriculum.”
LizzyJunior, Management Engineering
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The power to achieve on so many levels
“I took the Great Problems Seminar as a freshman and we focused on expanding the Meals on Wheels program in Worcester. I’ve also had great research experiences: working for a year as a lab research assistant on a biofuels project and for one summer as a research fellow. There are real opportunities to work alongside your professors to advance their research and your own skills.“
VickySenior, Biology/Biotechnology and Professional Writing
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Loving the learning
“The vast majority of students at WPI not only are there to learn, but they LOVE to learn. They’re working on side projects, building websites, helping at robotics competitions, running small businesses, etc.”
ChristinaJunior, Computer Science
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From healthcare to helicopters…
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Real world projects, real world value
Consider this sampling of impressions from companies who hire WPI graduates:
“Coming out of a college like WPI where there are opportunities to perform in teams sets them up for success because they’ve already kind of experienced it.”
“WPI graduates students who are highly motivated, and they have some type of practical hands-on experience … that adds to their level of knowledge and proficiency.”
“We have found that WPI students do very well. …They are better able to communicate and to articulate their point of view and what they think is appropriate, having to work through the compromises…”
“I think WPI graduates are a bit more willing to listen and collaborate because they had to do it on their teams.”
“They worked on things that were real world, so their skill sets—when we looked at them—really had a place in our organization.”
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The project experiences are remarkable
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A passion for music and Asian Studies leads to harmony
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Aiming for change that brings value
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“Community support is a philosophy at WPI that you see every day. I see familiar faces and I am always greeted with a warm welcome – not just amongst students, but with faculty advisors, administrators, and coaches. The WPI community truly has a passion to see their students succeed.”
EmilySenior
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81%
of alumni surveyed* reported a positive impact on “functioning effectively in the real world” due to project experiences
*2012 UMass Donahue Institute Survey