Admission Information

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Applying to WPI

Prospective graduate students submit their applications for all WPI graduate programs online at www.grad.wpi.edu/+apply.

Some programs require the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). Consult academic departments' website for test requirements. There is no WPI minimum GRE or GMAT score for admission. WPI’s institutional code for the GRE and GMAT is 3969. Scores are valid for five years from the test date. For more information, or to take the GRE go to: www.ets.org/gre The Business School requires the GMAT for all PhD applicants.  For more information or to take the GMAT go to: www.gmat.com. 

A completed undergraduate degree from an accredited institution is a pre-requisite for beginning all graduate degree programs at WPI. All graduate students are expected to have completed their undergraduate degree at the time of matriculation.

WPI admission requirements vary by program, but may include the following:

  • A completed Application for Admission to Graduate Study.
  • A non-refundable $70 application fee. The application fee is waived for online or corporate students, as well as WPI alumni, employees, and current students. 
  • College transcripts in English and the original language from all accredited degree-granting institutions attended. This includes institutions attended regardless of degree conferral if coursework was used towards a degree at any other institution. If offered admission, all students who matriculate to WPI will be required to provide official transcript(s) from all academic institutions attended, indicating all previously earned degree(s) or coursework counted towards a degree.  Please note that, while you may apply with an unofficial transcript, official transcripts will need to be submitted prior to the start of your second term at WPI.
  • Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can comment on the applicant’s qualifications for pursuing graduate study in the chosen field. Applicants are required to invite their recommenders to submit letters through the online application and can be submitted only through the application portal.
  • Several programs require a statement of purpose. This is a brief essay discussing background, interests, academic intent, and the reasons the applicant feels they would benefit from the program of study. The statement of purpose must be submitted electronically with the online application. 
  • The Business School requires all applicants to submit a resume with the online application.
  • Proof of English language proficiency must be submitted by all applicants for whom English is not their first language. Applicants seeking to attend WPI whose native language is not English must submit official TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS, or Duolingo scores. WPI also accepts TOEFL iBT Home Edition and UKVI IELTS. WPI does not accept paper copies of these scores; only official scores sent electronically from the testing service will be accepted.  The minimum scores for admission are: TOEFL: 84 (iBT) or 8.5 (Essentials) Duolingo: 115 and IELTS: 7.0 overall band score with no sub-score lower than 6.5

These are the minimum scores for admission to WPI.  Some departments have higher minimums. Students who wish to be considered for a Teaching Assistant position should have a higher English Language Proficiency score. The Business School also requires a higher minimum score. 

Applicants who have completed two years of full-time study at a college or university in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or the Anglophone regions of Africa, Canada, or the Caribbean, within five years of matriculating at WPI are not required to submit TOEFL, Duolingo or IELTS scores.

The English proficiency test score requirement is waived for individuals who have been in the US for three or more years working in an English language environment. 

All incoming graduate students who indicate that their native language is not English should expect to be tested on their English language skills.  If a passing grade is not obtained on this ESL test students will be asked to enroll in a one semester, zero credit English language course for a fee.  

The Office of Graduate Admissions will retain incomplete applications awaiting submission, and their associated credentials, for one year after the application was started.  If the application is not submitted for one year, WPI reserves the right to cancel the application and destroy all associated documents and credentials. Credentials submitted with an application will not be returned to the applicant.

All submitted applications are cleared each term. Applicants can indicate on the application that they wish to have their application forwarded to the next available term in the event that they do not receive a decision on their application. If the applicant does not indicate that their application should be forwarded, it will be canceled at the beginning of the entry term selected by the applicant.

All applications, letters of recommenda­tion, and supporting documents become the property of WPI once they have been received by the Office of Graduate Admissions. 

Three-Year Bologna-Process Degrees

WPI welcomes applications from students who have three-year Bologna-compliant undergraduate degrees from European universities. Applicants who hold these credentials will be evaluated for admission on a case-by-case basis.

Three-Year Bachelor's Degrees from India

Applicants with a three-year Bachelor's degree from India are eligible to apply for graduate study as long as their school is accredited by NAAC with a grade of A, and their class rank is Division I or II. 

National Diploma and Higher National Diploma

Applicants who have obtained both a National Diploma and a Higher National Diploma are eligible to apply for graduate study. 

Priority Dates

Students who want to apply for fall admission should submit their applications by the preceding January 1st and complete the dossier as soon as possible after that date.

Students who are seeking admission to the spring semester should submit their applications by the preceding October 1st and complete the dossier as soon as possible after that date.

Some departments have strict deadlines; others admit students year-round. Consult the WPI website for more details.

Funding is disbursed by the admissions committees in each of the academic departments. These decisions are made in tandem with the admissions decision, so there is no separate application for most assistantships, scholarships or fellowships. Funding opportunities requiring a separate essay include The Business School's Dean's Diversity Scholarship and the Global School's Dean's Scholarship. All supplemental funding essays should be submitted directly on the application. 

Prospective students must indicate that they want to be considered for funding when they apply for admission. The application should be complete on or before January 1st to ensure funding consideration for fall and October 1 for spring admission. Applications that are completed during the two weeks following January 1st will also receive the earliest consideration for funding for the fall term. 

With each passing month the availability of funds decreases, so applications should be completed, if possible, by the deadlines associated with each term. Except for the Business School, funding at the master's level is rare.

Re-Application/Re-Admission to WPI

Readmission to Graduate Program of Study

Students who leave a graduate master's program and do not return within five years and wish to return to that program must reapply through the Office of Graduate Admissions. All applications are subject to the admissions standards and requirements at the time of reapplication. It will be up to the academic department to determine if they wish to honor any previous credit or transfer credit earned prior to the leave of absence. 

Each academic department has the responsibility, upon a student's readmission, of determining which previous courses if any, are applicable toward the degree. Be aware that the degree standards and requirements may have changed, and you will be bound to the new standards. All readmission decisions are made by the academic department and readmission is not guaranteed.

Admission

The University in coordination with academic departments, programs, or sponsoring groups are responsible for making admissions decisions. These decisions are communicated by the Office of Graduate Admissions. Offers of admission are valid until the date indicated on the admission letter. 

Occasionally a department will recommend admission to a degree program that differs from the program specified in the student’s application. Most typically, a department will admit a Ph.D. applicant to a Master’s program. Students in such a position should contact the graduate coordinator in their program to find out what criteria they will have to meet to gain admission to the Ph.D. program in the future.

A current WPI graduate student who would like to complete a second graduate degree in another department must apply for admission to the second program. In general, standard application procedures are followed, but a copy of the first application and its supporting materials can sometimes be used as the basis for the second application. No application fee is required. Students who wish to change from one degree program to another must complete a second graduate application.

Under some circumstances, a student not yet admitted to a program may earn graduate credit towards the requirements for a graduate degree. Such students must keep in mind that permission to register does not constitute admission to a degree or certificate program, nor does it guarantee admission. It is also important to know that the number of credits that can be applied to the degree is limited. Students are thus encouraged to apply for admission to a program at the earliest possible date.

Applicants who would like to be con­sidered for more than one degree program must complete and submit a separate application form for each program.

Confirmation of Admission

Admission to a WPI graduate program is officially granted via a letter from the Office of Graduate Admissions. No other communication from the university (e.g., email from a department, discussion with a faculty member, etc.) confers admission to an applicant.

The official admission letter asks students to respond to their offer online on the Admitted Student Response Form.  Communication with the department or program directly does not officially confirm the intention to attend, and may not initiate the necessary steps for enrollment.

A non-refundable deposit of $500, which will be credited to tuition and fees, is required of students in the graduate business, science, global school, and engineering programs who plan to attend. The deposit is waived for part-time and online students, as well as Research Assistants, Teaching Assistants, and Fulbright Scholars.

Deferred Enrollment

An admitted student who wishes to defer enrollment should do so via the Admitted Student Response Form. If the student has already submitted the Admitted Student Response Form, the student must make a request in writing to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Students typically receive a one-time deferral of six or twelve months. Deferrals will not be granted for more than one year from the original admitted entry term. Funded students generally can not defer their funding. WPI requires a $500 non-refundable deposit for all graduate business, science, global school and engineering student deferrals. This deposit will be credited to the student’s tuition upon arrival. 

Admissions Terms and Conditions

WPI's offer of admission and your subsequent matriculation at WPI is contingent upon the following terms and conditions. Matriculation for the purposes of these terms and conditions is defined as either the student’s arrival on campus or WPI’s first day of classes for the term/semester. WPI reserves the right to revoke your offer of admission any time prior to or after your matriculation at WPI if:

  • You do not graduate or do not receive a diploma at the end of the academic year prior to enrollment at WPI from your undergraduate or graduate institution.
  • You have misrepresented any part of your admission application, including but not limited to any behavioral or disciplinary issues and academic dishonesty.
  • You experience a drop in grade performance during the remainder of the academic year prior to enrollment at WPI.
  • Information that comes to the attention of WPI that is deemed unacceptable by WPI.