Program in Applied Mathematics School of Science Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer's Department of Mathematical Sciences

The Department of Mathematical Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) strongly emphasizes contemporary and innovative applications of mathematics. With 1 faculty member for every 2 graduate students, the department has developed an international reputation for individual instruction and excellence in both teaching and research. The mathematics department has been awarded the Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Faculty Development by the American Council on Education and TIAA as recognition for their exceptional faculty development program and their interactive learning environment.

MS Program in Applied Mathematics

Rensselaer's Department of Mathematical Sciences offers a Master of Science (MS) in Applied Mathematics. The program addresses numerous applications in the fields of engineering, management, and science. Courses stress analysis, construction, and evaluation of real-world mathematical models, in preparation for employment in business, industry, or government.

The applied mathematics program requires at least 24 credit hours of coursework and a minimum of 30 credit hours for the degree. Following the standards set by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for interdisciplinary study, students take at least 1 course outside the department. Applied math students also participate in Capstone Professional Experiences, which consist of math projects, practicums, or special series of courses.

Research Areas and Support for Applied Math Students

Research in the department emphasizes study and development of mathematical and computational methods and their application to problems of contemporary significance to society. Research is currently being conducted in the areas of applied geometry, approximation theory, biomathematics, bioinformatics, combustion and detonation theory, dynamical systems, financial mathematics, fluid dynamics, inverse problems, mathematical programming and operations research, numerical analysis and scientific computation, and wave propagation.

The math department offers graduate students software support for a number of programs, including Maple, UNIX, MATLAB, Xess, and LaTeX. The department also provides help with career preparation.

Industrial Connections Created through Modeling Camp and Math Workshop

Each year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hosts the 4-day Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling (GSMM) Camp. During the camp's workshops, invited faculty and industry mentors present highly interdisciplinary, real-world problems to graduate student teams. The GSMM Camp aims to supplement graduate student education and career development by promoting problem-solving skills, encouraging scientific communication among team members, and exposing students to real-world problems with current industrial applications. The camp serves as a lead-in to the annual Mathematical Problems in Industry (MPI) Workshop.

The 5-day MPI Workshop is designed to foster collaborations between leading applied mathematicians, scientists, and engineers from national laboratories, universities, and industry. During the workshop, industry representatives present various problems to participants who then break into small groups to discuss the problems in informal settings. The inaugural MPI Workshop was held at Rensselaer in 1985, and today rotates among participating institutes.

Highly Recognized Faculty in Mathematics

Many of the math department's faculty members have received recognition for achievements in research and student development at Rensselaer. Past awards include Fulbright and Sloan fellowships and the Rensselaer Trustee's Outstanding Teacher Award. Many faculty members also serve as editors or advisers to academic research journals.

For instance, Professor Mark Holmes has acted as Guggenheim fellow and has received ASME's Young Investigator Award and Curriculum Innovation Award. Professor Holmes also holds editorships at the "SIAM Review," "Journal of Engineering Mathematics," and "Monographs on Mathematical Modeling and Computation."

Financial Aid Opportunities at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer has been ranked 30th on the "US News & World Report's" list of Great Schools, Great Prices. Even so, the university offers a wide range of financial aid opportunities.

The most common ways for graduate students in mathematics to receive financial support are through teaching and research assistantships or through fellowships. Teaching assistantships are 1-year appointments that can consist of independent classroom teaching, grading and office hours, or proctoring exams. The department's competitive fellowships provide generous stipends, 30 credits of tuition, summer support for research and conferences, and waivers of all fees.

Additional awards include the Ralph Ernest Huston Prize for students who demonstrate promise as teachers, the Joaquin B. Diaz Prize for students who show enthusiasm for math research, and the George H. Handelman Award for Graduate Study in Applied Math. Career-related internships and fieldwork are also available.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute -- the Nation's Oldest Technological University

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the nation's oldest technological university. Today, the university offers more than 145 rigorous programs to undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals from 39 states and 13 foreign countries. Rensselaer consistently ranks as one of the best universities in the nation, having been named among the top 50 by "US News and World Report" 10 years in a row.

Rensselaer is located in Troy, New York, just minutes from the capital city of Albany. Troy is nearly equidistant from New York City, Boston, and Lake Placid, and within an hour of some of New England's finest outdoor scenery and hiking trails.

Graduate students may choose from several housing options. There are a number of residence halls or graduate-only apartments on campus, as well as many affordable off campus locations within walking distance.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Science (MS)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 9
• Doctoral Degrees 7
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied87
• Accepted45
• Acceptance Rate51%
• Enrolled15
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $75
• Application Fee - International $75
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline January 15th Not Reported Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *$39,600
• Out-of-state tuition *$39,600
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year fees$1,896.00
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitNot Reported
• Application deadlines for financial awardsJanuary 15
• Types of financial support availableCareer or Field-Related Internships, Institutionally-sponsored Loans

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students48
• Female Percentage42%
• Male Percentage58%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students48
• Part-time Percentage6%
• Full-time Percentage94%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino2%
• Black / African American6%
• White / Caucasian56%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian10%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown26%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty27
• Full-time Percentage85%
• Part-time Percentage15%
• Female Percentage15%
• Male Percentage85%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchMathematical modeling, differential equations, applications of mathematics in science and engineering, operations research, analysis
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last year$3,200,000