Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts 01609
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), founded in 1865, is the nation's third-oldest private college of engineering and science in the United States. Graduate study has been a part of the Institute's activity for more than 100 years. Classes are small and provide for close student-faculty relationships. Graduate students frequently interact in research with undergraduates participating in WPI's unique project-based program of education. WPI has a student body of about 3,650, of whom 1,052 are full-or part-time graduate students. Most states and about fifty countries are represented.
The Community
WPI is set on an 80-acre hilltop campus situated in a residential section of Worcester, MA, a city of 170,000. The city, the second largest in the six-state region, has many colleges and an unusual variety of cultural opportunities. Located three blocks from the campus, the nationally famous Worcester Art Museum contains one of the finest permanent collections in the country and offers many special activities of interest to students. The community also provides outstanding programs in music and theater. The Worcester Centrum offers rock concerts and semiprofessional athletic events. Easily reached for recreation are Boston and Cape Cod to the east and the Berkshires to the west, and good skiing is nearby to the north. Complete athletic and recreational facilities and a program of concerts and special events are available on campus to graduate students.
Programs of study and degree requirements
WPI offers MS and Ph.D. programs in biology and biotechnology; biomedical and clinical; chemical; chemistry and biochemistry; civil and environmental; computer science; electrical and computer; fire protection; manufacturing; materials science; mathematical sciences; mechanical and physics. Management offers the MBA, in addition to MS programs in Marketing & Technological Innovation and Operations & Information Technology. The Master of Engineering degree is offered in biomedical, civil and environmental, manufacturing and mechanical engineering.
A biomedical science Ph.D. program is sponsored by WPI with the cooperation of the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology and the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
A special MS degree program for secondary school teachers is also offered. The Master of Mathematics for Educators concentrates on the field of mathematics.
The programs for the MS degree require a minimum of 30 credit hours. Although the specific requirements vary, most departments require a thesis of at least 6 semester hours. Arrangements may be made with local industries for thesis research.
The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree, with a minimum of one year of full-time residence at the college.
Facilities & Resources
In addition to the extensive facilities for research that are available in all departments, graduate students have the opportunity to conduct research in a number of research centers. These centers include the Aluminum Casting Research Laboratory, the Applied Bioengineering Center, the Center for Crystal Growth in Space, the Center for Holographic Studies and Laser Technology, the Center for Inorganic Membrane Studies, the Center for Intelligent Processing of Materials, the Center for Wireless Information Network Studies, the Computational Electromagnetics and Utrasonics Systems Design and Development Group, the Magnetic Imaging Center, the NECAMSID Laboratory, the Powder Metallurgy Research Center, and the Photochemistry and Spectroscopy Laboratory. Ongoing off-campus research opportunities exist at the Alden Research Laboratory, which is known worldwide for studies in hydrodynamics and water resources. There are opportunities for research in biomedical engineering and biomedical science at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and at several hospitals.
Central and departmental computation facilities include parallel processing mainframes and UNIX-based engineering workstations/minicomputers, connected by a campus wide fiber-optic-linked Ethernet network. There are approximately 1,000 Windows based personal computers on campus, many in open-access laboratories.
Diversity
The Office of Diversity Programs was established in 1993 to assist in the recruitment and retention of African American, Latino, and American Indian students. Because these populations have been traditionally underrepresented in the fields of engineering, science and technology and at WPI, the university has made a commitment to providing educational and career opportunities for these students. The Office of Diversity Programs works with campus organizations and offices to provide cultural programs for the community. Such programs include Latino Awareness Week, Black History Month, and Native American Awareness Month. We also serves as a resource to the campus community for issues regarding diversity and inclusion of people of color.
International Students
Our students come from more than 70 countries; in fact, international students make up 35 percent of our full-time graduate student population.
WPI's International House provides tools and resources for international students and faculty. The house serves as the venue for a variety of programs throughout the year, such as brown bag lunch discussions with international scholars and faculty, coffee hours, exhibits, video showings, and other social and educational activities.The International House Web site includes helpful information about the ESL Summer Institute, various international student services offered, such as summer storage and temporary housing, information about employment as an international student, INS updates and international student organizations that students can become involved with.
International students must obtain an F-1 student visa to come to the United States to study.
Expenses and Aid
Graduate tuition for the 2007-2008 academic year is $1,089 per credit hour. There are nominal extra charges for the thesis, health insurance, and other fees.
Housing
On-campus graduate student housing is limited to a space-available basis. There is no on-campus housing for married students. Apartments and rooms in private homes near the campus are available at varying costs.
Financial Aid
Graduate assistantships are available for teaching and research. These generally carry a stipend of $18,770 and remission of tuition for up to 20 credits for the academic year in 2007-2008, although some assistantships have a higher basic stipend. Additional assistance may be available for the summer. A few fellowships are available from private industries. Goddard Institute Fellowships of $15,000 for the calendar year plus free tuition are also available.
How to Apply
Application for admission and financial assistance should be made by February 1 but will be considered at any time. Inquiries should be directed to the head of the degree program of interest or to the address below.
Who to contact
Graduate Admissions Office
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Road
Worcester, Massachusetts 01609
508-831-5301
E-mail: gao@wpi.edu
http://www.wpi.edu
The Faculty and Research
Biology and Biotechnology: Professor Ronald D. Cheetham, Head. The MS and Ph.D. programs include some formal course work along with an original research project. Graduate degrees in biotechnology require course work outside the department in an area relevant to the biotechnology industry. Research interests of the faculty include cell and molecular biology, applied microbiology, genetic engineering, developmental biology, environmental biology, neurophysiology, plant physiology, and bioprocess technology. The department also offers a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences through a consortium that includes Clark University, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research.
Biomedical and Clinical Engineering: Professor Christopher H. Sotak, Head. Major research areas include cardiovascular electrophysiology, cardiac imaging, peripheral vascular instrumentation, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, invasive and noninvasive blood gas and biochemistry analysis, biomedical sensors, biological signal processing, patient monitoring, biomedical microprocessor applications, biomechanics, biofluids, and biomedical materials. Internships in biomedical and clinical engineering are available at several hospitals and research institutions. A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging facility has been established as part of a joint research program between the Biomedical Engineering Department and the Department of Radiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. The facility is equipped with a General Electric 2.0 Tesla instrument and two GE 1.5 T clinical imaging instruments.
Chemical Engineering: Professor Ravindra Datta, Head. Major research areas include zeolite synthesis and applications, inorganic membrane synthesis and applications, bioreactor analysis using whole cells, biological product recovery and purification, bioreactor design for plant tissue culture, inorganic materials, heterogeneous and homogeneous catalytic mechanisms and synthesis, surface science and chemical kinetics, nucleation and ultrafine aerosols, transport in heterogeneous reactors, environmental and nanostructured materials synthesis and diamond thin film synthesis.
Chemistry and Biochemistry: Professor James P. Dittami, Head. Research areas include laser photochemistry; medicinal chemistry; organic synthesis; natural products; molecular scale devices; biochemistry; plant biochemistry; ion channels; and synthetic photochemistry.
Civil and Environmental Engineering: Professor Frederick L. Hart, Head. Research areas include impact analysis, vehicle crashworthiness, transportation safety and roadside safety, asphalt technology, materials, biological, chemical and physical aspects of water and wastewater treatment, water quality and distribution, integration of design and construction, ground water flow and contaminant distribution and hazardous waste. Environmental graduate courses are offered on campus and via distance learning.
Computer Science: Professor Micha Hofri, Head. Research interests include analysis of algorithms, language translation, computer graphics, computer networks, computer vision, databases, distributed systems, electronic publishing, image processing, knowledge-based systems, object-oriented systems, performance evaluation, software engineering, user interfaces, and visualization. The department's home, Fuller Laboratories, was designed specifically for multimedia high-tech education. The department's specialized research laboratories and general laboratories contain a wide variety of computing equipment, including more than fifty workstations and special graphics devices and printers. The College Computer Center provides substantial additional computing facilities, with all resources interconnected by a campus-wide voice/data communications network providing easy access from every classroom, lab and office.
Electrical and Computer Engineering: Professor John A. Orr, Head. MS and Ph.D. Research areas include wireless networking, cryptography and network security, multimedia networks, the global positioning system, image processing, computational methods for electromagnetics and ultrasonics, microwave CAD, analog microelectronics, medical imaging, power quality and power system state estimation. Approximately $1 million in external research support is received annually. Major facilities include an extensive network of UNIX workstations and PCs, a wireless networks lab, VLSI design and test facilities, RF/microwave laboratories, and power electronics and power systems laboratories.
Fire Protection Engineering: Professor David A. Lucht, Director, Center for Firesafety Studies. This is the first graduate studies program of its kind in the United States. Research areas include structural fire behavior, computer fire modeling, marine firesafety , building firesafety, risk assessment, and fire detection and explosion suppression. WPI offers both the master's and doctoral degrees in fire protection engineering as well as a five-year dual-degree program for high school graduates. Graduate courses are offered on campus and via distance learning.
Management: McRae C. Banks, Head. Offers applications-oriented programs designed for managers in technology-based organizations. Concentration areas include management information systems, management of technology, production/operations management, technological innovation, technology marketing, and entrepreneurship. Graduate degree programs include the Master of Business Administration, MS in Marketing & Technological Innovation, and MS in Operations & Information Technology.
Manufacturing Engineering: Professor Christopher Brown, Director. Research areas include intelligent materials processing, fixturing, CAD/CAM and robotics, control and monitoring of manufacturing processes, sensors, computer-integrated manufacturing, design for manufacturability, and design for the environment. The MS and Ph.D. programs include course work as well as thesis research.
Materials Science and Engineering: Professor Richard D. Sisson Jr., Program Director. Graduate study ranges over various engineering and science disciplines after focusing on fundamental work in materials science and materials engineering. Close ties with mechanical engineering, manufacturing and other engineering and science programs are maintained. Facilities include optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, casting, welding, mechanical testing and fracture mechanics, and corrosion laboratories, and scanning and transmission electron microscopes. This is the nation's only dedicated Surface Metrology Laboratory, with conventional profiling, scanning laser microscope, and fractal analysis software supporting surface engineering. The Metals Processing Institute, a major university-industry consortium with over 80 industrial members is also an integrated part of the program. The Metal Processing Institute is made up of four research centers: The Aluminum Casting Research Laboratory, The Powder Metallurgy Research Center, The Semi-Solid Materials Processing Laboratory and the newly formed Center for Heat Treating Excellence.
Mathematical Sciences: Professor Homer Walker, Head. The department offers an MS in applied mathematics, which emphasizes numerical methods, mathematical modeling, and discrete mathematics; an MS in applied statistics, which emphasizes industrial and scientific applications; a Master of Mathematics for Educators; and a Ph.D. in mathematical sciences, which emphasizes mathematical modeling, scientific computing, and industrial, scientific and engineering applications. Research interests of the 25 full-time faculty members include Bayesian methods, bifurcation theory, biomathematics, composite materials and optimal design, computational fluid dynamics, graph theory, mathematical physics, matroid theory, operations research, optimization, statistical computing, stochastic control, and time-series analysis.
Mechanical Engineering: Professor Gretar Tryggvason, Head. Graduate programs and research lead to MS, M.Eng., and Ph.D. degrees. Departmental research includes aerospace sciences, applied mechanics, biomechanics, combustion, computational mechanics, vibrations and nonlinear dynamics, stochastic mechanics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and laser science. Facilities include the Aerospace Laboratory, Biomechanics/Biofluids Laboratory, the Laser and Holography Laboratory, the Design Studio, the Fire and Combustion Laboratory, the Heat Transfer Laboratory, the Vibration/Dynamics and Control Laboratory, the Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, the Aluminum Casting Research Laboratory, the Powder Metallurgy Research Center, the Robotics/CIM Laboratory, several manufacturing engineering and materials science laboratories, and a 10-kw nuclear reactor facility.
Physics: Professor Thomas H. Keil, Head. Current research interests include theoretical and experimental work in optics, solid-state physics, chemical physics, statistical mechanics, and nuclear physics. Specializations include optical properties of semiconductor superlattices, as measured by inelastic light scattering, luminescence, and exitation spectoscopies; laser spectroscopy of impurity ions in fiber-optic glasses; nonlinear and quantum optics; coherent and squeezed states; light-scattering spectroscopy of transport phenomena in complex fluids, such as polymer and biomacromolecular solutions; magnetic systems and tunneling states; low-temperature behavior of glassy and amorphous materials; electronic properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors; lattice dynamics of dielectric crystals; and proton microbeam development.