SAM Meetings are required yearly with your academic advisor to ensure you are making adequate process in your degree and career goals. Meeting with the HUB does not substitute your required SAM meeting.
SAM Preparation
- Email your advisor to schedule your yearly SAM Meeting. If you don’t meet with your advisor, a SAM hold will be put on your account preventing you from course registration. You can find your academic advisor listed on top of your DegreeWorks page in SIS.
- Come prepared with any academic questions to address with your advisor.
- Select and list courses you are planning to take next semester to discuss with your advisor.
- Become familiar with curriculum requirements by reviewing your major templates (insert links).
HASS Core Overview
School of Science undergraduates must successfully complete 24 credits of HASS courses. If you are a School of Science Major, the Science Hub can help you plan your HASS Core! Humanities and Social Sciences course areas include the following:
Humanities
- Arts (ARTS)
- Communication (COMM)
- Languages (LANG)
- Literature (LITR)
- Games and Simulation Arts & Sciences (GSAS)
- HASS Inquiry (INQR)
- Interdisciplinary Studies (IHSS)
- Philosophy (PHIL)
- Science, Technology, and Society (STSO)
- Writing (WRIT)
Social Sciences
- Cognitive Science (COGS)
- Economics (ECON)
- Games and Simulation Arts & Sciences (GSAS)
- HASS Inquiry (INQR)
- Interdisciplinary Studies (IHSS)
- Psychology (PSYC)
- Science, Technology, and Society (STSO)
Regardless of the year you started at RPI, check the Academic Catalog* for a list of the available Integrative Pathways courses and their requirements. *Be sure the Catalog Year (upper right hand corner of the screen) is the year you started at RPI!
HASS Core Requirements for the School of Science - Fall 23 Onwards:
- 1 HASS inquiry (INQR) Course*
- Must be taken in first 2 semesters
- 1 HASS Communication Intensive Course
- Recommended to be taken in first 3 semesters.
- P/NC designation may not be used.
- Integrative Pathway: 12 credit HASS Integrative Pathway
- An Integrative Pathway (IP) is a themed set of courses that allows students to explore a designated topic area in greater breadth & depth. Students may choose from the list of over 20 topic areas to explore. Many of the IPs can also lead to minors.
- Courses counting toward the integrative pathway may not be designated as P/NC.
- 1 4000-Level Course*
- This must be a 4 credit course.
- 24 Credits Total
- A maximum of 12 credits at the 1000-level can be counted toward the HASS core.
- A maximum of 8 AP or transfer credits can be counted toward the HASS core.
- A maximum of 8 credits can be designated as P/NC.
*these courses may be included in the Integrative Pathway (but do not have to be).
- All students at RPI must take 20-24 credits as their Math/Science Core (usually defined as Calc I, II, and 4 intro Science classes). DegreeWorks makes this clear – there is a section called Math/Science Core.
- Students can bring in as many AP math and science courses as they have the scores for, but if they are over 8 credits of Math/Science APs, then they are not supposed to be able to transfer in more classes to meet their Core (although they can transfer in courses to their major requirements or as free electives). See a couple of examples below.
- Student has AP Bio (4 credits) and transfers in Calc I. Has maxed out their Math/Science Core transfers. Any additional M/S classes would have to go to meet other requirements.
- Student has AP Bio (4 cr), AP Physics I and II (8 cr), AP Calc I and II (8 cr). Has also maxed out their Math/Science Core transfers. Any additional M/S classes would have to go to meet other requirements.
- Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Associate Dean of Science (Dr. Lee Ligon)
- Specific questions regarding the Math/Science Core can be answered by the Science HUB (scienceHUB@rpi.edu).
Transfer Credit Process for Credits Earned Before Enrolling at RPI
All credits earned prior to enrolling at RPI need to be processed by May 1st of your Freshman Year.
Dual Enrollment courses:
- Request your high school principal or guidance counselor to fill out this form above certifying the course(s) you’ve completed or are completing, are not required for your high school diploma. The completed form should be submitted by your high school to transfercredit@rpi.edu.
- Request an official transcript from the University/College to be sent directly to RPI’s Registrar’s office. They are unable to accept transcripts that have been opened or forward, as these are considered unofficial. Electronic or physical transcripts should be sent to transfercredit@rpi.edu or
Office of the Registrar,
Academy Hall 2000 Level, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street
Troy, N.Y., 12180-3590. - The Registrar's Office will submit your coursework for evaluation to the designated course department. Students may be required to submit additional course information or a syllabus.
AP credits:
IB credits
Transfer Credit Approval Process for Current Students
We strongly recommend that students get courses approved before they take them!
- Find a course you wish to take outside of RPI. Use the Transfer Credit Guide to get started!*
- Find the course name, number, and description for the class you are wanting to take.
- Fill out the Transfer Credit Approval Form.
- Send the filled out Transfer Credit Approval Form to the appropriate department:
- Math or Science Courses: email form and course description to sciencehub@rpi.edu
- HASS Courses: email form and course syllabus to hassinfo@rpi.edu
- Engineering Courses: email form and course syllabus to anderk5@rpi.edu and CC chichd@rpi.edu
- Management Courses: email form and course description to fletck3@rpi.edu
- If the course is approved, students will then send the signed form to their advisor for a signature.
- Register for the course and once the course is completed, student must order an official transcript to be sent to RPI Registrar’s Office.
*If a course doesn’t appear in the transfer guide, it doesn’t mean we automatically reject it. The same is true in reverse, if it is in the guide it doesn’t mean we automatically accept it. Each time a student hands in a form we review the course to make sure it is still meeting the requirements of the RPI equivalent.
How do I change my major?
Contact the School your new major is located within and they will help develop an academic plan and help you fill out the Change of Major form.
School of HASS: HASSinfo@rpi.edu
School of Engineering: soehub@rpi.edu or Dana Chichester, chichd@rpi.edu
School of Science: sciencehub@rpi.edu
School of Management: Maggie Wright, wrighm5@rpi.edu
School of Architecture: David Bell, belld@rpi.edu
ITWS Program: Meaghan Potter, molinm2@rpi.edu
How do I declare a School of HASS minor?
Please review the HASS minor process here
How do I declare a School of Science minor?
Please make an appointment us here and we can review the minor requirements and complete the Minor Approval Form.
How do I declare minors in Architecture, Engineering or Management?
Please email the Science HUB (sciencehub@rpi.edu) and we will connect you with the correct person to discuss this with.
