Arts and Sciences School

About the school

With nationally recognised programmes and an interdisciplinary, collaborative environment fusing the arts and sciences, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Arts and Sciences School orchestrates a symphony between cellular biology, robots, music creation, and gaming inventions. Established in 1865 in Worcester, WPI inspires students to unleash their creative competence while working alongside expert faculty.

The Arts and Science School is highly regarded for its immersive programmes and takes pride in showcasing the nation's #1 most popular robotics engineering programme, standing #6 in computer science majors and ranking among the top 25% in physics majors (College Factual 2021 rankings).

WPI's Arts and Science School's academic brilliance is reflected in its notable alums. A few include Sergio Salvatore (VP of Engineering, Vimeo, Inc.) Lauren Baker (CEO and president, Boston Biomedical Associates), John Gabranski (former partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP), Maryann Goebel (executive VP and CIO, Finserv, Inc.), and Urvashi Tyagi (CTO, ResMed).

Worcester exudes the charm of a college town amidst a bustling city. The city is a leader in healthcare, education, biotechnology, IT, and financial services, making it a perfect professional growth hub for international students.

Location of the school

Life at the Arts and Sciences School

International students can expand their passion for the arts and sciences beyond the classroom with many choirs, bands, gaming groups, robotics competitions, theatre shows, and honour societies. They can choose among the hundreds of student clubs and professional organisations curated to help them pursue their interests, share their talents, and make new friends in the culturally diverse setting of the campus.

The on-campus graduate student housing comprises fully furnished apartments conveniently located in surrounding areas of the campus. The one to three-bedroom apartments come with present-day amenities and utilities, including a living room, a dining room, a laundry facility, and a kitchen. The Residential Services Office provides off-campus housing information through various websites.

Given the many dining locations on campus, from traditional dining halls to convenient to-go options and food courts, students can relish flavoursome culinary preparations with several meal plans available.

Moreover, on-campus health and wellness and recreational centres help students balance professional and personal well-being with facilities, including counselling services, over 40 clubs and intramural teams, and fitness classes.

The campus provides parking and transportation facilities through the WPI Police Department, facilitating safety programmes for the campus community and maintaining high security.

Additional benefits of studying at the Arts and Sciences School

With a slew of labs, theatres, studios, and digital spaces, students can engage in meaningful research from Day One at the School, leveraging the abundant benefits besides educational excellence. The Academic and Research Computing resources for students include access to a robust computing infrastructure, up-to-date scientific and engineering software applications, a knowledgeable staff, and fully equipped laboratories and facilities.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre gives students innovative ideas through seed funding, mentoring, workshops, and networking programmes. Students can also work in interdisciplinary teams in Worcester or worldwide to solve a problem at the intersection of science and society with the School's exclusive Explore Interactive Qualifying Projects (IQP).

Admissions criteria

International applicants must complete the online application and submit the following necessary supporting materials:

• A personal statement/Statement of Purpose

• Letter(s) of recommendation

• Undergraduate transcripts (translated into English)

• A graduate admissions test result (GMAT, GRE, LSAT)

• Proof of proficiency in English (e.g., TOEFL/IELTS): International applicants whose native language is not English must take one of the specified English proficiency tests:

Minimum test scores required:

TOEFL iBT: 84 TOEFL Essentials: 8.5 IELTS: 7.0 overall band score (minimum sub-score of 6.5) Duolingo: 115

Note: The minimum scores for Business Masters and Business PhD differ, and the details can be found here

• Resume/CV

Please note: The additional documents requirement varies between the programmes and needs to be checked with the specific department before applying.

Please refer to graduate admission requirements page for further details on the admission process.

Please visit the Office of Bursar’s page for details on tuition and other related fee.

Please consult the school’s necessary admissions and financial aid websites for detailed information and any updates to this information.

Job placements

The Career Development Center empowers graduate students to proactively shape their career paths in line with their interests, skills, and values. Career development support includes broadening their awareness of career options, building connections with employers and alumni, and addressing unique concerns such as work authorisation and visa sponsorship, especially for international students. Specialised resources for graduate students comprise subscriptions to career-focused platforms, personalised content, a weekly Graduate Student Heebner CDC Newsletter, and access to Graduate Student Peer Advisors.

Graduate students benefit from various career fairs organised by the School to provide job/internships/career path exploration and networking opportunities. Access to GoinGlobal's resources, including H1B Visa and OPT-related information, aids international students on their job-seeking journey.