Your First Year Faculty Advisor is assigned to you based on your major. Starting in your first semester. you can connect with them through your first year to talk about your courses, goals, and any questions you may have related to professional development and research. They are a great resource to welcome you to RPI! 

Art Department | Dr. Kate Galloway

Cognitive Science Department | Dr. Christopher Sims

Communication and Media Department | Dr. Christopher Jeansonne

Economics Department | Dr. Michael Klein

Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences | Dr. Eric Ameres

Science and Technology Studies | Dr. Matthew Wolf-Meyer

Once you head into your third semester at RPI, you will be assigned to a Faculty Advisor who will be there to support you through graduation. This individual will be assigned to you based on concentrations, focus areas, conversations that you had with your FY Faculty Advisor or the Hub, professional goals, etc. 

You will receive an email from the HASS Hub with their name, and contact information. You can also find who your Faculty Advisor is on SIS and in DegreeWorks. If you have any questions regarding your Faculty Advisor, you can email the Hub. 

Learn more about our esteemed HASS Faculty!

Learn more about Faculty Advising as a Graduate Student.

Your HASS Hub Advisor is assigned to you based on your major, the same as your Faculty Advisor. The big difference is that your Hub Advisor will remain with you from onboarding until Commencement. If you choose to head into a Co-Terminal program, your Hub Advisor will continue to support you through your advanced degree! 

Book a meeting or sign up for drop-ins at the bottom of this page. 

Meet the Team!

Discover HASS Majors and Departments

Steps to Dual with HASS or to Become a HASS Major

Steps to Declare a HASS Minor

To ensure you are on track with your curriculum requirements, download and update a Blank Plan of Study. 

This semester-by-semester plan will help you track your remaining requirements, and allow you to plan for duals, internships, and/or study abroad opportunities. Get started by reviewing your requirements in the Catalog (select your year), and by meeting with your Academic Advising team.

What do you need to know?

• Cohort: Your cohort is determined by your first semester at RPI. If you are looking for your degree requirements, ensure you are looking for materials from the Fall semester of your first year at RPI. For example, Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 - your Catalog is AY 23-24. 
• Faculty Advisor: Meet with your Faculty Advisor at least once a semester to ensure you take full advantage of your time at RPI. Your Hub Advisor will be available to support you with general questions, forms, and graduation checks. 
• Plan of Study: Students are responsible for understanding their degree requirements, based on their cohort and Catalog year. An updated Plan of Study is how you stay on track. 
• The Arch: After your sophomore year, you will remain on campus during the summer for the first semester of your junior year. Your second semester of courses will be either in the Fall or Spring, and the opposite semester will be away from RPI. This is a unique opportunity to focus on your personal and professional development while you are still an RPI student. There are two components/courses related to the Arch that are required for graduation; 1) ADMN 1030, and 2) Away Semester being registered on SIS (ILEA). 
• Every Academic Year, plan to Update your Plan of Study, meet with your Academic Advising Team, and fulfill your SAM. 

First Year: 

• Download your Plan of Study and Checklist and save them in a safe space. Follow the instructions outlined on this page, and plan to update the Excel Template at least once a semester. 
• Bookmark important curriculum pages in your Catalog; major requirements, Pathway and/or Minor requirements, and the Core Curriculum. Be sure to select your Catalog Year.
• Book a meeting with your Faculty Advisor and your Hub Advisor to meet your Advising Team and get started on the right path. 
• Declare your Pathway in SIS. As a HASS student, your Integrative Pathway will be fulfilled by your major requirements, however, you still need to declare this graduation requirement. 
• GSAS: Declare your concentration using the Change of Major form. Once you fill out the form, send it to hassinfo@rpi.edu for approval by the 'Curriculum Coordinator.' 
• Fulfill your SAM Requirement. Once a year (typically in the Spring Term), you must meet with your Faculty Advisor to plan next semester's schedule based on the courses you have taken, and requirements you still need to complete. Bring your updated Plan of Study and ask if your advisor has any other expectations for this conversation. 
• (optional) Declare your Minor. If you're declaring a HASS Minor, head here. If your minor is outside the School of HASS, find the Minor Declaration form here.

Second Year: 

• Meet your new Faculty Advisor. This new faculty advisor aligns with the goals and interests you set during your first year. Prioritize meeting with them in the first couple of months to introduce yourself and to build a mentor + mentee relationship.
• Start planning to take full advantage of the Arch. Do you want to study abroad, pursue an internship, or work on your business/project? What classes can you take this year to support those goals during the Spring and Summer terms? 
• Register for and complete ADMN 1030 - Arch Planning and Exploration. This course will prepare you for your Arch Timeline. Completing this course is a graduation requirement.
• Update your Plan of Study before March based on the courses offered over the Summer and Fall terms. Have questions? Meet with your Hub Advisor. 
• Establish a plan for your Away Semester. What semester makes the most sense to be away from campus based on your upcoming schedules? What professional or personal assessment do you want to pursue?

Third Year: 

• Take full advantage of the Summer Semester.
• Register your Away Semester (ILEA) experience. You must register in SIS before the Add Deadline. Your Away Semester experience is a graduation requirement and the registration indicates its completion.
• Confirm degree progress with your Advising Team. Make sure you are on track to complete all your graduation requirements, while you have time to adjust your Plan of Study. Is there anything missing? Is there enough time to complete what's left? 
• (optional) Considering Co-Term or Graduate school? Meet with your Advising team to learn if this opportunity aligns with your goals, and how to get started. You must fill out a 4th and 5th year Plan of Study.

Fourth Year: Broken up by first and final semester.

Complete these tasks during the FIRST semester: 

• Confirm degree progress with your Advising Team.
• (If you haven't yet) Declare your Pathway in SIS.
• (optional - if you haven't yet) Declare your Minor. You must declare your minor in the first semester of your Senior Year. (HASS Minor) (Other Minors here) 
• (optional) Apply to Co-Term. You must apply for Co-Term during the first semester of your Senior Year. 

Complete these tasks during your FINAL semester: 

• Apply to Graduate before the deadline of your final semester. You must apply to graduate during your final semester. Follow the steps outlined on the Registrar's website to indicate that you have met all your graduation requirements and are planning to graduate. If you need to petition to walk during commencement, please reach out as soon as possible - hassinfo@rpi.edu. 
• (optional) Revise your Minor. If you previously declared a minor but need to update the form because you took a different course than planned or initially submitted, fill out the form again highlighting changes, and submit it to the Registrar's Office. (Minor form here)

The College Catalog is your contract with RPI as an incoming student. This Catalog will outline all your graduation requirements, which is why you must follow your Cohort's Catalog from your first semester until Commencement.

How to make sure you are looking at the correct requirements:

Step 1: Visit The College Catalog. 

Step 2: Locate the drop-down menu (screenshot below):

Step 3: Select the year that you began at RPI. For example...

• Fall 2023 = Rensselaer Cataog 2023 - 2024
• Spring 2021 = Rensselaer Catalog 2020 - 2021 

Where to find your Program (Major, Minor, and Pathway) Requirements:

Step 1: Search for "Programs" in the menu

Step 2: This page is split by program type. Scroll to the section you are searching for.

1. Baccalaureate
2. Doctoral
3. Graduate Certificate
4. Interdisciplinary
5. Integrative Pathway
6. Masters
7. Minor
8. Professional
9. Other Programs

Step 3: Click the name of your program for the list of requirements. 

Other helpful information that you can find in your College Catalog:

• Core Curriculum: Requirements and policy about the HASS and Science Core
• Academic Information and Regulations: Policies and guidelines 
• Subject Codes: See which subjects are associated with each school, and what the subjects mean
• Courses: Listed by Subject

Want to sit with an advisor to learn how to navigate the College Catalog? Come to drop-ins! 

• Tutoring Services: Peer tutoring locations, days, and times 
• COMM+D: Support with writing and presentations 

Program Adjustments through ALAC:

• Part-Time Status: Take less than 12 credits in a given semester
• Grade Appeal: Process and Guidance 

• Student Information System (SIS)
• Registration at Rensselaer | Learn more about Registration Holds, P/NC, Time Tickets, Waitlists, etc.
• Class Hour Schedules | View the upcoming schedule without logging into SIS
• Registrar Forms 

The Academic Calendar is where you will find all important dates and deadlines for each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer). At the start of each semester, you should add all important dates to your personal calendar and set notifications. These should include...

• Add Deadline | Last chance to add a course to your schedule 
• Drop Deadline | Last chance to drop a course from your schedule 
• Pass/No Credit Deadline | Last chance to add/remove PNC to a Course
• Apply to Graduate Deadline (during your final semester at RPI)

You should read through the Academic Calendar carefully, as there are likely to be even more dates and deadlines that you need to track as a college student. 

View the Academic Calendar now.

Fall 2024 Academic and Refund Policy Changes

"Fall 2024 Academic and Refund Policy Changes
Message from: Rebecca Doerge, Provost

Over the past year, I took a deep dive into the Institute’s academic policies and procedures alongside student leaders and academic and administrative groups. Based on our findings, we are excited to announce the following changes effective Fall 2024.

Drop Period
(Implemented and evaluated as a one-year pilot with the opportunity to provide feedback for potential refinement.)

• Students will receive a two week timeframe to drop a course without receiving a “W” grade.
• Any course dropped from week three (3) through ten (10) will earn a “W” grade.

Refund Policy

• 100% refund: Two weeks from the start of the semester
• 75% refund: Third week only
• 50% refund: Fourth week only
• 25% refund: Fifth week only
• 0% refund: After fifth week

Undergraduate Course Repeat Policy

• Students may repeat a course up to two times, totaling three attempts. Further attempts require approval from the Dean of Undergraduate Education.
• All grades will appear on the transcript for the course repeated. The most recent grade received will be used to compute the GPA.
• Course credit will count once for courses repeated.

Additional information about these changes will be published online in the Rensselaer 2024 Catalog.

As we enter a new academic year, I wish you the best of luck and encourage you to reach out for help if you need academic assistance, are working to improve your health, or just need someone to talk to. For a full list of resources, visit: go.rpi.edu/student-resources."

"Undergraduate Class Deans are associated with each cohort of Rensselaer students and supports them through graduation. The Deans mentor each cohort by providing information and assistance specific to students’ needs at that particular time during their Rensselaer journey."

• First-Year Experience
• Student Success Team and your Class Dean

Other important resources:

• Financial Aid: Support with funding your college education
• Bursar: Support with your tuition bill 
• Student Living and Learning: Housing and Dining 
• Off-Campus Commons: Living off campus 
• International Services for Students and Scholars: Support for International Students
• Student Health and Wellness: Health Center and Counseling Center
• LGBTQ+ Support

Find the full list of campus-wide support here!

Looking for an individual staff or faculty member? Visit the Directory.

Regarding goal setting, understanding your industry options and learning the tangible steps you should take while at RPI can begin in two places.

Faculty Advisor: We always encourage you to have these conversations with your Faculty Advisors. Your Faculty Advisor is an invaluable connection to the curriculum and how the curriculum prepares you for your future career. With their guidance, you may find new ideas and directions. To get started, contact your Faculty Advisors and let them know you would like to meet regarding your Professional Goals. 

• Unsure who your faculty advisor is? You will find their name and contact within SIS and DegreeWorks.
• Want to learn more about your faculty advisor? Click for all HASS Faculty Profiles.
   

Center for Career and Professional Development: Did you know that one of our CCPD Career Counselors is there to support HASS students? Rawdon Marroquin (marror@rpi.edu) can work with you on your application materials, walk you through the internship/job application process, or get you started with your graduate school planning. He can even sit with you to discuss the results of your self-assessments if you are wondering what career/major best aligns with your interests. Check out these great resources:

• HASS Career Corner | Resources developed by CCPD for HASS Students. 
• General Career Planning Resources | Self-Assessment, the Search, Hiring Statistics, etc.
• Book a meeting with Rawdon through Handshake!

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Have a cool opportunity (internship, project, or full-time job) and want to share it with us? Great! Email hassinfo@rpi.edu. We would love to hear all about it! 

Are you looking for a job on campus? Start here. 

Studying abroad is an academic opportunity that allows you to progress toward your degree!

"An academic experience abroad has become an integral part of a well-rounded undergraduate education.  Rensselaer offers international opportunities for undergraduates at destinations worldwide.  Semester and short-term study abroad and exchange programs are available for students in all majors, and all students are encouraged to take advantage of an international experience during their undergraduate program."

Interested in Studying Abroad? Tell the HASS Hub!

Learn about all your options by visiting the Office of International Programs.

International Transfer Course Evaluation Process 

"Working at the frontier of today’s most critical areas of inquiry, Rensselaer attracts roughly $103 million in research funding each year. We encourage undergraduate students from all five schools to become part of this exciting research, and to make research an integral part of their undergraduate education."

Learn more about participating in a URP

• 20-minute meetings (in-person or remote options)
• Meet one-on-one with your Hub Advisor
• Perfect for Plan of Study questions, curriculum, and academic goals
• Interested in a HASS Dual? We encourage you to book with us.
• Book Now!

Drop-ins outside of these hours are accommodated when possible, but not guaranteed.

• 5-to-10-minute questions
• Perfect for quick conversations, updates, support with forms, etc. 
• Sign-up Sheet (will be reviewed between 2 and 4 pm weekdays)