<p>My HS junior son is interested in CS/Math. RPI is attractive because it has a strong program, and it has a good reputation for merit aid. </p>
<p>But will it be possible to receive a well-rounded education at RPI? Does RPI have any depth at all in its humanities, arts, or business programs? Even if possible, would it be encouraged/natural, or would it require swimming upstream? Or is RPI just the wrong school if questions like this are important?</p>
<p>One of my daughters chose another school because of this misconception. Now that she’s a senior in engineering, she considers liberal arts classes an easy joke, almost a waste of time in that she can teach herself any time. She also has some conflict with non-engineering roommates because her workload is so much harder than theirs and they spend so much more time partying and don’t understand her work load. She’s at an Ivy League college. My son at RPI had a great political science course about the election during the election year. The business school is a good business school (though considered easy by the engineers). The product design (often combined with mech eng) and architecture programs seem to have a very strong sociology component to design for a society they understand. Most RPI students I’ve met have a strong focus besides just their engineering, for my son, this is music. My other daughter is in RPIs product design program and gets all the sociology. The clubs at RPI give students an opportunity to explore any interest with support from the student union, be it sailing, music, tae kwon do, entrepreneuring, investing in stock market, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, the liberal arts classes will be easier than the engineering classes. But we want them anyway, for the exposure. Ideally, the school would have requirements in liberal arts for a sci/tech major.</p>
<p>From what I can tell, RPI doesn’t really have this - the requirements OR the departments/classes. We’d like to be sure before completely crossing RPI off our list.</p>
<p>Actually, RPI does have humanities requirements: [Advising</a> & Learning Assistance Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute](<a href=“Advising & Learning Assistance Center | RPI INFO”>Advising & Learning Assistance Center | RPI INFO)</p>
<p>I’ve taken courses on conditioning, decision theory, and game theory. I’m expecting to take more courses in these fields as RPI has a good cognitive science and psychology department. I haven’t even touched the wide assortment of humanities yet.</p>
<p>I suggest that you also consider WPI, just a few hours from RPI in Worcester, MA. I submitted a long post with more of my opinions in the HMC forum. </p>
<p>WPI’s Humanities & Arts department is the largest dept at the school, even though they only have one Humanities major. They have a humanities requirement for all students that involves, for example, taking 2-3 courses in a particular area so you develop some expertise. </p>
<p>I don’t know about aid at WPI vs RPI. My S was admitted to WPI EA and is a NMSF, and they have excellent merit awards for that.</p>
<p>RPI definitely has the liberal arts requirements, though not the language departments. My posts was more about whether or not you want your roommates and study body to be weighted towards the sciences/engineering so you all have similar work loads.</p>
<p>RPI has the requirements and classes appropriate for technical majors getting a broad education, say around 1 course per semester. Minors are also available. If by “depth” you mean lots of graduate students and world-class faculties in the humanities, no. Did you consider CMU for that kind of depth? They have world-class CS along with highly reputable acting school, social sciences, etc.</p>
<p>I’m under the impression that RPI has one of the largest cognitive science departments amongst US universities. Can anyone confirm this?</p>
<p>Bump? Anyone?</p>
<p>Perhaps, this can help answer your question about specific depts at RPI.
Here’s a link to see the number of majors for 2011-12. <a href=“College Navigator - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute”>College Navigator - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute;