Start Earlier. Build More. Go Further.
The Lally Graduate Pathways Program gives RPI undergraduates from any major or school early access to the resources, experiences, and guidance available through the Lally School of Management. Through dedicated advising, professional development, networking, company visits, and other opportunities, students can begin exploring graduate study and building their professional network early in their undergraduate experience.
Graduate Pathways also helps students plan ahead for an accelerated Lally M.S. or MBA. Students have time to explore their options, prepare for graduate admission, and plan their undergraduate coursework to take advantage of opportunities such as graduate credit sharing.
How Graduate Pathways Works
Graduate Pathways is designed to help you start planning early while keeping your options open. You do not need to choose an M.S. or MBA program when you join. Instead, you’ll have time to explore Lally’s graduate programs, connect with advisors, and make informed decisions about your academic and career goals.
Your Pathway at a Glance
- Join Graduate Pathways: Become part of a cohort of RPI students from across majors and schools.
- Stay connected through MGMT 4550: Register for the 0-credit Graduate Pathways Seminar each fall and spring for advising, program updates, professional development, and special opportunities.
- Explore your options: Learn about Lally’s M.S. and MBA programs and determine which graduate path best aligns with your interests and career goals.
- Plan ahead: Work with Lally advisors to plan your coursework and preserve eligible free electives if you intend to take advantage of graduate credit sharing.
- Apply to your graduate program: During your junior year, apply for formal admission to your chosen Lally graduate program.
- Continue toward your Lally graduate degree: Eligible students can begin graduate coursework during their undergraduate studies and apply up to six shared credits toward both degrees.
Based on academic performance, Graduate Pathways students may qualify for merit-based tuition awards when they transition into a Lally graduate program.
Build Toward What's Next
Graduate Pathways helps you begin building your professional advantage early. By combining the expertise you develop through your RPI undergraduate degree with business, analytical, and leadership skills, you can prepare for careers where technology and business increasingly intersect.
Through the program, you’ll have opportunities to:
- Build professional connections with alumni and employers
- Explore career paths across industries and business functions
- Develop communication, leadership, and decision-making skills
- Gain exposure to industry-standard tools and resources
- Learn how graduate study can complement your undergraduate expertise and career goals
Lally graduates pursue careers across consulting, analytics, finance, technology, product management, operations, and other data- and technology-driven fields.
Eligibility & Next Steps
Who is Graduate Pathways for?
Graduate Pathways is designed for RPI undergraduates from any major or school who are interested in exploring a future Lally M.S. or MBA degree.
What do I need to stay eligible?
To remain eligible for Graduate Pathways, students must:
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
- Complete at least 15 credits of 4000-level coursework by the end of the first semester of junior year
- Participate in MGMT 4550, the Graduate Pathways Seminar, each fall and spring
- Receive a recommendation from the Graduate Pathways Program Coordinator
When do I apply to graduate school?
Participation in Graduate Pathways does not mean you are formally admitted to a Lally graduate degree program. During your junior year, you will apply for formal admission to your chosen M.S. or MBA program.
FAQs
No. Graduate Pathways gives you time to explore Lally’s graduate programs and determine which option best aligns with your interests and career goals. You will formally apply to your chosen graduate program later.
No. Graduate Pathways is designed for RPI students from across majors and schools. The program is intended to complement your undergraduate field of study, not replace it.
MGMT 4550 is the 0-credit Graduate Pathways Seminar and serves as the central hub for program communication, advising, professional development, and activities. Students register for the seminar each fall and spring until they are formally admitted to a Lally graduate program.
No. The seminar meets only a few times each semester for important program activities, guest speakers, and professional development. Most ongoing communication takes place through the course LMS.
Eligible students can apply up to six graduate course credits toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. At the undergraduate level, these credits apply toward free electives. Planning ahead with an advisor is important so you preserve the necessary elective space.
Typically, students begin graduate coursework later in their undergraduate studies, often during senior year, depending on their academic plan. Early advising through Graduate Pathways helps you plan for this opportunity.
No. Participation in Graduate Pathways is conditional. Students formally apply to their chosen Lally M.S. or MBA program during junior year and must continue to meet the program’s academic requirements.
You can discontinue your participation. Graduate Pathways is designed to give you early access to information, experiences, and advising so you can make an informed decision about graduate study; participation does not lock you into completing a Lally graduate degree.
No. There is no cost or financial commitment to participate in Graduate Pathways.
Peggy McDermott, Program Coordinator for the Graduate Pathways Program, can assist with questions about the program and academic planning.
