The Arch / Semester Away
Rensselaer’s all-Institute ARCH program is a critical part of its mission to educate the next generation of practitioners, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Learning in the field allows our students to apply the skills and technology that they acquire in the classroom within a professional setting through an internship or co-op anywhere in the world. The program provides a professional pathway for students to experience how different cultures and societies define and shape the practice of architecture internationally.
Work experience provides an opportunity for hands-on learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom to address real-world problems. This experience can be either an internship, civic engagement with a not-for-profit organization, or research opportunity with a lab.
AWAY Experience Paths
‘Cohort’ means the year a student starts RPI as a freshman.
For Cohort 2024 (Freshman in Fall 2024), SoA Students must fulfill two Away Experiences, following one of the paths (1A, 1B, or 1C) outlined in the figure below.
Cohort 2024 and above – Arch Away Requirements
2 Away Experiences: 1 must be a Summer Away ILE
Path Explanation
*To fulfill 1C, during their five-year academic career, a student must complete 2 Summer Away ILE’s. All non-internship/civic engagement ILE proposals must be approved by the School of Architecture.
For Cohorts 2021, 2022, and 2023, SoA students must fulfill one AWAY Individual Learning Experience (ILE). This occurs during one Summer after either their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year.
Cohorts 2023 and below – Arch Away Requirements
1 Summer Away ILE
AWAY ILE
An AWAY ILE is an AWAY experience, as stipulated by RPI’s Arch AWAY ILE program (found HERE), that is registered with RPI. This is a process that involves registering for an ILEA in SIS and reporting the AWAY experience to RPI.
More information on the AWAY ILE can be found in the following links:
https://the-arch.rpi.edu/arch-planning-and-registration/semester-away-planning
https://the-arch.rpi.edu/semester-away-opportunities
Resources
If you have questions about your cohort, please contact Jamie Obst,
Arch AWAY for Students: https://www.arch.rpi.edu/the-arch-info-for-students/
Arch AWAY for Employers: https://www.arch.rpi.edu/the-arch-info-for-employers/
Contacts
- RPI School of Architecture Co-Director of the Arch Program at the SoA: Prof. Carla Leitao,
- RPI School of Architecture Co-Director of the Arch Program at the SoA: Prof. Marcus Carter,
- RPI School of Architecture Student Services Senior Administrator: Jamie Obst,
- RPI School of Architecture Student Services Senior Administrator: Anna Ford,
- RPI’s Arch office: please contact Dr. Tiffany Powell, (Office of Undergraduate Education)
- RPI’s Career Center (CCPD): Dawn Cairns-Weaver,