WPI Acronyms
As you can tell, we prefer initials at WPI.
If you’re new to WPI, you may think we speak in a secret code. What is the difference between MQP and IQP? Confused when someone directs you to the ATC? What is a BME major?
Many elements of our academic program, along with our campus locations and buildings, have long names, so we commonly refer to them by their initials. The list below includes some of the most common acronyms, abbreviations, and shorthand used in the WPI community .
CONTACT
Phone:
508-831-5000
| AE | Aerospace Engineering |
| ATC | Academic Technology Center |
| BB | Biology & Biotechnology (sometimes also BBT) |
| BME | Biomedical Engineering |
| CA | Community Advisors: Upperclass students who serve as peer mentors for a group of 20-30 first year students. Previously (and still sometimes referred to as) OLs (Orientation Leaders). |
| CAO | Committee on Academic Operations (undergraduate) |
| CAP | Committee on Academic Policy (undergraduate) |
| CASL | Committee on Advising and Student Life (pronounced "castle") |
| CBC | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| CDC | Career Development Center (for students and alumni) |
| CDR | Completion of Degree Requirement form. Must be submitted for IQPs and MQPs. |
| CEE | Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| CEI | Collaborative for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (provides resources for entrepreneurship and business support on and off campus) |
| CGSR | Committee on Graduate Studies and Research |
| CHB | Campus Hearing Board (student judicial system) |
| CHE | Chemical Engineering (sometimes still referred to as CM) |
| COAP | Committee On Appointments & Promotions (pronounced "cope") |
| COG | Committee On Governance ("committee on committees", runs elections) |
| CPE | Corporate and Professional Education |
| CS | Computer Science |
| CTAF | Committee on Tenure & Academic Freedom (pronounced "see-taff") |
| DAKA | Pronounced "day-kuh." Former name of the campus dining service provider, which is now, properly, Chartwell's. Student lexicon continues to use DAKA, as in "Go to DAKA" to reference Morgan Dining Hall. |
| ECE | Electrical and Computer Engineering |
| EVE | Environmental Engineering |
| FAP | Committee on Administrative and Financial Policy |
| FBC | Fringe Benefits Committee |
| FPE | Fire Protection Engineering |
| FRC | Faculty Review Committee |
| GSG | Graduate Student Government or sometimes GSO (Graduate Student Organization) |
| HUA | Humanities & Arts |
| IE | Industrial Engineering |
| IFC | Interfraternity Council (the governing body of fraternity life) |
| IGSD | Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division (administers the IQP and Global Projects Program) |
| IMGD | Interactive Media and Game Development |
| INSIGHT | Fall semester transitional and community-building program for all first-year students. Insight teams live on the same floor of a residence hall and are assigned a Community Advisor (CA), Resident Advisor (RA), and Faculty academic advisor (FA). |
| IQP | Interactive Qualifying Project (interdisciplinary project typically completed in junior year) |
| IRB | Institutional Review Board (provides oversight of human subjects research. |
| IS | Innovation Studio |
| ISC | International Student Council |
| ISO | International Student Orientation |
| ISP | Independent Study Project (typically a project-like academic activity conducted one-on-one or with a small group of students) |
| IT | Information Technology |
| MA | Mathematical Sciences |
| MASH | Math and Science Help ("mash" tutors), primarily used by first-year students in Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics |
| ME | Mechanical Engineering |
| MFE | Manufacturing Engineering (a graduate degree program within the Mechanical Engineering) |
| MGE | Management Engineering |
| MIS | Management Information Systems |
| MQP | Major Qualifying Project (senior project) |
| MTE | Materials Science and Engineering (a graduate degree program within the Mechanical Engineering) |
| NR | No Record. WPI's grade that encompasses the traditional "D" and "F" grades. |
| NSO | New Student Orientation |
| OAS | Office of Accessibility Services |
| OASIS | Offering Acceptance, Support and Inclusion to Students A cultural center located at 20 Schussler Road, intended to give minority/marginalized students a place to build a community and to provide a centralized location for all students to learn about culture. |
| OSP | Office of Sponsored Programs |
| PANHEL | Panhellenic Council (the governing body for sorority life) |
| PH | Physics |
| PLA | Peer Learning Assistant (also referred to as "senior tutors" or "senior assistants" in some departments) |
| PW | Professional Writing (interdisciplinary program) |
| RA | Resident Advisor in residence halls (using "dorm" is discouraged!) or Research Assistant (in reference to graduate students) |
| RBE | Robotics Engineering |
| ROTC | Reserve Officers Training Corps (typically pronounced "rot see") |
| SGA | Student Government Association |
| SOCCOMM | Social Committee. Organizes multiple large annual events on campus and serve as the student programming board. |
| SSPS | Social Science and Policy Studies |
| TA | Teaching Assistant or Teaching Assistantship (referring to graduate students) |
| UOAC | Undergraduate Outcomes Assessment Committee (typically pronounced "you-awk") |