伍斯特理工学院｜Worcester Polytechnic Institute

伍斯特理工学院（Worcester Polytechnic Institute，简称WPI）是一所历史悠久的科技大学，成立于1865年。该校是一所小型的私立大学，拥有学生3821人，其中本科生2784名。学校以小班授课为主，拥有教师318人，师生比例为1：12。该校比较好的专业有机械工程，电子工程和计算机工程等。

伍斯特理工学院强调 集体解决疑难 ，以 专题报告作教育根基 ，鼓励学生亲力亲为，边做边学。学生功课十分繁重，每周至少要花12-15小时做功课、温习或阅读。学生修读最多的学科是工程(76%)、计算机及信息科学(7%)、和生命科学(6%)。

一、地理位置

伍斯特理工学院位于美国东北角麻萨诸塞州的伍斯特市。坐落在文化氛围浓郁的美国东北部，伍斯特拥有众多博物馆，音乐和戏曲表演中心。伍斯特前往波士顿的交通非常便利，一个小时的车程即可到达。

伍斯特市还是美国东北站的生物科技中心，附近有不少高科技的机构，支持学院的科研项目，不少学生都有机会在美国甚或到海外实习。该校被《美国新闻与世界报道》评为二级国家级大学，学术声誉排全美第120名，《纽约时报大学指南》给予四颗星的高度评价。

二、Campus

WPI is an urban school with what some have called a suburban feel. The main campus is not gated, but it is entirely WPI owned and no public roads cross this part of the school. WPI sits on Boynton Hill, which sets it apart from the surrounding neighborhood. Situated only one block away from the Hill (as it is often rerred to) is a stretch of restaurants and stores on Highland Street. A Subway sandwich shop, Tech Pizza, Boomer s Pizza, Dragon Dynasty (Chinese cuisine) the Bean Counter (coffee shop), the Sole Proprietor (an upscale seafood restaurant), a consignment shop, Tortilla Sams (a Mexican restaurant), and the Boynton (a bar and grill) are all located there.

As a superstition, it is said that stepping foot on the seal in the center of the quadrangle will prevent a student from graduating in four years. In the graduation ceremony, students walk around the seal to get to their seats but walk over the seal as they leave. Since the seal is relatively new, this rumor may have been deliberately circulated to potential freshmen to help reduce wear.

Once a laboratory for electromagnetic research, the Skull tomb was built entirely without ferrous metals. Several years after its construction, electrified trolley tracks were built in Worcester which led to the building s disuse. It served for a time as a site for Robert Goddard s rocket fuel research as the building is relatively isolated from other buildings on campus and Dr. Goddard s research had previously led to explosions on campus. Subsequent to the building earning its present nickname, Skull inherited the building. The building was reconditioned in 2004.

WPI boasts one of 35 civilian research nuclear reactors licensed to operate in the United States. It is the only nuclear reactor in North America to be in a wood-framed building. The Nuclear Engineering program at WPI has been discontinued, and the reactor is not presently in use in any research.

The Two Towers shown in old WPI logos show the clock tower of Boynton Hall and the arm and hammer weathervane of the Washburn Shops. The original weathervane was stolen in October 1975 and never recovered. Boynton and Washburn were the university s first buildings, housing the classrooms and laboratories, respectively. The Two Towers symbolize Theory and Practice, which are the foundation of the university and still the approach used today.

三、学术

WPI offers a variety of majors in engineering, science, management, liberal arts, and social science at the undergraduate and graduate level. Unlike many peer universities, WPI currently does not combine related departments into colleges or schools.

WPI s schedule is also unusual compared to most universities. Instead of a normal semester, WPI uses 7-week terms, labeled A-D, with an optional E term in the summer. A term typically begins on the second to last Thursday in August, while D term is usually scheduled to end on the first Tuesday of May. Each term is claimed to be roughly equivalent to a third of a year at another university. Thus, students are able to complete a year s worth of Chemistry, Physics, and Math in only a semester and a half. This faster pace allows for more in-depth study (by a student s senior year, they have already completed a normal four-year course track, essentially giving them an extra year), but also is a source of stress among the student body and faculty. The graduate student calendar follows a conventional two semester schedule. If a student gets all NRs in a term, it means he/she has been notified that the status of his/her classes is No Record . The result is that there is no record of coursework from the term. This is known officially as a No Record because the result can originate from either a non-passing fort or a student dropping from the course. Grade reports are traditionally printed on white card stock, hence, receiving all NRs in a term results in a term transcript with no classes reported. This is known as a snowflake .

四、排名与荣誉

In 2007, WPI s undergraduate program ranked #62 out of all doctoral universities according to US News and World Report. WPI s innovative undergraduate program also enjoys a strong reputation among education officials; the New England Association of Schools and Colleges favorably commented on the Institute s dedication and unique approach to science and engineering education.

Furthermore, WPI s emphasis on international education through the Global Perspective Program has received much acclaim, including awards such as the 2003 TIAA-CREF Theodore Hesburgh Certificate and inclusion in NAFSA: Association of International Educators s list of fifteen universities to be used as models for internationalization.

伍斯特理工学院在USNews2007美国大学排名榜中计算机工程学专业排名第58，电子工程/通信工程专业排名第61，综合排名第64。