Doctoral degrees without borders

Doctoral students at nine New York City area graduate engineering programs will soon be able to take courses at each other’s institutions without any additional tuition, as part of a new multi-school agreement announced today. 

The Inter-University Engineering Doctoral Consortium (IUEDC), led by NYU Tandon School of Engineering, encourages Ph.D. students to complement their primary program by taking courses of interest offered at different schools, providing access to specialty instruction and expertise that may not be available at their home universities. Students should be able to enroll in courses at other member institutions beginning in Fall 2024.

“As engineers, we have long known the importance of collaborating across departments and disciplines, in order to most effectively address the challenges facing our world,” said Jelena Kovačević, NYU Tandon Dean. “This consortium signals the collective dedication of the institutions to remove barriers to advanced learning and rigorous scholarship, helping unleash the full potential of all our students while enrolled and in their post-graduate pursuits.”

NYU Tandon began assembling the consortium earlier this year, taking cues from a similar arrangement between the NYU Graduate School of Arts & Science and eight other area universities. Peter Voltz, Vice Dean for Academics and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NYU Tandon, serves as the inaugural Consortium Coordinator. 

“Doctoral students are exceptionally focused and have often chosen their field of study in order to work with a specific faculty member,” said Voltz. “The consortium allows them to have access to a broader swath of courses across multiple universities.”

Together with NYU Tandon, IUEDC participants are: 

• The City College of New York’s Grove School of Engineering (New York,NY)
• Columbia Engineering (New York, NY) 
• Cornell Tech (New York, NY)
• New York Institute of Technology College of Engineering and Computing Sciences (Old Westbury, NY, and New York, NY) 
• Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science (Princeton, NJ)
• Rutgers University School of Engineering  (Piscataway, NJ)
• Stevens Institute of Technology Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of  Engineering and Science (Hoboken, NJ)
• Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Stony Brook, NY)

To participate, students must have completed at least one year at their primary institution, must be in good academic standing and must get written approval from home and host institutions. Students will be responsible to their host institutions for any lab fees.  

Quotes from deans of IUEDC institutions:

Alexander Couzis, The Grove School of Engineering

“At the Grove School of Engineering at City College, we value academic excellence, champion accessibility, and are committed to every student's success— and this is precisely what this consortium offers.”

Shih-Fu Chang, Columbia Engineering

“Initiatives like the IUEDC will make it easier for students to tailor their studies in ways that fit their educational goals. Just as our faculty have long benefited from collaborations with other schools, now our students will be able to take advantage of new opportunities for learning with a broad set of faculty and programs.”

Greg Morrisett, Cornell Tech

“New York is home to more distinguished engineering programs than anywhere else in the world, and this wonderful collaboration brings us all together. At Cornell Tech, we are excited both by the opportunity for our PhD students to learn from colleagues across town, and for the opportunity to engage with PhD students from other institutions here on our campus.  Undoubtedly, this will lead to many fruitful research collaborations.” 

Babak D. Beheshti, Ph.D., New York Institute of Technology College of Engineering and Computing Sciences

“This consortium provides a unique opportunity for graduate engineering students to have access to a broad set of courses offered through the major universities in the New York Metropolitan area and the surrounding region. IUEDC delivers an extensive platform for collaboration and scholarly exchange among its faculty and students. New York Tech’s College of Engineering and Computing Sciences is proud to be a founding member of this consortium.”

Andrea J. Goldsmith, Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science

“I am delighted for Princeton to join this consortium, which will foster new collaborations and learning experiences for engineering students and faculty across the entire region. At a time when U.S. leadership in science and technology has never been more important for our country’s economic prosperity and national security, this partnership will serve as a cornerstone for broad collaborations that will grow the regional innovation ecosystem. I look forward to seeing the impact this program will have on growing the number of high-tech jobs, companies, and workers in the New York/New Jersey corridor.”

Alberto Cuitiño, Rutgers University School of Engineering

“Together our universities represent a unique consortium of highly ranked academic institutions geographically located in the NJ/NY metropolitan region. Opening access to engineering Ph.D. students to seek out focused courses and expertise at each of our institutions will enhance students' educational experience, open doors for collaboration, and encourage innovative thinking for a better world.” 

Jean Zu, Stevens Institute of Technology Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of  Engineering and Science

"We are very excited about the opportunity to enhance our doctoral student experience through this collaboration, and to offer the same chance to students at our partner universities. Each institution represented in this group brings unique strengths and ample opportunities for learning and collaboration, and will ultimately expose participants to a whole new realm of expertise and learning."

Andrew C. Singer, Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences

“The IUEDC provides a wonderful opportunity for the students across our universities to leverage the best curricula and programs for their unique educational journey. This collaboration will undoubtedly bring about a positive impact on not only the educational paths of our own students but will also enrich the talented pool of students on each of our campuses. We are proud to offer such an exceptional experience to our students and to partner with strong programs across the region.”

The Grove School of Engineering 

Combining access and affordability with outstanding instruction and research, the Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York plays a key role in developing a diverse workforce to meet the technological challenges facing today’s world. Originally established as the School of Technology in 1919, it evolved to the School of Engineering in 1962 and was renamed The Grove School of Engineering in 2005 in honor of alumnus Andrew S. Grove, whose $26 million gift to the institution that year is the largest in CCNY’s history. A distinguished member of CCNY’s Class of 1960, Grove was a founder and former chairman of Intel Corp, one of the world’s leading producers of semiconductor chips. Today, the Grove School remains the only public school of engineering in the heart of New York City.  

Columbia Engineering  

Since 1864, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University has been a resource to the world for major advances in human progress. Today, Columbia Engineering is a global leader in engineering education, research, and impact. Located in the heart of New York City, the school convenes more than 250 faculty members and 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students to push the frontiers of knowledge and solve humanity’s most pressing problems.

Cornell Tech 

Cornell Tech is Cornell University’s groundbreaking campus for technology research and education on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Our faculty, students and industry partners work together in an ultra-collaborative environment, pushing inquiry further and developing meaningful technologies for a digital society. Founded in partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the City of New York, Cornell Tech achieves global reach and local impact, extending Cornell University’s long history of leading innovation in computer science and engineering.

New York Institute of Technology 

New York Institute of Technology's six schools and colleges offer undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and other professional degree programs in in-demand disciplines including computer science, data science, and cybersecurity; biology, health professions, and medicine; architecture and design; engineering; IT and digital technologies; management; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education founded in 1955, it welcomes nearly 8,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City and Long Island, New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world. More than 114,000 alumni are part of an engaged network of physicians, architects, scientists, engineers, business leaders, digital artists, and healthcare professionals. Together, the university's community of doers, makers, healers, and innovators empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

New York University Tandon School of Engineering
The NYU Tandon School of Engineering is home to a community of renowned faculty, undergraduate and graduate students united in a mission to understand and create technology that powers cities, enables worldwide communication, fights climate change, and builds healthier, safer, and more equitable real and digital worlds. The school’s culture centers on encouraging rigorous, interdisciplinary collaboration and research; fostering inclusivity, entrepreneurial thinking, and diverse perspectives; and creating innovative and accessible pathways for lifelong learning in STEM.  NYU Tandon dates back to 1854, the founding year of both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, NYU Tandon is a vital part of New York University and its unparalleled global network. 

Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science 

Graduate students at Princeton Engineering push the boundaries of their fields and go on to become leaders in industry, academia, and government. The key elements that make this possible are: strong mentorship from faculty who are not only at the forefront of their fields but are dedicated to training the next generation of leaders; an inclusive and collaborative community that nimbly combines expertise across fields; and a focus on fundamental problems whose solutions will benefit humanity.

Rutgers University School of Engineering

Established in 1864, Rutgers University’s School of Engineering is a vibrant academic community whose richly diverse students and faculty members are committed to globally sustainable engineering. Its mission is built on a commitment to fostering the integration of education and research to achieve transformational innovation that is ethically responsible. With seven academic departments representing key engineering disciplines, 200 faculty members and 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the School of Engineering is recognized around the world as comprehensive and leading-edge, training the next generation of innovators across a broad spectrum of professions. 

Stevens Institute of Technology Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of  Engineering and Science 

The Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science is dedicated to preparing the next generation of technology leaders by offering a multidisciplinary, design-based education. With nine departments and an intensive curriculum for undergraduates, master’s students and doctoral candidates, the Schaefer School supports handson learning, research and provides each student with invaluable, experiential knowledge. The Schaefer School is globally recognized for its world-class faculty and leading-edge research facilities. 

Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Stony Brook University is reinventing the future of engineering education with paradigms designed to prepare students to work in the AI-driven economy of tomorrow. We are tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time with innovative approaches centered on new curricula and vertically integrated projects that bring together students from disciplines that include engineering, medicine, and the arts and humanities. Our world-class faculty are focused on educating the next generation of global innovators and entrepreneurs and on conducting research to improve the human condition and sustain humanity.