Arch

The RPI Experience, formerly known as The Arch and the Summer Arch, is an element of RPI's curriculum intended to promote professional development.

Prior to the 2025-2026 School Year, a core component of the Arch included a mandatory summer semester after the sophomore year, followed by either taking the subsequent fall or spring semester "away". This program was highly controversial, and many students made an effort to evade the summer semester via exemptions. In Fall 2025, it was announced that the summer semester would no longer be mandatory; instead, students could choose their away semester, and would only need to stay for the summer if they chose the fall or spring semester as their away semester.