Per WPI's Interactive Qualifying Project site:
The Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) is one of the most distinctive elements of the WPI Plan and WPI’s signature project-based curriculum, giving every WPI student the experience of working in interdisciplinary teams to solve a problem or need that lies at the intersection of science and society.
Unlike an academic course, this nine-credit-hour requirement involves students working in teams, with students not in their major, to tackle an issue that relates science, engineering, and technology to society. Sustainability serves as a common theme for IQPs, many of which address problems related to energy, environment, sustainable development, education, cultural preservation, and technology policy.
IQPs can involve campus initiatives, work at our local project centers in Worcester, Springfield, Boston, and Nantucket, or, through the Global Projects Program (GPP), students can collaborate with faculty advisors, sponsors, and community members to complete IQPs at one of our many Project Centers around the globe, including New Zealand, Thailand, and Cape Town, South Africa.
To summarize:
Faculty Approved Learning Outcomes
According to the faculty-approved learning outcomes, IQP students will: