Freshmen

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Credit Limits

A freshman may not register for, or receive, more than 54 units of credit in the fall term, or more than 57 units in the spring term. In the fall term only, freshmen may exceed the 54-unit credit limit by up to 6 units for Seminar XL, and by 3 units for 12.000 "Mission". The Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) will rarely allow freshmen to exceed the credit limit.

Like all undergraduates, freshmen may not earn more than 12 units during IAP. Credit received by freshmen during IAP is not counted toward their credit limits for the fall or spring terms.

Communication Requirement

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All freshmen must take one appropriate Communication Intensive (CI) subject in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS). These classes are called CI-H. MIT’s writing placement test, the Freshman Essay Evaluation (FEE), determines which type of CI-H subject each student must take during the first year.

The FEE is offered online over the summer or as a paper-and-pencil make-up during Orientation week. Students may submit an AP score of 5 on either the English Language and Composition test or the English Literature and Composition test in place of taking the FEE. Students who do not take the FEE and who have not submitted an AP score exempting them from the test will receive an automatic placement of "CI-HW Subject Required."

Students who received an FEE result of:

  • "CI-H/CI-HW Required" — may take any CI-H or CI-HW in either term of the freshman year.
  • "CI-HW Subject Required" — must take one of five intensive writing subjects designated as CI-HW in either term of the first year. Students required to take a CI-HW will not receive CI credit for any other subject until they pass a CI-HW (Communication Intensive Writing) class.
  • "21F.222 Required" — must take 21F.222 as their first CI subject. Students are encouraged to take 21F.222 in the fall term. Students required to take 21F.222 will not receive CI credit for any other subject until they pass this CI-HW class.

Freshmen may take their first CI subject in either term of the first year. Those who do not complete an appropriate CI in the fall term will be required to take it in the spring semester and will be limited to 45 units plus 12 units for a CI subject.

All freshmen must pass an appropriate CI-H or CI-HW subject during the first year in order to remain in good academic standing. Those who do not will be subject to the review of the Committee on Academic Performance at the end of the freshman year and may be placed on a credit limit for first-term sophomore year.

Any freshman who believes he or she may otherwise be eligible for early sophomore standing should complete the first Communicative-Intensive subject in the fall term.

Visit Communication Requirement for additional information.

Monitoring Freshman Performance

Freshmen and their advisors can keep track of the students' performance through fifth-week flags and the freshman grade reporting system which includes hidden grades.

Fifth-Week Flags

By the beginning of the sixth week of the term, instructors must notify freshmen who are performing at a D or F level that they are at risk of not passing, and that they should meet with their instructors. These notices are to be in writing (usually sent via e-mail) with copies to advisors and the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP).

The flags, which do not become part of the students' permanent records, are intended as early alerts for students who have poor quiz or paper grades, have missed classes or assignments, do not participate in class, or any combination of these factors. Advisors who receive copies of flags should check with their advisees to make sure that they are in contact with their instructors and accessing appropriate resources, such as tutoring, study sessions, counseling, etc.

Grading

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In the first semester and Independent Activities Period (IAP), freshman grades are reported on a Pass/No Record basis in all subjects taken; C or better performance (including C-) is required for a student to receive the grade of P and credit. The grades of DN (D/No Record) and FN (F/No Record) appear on the students' internal grade reports for advising purposes, but subjects in which D or F are received in the freshman year do not appear on transcripts.

In the second semester, freshman grades are reported on an ABC/No Record basis. DN and FN grades will continue to be reported only internally, with A, B, and C grades appearing on the internal grade report and on the transcript.

Freshman grading is designed to ease the transition from high school by giving students time to adjust to factors like increased work loads, variations in academic backgrounds, and the challenge of MIT-caliber work. Students are encouraged to improve time management skills and develop more mature attitudes about learning. A, B, C grades are used during the second semester so that freshmen can begin the progression to regular A-F grading in the sophomore year.

Hidden Grades

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The performance of freshmen in all subjects taken during their first term at MIT (as well as during the January Independent Activities Period) is communicated on a Pass/No Record basis; in the second term, freshman performance is communicated on an ABC/No Record basis.

Instructors are expected to submit regular letter grades each term to the Registrar. In the first semester and in IAP, a passing grade for a freshman is permanently recorded as a P. The P appears on both the transcript and the internal grade report. A, B, and C grades are only communicated to advisors and students at the end of the fall term and IAP in the form of two-part unofficial reports, which also include non-passing grades.

Freshman non-passing grades (D, F, O, OX) appear on the internal grade report (they are followed by an N for No-Record). They do not appear on the transcript.

Therefore, "hidden" grades include both A, B, C grades for first semester and IAP, and DN, FN, ON, OXN grades for first semester, IAP, and second semester.

As approved by the Committee on the Undergraduate Program (CUP), the Guidelines for the Use of Hidden Grades are as follows:

  • Hidden grades exist to help student self-evaluation and academic advising at MIT.
  • First-year hidden grades may not be used to prevent students from enrolling in an academic department.
  • MIT recognizes a student's right under Federal law to have access to information maintained about him or her, but MIT will not send copies of hidden grades to third parties. It is not consistent with the purpose of hidden grades for faculty or staff members to release them except to the student, or to take initiatives such as suggesting that students provide first-year hidden grades to third parties.
  • No MIT office or individual should provide information directly to a graduate school, company, or any other third party concerning assigned hidden grades - by phone, in writing, or by transmitting the unofficial report of the student's hidden grades. If the student requests it, a letter, addressed to the student, will be prepared by the department that gave the subject, informing him or her of the assigned grade that is in the file. The one exception to the above is that students applying to medical school may request that their letters be sent to the Preprofessional Advising Office for forwarding to medical schools they designate. It is hoped that students' use of hidden grades for other than intended purposes can be reduced to the lowest level possible.
  • When a department provides a grade to a student, in a letter, for the purpose of being put in a pre-med advisor file for possible transmission to medical schools, the grade shall carry NO modifiers.
  • The Registrar's Office will retain a record of letter grades assigned to freshmen. This record may be used for educational research purposes only under the authorization of the Dean for Undergraduate Education.

For AY08-09 and AY09-10 MIT authorized recalculation of students’ GPAs to include hidden first-year grades and disclosure of the revised GPA as part of determining eligibility for federal ACG and SMART grants. The revised GPA will be released only with a student’s written permission. See http://mit.edu/firstyear/2013/subjects/grading.html.

Hidden grades are used within MIT for advising functions; that is, helping students make academic choices. It is inappropriate to use hidden grades for "evaluating" students; that is, making comparisons leading to choices among students, such as selections for student employment or UROP.

According to the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty, academic departments should keep the record of hidden letter grades assigned to freshmen for five years; they should then destroy the record. The Dean for Undergraduate Education is responsible for ensuring that hidden grades are used only as described above.

Selecting a Department

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The normal first-year program is acceptable preparation for any departmental program. By mid-April of the freshman year, students are asked to indicate a major — though some students choose not to designate a major until sometime during the sophomore year or before the beginning of the junior year. Students designating majors later than the freshman year should take subjects in their potential majors so that they can graduate on time. More information is available on First Year.

A departmental designation is not binding. Students may change their minds as often as they wish. However, changing the major may require that the student take more than four years to finish a degree. Students should check with their counselors in Student Financial Services (SFS) regarding the financial implications of taking longer to graduate.

Once a student has selected a major, he or she will be assigned an upperclass faculty advisor by that department. Any freshman who would like to choose his or her upperclass advisor should contact the undergraduate office of the selected department toward the end of the spring term and indicate a preference before leaving for the summer. Undesignated sophomores should contact the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP) to obtain an advisor.

Early Sophomore Status

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A freshman completing the first term may advance his or her class year only if he or she is offered early sophomore status by the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming. To be eligible for early sophomore status, by the end of the first term a student must have completed 25% of the undergraduate program, including an appropriate Communication Intensive subject (either a CI-H or CI-HW) and a majority of the Science Requirement subjects (mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology). No student will be considered for early sophomore status unless he or she has completed a Communication Intensive HASS subject (CI-H or CI-HW) in the first semester.

An eligible freshman who wishes to declare early sophomore status may do so in the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP) on or before Add Date of the second term at MIT. Since this change involves switching from ABC/No Record grading status to letter grades, no request for this change will be approved after the fifth week of the term. The student should carefully consider this decision, as he or she cannot later make a request to revert to freshman status.

A student who elects early sophomore status may designate an Exploratory subject in the spring semester as well as in the second semester as a sophomore.

Sophomores

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Undesignated Status

If an undesignated student indicates an interest in a particular department, every effort is made by the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP) to obtain a faculty advisor in that department. The student will retain undesignated status until a change of course form is completed and processed. Students cannot remain undesignated after the sophomore year.

Sophomore Exploratory Subjects

Sophomores may designate one subject as Exploratory in each of their fall and spring semesters. An Exploratory subject is one in which the student may either accept the grade awarded or change the subject from credit to Listener status. Any subject at MIT, or cross-registered, including an Institute or departmental requirement, may be designated as Exploratory.

The Sophomore Exploratory option was made permanent by the Faculty in 2008. The goals of the option are:

  1. to ease the transition into the sophomore year by creating a flexible grading option;
  2. to encourage academic exploration in the sophomore year just as the grading system encourages exploration in the other academic years;
  3. to encourage sophomores to consider unconventional majors at the start of their second year.

A student must request the change from credit to Listener status. No action is needed to retain the grade and units of an Exploratory subject.

Deadlines

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Two deadlines have been established specifically for Exploratory subjects:

  • A sophomore may designate a subject as Exploratory through Add Date (the deadline for adding a subject).
  • A student may change an Exploratory subject from credit to Listener through Registration Day of his or her next semester at MIT.

The regular deadlines for adding and dropping subjects and for changing between Listener and credit status remain in effect.

Combining the deadlines results in the following timetable:

Through Add Date

A student may add a subject or change the status of any subject from Listener to credit, as well as designate a subject as Exploratory.

Through Drop Date

A student may drop any subject, including one designated as Exploratory, or change the status of any subject from credit to Listener.

Through Registration Day of the Next Semester

A student may change the status of an Exploratory subject from credit to Listener.

Exceptions to the Registration Day deadline will be allowed in the following cases:

  • A student who does not register for the following semester, including a student on study abroad/domestic study away or a leave of absence, has until the Registration Day of his or her next semester (fall or spring) at MIT.
  • A student who receives an O/OX or I in the subject has until the Registration Day of his or her next semester (fall or spring) after the final grade is posted.

Now that the Exploratory option is permanent, the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) will consider petitions from students to designate or remove the designation of an Exploratory subject after Add Date, to change to Listener status after the next Registration Day, or to reinstate the grade and credit once the student has forfeited them.

Sophomores may designate a subject as Exploratory at pre-registration, on the Registration Form, or by submitting an Add/Drop/Change form, signed by the advisor, to the Student Services Center (SSC) or the Registrar's Office.

Designating Exploratory Subjects

Designating a subject as Exploratory allows a student to try an Institute or departmental requirement that is particularly challenging or a subject in a field that will be a stretch in a new direction. However, he or she should be careful not to increase the number of subjects beyond a normal load; overloading could affect performance in subjects beyond the one designated as Exploratory.

After a student has designated a subject as Exploratory, a message confirming that designation will appear on the student’s status of registration. There will be no indication on the internal grade report or the external transcript that a subject was taken on an Exploratory basis. Exploratory status will not appear on class lists and grade sheets. The instructor may ask for this information from the Registrar or the student.

Semesters of Eligibility

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The Exploratory subject option is available for students in their first two semesters as sophomores.

Freshmen who elect early sophomore standing or other students who become sophomores in the spring may designate an Exploratory subject in the spring semester as well as in their second semester as sophomores.

Once students have completed two semesters as sophomores they cannot exercise the Exploratory option if they have additional terms as sophomores, even if they did not exercise the option in their first two terms.

If a student spends only one semester as a sophomore and advances to junior standing, he or she may designate an Exploratory subject only in the one sophomore semester.

A transfer student who receives an initial semester of ABC/No Record grading as a sophomore may not elect an Exploratory subject in that semester. He or she may exercise the Exploratory option only once, in his or her second term as a sophomore.

T- and J-Graded Subjects

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If a subject is T-graded, a student must designate the subject as Exploratory in the first semester of enrollment (fall or spring). The designation counts as the student’s use of the Exploratory option for that semester only. A student may designate another subject as Exploratory while continuing a T-graded subject in the second term of the sophomore year. A sophomore in his or her second term may begin a T-graded subject and designate it as Exploratory even though the final grade will not be awarded until the junior year.

For subjects that are J-graded, the designation of Exploratory status is on a term-by-term basis and each term’s designation counts as the student’s option for that term.

Changing from Credit to Listener

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To change to Listener status and forfeit the grade and credit, the student must submit an Add/Drop/Change form, signed by the advisor, to the SSC or Registrar's Office. Students and advisors are cautioned to check that a forfeiture of units does not affect the student’s status for financial aid, immigration, or varsity sports eligibility.

If a student changes an Exploratory subject to Listener, the Listener status is recorded on class lists, grade sheets, the student’s internal grade report, and reports provided to departments and the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP). Listener subjects do not appear on the transcript.

The Exploratory status of subjects may be considered in the CAP end of term review. The CAP may also consider petitions to revoke a CAP action if a student's status is changed by conversion of an Exploratory Subject to Listener.

HASS Concentration Proposal

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Before the end of the sophomore year, students must select an area of concentration in Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS), and visit the appropriate concentration field advisor. The student and the concentration advisor work out a program of three or four subjects, depending on the field, and enter it on a concentration proposal form, which the Concentration Field Advisor signs. The student's regular academic advisor should receive the pink copy. The "canary" (yellow) copy should be delivered to the HASS Education Office. A student can later change to a different concentration by filling out a new concentration proposal.

Communication Requirement

Students must complete their second appropriate CI subject by the end of their sophomore year. In most cases, the second CI subject will be a CI-H. In some cases, however, students may take a CI-M subject (Communication Intensive in the Major) in their sophomore year.

Physical Education Requirement

It is highly recommended that the Physical Education GIR of 8 PE points and a fulfilled swimming requirement be completed by the end of the second year. For most students, this is their sophomore year. Students who have not completed the requirement by the end of their second year must file a Plan Proposal. This plan allows the Physical Education office to confirm the student's ability to complete the Physical Education GIR. Students with early sophomore standing, you have through the end of their second year to complete the physical education GIR.

See Physical Education for a complete listing of all registration dates and plan filing deadlines. For the Academic Year 2009, the filing period for sophomores is April 1—25, 2009.

A $40 petition processing fee is assessed if the plan is not filed by the deadline.

Minor Programs

Students should designate minor programs during the sophomore year.

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Juniors

Junior-Senior P/D/F Option

Juniors and seniors may designate up to two subjects to be graded P/D/F. These subjects may be taken both in the same term or in separate terms, including IAP. They cannot be used to fulfill an Institute, departmental, or minor requirement.

Two Bachelor's Degrees

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In April 2008, the Faculty approved a proposal to replace the practice of awarding two SBs with a double major option within the framework of a single SB degree. As such, the second SB program is open only to students who began their studies at MIT during the 2007-08 academic year or earlier. See the website of the Committee on Curricula (CoC) for more information.

Students interested in receiving two bachelor's degrees must submit a petition to the CoC after they have completed two or more semesters within a department at MIT. Petitions must be received by the CoC by the Add Date of the term prior to the term in which the student intends to receive the first of the two degrees. Students with cumulative grade point averages below 4.0 will not be considered for a second SB except in the case of extraordinary circumstances.

Consult the CoC website for information about the transition from two SBs to double majors and details about eligibility and procedures for second SBs.

Double Majors

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In April 2008, the Faculty established a double major option within the framework of a single SB degree. The option of pursuing a double major will be available to all students who plan to graduate in September 2009 or later, provided they meet the stated eligibility requirements. Students must apply to the Committee on Curricula (CoC) to pursue a double major.

Consult the CoC website for information about the transition from two SBs to double majors and details about eligibility and procedures for double majors.

Communication Requirement

Students must complete at least three appropriate CI subjects at the end of their junior year. In their junior year, students generally complete their CI subjects within their major departments. These classes are called CI-Ms.

Physical Education Requirement

All juniors who have not completed the Physical Education GIR of 8 points and the swim requirement must have an approved Plan Proposal on file with Physical Education. This plan allows the Physical Education office to confirm the student's ability to complete the Physical Education GIR.

If a student filed a plan at the end of his or her sophomore year and are not on track to finish the GIR in the timeframe indicated in the approved plan, the student must file an amendment.

See Physical Education for a complete listing of all registration dates and plan filing deadlines. For the Academic Year 2009, the filing period for juniors is the end of Quarter 2 physical education classes through spring Registration Day.

A $40 processing fee is assessed if the plan is not filed by the published deadline.

Seniors

Thesis Requirement

Some departmental programs require an undergraduate thesis, usually undertaken in the senior year. The Institute Archives and Special Collections publishes Specifications for Thesis Preparation, which contains information required for preparation of a thesis. Since thesis requirements may differ among departments, undergraduates should check with their departments' undergraduate administrators concerning specific requirements.

A student working only on the thesis during a particular term must still pay tuition, and submit a registration form, signed by his or her advisor, to the Student Services Center (SSC) or the Registrar's Office.

Students who registered for theses but did not find thesis topics or begin projects must drop them by the Institute deadline.

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A student working on a thesis for more than one semester must register each semester. He or she will receive a J (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) grade until the work is completed and a final grade assigned.

Cross-registration

Since Harvard, Wellesley, the Massachusetts College of Art, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts follow different calendars from MIT's, all degree candidates considering taking subjects under cross-registration that are needed for their MIT degree must make sure that their grades will arrive at MIT before degree decisions are made; otherwise, students jeopardize the awarding of their degrees.

Procedures for Degree Candidates

At the beginning of the term in which he or she expects to graduate, a student must submit on WebSIS an on-line Application for Bachelor of Science Degree. A student should submit an application if there is a chance he or she will finish that term; there is no fine for removal from the degree list later. See Information and Deadlines for Degree Candidates.

Requirements To Be on the Degree List

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To be eligible for the Degree Candidate List a student must complete all of the requirements as follows:

  • Students under the Communication Requirement must have completed four CI subjects: two CI-Hs and two CI-Ms as specified by their major. Students pursuing a dual degree may have to complete up to four CI-Ms in order to satisfy the requirements of both majors. Visit Communication Requirement for more information. Students under the Writing Requirement must have completed all phases of the Writing Requirement by Registration Day of the final term. For more information contact the Writing Across the Curriculum Office.
  • A HASS concentration completion form should be filed with the HASS Education Office by the first Friday in the student's final term. The student must obtain the signature of the concentration field advisor, taking along an unofficial transcript indicating that the proposed subjects have been passed. If a subject completing the concentration is being taken during the student's final term, that subject must be listed on the completion form and the completion will be regarded as provisional until the remaining subject is passed.
  • Students should have either completed the Physical Education Requirement or have an approved Plan Proposal on file with the Physical Education office. For more information contact the Physical Education Office.
  • The student should have a clear plan to complete all of the general Institute and departmental requirements, including the total units beyond the GIRs that are specified for the particular Course.

Departmental Approval

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The student's department and the Registrar's Office have access to the student's on-line application. Since a student must be recommended by the department for a degree, the department or faculty advisor should verify that the student's program satisfies the department's as well as the Institute's requirements and that the student is currently registered so as to complete successfully all requirements by the end of the term. The department then approves the application to be a degree candidate.

A student's name may be removed from the degree list by the Registrar's Office at the request of the department or the student up to the last day of classes in the term. Students may also be removed at the degree candidates meeting of the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP). A degree will not be awarded unless all financial obligations are cleared, and there are no pending disciplinary actions.

Two Bachelor's Degrees

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Students who intend to receive two SB degrees must make certain that they have appropriately petitioned the Committee on Curricula (CoC) by Add Date of the term prior to the term in which they intend to receive the first of the two degrees. Students with cumulative grade point averages below 4.0 will not be considered for a second SB except in the case of extraordinary circumstances. See the CoC website for detailed information about eligibility and procedures for second SBs.

Double Majors

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In April 2008, the Faculty established a double major option within the framework of a single SB degree. Students graduating in February or June 2009 will not be eligible for this new program. However, seniors who plan to graduate in September 2009 may apply for a double major by Add Date of the spring 2009 term, provided they meet the stated eligibility requirements.

Consult the CoC website for information about the transition from two SBs to double majors and details about eligibility and procedures for second SBs.

Minors

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Completion forms for Architecture, Engineering, Management, HASS, or Science should be submitted no later than the end of the third week of the student's final term. The completion form must be filed even if the student is taking subjects to complete the minor in the final term. Students who file the form late will not only be subject to a late fee but also risk not being awarded the minor.

Degree Candidates Meetings

In February, June, and September, the department recommends to the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) which candidates should be awarded the degree and which should be removed from the degree list. All grades for degree candidates must be submitted in writing to the Registrar's Office prior to the degree candidates meeting.

Students are on the degree list on the basis that successful completion of the final term's program will fulfill all the Institute and departmental degree requirements. Therefore, the department's recommendation is focused on the student's performance during the term (in particular, whether any subjects are failed or not completed and whether these subjects are necessary to meet the requirements set forth by the faculty).

The CAP will recommend the awarding of the degree to those students who have satisfied all the General Institute Requirements and are recommended by their departments. After the CAP meeting, the degree list is approved by the faculty and by the MIT Corporation.

Deficiencies

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Under certain circumstances, the CAP is authorized to recommend a degree for a student who has a single deficiency in a departmental requirement in the final term - even though the deficiency results in fewer than the required number of units beyond the GIRs (180-198) specified for the particular Course. The term “deficiency” refers to a grade of F, O, or OX in a single subject, excluding thesis, for which the student is registered during the final term.

The grade of I cannot be assigned to any undergraduate in the semester in which he or she graduates. All I grades reported since Fall 1996 must be resolved prior to graduation.

Testimony from the student's department that the student has made an honest effort to complete the work during the term, and that the deficiency is not due to gross neglect on the part of the student, will be expected by the committee before recommendation of the degree will be considered. The responsibility for checking the situation with the instructor in charge of the subject in question belongs to the faculty advisor. No such exceptions will be made unless a strong and well-informed plea is made by the student's department and the committee finds that plea compelling.

The committee views any deficiency in a subject that is a General Institute Requirement as a very serious matter. The CAP rarely recommends such a candidate for a degree, even under circumstances under which CAP might recommend a candidate if the deficiency were in a departmental requirement.

Not-Registered Degree Candidate

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Occasionally a former student may become a Not-Registered Degree Candidate if he or she is:

  • Transferring credit to complete outstanding requirements
  • Completing an outstanding I or OX grade
  • Cleared to graduate following a financial or disciplinary degree hold.

A Not-Registered Degree Candidate must file a degree application. Contact the Registrar's Office to obtain access to the on-line degree application.

A Not-Registered Degree Candidate does not register for any subject or pay tuition. He or she is not a student and is not eligible for an MIT identification card, housing, financial aid, and any other student services.

To transfer in credit the Not-Registered Degree Candidate must submit a Request for Additional Credit Form signed by the appropriate transfer credit examiner and arrange for an official transcript, showing the work and final grade(s), to be sent directly to the Registrar's Office. The form and the transcript must be received prior to the CAP degree candidates meeting.