Two Bachelor's Degrees

A student pursuing a bachelor's degree may earn a second SB by satisfying the requirements of the second department and completing 90 units in addition to the requirements for the first degree. This means that in the combined program the student must complete at least 270 units beyond the 17-subject General Institute Requirements (GIRs).

Only students currently registered as undergraduates will be approved for a second SB. A student may earn no more than two bachelor's degrees, and a minor may not be taken in the same department as either of the major programs. The Committee on Curricula (COC) will not approve a petition for a second SB if the student has already received the first SB. A two-degree program should be completed in a four- or five-year period and should be planned in advance even if both degrees are not received simultaneously.

Students pursuing two bachelor's degrees are only eligible for up to eight semesters of financial aid. Those admitted as transfer students are eligible for less than eight semesters of aid, depending on the number of credits MIT accepts.

See also:

Students wishing to receive two SB degrees must complete two CI-H subjects and the CI-M subjects that fulfill the communication component of each major. Normally, this means that a student must pass four CI-M subjects (two in each major program). In some cases, a CI-M subject may be used to fulfill the communication component of both majors simultaneously if the subject is approved for both programs.

Petitioning the Committee on Curricula (COC)

In order to pursue two bachelor's degrees, a student must petition the Committee on Curricula (COC). The student's plan for completing both degrees must be outlined in a petition and must include the expected completion date of each degree. Only registered undergraduates may petition.

The petition must be approved by both departments. The faculty advisor in the first department and the undergraduate officer of the second department should take responsibility for examining the entire program in the same way they would for a candidate for a single SB degree. Students should consult Student Financial Services (SFS) regarding any impact this arrangement might have on eligibility for MIT or federal financial aid.

The petition must be submitted by the Add Date of the term prior to the term in which the student intends to receive the first of the two degrees. Petitions submitted after this deadline will not be considered by the COC. Only registered undergraduates who have completed at least two semesters in a department at MIT may petition, typically after completing their sophomore year. Students with cumulative averages below 4.0 will not be considered except in the case of extraordinary circumstances.

The COC will not approve petitions for a third bachelor's degree. Two SB's and two minors should be enough to recognize the accomplishments of a student in an undergraduate program. Note that a minor may not be taken in the same department as either of the major programs.

A student who has completed an SB and left the Institute may not return to the Institute to obtain a second degree. A student who wishes to get a second SB as part of the Master of Engineering program in Course 6 must petition before entering the graduate phase of the program even though he or she expects to receive both SB's at the same time as the MEng.

Dual Advisors and Departments

From the time the petition is approved until one of the two SB degrees is awarded, the student must register in both departments; his or her program and all changes in it should be approved by the faculty advisor in the primary (usually first) department. Both advisors and departments have access to the student's record in WebSIS.

Deficiencies at Graduation

See also:

If a student who is on the degree list for two degrees ends the term with a deficiency in one of them, he or she may qualify for a single degree. When one set of departmental requirements has not been met, the degree will be awarded in the other department. If the student has fulfilled the requirements for both departments but the number of units beyond the GIRs is insufficient for two degrees, the student should inform the undergraduate offices which degree he or she wants. In the absence of such instructions, the degree in the primary Course will be awarded. A student may continue in a subsequent term to obtain the second degree if so desired, contingent upon departmental approval.

Simultaneous Bachelor's and Master's Degrees

Students wishing to pursue simultaneous bachelor's and master's degrees must successfully apply for admission to MIT's graduate school in the appropriate department. Students considering doing this who receive financial aid should contact Student Financial Services (SFS).

In order to qualify for the simultaneous degrees, the student must be enrolled as a graduate student for a least one term (not including the summer term) and complete the requirements for both the bachelor's and master's degrees. The student must submit degree applications for both degrees at the beginning of the term in which he or she expects to complete the degrees. The student may complete the bachelor's degree in advance of the master's degree, in which case the degree applications should be submitted at the beginning of the final term for each degree.

Students living in residence halls should check with the Housing Office, about their housing eligibility. Students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees are entitled to stay in undergraduate housing for eight terms. They are then considered continuing graduate students and must enter a lottery to apply for graduate housing. If a student decides to complete the bachelor's degree before eight terms, he or she is no longer eligible for undergraduate housing, only for the continuing graduate student housing lottery.

Advancing Class Year

See also:

With the approval of his or her faculty advisor, a student may follow a program leading to an SB degree in fewer than eight terms (provided freshman, IAP, and CAP-imposed credit limits are observed).

A student's year classification is determined in part by the percentage of graduation requirements completed. Normally a student remains at a given year classification for two regular terms, but a student and his or her advisor may feel that the student's year should be advanced after only one term. If the student is more than one semester ahead in terms of graduation requirements completed, the advisor may write the Registrar's Office, requesting a year change. The advisor should also inform the departmental undergraduate office.

After one semester freshmen may advance class year only if they are offered early sophomore status by the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming. To be eligible for early sophomore status, a student must have completed by the end of the first term 25% of the undergraduate program, including a majority of the Science Requirement and an appropriate Communication Intensive subject (either a CI-H or CI-HW), . Eligible freshmen who wish to declare early sophomore status may do so in the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP), any time on or before Add Date of their second term at MIT.

In some departments, a change in year classification may result in a change of advisor assignment. If a student wishes to keep his or her present advisor after a change in year is made, he or she should check with the department undergraduate office to see if this is possible.

A student considering a change in class year should also check its effect on his or her eligibility for financial aid and special programs. A change in class year does not affect a student's ability to remain in on-campus housing for eight terms, but it may affect his or her rooming priority in a given residence hall.

If a student spends only one semester as a sophomore and advances to junior standing, he or she does not have a second semester in which to designate an Exploratory subject.

Changing Departments

Upperclass students may change departments at any time. Discussion with their faculty advisor and with faculty or administrators in the prospective department is helpful when considering such a decision. The Registrar's Office can provide information on how the Institute audit would be affected by the change. The Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP) can suggest others with whom to consult.

Students should be certain they understand how the change may affect their degree audit, graduation date, financial obligations and housing. Undergraduate students are eligible for MIT scholarship assistance for the first eight terms or until a degree is awarded, whichever comes first. If a student anticipates enrolling beyond eight terms, he or she should contact Student Financial Services to discuss financing options. Undergraduate housing in residence halls is only granted for eight terms; questions should be directed to the Housing Office.

To change departments, a student must fill out a Change of Course form, available in the Student Services Center (SSC), or the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP). This change cannot be made on the registration form. The student must meet with the undergraduate departmental administrator in the new department, who will sign the form and assign a new advisor.

A change of course requested during a specific term will take effect during that term if received by the Registrar's Office before the end of the eighth week. After the eighth week, the change will take effect at the beginning of the next term (unless the change is within the same department, such as from Course 3 to 3A, which will take effect immediately). Until the change of course takes effect, registration changes have to be made with the former faculty advisor, who should be kept informed of the student's academic situation.

Transfer Students

See also:

Transfer status is based on the subjects transferred into MIT and how well those subjects meet the MIT degree requirements. Questions about additional or alternative credit should be directed to the appropriate departmental transfer credit examiner. A list of transfer credit examiners and the form on which to request additional credit is available in the Student Services Center (SSC), or the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP). See also the list of transfer credit examiners for HASS fields. Entering transfer students who wish to have transfer credit posted to their MIT records must submit confirmation of approved credit (with necessary signatures of approval) to the Registrar's Office, no later than the end of the 11th week (drop date) of their first term at MIT.

Because transfer students are admitted as sophomores, their grades are reported on an A-F basis. During his or her first term at the Institute, a transfer student may be considered for one semester of grade reporting under the ABC/No Record system. Transfer students will not be offered the option of grade reporting under Pass/No Record.

The Director of the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming will review the student's transfer credit and other relevant information, and will decide whether or not to grant this special status. If a student receives this option, all of his or her grades will be reported on the ABC/No Record basis. A, B and C grades will be reported internally and on the transcript; D and F grades will only be noted internally. Such a student will also be restricted to the second-term freshman credit limit of 57 units.

A transfer student who is allowed one semester of ABC/No Record grading as a sophomore may not use the Exploratory option in that semester. As a sophomore, he or she will then be allowed one subsequent semester of the Exploratory option.

During their first year at MIT, transfer students will receive notification from Student Financial Services (SFS) detailing how many terms of MIT scholarship they are allowed. This determination is based on the subjects transferred into MIT and how well those subjects meet the MIT degree requirements. Input from advisors is often useful in this process. Eligible transfer students may receive no more than six terms of MIT scholarship assistance and should consult with SFS for more information.

Substitutions for Requirements

See also:

In requesting substitutions for requirements, students should remember that subjects taken to satisfy GIR, departmental, and minor requirements can not be graded on a P/D/F basis, except for subjects taken by freshmen under Pass/No Record grading.

General Institute Requirements (GIRs)

To request substitutions for General Institute Requirements, students must petition the Committee on Curricula (COC). It is strongly recommended that such requests be submitted far in advance of the term in which graduation is anticipated. Petitions are not automatically approved by this committee and denial of a petition submitted during a student's last term may jeopardize graduation. Petitions should be directed to the COC.

Petitions concerning the HASS Requirement, including requests to count toward the requirement MIT graduate subjects or subjects taken at Harvard or Wellesley under cross-registration, must first be approved by the Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. These petitions should be taken to the HASS Education Office. They are then submitted to the Committee on Curricula (COC). Note: Subjects taken through cross-registration at the Massachusetts College of Arts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts can not be used for substitutions as grades for these subjects are recorded at MIT on a P/D/F basis.

Departmental Requirements

If a student wishes to make a substitution for a departmental requirement, such a request should be made through the department concerned. In many cases this is done by a petition, which is reviewed by a departmental committee. Since procedures vary, the student should contact his or her advisor, or the department's undergraduate office.

A student who wishes to substitute a UROP or other research subject for a departmental requirement must submit a letter of intent to that department. The department makes the decision concerning a substitution.

Transfer of Credit for Work Done at Another College

A registered regular student who wishes to receive credit for work done at another college must obtain approval from the transfer credit examiner of the appropriate MIT department. A student who plans to register for a subject at another college (for instance, during the summer) should consult the appropriate MIT transfer credit examiner in advance to determine whether the subject is suitable for transfer credit.

In order to establish the validity of transfer credit, the student must provide the following documents after the subject is taken: an official transcript indicating the subject taken and the grade received (sent directly from the college to the MIT Registrar's Office), a syllabus of the subject, and any written work or examination(s) required for the subject. A subject used to fulfill a requirement for a degree awarded at another institution will not be accepted for credit at MIT.

If there is no MIT equivalent subject, the student may receive an appropriate number of elective credit units from the transfer credit officer in the MIT department that offers similar work. Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) elective credit may be used toward satisfying the HASS requirement.

A list of transfer credit examiners and the form on which to request additional credit is available in the Student Services Center (SSC) or the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP). See also the list of transfer credit examiners for HASS fields.

Students who study for a year at Cambridge University as part of the Cambridge-MIT Exchange program (CME) should plan their program of study in advance with their MIT departmental exchange coordinator. Upon return to MIT, students should meet again with the departmental coordinator to confirm what credit will be awarded for their year at Cambridge. The Study Abroad Office at MIT works with departments and the Registrar’s Office to expedite the transfer credit process for CME students.

Freshmen who enter with credit from college-sponsored study must also obtain approval of that credit from the transfer credit examiner of the appropriate MIT department and provide the documentation described above. However, this credit is processed for freshmen through the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming (UAAP).

Disabilities

As required under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Disabilities Services Office (DSO) makes every reasonable effort to provide appropriate accommodations and assistance to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities should discuss their needs for reasonable accommodations with the Disabilities Services Staff at DSO.

Auditing Classes as a Listener

See also:

A student may attend classes for a subject without taking the subject for credit by registering as a Listener. All such subjects must be listed on the student's Registration Form or added by Add Date. The tuition charge for subjects taken as a Listener is the same as for subjects taken for credit. Listener registration is not included on the student's transcript.

Once a student has been registered as a Listener in a particular subject, he or she cannot take an Advanced Standing Examination for that subject. However, the student may register and receive full credit for that subject in a subsequent term.

Sophomores may designate one subject as Exploratory in each of their fall and spring semesters, which permits them to change those subjects from credit to Listener through the Registration Day of their next semester at MIT.

Financial Holds

Students are expected to pay their term bills before the beginning of the term or to have satisfactory arrangements such as a payment plan in place at the start of the term. If a student has outstanding balances at the end of the term, including fraternity, sorority or independent living group (FSILG) charges, a student's graduation or registration for the subsequent term is placed on hold.

Students who have unanticipated financial problems during a term should resolve them with the help of Student Financial Services (SFS) and Student Support Services (S^3), as well as resources outside of MIT such as parents and relatives. The registration hold policy is designed to allow students sufficient time to resolve their financial difficulties. Students owing fall-term balances have six months (August to January) to clear their accounts before registration holds are imposed. Students owing spring-term balances have five months (January to May). This time frame should be enough for students to address their financial issues.

Undergraduates who have outstanding student account balances of more than $200 will not be allowed to register for any subsequent term, receive credit retroactively for those terms, or receive any student services including housing, library, and computing resources. To assure the timely payment of bills and equitable treatment of students, as well as to educate students about their rights and responsibilities in meeting their financial obligations to the Institute, the following procedures have been approved by the Committee on the Undergraduate Program (CUP) and the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP).

Notifications to Students with Unpaid Balances

After the fifth week of the term, Student Financial Services (SFS) will identify undergraduates who have unpaid balances on their student account for that term and who have not made satisfactory arrangements for payment of that balance. SFS will notify these students — both through the regular billing process and with additional direct communications informing them of the MIT policy regarding registration holds for the subsequent term.

After the 11th week of the term, SFS will provide to Student Support Services (S^3) a list of the undergraduates identified as still carrying unpaid balances. Students' academic advisors will also be notified of their advisees' situation at this time. SFS will contact these students and again inform them of the Institute's policy and, in consultation with the students' advisors and the S^3 deans, will offer to assist students in resolving their problems.

Removal of Services

Undergraduates who have not paid or negotiated for settlement of their bills from the previous semester may not register for the subsequent term, and therefore may not partake of Institute student services. When a student has not made satisfactory payment arrangements by Registration Day of the subsequent term, Student Financial Services (SFS) and other Institute offices may take the following actions:

  • The right to live in MIT housing will be revoked.
  • The MIT Card will be deactivated, and the individual will not be authorized to use the services for which the card provides access. These services include but are not limited to the libraries, the dining system, computing resources, and Institute housing.
  • The student will be permitted to retain a mit.edu email address which will be forwarded to a specified outside email provider until the normal graduation date. All other computer services, including Athena access, WebMail, and use of MIT licensed software, will be revoked.
  • The student will be excluded from the student payroll and UROP systems.
  • The student will not be placed on class rosters and will be removed from class lists generated through the HASS-D lottery. He or she will not be allowed to participate in class projects. Work that is turned in for the class will not be graded or returned.

Individuals who do not settle their prior term balances or who have not made efforts to resolve their financial problems will not be allowed to register for the subsequent term or receive credit retroactively. Students who face loss of services should immediately contact their SFS student account counselor.

To pay their bills or make payment arrangements, students should visit Student Financial Services (SFS). For help with financial problems, students should consult counselors in SFS or Student Support Services (S^3).

CAP Policy on Financial Holds

The Committee on Academic Performance will entertain a petition from a student formerly on financial hold for late registration or retroactive awarding of credit only with the recommendation of a majority of a committee made up of the Executive Director of Student Financial Services (SFS), the Registrar, and Co-Director of the Student Support Services (S^3) office. Following such a recommendation the CAP will consider the merits of the petition. A student submitting such a petition must contact a counseling dean before the CAP meets to consider the request. Except in extraordinary circumstances the CAP will not approve a petition for a term ending more than one calendar year prior to the date of the petition.