The undergraduate programs at MIT are designed to help students develop the knowledge and capabilities needed to meet the challenges of modern society. An MIT education joins the power of a specific discipline to a concern for social values and goals. In addition to developing expertise in a given field, undergraduates are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities for broad learning at MIT, and to become creative, intellectual leaders and problem solvers, whose passion for learning is lifelong.
Central to the MIT undergraduate experience is the concept that a four-year residential college requires a full-time academic program. An MIT degree represents not only a specified number of credit units and a collection of subjects, but an intensity and continuity of involvement in an academic enterprise and an immersion in the culture of MIT as well. In general, MIT is not an appropriate place to pursue an undergraduate education on an extended, part-time basis.
MIT students base their studies on a core of subjects in science, mathematics, and the humanities, arts, and social sciences (the General Institute Requirements). They major in the physical or biological sciences, in management science, in architecture or urban studies and planning, in an area of the humanities, arts, and social sciences, or in one of the engineering fields. In the first year, many students take subjects from a variety of options in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and humanities, arts, and social sciences. During the second year, students generally continue their studies with subjects meeting various Institute requirements and beginning subjects in departmental programs. In the third and fourth years, students focus on the departmental programs.
There is also time for students to take elective subjects each year. These elective opportunities allow students to follow social interests or to enrich their educational backgrounds. Students may also use elective time to prepare for study in a professional field such as medicine or law or to begin work toward graduate study. Students may also pursue minors in many fields.
One of the most exciting features of undergraduate education at MIT is the opportunity for students to join with faculty in ongoing research projects. For example, experiences in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) encourage intellectual commitment and self-direction, and often provide a focus for students' undergraduate studies. During the Independent Activities Period in January, students can spend time in workshops, independent research projects, intensive subjects and seminars, field trips, lecture series, and other activities that do not easily fit into the traditional academic calendar.
To complete work for a bachelor's degree in any Course (major), each student must fulfill the General Institute Requirements and must complete the departmental program specified by that Course. Details on General Institute Requirements and on selecting a major course of study are discussed later in this section.
The program for the SB takes four years of full-time study for most students. Of the freshmen who entered between 1998 and 2002, the percentage of students who received their degrees within six years of entrance was about 93 percent.
During the first year at MIT, students lay the foundation for their college education. First-year students may accommodate their individual preparation and learning styles by choosing among a variety of ways to complete the core subjects and prepare for further undergraduate study.
To begin fulfilling the General Institute Requirements (described later in this section), freshmen choose subjects in mathematics, chemistry, biology, and physics to fulfill the science core, and select from a wide range of subjects in the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS subjects), including but not limited to designated HASS-Distribution Requirement subjects. Students have various options for satisfying the first year of the Communication Requirement.
A normal program for the first year includes completion of four or five of the six science core subjects in mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry, and two of the eight HASS subjects, including a Communication-Intensive subject. Students may round out their programs with electives, often including Freshman Advising Seminars (led by the students' advisors), other undergraduate seminars, or project-based subjects. Some freshmen also elect to become involved in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, described later in this section.
Entering students with degree credit for one or more of the science core requirements may substitute more advanced subjects or may take electives or Restricted Electives in Science and Technology (REST) Requirement subjects. Procedures for obtaining degree credit at entrance are described in the Admissions section.
Students may also enroll in one of the special freshman learning communities: the Concourse Program, the Experimental Study Group, the Media Arts and Sciences Freshman Program, and Terrascope. These learning communities have their own faculty, meeting places, and methods of operation. In these programs, students make progress comparable to that of other freshmen, but the manner in which individual Institute requirements are met varies from program to program and among students within each program. In all four programs there is an especially high level of student-faculty interaction.
A student who chooses the Concourse Program becomes a member of a group of about 60 freshmen working with a team of faculty members in a yearlong program of study which covers most of the first-year General Institute Requirements. In structure and atmosphere, Concourse resembles a small school rather than a large institution. Concourse has operated as a special program for freshmen since 1971 and is a regular part of the MIT curriculum, operating under the aegis of the Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education. Because of the greater level of personal attention and socialization, it is possible to connect and unify the separate subjects and also to encourage students to help, communicate with, and support one another. The approach is that of a scholarly community, with intense participation and support by faculty, staff, student assistants, and freshmen. Subjects can be approached with greater rigor but the experience can be more enjoyable, and very successful experiments such as "From Russia With Love: The Thirty Year Problem Set" become possible.
Concourse faculty, representing different professional disciplines, collaborate closely in the planning and teaching of the curriculum. Regularly scheduled class sessions, which all meet in a single Concourse Classroom or in the Concourse Lounge, are supplemented by many less formal activities, e.g., "breakfast with your chemistry teacher." A student may carry at least one subject per term outside the Concourse Program. Subject matter is arranged so that the student receives credit for the first-year General Institute Requirements on successful completion of the program. In addition, special courses are offered. Besides promoting close and sustained contact between students and faculty, the scheduling of the program enhances participation in advisor seminars and extracurricular activities.
The program's director is Bernhardt L. Trout. For more information, contact Cheryl Butters, Room 16-135, 617-253-3200. A detailed description of the program may be found online at http://web.mit.edu/concourse/.
The Experimental Study Group (ESG) is an innovative academic program geared primarily toward motivated first-year students who wish to take an active part in their MIT education. Each year 50 freshmen, 12 staff members, and 25 upperclass instructors (who were in ESG as freshmen) participate in the program. Staff members are selected for their teaching ability and their strong interest in community-based education and are drawn from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
In place of lectures and large classes, ESG students participate in small interactive classes (typically fewer than 10 students), discussion-based seminars, study groups, and hands-on labs. Almost all the core subjects in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics are offered through ESG, in addition to several humanities, arts, and social science subjects (typically in the areas of writing or philosophy). Although ESG can be a full-time activity for freshmen, students may take one or two subjects outside of ESG.
ESG's small classes are structured to be active learning environments with plenty of opportunity for lively discussion, question-and-answer sessions, student presentations, and peer-led problem-solving sessions. ESG also promotes educational innovation by encouraging staff and students to design and teach experimental 6-unit seminars that combine theory and practice. Seminars offered this past year include diverse topics such as American Photography, Psychology of Terror and Hope, Mathematics of Toys and Games, and Exploring Pharmacology.
ESG's centrally located facility is comprised of 14 rooms (including a central lounge and a kitchen) where classes are held and weekly activities are offered, such as luncheons and dinners, guest speakers, and evening study sessions. Students and staff also plan regular outings for the freshmen such as hiking and skiing trips and visits to local museums and attractions.
For more information about ESG, contact Dr. Holly Sweet, associate director, Room 24-612, 617-253-7786, hbsweet@mit.edu, or visit http://web.mit.edu/esg/.
The Program in Media Arts and Sciences (MAS) offers a special freshman program emphasizing research at MIT's internationally known Media Laboratory. In the freshman program, instructors connect research topics in the Media Laboratory to core physics and chemistry subjects, and students learn firsthand how research is carried out.
The Program in Media Arts and Sciences is part of the School of Architecture and Planning. It is housed in the Media Laboratory, which carries on advanced research in the invention and creative use of technology to enhance communication and expression. (For more information on Media Arts and Sciences, see Part 2; for more information on the Media Laboratory, see Interdisciplinary Research and Study in Part 3.)
Up to 24 freshmen in the MAS Freshman Program are introduced to the learning-by-apprenticeship mode that characterizes MAS. During the fall term students take part in one of several MAS Freshman Advising Seminars, and take MAS.110 Fundamentals of Computational Media Design, with hands-on design exercises looking at the intersection between expression and technology. In the spring term they take MAS.111 Introduction to Doing Research in Media Arts and Sciences, which includes documenting and presenting research results. In conjunction with MAS.111, all students participate through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) in one of the research projects at the Media Laboratory. (For descriptions of the MAS subjects, see the online MIT Subject Listing & Schedule, http://student.mit.edu/catalog/index.cgi; a description of UROP can be found later in this section.)
Researchers from the Media Laboratory teach recitation or tutorial sections in the fall for subjects 8.01 and 3.091 and in the spring for 8.02, in which they emphasize connections between the fundamentals of physics and chemistry and ongoing research at the Media Laboratory. Students take the lectures for these subjects, as well as lectures and recitations in other core and elective subjects, with other freshmen. (For descriptions of these subjects, see the online MIT Subject Listing & Schedule, http://student.mit.edu/catalog/index.cgi.)
The program director is Dr. V. Michael Bove, Jr. For information contact Linda Peterson, Room E15-401, mas@media.mit.edu, or visit http://www.media.mit.edu/mas/fyo/.
The Terrascope Program offers a unique opportunity for MIT freshmen to expand their academic experience beyond the walls of the classroom. Terrascope balances the lecture/problem set learning of introductory (or "core") science subjects with studies of complex, real-world problems that require innovative solutions drawn from a variety of disciplines.
The program is based on the idea that our Earth system provides a valuable context for learning basic science and engineering concepts. Students are encouraged to apply those concepts in creative ways to understand the interdependent physical, chemical, and biological processes that shape our planet, and to design strategies to ensure a sustainable environment for the future.
Terrascope is a flexible program—only two subjects are required beyond the traditional General Institute Requirements (GIRs). During the fall term, Terrascope students enroll in 12.000 Solving Complex Problems (9 units), a popular subject (also known as Mission 2012) designed to explore how teams of scientists and engineers approach difficult problems that require multidisciplinary approaches. Solutions will be published on a class website and participants will defend their work before a panel of outside experts. This final presentation will be broadcast live over the internet.
In the spring, students enroll in 1.016 Communicating Complex Environmental Issues: Designing and Building Interactive Museum Exhibits (9 units). Using 12.000 as a starting point, students will work in teams to design, engineer, and build an interactive museum-style exhibit that teaches others about some aspect of the problem on which they've become expert.
Students may also choose to enroll in SP.360 Terrascope Radio (12 units), an optional subject that provides an opportunity to satisfy the freshman Communication Requirement (CI-H credit). This subject explores radio as a medium for expression and communication, particularly of complex scientific ideas, and culminates in the production of a professional-quality radio program.
Fieldwork and close interactions with researchers and others is an important part of the Terrascope experience. Terrascope students attend weekly lunch seminars during which researchers and others speak about their work. Students may also participate in a credit-bearing activity during MIT's Independent Activities Period. Finally, students in the Terrascope program have the opportunity to conduct field research in a location relevant to the problem under study during spring break. Past locations have included Alaska, the Amazon rainforest, Chile, the Galapagos Islands, Iceland, and New Orleans. Expenses for the trip are largely covered by the program.
Terrascope offers students a variety of exclusive facilities, including classroom and study space, a kitchen, and lounge.
For more information, or to apply for the program, visit http://web.mit.edu/terrascope/.
Seminar XL is a collaborative undergraduate learning experience in which groups of four to six students meet for 90 minutes twice per week to share their understanding of course concepts and problem-solving methods. A facilitator guides each working group, where the facilitator is a research scientist, a graduate student, or an upperclass undergraduate student who previously earned an A in the course. Although the Office of Minority Education (OME) historically has sponsored the program for first-year students, OME encourages upperclass students to enroll as well. However, only first-year students can receive course credit, provided they attend at least 80 percent of the working group sessions. Upperclass students must register as listeners.
After the fifth week, interested students can enroll in Seminar XL Limited Edition, which operates two 90-minute working group sessions per week, as does the regular Seminar XL. There is no course credit awarded, but past students have benefited greatly from this program.
For more information about Seminar XL, Seminar XL LE, and other OME services, visit the Office of Minority Education, Room 4-113, 617-253-5010, or visit http://web.mit.edu/ome/.
The preceding overview conveys the nature and scope of the academic options for first-year students. Incoming freshmen are referred to http://web.mit.edu/firstyear/ for detailed information on academics, the advisory system, and support services.
Subjects taken by freshmen in the first term and IAP are graded on a pass or no-record basis. In the first term and IAP freshmen receive grades of P, D, or F in all subjects they take, where P indicates C or better performance (C- with modifier used within MIT). Students who receive Ds or Fs earn no credit in those subjects, and these grades do not appear on their external records.
In the second term freshmen are graded A, B, C, or no record. They will receive A, B, or C grades that appear on their external records but continue to earn no credit for Ds and Fs, which do not appear on their external records. Second-term passing grades are used in calculating students' term and cumulative ratings.
Freshman grading is designed to ease the transition from high school by giving students time to adjust to factors like increased workloads and variations in academic preparation. Students are encouraged to improve time-management skills and develop more mature attitudes about learning. A, B, and C grades are used during the second term so that freshmen can begin the progression to regular A-F grading in the sophomore year.
MIT’s educational policy is to provide “hidden” grades to students for educational and advising purposes only. In almost all circumstances, hidden grades will stay hidden and are not included on an external transcript. However, students should be aware that some medical schools and some Federal grant programs (currently ACG/SMART grants) require a GPA to be calculated using all grades that are available to the student, including hidden grades. Under these specific circumstances, the hidden grades can be released by MIT only with the explicit written permission of a student.
Many students use the freedom of hidden grades in the first year to adjust to the demands of MIT and to take some educational risks. Students planning to apply to medical school or receiving certain Federal grants should reflect carefully on their choices in light of the fact that the actual grades will be taken into account for medical school admission or eligibility for the Federal grants. Students in these positions should discuss their options with their adviser and carefully weigh their choices.
A freshman may not register or receive credit for subjects totaling more than 54 units in the fall term and 57 units in the spring term. The Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) rarely grants requests to exceed the credit limit. (Only in the fall term may freshmen exceed the 54-unit credit limit by 3 units to take 12.000 Solving Complex Problems or by 6 units to take Seminar XL: You Can Be A Success at MIT.) Credit earned for passing an Advanced Standing Examination will be counted toward the term credit limit unless the exam is taken either in the September or February examination period. ROTC subjects (listed in the online MIT Subject Listing & Schedule, http://student.mit.edu/catalog/index.cgi) are excluded from this credit limit. Note that all MIT students are limited to 12 units during the Independent Activities Period in January.
Whether or not they enter with plans for a specific field of study, all students are encouraged to examine with an open mind the wide range of Courses (majors) available at the Institute. Students may attend departmental orientation programs to talk with faculty and others with experience in fields of potential interest. They should select electives that will help them think about possible majors. The Independent Activities Period in January, described later in this section, provides students with opportunities to investigate different fields. For many students, this consideration of fields will reinforce existing convictions, while for others it will open up new avenues of interest. MIT may, however, limit enrollment in particular fields of study to balance resources with student interest.
Each student entering MIT is assigned an advisor who assists the student in designing an effective program of study. The selection of elective subjects is an important consideration, one that students should discuss in depth with their advisors.
All undergraduate degree programs combine the study of basic principles with practical applications. This combination helps to motivate the lifelong learning necessary for professional competence.
Students usually choose a Course (major) at the end of the first year, though they need not do so until the end of the second year. There is sufficient overlap and flexibility so that selection or change of Course can be made with relative ease in the second year.
All undergraduate and graduate academic programs, as well as faculty listings for each of the Institute's departments, are described fully in Parts 2 and 3.
Detailed information on undergraduate registration may be found in Academic Procedures and Institute Regulations in Part 1.
Electives can be used for several different purposes. For example, students who are undecided about their eventual majors can use some part of their elective time to get more information about the various departments or fields they are considering. Students more certain of their professional goals can use electives to explore areas of secondary interest. Still other students will choose to begin work on departmental or General Institute Requirements, deferring subjects of a more supplemental nature until a later year. The study of a language also may be started or continued.
Freshmen should select electives that best suit their individual needs. There are several hundred subjects without prerequisites that students can select during the freshman year. However, any subject offered by the Institute is open to all students, provided they satisfy the prerequisites.
Students who plan to graduate in 2010 or later may earn a bachelor's degree with two majors by successfully completing the GIRs and the departmental requirements for each major. To add a second major, a student must apply to the Committee on Curricula (COC) by Add Date of his or her penultimate term. Applications submitted after this deadline will be considered by the COC at its discretion on a case-by-case basis.
A double major program should be completed in a four- or five-year period and should be planned in advance. A student's plan for completing both majors must be outlined in the application to the COC. The application must also include the expected completion date for the degree, and it must be approved by both programs. Students should consult Student Financial Services regarding any impact that pursuing a double major might have on their eligibility for MIT or federal financial aid, particularly if they anticipate needing more than eight semesters to complete their studies.
Students must select a second major in a different area from the primary major. Students pursuing a double major may also complete up to two minors, but a minor may not be taken in the same area as either of the major programs.
Only registered undergraduates who have completed at least three terms at MIT, including at least one term with a declared major, may apply. Transfer students must complete at least two terms at MIT, including at least one term with a declared major. Students with cumulative averages below 4.0 will not be considered except in exceptional cases. A student who has previously earned a bachelor's degree with a single major may not return to complete a second major.
Students who have successfully petitioned to pursue a second bachelor's degree may switch to a double major in the same field through Add Date of their final term. Students who want to switch from a second SB to a double major and also plan to change departments in one or both majors must apply for a double major by Add Date of their penultimate term.
For details on eligibility, deadlines, and procedures, see the COC website, http://web.mit.edu/doublemajor/.
This program is being discontinued and is not available to students who began their studies during the 2008-2009 academic year or later.
A student who is eligible to pursue a second SB must satisfy the requirements of the second department and complete 90 credit 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). An eligible student must submit a petition to the Committee on Curricula (COC) by 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 be considered by the COC at its discretion on a case-by-case basis.
Students who have successfully petitioned to pursue a second SB may switch to a double major in the same fields through Add Date of their final term. Students who want to switch from a second SB to a double major and also plan to change departments in one or both majors must apply for a double major by Add Date of their penultimate term.
For details on eligibility, deadlines, and procedures, see the COC website, http://web.mit.edu/registrar/subjects/cmtes/coc/petitions_secondSB.html.
A number of fields in science, engineering, architecture, and the humanities, arts, and social sciences offer minor programs providing significant experience in their disciplines. Several interdisciplinary minors, including a new Institute-wide minor in energy studies, are also available; for further information on interdisciplinary minors, see the Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs and Minors section in Part 3.
Students who successfully complete minor programs will have their fields of study specified as part of their Bachelor of Science degrees, thus giving public recognition of focused work in other disciplines. The general guidelines for a minor program are as follows:
Minors are currently available in the following architecture, engineering, management, and science fields:
Architecture
Astronomy*
Biology
Biomedical Engineering*
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Energy Studies*
Environmental Engineering Science
Management
Management Science
Materials Science and Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Science and Engineering
Physics
Toxicology and Environmental Health
More information on these minors appears in Part 2 of this catalog; those marked with an asterisk are described in the Interdsicplinary Undergraduate Programs and Minors section in Part 3. For additional information, instructions, and applications, students should contact the Undergraduate Office in their field of interest, or the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming in Room 7-104.
Students electing a Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) minor program will study a field in greater depth than the HASS concentration component of the General Institute Requirements allows and will encounter the structure of an intellectual discipline to a greater degree.
Most HASS minor programs are arranged into at least three levels, or tiers, expressing different degrees of sophistication in the articulation and resolution of intellectual problems. However, subjects included in the regional studies minors are divided into four areas; students are required to distribute subjects across those four areas.
Of the six subjects required for the HASS minor, at most five will count toward satisfaction of the eight-subject Institute HASS Requirement. Of these five, at most one will count toward the satisfaction of the HASS-Distribution Requirement.
HASS minor programs have been approved in the following fields:
African and African Diaspora Studies*
Ancient and Medieval Studies*
Anthropology
Applied International Studies*
Chinese
Comparative Media Studies
East Asian Studies*
Economics
European Studies*
French
German
History
History of Art and Architecture
Japanese
Latin American Studies*
Linguistics
Literature
Middle Eastern Studies*
Music
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Public Policy*
Russian Studies*
Science, Technology, and Society
Spanish
Theater Arts
Urban Studies and Planning
Women's and Gender Studies*
Writing
Detailed information on these minors may be found in Part 2 of this catalog; those marked with an asterisk are described in the Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs and Minors section in Part 3. Additional information about the HASS minors also is available at the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Education Office (Room 14N-410) or at http://shass.mit.edu/undergraduate/.