MIT School of Engineering: About: Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Click on the topics below for information or search for your topic here.

Admissions

Including applications/prospectus, financial aid/scholarships, criteria for acceptance (grades, courses, test scores), international and transfer students, the TOEFL, deadlines, and more.

Graduate admissions (master's, PhD)
High school preparation
International students (undergraduate, graduate/master's/PhD)
Prospectus
Test scores
Transfer students
Tuition/fees
Visiting MIT/School of Engineering
Undergraduate admissions

Departments (School of Engineering)

High school/gifted students, programs for

Online courses (OpenCourseWare)

Recruiting MIT engineering students

Women students, support for

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Does MIT offer any courses in automotive engineering?

Although the MIT School of Engineering does not offer specific courses in automotive engineering, there are a few MIT laboratories conducting research in that field, for example, the Sloan Automotive Laboratory, which is a part of the School's Department of Mechanical Engineering. In addition, you may want to check the International Motor Vehicle Program, the MIT Motorsports Club, and the Media Lab, which conducts some car research.

Some of these laboratories do offer research opportunities for undergraduates. Undergraduates interested in automotive engineering most likely major in an area of mechanical engineering.

Does MIT have a biomedical or genetic engineering department?

You may want to take a look at the School of Engineering's Department of Biological Engineering. There is a Biological Engineering major, as well as two interdepartmental minor degree programs, Biomedical Engineering (BME) and Toxicology and Environmental Health (TEH), available to MIT undergraduates. There is also a Master of Engineering in BME for undergraduates who major in one of the departments in the School of Engineering or School of Science. Additionally, the Department also offers a PhD program in Bioengineering and both a PhD and MS program in Toxicology.

A division of MIT that may also be of interest to you is the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. They offer five academic degree programs: the MD program, the Medical Engineering and Medical Physics PhD program, the Speech and Hearing Sciences PhD program and the Radiological Sciences Joint PhD program.

Other sources of information that may be of help are MIT's Center for Biomedical Engineering, the Computational and Systems Biology Initiative, and the graduate study program in Bioelectrical Engineering.

Where can I get information about a particular engineering course and/or request a School of Engineering brochure?

We do not currently have a brochure for the School of Engineering. However, you can find information about the School in the MIT Bulletin, the Institute's course catalog. You can request a copy or view it online. In the School of Engineering section, you will find descriptions of the various fields of engineering, as well as the specific courses offered relating to each.

Does MIT have any distance learning courses/programs?

At MIT, we are firm believers in the special educational value gained by the residential campus experience – living, working, learning, and collaborating together with peers, researchers, and faculty. Therefore, we find it essential for each student to spend some significant time studying at the Institute. Currently, MIT does not offer any degree-granting programs that are taught solely at a distance. However, there are a few options for those who are interested in distance-learning programs.

You may want to take a look at our masters degree program, System Design and Management (SDM) program, which gives students the option to study off-campus for a large portion of the time.

Depending on where you live, you might be interested in one of five special programs offered through the Singapore-MIT Alliance. SMA is a high-tech, education-at-a-distance program offered through MIT in collaboration with two universities in Singapore that recruits students primarily from several countries in Asia. The five programs offered under the SMA are: Advanced Materials for Micro- and Nano- Systems, High Performance Computation for Engineered Systems, Innovation in Manufacturing Systems and Technology, Molecular Engineering of Biological and Chemical Systems, Computer Science. Each of these programs offers both professional master's degrees and doctoral research degrees; some programs also offer research master's degrees.

How can my company post a job listing? How can we recruit MIT engineering students?

The School of Engineering does not currently list career opportunities on its web site nor does it have a separate newsletter/bulletin board for posting positions apart from the Institute as a whole. The best place to start is MIT's Office of Career Services and Preprofessional Advising. They offer information specifically for employers, where you can find contact information and learn more about on-campus recruiting and how to go about posting job listings.

How can I find a job at MIT?

Please check the Human Resources Department to see if there are any job openings that are of interest to you. You can also contact the Human Resources Department via email to staffingservices@mit.edu or by phone 617-253-4251.

Does MIT offer an engineering management program?

There are two programs offered through the School's Engineering Systems Division that may be of interest to you: the System Design and Management (SDM) program and the Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) program. Both of these programs are graduate-level academic and research programs sponsored by the School of Engineering, MIT's Sloan School of Management, and over 20 industry partners. SDM is a 24-month distance learning or 13-month on-campus degree program for experienced engineers, in which students earn a SM degree in Engineering and Management. LFM offers a two-year dual degree program in which students have the opportunity to become "bilingual" in management and engineering sciences by earning an MBA or SM from MIT's Sloan School of Management and a Master of Science from the School of Engineering.

Another program jointly offered by the School of Engineering and the Sloan School of Management may also be of interest to you. The Management of Technology program is a 12-month master's program designed for mid-career engineers and scientists who will handle senior managerial responsibilities on the technical side of the organization. The program leads to the degree of Master of Science in the Management of Technology.

Otherwise, you could certainly include courses from the Sloan School of Management while studying engineering or vice versa. As an undergraduate, you could even double major if you feel that would best suit your needs.

Where can I find MIT facts and statistics?

There is a publication called MIT Facts that's available online. In addition, you can take a look at information on the statistical breakdown of the MIT student body over the past five years. A few facts and statistics about the School of Engineering in particular are listed on the Statistics page.

Does the School offer a program in financial technology?

The Merrill Lynch-MIT Partnership seeks to educate leaders in financial technology. The financial technology option consists of eight courses: four in finance, offered by the Sloan School of Management, and another four in related technology, offered by the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) in the School of Engineering. This program is intended for current MIT graduate students at the interface of finance, computation, and information technology. Successful students will be awarded a certificate in financial technology. While centered in the Sloan School and EECS, the program is envisioned to involve graduate students from across campus. Support for the option and for research related to financial technology is being provided by the MIT-Merrill Lynch Partnership.

Does MIT offer any programs for gifted high school students?

At MIT, several educational outreach programs are offered for talented high school age- or younger students who seek enriching academic experiences, most of which are offered during the summer. In particular, you may be interested in checking the Educational Studies Program, MITE²S (the Minority Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Engineering, and Science), the Research Science Institute, SEED Academy (Saturday Engineering and Enrichment Discovery), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and the MIT Women's Technology Program.

In addition to the programs at MIT, there are other summer academic programs offered throughout the USA.

Does MIT have an industrial engineering department?

Although MIT's School of Engineering does not have a department of industrial engineering, you may want to check the Operations Research Center to see if its educational programs meet your needs.

Can non-MIT students take courses/do research at MIT?

The Institute does not have any formal program for hosting non-MIT students or researchers who wish to study here temporarily. However, there are a few opportunities you can explore. First, check with your school to see if it has a student exchange program with MIT. If it doesn't, here is a second strategy: some departments at MIT occasionally do offer opportunities for non-MIT students. Your best bet would be to visit the Education section of MIT's homepage and click on the links to the departments in which you'd like to study. At each department's web site, you will find information about programs offered, as well as contact information. In many cases, you must directly contact department personnel in order to find out more about these opportunities.

Can MIT help me with my invention idea?

The School of Engineering does not have the facilities or personnel to help individual inventors outside MIT with their ideas. However, several groups at MIT may be able to direct you to an appropriate source of information and assistance.

The Lemelson-MIT Awards Program maintains a web page that describes resources for the inventor.

The Technology Licensing Office identifies technologies that may be suitable for startup companies. The TLO selects innovative technologies with a broad range of potential applications in new markets, then introduces them to appropriate potential investors.

MIT Enterprise Forum promotes the formation and growth of innovative and technologically-oriented companies through a series of specialized executive education programs.

The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation connects MIT's innovators with the marketplace through grants for startups and events attended by MIT faculty and members of the local business community. See the Center's Resources for Innovators web page.

Does MIT offer courses/research in mechatronics?

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers courses in mechatronics. To find descriptions of courses in this department, go to the Mechanical Engineering section of the MIT course catalog. See also the Mechatronics Research Laboratory.

Does MIT offer courses/research in nanotechnology, or "tiny tech?"

Tiny Technologies is an umbrella term we at MIT use for a number of related areas of research in nano- and micro-scale technologies. Opportunities for study in this area are primarily at the graduate level and in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, or the Department of Chemical Engineering. For admissions information and an application, click on the links to the departments listed above. As a graduate student, you might arrange to study within one of the MIT laboratories conducting research in "tiny tech," including the Microsystems Technology Laboratories, the Microphotonics Center, and the Center for Materials Science and Engineering.

Does MIT offer online courses? What about OpenCourseWare?

OpenCourseWare (OCW) is MIT's initiative to make nearly all of its course materials available for free to anyone on the World Wide Web. MIT courses themselves will not be offered online, nor will interactivity with faculty or students be available. Rather, the content of the courses will be offered as a public resource. Please note that complete implementation of OCW may take a few more years. See also: distance learning.

Does MIT offer any courses for career professionals?

There are a number of professional programs available at MIT. The School of Engineering's Professional Education Programs include several learning opportunities for professionals. In particular, many courses are offered through the MIT Professional Institute. You may also wish to check the offerings of the Advanced Study Program to see if one of the courses meets your needs. For more information on other programs for career professionals, please refer to the FAQ topic on engineering management.

How can I find a particular book/publication by an MIT engineering faculty member?

You may want to search the sources in the MIT Barker Engineering Library. If the source is out of print, you can check the MIT Press Bookstore. The bookstore often has copies of books that have recently gone out of print. Otherwise, high-quality reproductions of out-of-print titles can be ordered from MIT Document Services, a department of the MIT Libraries.

Does MIT offer any degree programs in robotics?

Most courses and research in robotics are offered at the graduate level. For graduate study in robotics, you could arrange to do research and a master's thesis with faculty in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). The Lab is a multi-disciplinary laboratory accepting graduate students from several departments within MIT. For admissions information and an application, contact the graduate admissions offices of the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science since CSAIL is a part of EECS. Additionally, you could look for more information on robotics at the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, which has strong research connections with CSAIL.

Also try MIT's Field and Space Robotics Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. And if you are interested in marine robotics, you may want to check MIT's Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Laboratory

Undergraduates

As an undergraduate interested in robotics, you would most likely declare a major (in your sophomore year) in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in order to learn about robotics and artificial intelligence. The Department of Mechanical Engineering and its Center for Ocean Engineering also have study opportunities in robotics.

Does MIT have a summer study program?

Courses are taught during the summer, but they are for students who are already enrolled at MIT. The Institute does have a Special Student status for those who enroll in classes but don't work toward a degree. These students must apply to MIT through the Admissions Office. In addition, some departments occasionally do offer opportunities for non-MIT students. Your best strategy would be to visit the Education section of MIT's homepage and click on the links to the departments in which you'd like to study. At each department's web site, you will find information about programs offered, as well as contact information. In many cases, you must directly contact department personnel in order to find out more about these opportunities.

Can I visit/tour the School of Engineering?

MIT offers a great student-guided walking tour of the campus which you may find particularly helpful and interesting. This general tour includes many of the engineering buildings and facilities; however, there is no specific tour of the School of Engineering alone. The general tour usually starts from Lobby 7 or Stratton Student Center twice daily. If you wish to visit a particular department (e.g. Aeronautics and Astronautics), you must contact that department directly.

For more visitor information, please take a look at Visiting MIT on the Admissions web site or call the Information Center at 617-253-4795.

What support does MIT give women students studying engineering?

The Society of Women Engineers at MIT is an organization that promotes women in engineering. This is especially important for our young women students who are making decisions about careers and life goals. A part of SWE's mission statement stresses the following: "inform young women, their parents, counselors, and the general public of the qualifications and achievements of women engineers and the opportunities open to them." Their web site lists their mission statement, along with other announcements and opportunities for women engineers. MIT also has a program administrator in Counseling and Support Services whose major focus is women students. She is a great resource for our undergraduate women and helps them in determining the options open to them as they make career choices. In addition to these two sources, MIT, of course, has a strong system of advising for our undergraduate students and departmental support by MIT staff.

In addition, you may want to take a look at the MIT Women's Initiative and the MIT Women's Technology Program, a summer school program for high school girls.