Petitions

COC petitions are reviewed during the fall and spring term.
Petitions reviewed by the COC include:

Petitions to pursue a second SB degree
Petitions for substitutions within the HASS requirement
Petitions for substitutions to the Communication Requirement
Other types of petitions for substitutions to the GIRs

Petitions to pursue a second Bachelor's degree (SB)

To pursue a second Bachelor's degree, students must petition the Committee on Curricula, 5-111.

Students should complete a copy of the COC Student Petition to Pursue a Second SB Degree (pdf) and have it signed by their advisor and by an advisor in the department being added. The electronic PDF form can be completed online, then printed and signed. (If unable to download the petition, the form is also available in the Student Services Center, 11-120.) The completed and signed petition should be submitted to the COC office in 5-111.

The following guidelines govern the approval of petitions to pursue a second SB degree:

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.
Only registered undergraduates who have completed at least two semesters in a department at MIT may petition, typically after completing their sophomore year.
A two-degree program should be planned in advance even if both degrees are not received simultaneously.
The program should be completed in a four or five year period.
If a student wishes to get a second SB as part of the Master's of Engineering program in Course VI, the student must petition before entering the graduate phase of the program even though the student expects to receive both SBs at the same time as the MEng.
For second SB petitions in which Course 2A is one of the degrees to be pursued, the following requirements apply: i) the student must first have an approved 2A concentration proposal on file with the ME Undergraduate Office; ii) no subject in the student-designed part of the 2A program may be a required subject or restricted elective in the other degree program; and iii) the second SB petition must be signed by the ME Undergraduate Officer.
Students with cumulative averages below 4.0 will be not be considered except in the case of extraordinary circumstances.

Petitions for substitutions within the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement

To receive credit towards the HASS Requirement for a subject not on the HASS list, students must petition the HASS Education Office, 14N-408, and the Committee on Curricula, 5-111.

Students should complete a copy of the Petition for Substitutions within the HASS Requirement (pdf) and have it signed by their Faculty Advisor. After obtaining your advisor's signature, drop off the petition at the HASS Education Office, 14N-408, for the SHASS Dean's signature. (If unable to download the petition, the form is also available in the HASS Education Office or the COC office in 5-111. )

The following are examples of the types of subjects that may be petitioned for HASS credit. For a complete list, visit the HASS Education Office.

1) Subjects taken by cross-registration at Harvard University or Wellesley College;
2) Graduate subjects designated “G” (petition must be signed by instructor);
3) Two 6-unit performance subjects offered by Music and Theater Arts may be combined by petition to form one HASS Elective. A maximum of four classes may be used toward two HASS Elective credits.

The following guidelines govern the approval of HASS petitions:

• Only subjects taken for a letter grade (not P/D/F) may be petitioned.

• Unless you’re a graduating senior, submit petition after subject has been completed and grade received.

• Subject must be 9 units or more.

Petitions for substitutions to the Communication Requirement

Students must petition the Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement (SOCR) for all actions related to the Communication Requirement. Actions include approval of substitutions for a CI subject or deferral of a CI subject until a later semester. Students should contact the Office of the Communication Requirement for more information.

Other types of petitions for substitutions to the GIRs

Substitutions for the Institute Lab Requirement
The COC denies most petitions to substitute individual project work for the Institute Lab Requirement because it is typically difficult to determine whether such work fulfills the criteria of the Lab requirement.

Only when the faculty project supervisor designates that the individual project is of outstanding quality, and the supervisor details a continued close involvement with the student's work, will the petition be favorably considered. In such cases, the student should ask the faculty project supervisor to contact the committee staff.
Substitutions for the Restricted Electives in Science and Technology (REST) Requirement
To substitute a REST requirement, students must petition the Committee on Curricula, 5-111.
- Students should complete a copy of the COC Student Petition to Substitute a REST Requirement (pdf) and have it signed by their advisor and by an officer or administrator in the department offering the REST subject. The electronic PDF form can be completed online, then printed and signed. (If unable to download the petition, a generic student petition form is also available in the Student Services Center, 11-120.) The completed and signed petition should be submitted to the COC office in 5-111.

Because the list of subjects that fulfill the REST requirement is intentionally very specific, and because students are advised to complete this requirement early in their academic careers, the Committee rarely approves REST substitutions. The Committee will only consider a REST petition that has been approved by both the student's advisor(s) and by the department that offers the REST subject and the proposed substitution. Students should contact the committee staff for more information on how to substitute a REST.