Special Cases
There are some special short-term programs abroad for freshmen (for example, trips organized as a part of the Terrascope Program). Apart from these special programs, it is not advisable to study abroad in your freshman year. However, we strongly advise you to start planning your study abroad in your freshman year, so you could take full advantage of study abroad options.
International Students / Non-U.S. Citizens
International students need to take additional steps while planning study abroad. As soon as you decide on a study abroad program, please make an appointment with one of the International Student Advisors in the International Students Office (http://web.mit.edu/iso/) to discuss your plans. You want to make sure that you understand how your choice of a study abroad program might affect your U.S. student visa status, and your immigration benefits (including permission to work in the U.S. after your return from study abroad), and what steps you might need to take in order to maintain your visa status. You want to make sure, for example, that you are taking enough classes while studying abroad to be considered a full-time student by MIT standards. If applicable to your situation, please also discuss with an International Student Advisor how travel to country/countries outside your primary study abroad destination may affect your U.S. visa status.
Prehealth students studying abroad will be given their premed/prehealth advisor assignments prior to their departure. Please indicate on your credential service form your plans to study abroad so that the Preprofessional Advising Coordinator can make the appropriate accommodations. It is important that students considering study abroad apply early in March or April for a premed/prehealth advisor. Please provide the Global Education Office with a copy of your acceptance to the study abroad program you will be attending. You will be assigned an advisor shortly upon receipt of this documentation.
Please visit the Prehealth Credential Service and Prehealth Advisor page for more details.
The Preprofessional Advising staff strongly recommend that you do not fulfill your premed or other health related program requirements while studying abroad. Professional schools will want to see your grades in the required subjects. Due to a different grading system, it will be difficult for an admission committee to interpret the grades properly and/or ranks received at a foreign university.
Please visit the AMCAS FAQ page for specific CMI information to assist you when completing the AMCAS application.
If you are planning to study abroad during your senior year, please visit Roberta Welch in the Registrar's Office, 5-119, 617-258-6413. If you will be away from MIT for the second term of your senior year, you must contact the Registrar's Office to let them know that you will not be re-registering at MIT before graduation and to inform them of your plans regarding transfer credit. Before leaving MIT, you must submit an online degree application on WebSIS. The Registrar's Office will also review your GIR degree audit with you.
For summer study abroad or domestic summer study away from MIT, please visit the Global Education Office, 12-189, and notify us of your plans. You will also need to complete the Worksheet for Planning Study Abroad. If you want to get academic credit for summer study, you do need to speak with appropriate faculty members before you go and you need to fill out a Request for Additional Credit Form with the Registrar's Office when you return.
