Welcome!
The world knows MIT for its pioneering research and innovative graduates. But from the very beginning, MIT has also offered a distinctive form of education, deeply informed by science and technology and founded on hands-on research, real-world problem solving, and a commitment to "learning by doing."
These principles inspire our teaching in every realm, from engineering, computing, architecture, and management to the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and the arts. We seek to lead in the responsible and ethical evolution of technologies that transform society.
MIT is a community eager to solve hard problems in service to the nation and the world. Thanks to our students, faculty, postdocs, staff, and more than 141,000 alumni around the globe, the Institute hums with bold ideas and inspired solutions. We invite you to join us in our work.
This Is MIT
Here's a quick look at what makes MIT tick—the ingredients of a world-class educational institution.
Overview
On February 20, 1865, four years after approval of its founding charter, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology opened its doors to admit the first class of 15 students. The event marked the culmination of an effort by William Barton Rogers, MIT's founder and first president, to create a new kind of educational institution relevant to the times and to the nation's need, where students would be educated in a way that emphasizes the application of knowledge. A distinguished natural scientist, Rogers stressed the importance of basic research and believed that professional competence was best fostered by the coupling of teaching and research and attention to real-world problems.
Teaching and research—with relevance to the practical world as a guiding principle—continue to be MIT's primary purpose. The Institute is independent, coeducational, and privately endowed. Its five schools—architecture and planning; engineering; humanities, arts, and social sciences; management; and science—and the college of computing encompass numerous academic departments, institutes, and degree-granting programs, as well as interdisciplinary research centers, laboratories, and programs whose work extends beyond traditional departmental boundaries.
Mission Statement
The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.
The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. MIT is dedicated to providing its students with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery with the support and intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community. We seek to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.
Around Campus
Through an integrated educational program focused on academics, research, and community, MIT prepares students to address complex global challenges in service to the nation and the world.
In our classrooms, students gain an understanding of the fundamentals of science, technology, and other areas of scholarship, with a deep commitment to developing problem-solving skills, excellence in quantitative and qualitative analysis, historical and literary insight, and an appreciation for the scientific method. Hands-on research opportunities provide students with a foundation for professional competence and opportunities to learn by doing. And with a mission that charges us to work "effectively for the betterment of humankind," MIT presents its students with opportunities to engage meaningfully with their communities, hone their leadership and communication skills, and develop an appreciation for the application and impact of their work.
The continuous renewal and renovation of MIT's physical facilities, guided by a commitment to strengthening campus community and supporting innovation, is essential to the Institute's mission to advance knowledge and educate students. The MIT campus is undergoing significant change, with smart residence halls and common spaces developed to inspire innovative collaborations; cutting-edge laboratories to support the emergence of new technologies; and centers to reinforce the curiosity that drives us.
Academic Program
The purpose of the academic program at MIT is to give students a solid command of basic principles, a versatility of insight and perspective concerning natural and social phenomena, the habit of continued learning, and the power that comes from a thorough and systematic approach to learning. From these attributes comes the best assurance for continued professional and personal growth, especially in today's rapidly changing world.
The undergraduate academic program is based on a core of General Institute Requirements (GIR) and on the specific curricula offered by departments for undergraduate majors. All undergraduate Courses at MIT lead to the Bachelor of Science (SB) degree. For most undergraduates, degree-granting programs require four years of full-time study.
Graduate degrees include Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Science (SM), Master of Applied Science (MASc), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Business Analytics (MBAn), Master in City Planning (MCP), Master of Engineering (MEng), Master of Finance (MFin), Engineer, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and Doctor of Science (ScD). Graduate students may also take advantage of a number of standing interdisciplinary graduate programs or develop individually tailored programs in consultation with the faculty.
Engineer degrees include Civil Engineer (CE), Electrical Engineer (EE), Engineer in Aeronautics and Astronautics (EAA), Engineer in Computer Science (ECS), Environmental Engineer (EnvE), Materials Engineer (MatE), Mechanical Engineer (MechE), Naval Engineer (NavE), and Nuclear Engineer (NuclE).
Each of the academic departments and units listed below offers one or more degree-granting programs, as described in the Schools and College section of this Bulletin (additional degree-granting programs are described in the Interdisciplinary Programs section). More detailed information can be obtained from the program and department offices.
School of Architecture and Planning
Architecture
Media Arts and Sciences
Urban Studies and Planning
School of Engineering
Aeronautics and Astronautics
Biological Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (joint with the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing)
Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Science and Engineering
Institute for Medical Engineering and Science
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Anthropology
Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Economics
Global Languages
History
Humanities
Linguistics and Philosophy
Literature
Music and Theater Arts
Political Science
Science, Technology, and Society
Sloan School of Management
Management
School of Science
Biology
Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Chemistry
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Mathematics
Physics
MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (joint with the School of Engineering)
Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Administration
MIT Corporation
The Institute's board of trustees, known as the MIT Corporation, includes 77 distinguished leaders in engineering, science, industry, education, and other professions, and (ex officio) the MIT chairman, president, executive vice president and treasurer, secretary of the Corporation, CEO of the Alumni Association, and three representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Corporation also includes some 35 emeritus members. Approximately 70% of the members of the Corporation are MIT alumni.
Between quarterly meetings, the Corporation functions through its officers and executive committee. The Corporation appoints visiting committees for each academic department and for certain other major activities at the Institute. These committees, whose members are leaders in their respective professions, make recommendations to the Institute administration and the Corporation concerning departmental activities and, in turn, provide counsel to the departments.
Academic and Administrative Organization
The Institute's chief executive officer is the president. Senior academic and administrative officers include the provost; chancellor; executive vice president and treasurer; vice president and secretary of the Corporation; associate provosts; deans of the schools and college; vice chancellor; vice presidents; chancellor for academic advancement; director of libraries; CEO of the MIT Alumni Association; and Institute community and equity officer. For a detailed view of the Institute's organizational structure, see the MIT Organization Chart.
MIT's academic departments and institutes—each under the leadership of a head or director—are organized within five schools and one college. In addition, numerous interdisciplinary laboratories and centers have been organized to facilitate research in fields that extend across traditional boundaries; administration of each laboratory or center is the responsibility of the faculty member who serves as its director. Research projects sponsored by government, industry, or foundations are administered through the Office of Strategic Alliances & Technology Transfer.
Educational policy for the Institute is determined by the MIT Faculty (as defined by the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty). The Faculty meets monthly during the academic year and conducts much of its business through a number of elected standing committees. The Faculty Policy Committee (FPC), which includes student members, maintains a broad overview of the Institute's academic programs, deals with a wide range of policy issues of concern to the Faculty, and coordinates the work of the Faculty committees. The chair of the Faculty chairs the FPC.
Alumni
MIT Alumni Association
The MIT Alumni Association, founded in 1875 as the Association of MIT Alumni and Alumnae, provides multiple ways for the Institute's community of 141,208 alumni to stay in touch with one another and maintain their connections to the Institute. In partnership with the Institute and the MIT Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Association works to engage and inspire the global MIT community to make a better world.
The Association offers clubs, affinity and shared interest groups, and other programming around the globe to support this vision. MIT alumni stay connected through the MITAA website, which includes the online alumni directory and the Slice of MIT blog. Nearly 18,500 alumni and friends volunteer their time and leadership abilities for MIT each year, with many serving as class and club officers and as members of the MIT Corporation and its visiting committees. Other valued Association programs include Faculty Forum Online, MIT Alumni Advisors Hub, and more. Flagship events include MIT Tech Reunions, the MIT Alumni Leadership Conference, the MIT 24-Hour Challenge, and Family Weekend.
Philanthropy is also an important form of alumni connection. In fiscal year 2020, the Annual Fund reported $86 million in gifts, contributed by nearly 36,500 alumni, students, parents, and friends. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Campus Life
Life at MIT is anything but dull, and opportunities to engage in activities beyond academics abound. Housing and dining, fraternities and sororities, student clubs and sports are but a few of the topics addressed in this section that provide a glimpse into the non-academic aspects of life at the Institute.
Activities
There is much more to an MIT education than study and research in classrooms and laboratories. Numerous activities and groups are available that complement academic pursuits and provide opportunities for students to grow and develop new interests or lifelong pursuits. Student organizations help students' develop leadership skills, build important life skills, and make connections with others through social interaction. This section describes just a few of the activities that add to campus life.
There are approximately 450 co-curricular student organizations at MIT (many open to faculty, staff, and students), including the Outing Club, the Solar Electric Vehicle Team, the Debate Team, the FM local broadcasting station (WMBR), the MIT Society for Women Engineers, the Student Art Association, Model UN, and interest groups focusing on dance, chess, ham radio, and strategic games, to name just a few.
Many students are actively engaged in service work either through the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center or on their own. Groups such as Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity, Amphibious Achievement, and the Educational Studies Program sponsor active social and public service programs. For example, the Educational Studies Program provides opportunities for MIT students to work with area high school students.
MIT also has a number of cultural and identity groups including the Black Students' Union, the Latino Cultural Center, the Asian American Association, the Native American Student Association, and the South Asian American Students Association. Over 30 international student organizations sponsor a rich array of programs, including discussion groups and social events. The International Students' Association, for example, sponsors a newsletter, assemblies, and other events. For members and allies of MIT's LGBTQ+ community, G@MIT organizes weekly awareness programs and discussion groups, and sponsors social events throughout the year. The Graduate Women at MIT (GWAMIT) works to promote the personal and professional development of women in graduate school at MIT. MIT also has over 30 religious groups that represent a diversity of faith and spiritual interests.
For more information, contact the Association of Student Activities, Room W20-401, or Student Organizations, Leadership, and Engagement, Room W20-500, 617-253-6777.