About us

Together, we foster academic excellence and quality of life for MIT’s community of graduate students.

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) provides a number of services to current and prospective graduate students as well as departments, including student support and development; diversity- and community-building; advice on fellowships and financial wellbeing; oversight of policies and procedures; and support for graduate admissions and the Graduate Student Council. For more information on the history of graduate support at the Institute, visit the MIT Libraries website.

Across our work, we foster academic excellence and quality of life for MIT’s community of graduate students. Departmental graduate administrators are key partners and an important resource for students and staff. The Office is led by the Senior Associate Dean and Director and reports to the MIT Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate and Graduate Education. Read annual Reports to the President describing the work of the Vice Chancellor and all reporting offices.

The same body of faculty members are responsible for both graduate and undergraduate instruction at MIT. The administration of graduate education rests with the President and the Provost, the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education, and the Committee on Graduate Programs.


Our mission

We are the anchor point in MIT’s graduate landscape throughout the entire student journey: 

  • collaborating to achieve these goals with departments and partners.
  • facilitating equitable access and success for prospective and current graduate students, 
  • enhancing academic and personal lives, 
  • offering support and advocacy for students to thrive, 
  • fostering a diverse community that supports a sense of belonging for all graduate students and their families, and 
  • collaborating to achieve these goals with departments and partners.

Our vision

We endeavor to create a community of graduate scholars, and the individuals who support and are supported by them. In this intentionally-connected community, members will be intellectually engaged and valued on a personal level as they forge a better future.

Who does the OGE serve?

Our community includes graduate students; their spouses/partners and children; collaborative departments, labs, centers, and institutes on campus; and those we serve off-campus, including prospective students; partner institutions; graduate student alumni; and alumni of the MIT Summer Research Program.


Our values

Student-centered

At its root, everything we do is about the MIT graduate students, nurturing their growth and championing advancements in graduate life, policy, and support. As an OVC office, “We support the teaching, learning, academic success, personal growth, and well-being of the whole student and all students.” (OVC)

Collaborative

We strive to be clear, open, timely, and approachable in every facet of our work.

Compassionate

We act with kindness in our support of students, faculty, and staff, aiming to foster a caring culture. 

Inclusive 

We value each person as an individual, recognizing their worth and dignity; we want to make sure everyone can bring their authentic selves to the table and have equitable access to our services.

Reliable

In our work and our relationships with community members, we act thoughtfully and intentionally to be most effective.

Resourceful 

We find creative solutions to the challenges that face us, embracing persistence when needed.

Curious

We want to learn more: about people, so we can build bridges and understand one another’s perspectives, and about processes and information, so we can be ever more effective.


The Vice Chancellor

The Vice Chancellor provides a senior voice on behalf of graduate student issues and concerns and to work with the Graduate Student Council to articulate relevant matters to senior administration. The Vice Chancellor serves on the Committee on Graduate Programs, which has oversight of graduate student progress and of the rules and regulations governing graduate education at MIT; and identifies strategic issues affecting graduate education at MIT.


The Institute

The Institute has a single faculty that is responsible for graduate and undergraduate instruction. The administration of graduate education at MIT rests with the President and the Provost, the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education, and the Committee on Graduate Programs.