MIT offers many established interdisciplinary graduate degree programs for both masters and doctoral students.
Find the programs listed in the MIT Bulletin.
Occasionally a doctoral student may desire an individually tailored program whose boundaries overlap two or more departments. The initiative for arranging such an interdisciplinary program lies with the student. If the interdisciplinary degree proposal is adequate in scope and depth to meet degree standards, the Office of Graduate Education will review a request to appoint an ad hoc interdisciplinary committee to administer this program. Please see “Interdisciplinary doctoral degree” page for instructions.
The Office of Graduate Education will formally approve the program and appoint the interdisciplinary committee. Thereafter, the student’s interdisciplinary committee is responsible for supervising the entire degree program. The student will remain a full member of the department of registration, which will continue to monitor satisfactory academic performance and provide administrative support. A single degree will be conferred by the student’s department of registration, with a degree field specific to the approved program.
Example wording for a diploma awarded for interdisciplinary doctoral study to a student in Civil and Environmental Engineering who completed a dissertation spanning the fields of civil and environmental engineering and earth, atmospheric, and planetary science:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology upon the recommendation of the faculty hereby confers on [student name] the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of scientific attainments and the ability to carry on original research as demonstrated by a thesis in the field of computational science for energy resources engineering given this day under the Seal of the Institute at Cambridge in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Interdisciplinary Doctoral Degree
Information regarding permission and supervision of an interdepartmental doctoral degree
Interdisciplinary Engineer’s Degree
Information regarding the interdisciplinary engineer’s degree program
Interdisciplinary Master’s Degree
Information regarding the interdepartmental master’s degree program
