Graduate academic standards

Continuing registration of graduate students is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance. It is the responsibility of the Committee on Graduate Programs (CGP), through the Graduate Academic Performance Group (GAPG), to monitor academic standards for graduate students and special graduate students in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Faculty.

Students should consult with their specific graduate degree program regarding grade expectations for remaining in good standing.  These expectations differ among graduate programs and in general are different from those for undergraduate degree programs.  A passing grade in a particular class or classes may be one of many factors a program considers in evaluating whether a student is making adequate progress in the program. Note that in most departments and graduate programs, grades consistently below B are not normally considered an acceptable measure of progress towards degree objectives. It is each department’s responsibility to inform students about academic performance requirements and expectations for their program.

The GAPG reviews the academic records of all graduate students at the end of each term (including summer session), giving particular attention to students with cumulative ratings below 3.5 to 4.0, and students with “U” grades in thesis. Consideration is given to low grades and factors affecting a student’s ability to meet their degree program requirements.

If you do not meet these standards in a term, your department and the GAPG will review your record and take appropriate action. See GAPG End of Term Academic Review for details of this process. 

Academic Warnings from the Vice Chancellor will result in changes to internal and external fellowships in the following categories:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP): The certifying official in the Office of Graduate Education is required to notify the NSF of unsatisfactory academic performance and the fellowship will be terminated concurrently with issuance of the warning letter. 
• OGE Competitive Fellowships: Fellowship forfeited for the duration of the warning period. 
• Vice Chancellor’s Inclusive Excellence Awards: Fellowship forfeited for the duration of the warning period. 
• External fellowships: For any external fellowship that requires the recipient to maintain satisfactory academic progress, the OGE will notify the grantor that the recipient has not met Institute standards for satisfactory academic performance or progress.

MIT expects all students and faculty to uphold high standards of academic honesty and personal conduct. Cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and other forms of academic dishonesty are considered serious offenses for which disciplinary penalties can be imposed. 

MIT’s policy on academic integrity for students can be found in the Mind and Hand Book Section II (1.) and in section 10 of MIT Policies and Procedures. Additionally, each subject syllabus should include information on what the instructor considers appropriate collaboration.

Per federal regulations, a regular graduate student is eligible to receive federal student financial assistance if the student is enrolled at least half time per term and maintains satisfactory academic progress in his or her course of study.

Federal student financial assistance for graduate students includes Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans for Graduate and Professional Degree Students, and Federal Work-Study.

To achieve satisfactory academic progress for purposes of federal student financial assistance, an MIT graduate student must achieve the following qualitative and quantitative standards:

• Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) exceeding 4.0 on MIT’s 5.0 scale; and
• Pass 67% of cumulative credit units attempted (defined as “pace”); and
• Make satisfactory progress in their academic milestones, as evaluated by their graduate program; and
• Not exceed five terms of enrollment for a Master’s candidate and 13 for a PhD or ScD candidate.

Dropped subjects are not included in the GPA or pace calculations. Transfer credit, which carries no grade, is not included in the GPA calculation, but the number of units credited is included in the pace calculation. Incomplete grades are not included in the GPA calculation, but incomplete subjects are included in the pace calculation. Grades for repeated subjects are included in the GPA calculation, but repeated subjects count as only one subject in the pace calculation.

At the end of each term, the Graduate Academic Performance Group (GAPG) considers the academic performance of all enrolled graduate students and decides on the appropriate action for those students not making satisfactory academic performance (e.g. academic warning or denial of further registration). If a student is placed on academic warning, a set of requirements (academic plan) is set forth and communicated to the student for the student to continue to be eligible for enrollment.

Students on, or eligible for, federal student financial assistance who are placed on academic warning by GAPG are concurrently placed by Student Financial Services (SFS) on federal financial aid warning or federal financial aid probation.

• The status of federal financial aid warning is assigned to students who were not on academic warning in the prior term, but are now placed on academic warning by GAPG. Students on federal financial aid warning may continue to receive federal student financial assistance for the academic warning term. Federal financial aid warning status has no effect on the amount of financial aid a student is eligible to receive from MIT, the federal government, or any other source during the federal financial aid warning term.
  
• The status of federal financial aid probation is assigned to students who were on academic warning in the prior term and continue to be placed on academic warning by GAPG. Federal regulations mandate that students may only be placed on federal financial aid probation, which allows them to retain eligibility for federal financial aid, after a successful appeal. At MIT, graduate students on academic warning are encouraged to engage with and provide relevant information to their academic programs during the GAPG review of the students’ academic progress, which constitutes the required appeal process. Any decision by the GAPG other than requiring the student to withdraw from MIT constitutes a continuation of the student’s academic plan and enables students to be placed on federal financial aid probation. Federal financial aid probation status has no effect on the amount of financial aid a student is eligible to receive from MIT, the federal government, or any other source during the federal financial aid probation term.

Further information on federal satisfactory academic progress rules can be found on the SFS website.