A petition is a request to make changes to your academic record that are either non-standard actions or are outside of stated deadlines. Graduate student petitions are evaluated and approved by the graduate administrator or graduate officer in the student’s home department, the instructor of a subject (if appropriate for the particular request), and the OGE. The Office of Graduate Education acts with authority on behalf of the Committee on Graduate Programs with regard to all petition requests.
Submit an online Add/Drop/Change petition to make a late Add, Drop, or Change of Grading Status in their academic record after a deadline has passed. A processing fee of $25 will be charged to your student account for each petition approved.
To learn more about the online Graduate Late Drop/Add/Change of Grading Status petition, watch the video at the bottom of this page, or see the following resources in the Help section of the graduate online petition application:
- A one page Quick Card instructions for students or for approvers
- The Graduate Online Petition FAQ Page
Submit a General Petition Form in DocuSign to:
- Register after the term deadline (incurs a $100 late fee)
- Choose a thesis field not currently on the list of departmental thesis fields
- Request a joint Master’s thesis
(Attach a statement specifying division of labor) - Change a grade of “O” (missing final exam/project) to “OX” (excused)
- Appoint an ad hoc interdisciplinary degree thesis committee
- Request approval for retroactive actions in unusual circumstances
- Request graduate credit for an undergraduate class. Must be submitted before the class starts or within the first 2 weeks of class. Requires instructor comments of extra work to be done to earn graduate level credit. Requires instructor signature.
- Graduate departments may use a general petition to request individual special tuition rates in unusual circumstances.
To establish or amend a dual Master’s degree: Read the description here, and submit the petition here through DocuSign. (Attach list of subjects and credit units for each degree: see an example).
Submit a special petition to oge-petitions@mit.edu to change your student status:
- Nonresident doctoral thesis research status: Apply or see additional information
- Thesis research in absentia: Apply or see additional information
- Medical leave: Apply or see additional information
Do NOT use a petition to:
- Request delayed thesis publication (a “thesis hold”). Instead, follow these instructions for a thesis hold.
- Request a Childbirth Accommodation (CBA) or Parental Accommodation (PA). Instead, follow these instructions for CBA or PA.
- Apply for a waiver of summer tuition for a subject linked to an unpaid internship; please contact the Registrar’s office with this request: registrar-www@mit.edu
Please find additional information for departments in this OGE & Registrar’s Office Cheat Sheet.
