MIT Graduate Admissions is a decentralized network that extends across all six academic schools and a total of 47 departments, labs, or centers that offer graduate degree programs.
Helpful terms
Below are some terms you will encounter when applying to MIT. To better understand the admissions process, please refer to this guide when necessary.
- GradAdmissions: the central office of graduate admissions in the Office of Graduate Education. We can help you with any technical issues you encounter while you are applying to MIT.
- Academic Schools: the six distinct schools/colleges into which MIT divides our departments by field of study. The Academic Schools are
- School of Architecture
- School of Engineering
- School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
- Sloan School of Management
- School of Science
- MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
- Departments: the individual academic organization within a school/college that house undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Our Degree Programs directory is divided up by department. Each department oversees their own admissions process and applications for all the degree programs they offer.
- Most information/communications you will encounter will refer to the department(s) to which you are applying.
- Degree program: the degree-granting master’s (SM/Engineer) or doctoral (Ph.D/Sc.D) program to which you will apply. Departmental degree programs are housed in departments, and all students have a “home” department that hosts their degree program.
- Interdisciplinary programs are a subset of degree programs. Interdisciplinary programs are hosted by many departments, but all students in interdisciplinary degree programs are housed in a single “home” department. Most interdisciplinary programs’ applications are available by applying to the degree program in the “home” department you want to join.
General information
The MIT application process is divided into two application platforms. Most of our graduate departments use an unified application portal called Slate to support master’s and doctoral programs offered, which you can find at apply.mit.edu/apply.
The Sloan School of Management uses Slate as well, which you can find at applymitsloan.mit.edu/apply. The appropriate application portal is linked on each department’s webpage in the program directory.
All degree programs have a unique online application with a specific set of requirements and deadlines.
Answers to most common questions can be found online in the Frequently Asked Questions section. Specific questions related to department requirements, the review process, or test score requirements should be sent to the program to which you are applying.
Please send any general questions not addressed on our website to gradadmissions@mit.edu.
Starting the graduate application process
To apply to a graduate degree program, you can visit the application website, create an application login, and select your preferred department and degree program from the list of programs. By completing this initial step, you will create your application portal. You will be able to access degree program applications via your application portal, should you decide to apply to multiple programs.
For returning applicants, you can login to your application portal with your previous login credentials and start a new application.
All applicants must agree to the legal considerations implemented by the Institute. You will be required to confirm your adherence to these legal considerations and sign an attestation in order to submit your application(s). You will also be required to follow the application instructions provided by the department(s) to which you are applying.
Starting the Sloan application process
For Sloan programs, you can visit the Sloan application website and fill out a contact form to Sloan.
For returning applicants, you can login to your application portal with your previous login credentials and start a new application.
Alternatively, you can select the information page of your Sloan degree program of interest, and click the “Apply Here” link.
Timeline
Application timelines are determined by each department. No two departments at MIT are exactly alike; as such, there is no single application deadline or review period that fits all departments. However, there are general timeframes that most departments follow, with the exception of departments that use rolling admissions rounds for their degree programs, such as programs related to business and management.
Application timeline
- Early Fall – Online applications become available
- End of Fall semester – Deadlines to submit application approach
- Early Spring semester – Departments review applications, conduct interviews as needed
Department decision timeline
Each department has their own timeline for releasing application decisions. Typically, initial decisions and waitlist decisions are sent around the middle of the Spring semester. Please note: If you do not receive a decision at this time, your application is still being considered for admission.
Applicant reply to offer timeline
Please note: MIT is a participating institution in the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), and we adhere to the April 15 Resolution. April 15 is a deadline utilized by all departments that offer financial support to their admitted students. CGS defines April 15 as the date to which all participating institutions must honor their offers of funding.
Admissions offers with funding:
If you are offered admission to the Institute and you receive an offer of funding from MIT*, your offer will be valid until at least April 15. After this date, departments have the right to alter or rescind their funding offer. Some departments may extend this deadline past April 15.
*Funding from MIT includes any fully-funded or partially-funded offers. These are usually granted by RAships and Fellowships in your offer of admission.
Please be advised that if you accept an offer of admission with funding from MIT prior to April 15, and you wish to withdraw your acceptance, you must reach out directly to the department to which you were admitted and let them know of your change in status. You may not accept an offer of admission elsewhere if you have already accepted admission from MIT.
Admissions offers without funding:
If you are offered admission to the Institute but you do not receive funding from MIT, you are entitled to hold your offer of admission until you are ready to accept or decline your offer. You are also entitled to withdraw your acceptance of our offer at any time. This includes applicants who will receive full funding for their degree from the U.S. military, a private company, or who are self-funded.
You may not accept an offer of admission elsewhere if you have already accepted admission from MIT.
