Procedures

At MIT, a regular graduate student is one who is registered for a program of advanced study and research leading to a post-baccalaureate degree.

A regular graduate student may concurrently hold an appointment as a research assistant, a teaching assistant, or an instructor.

All graduate-level applicants must apply through the online application portal. Each department has its own application website and its own detailed set of requirements. Further department information can be found in the Programs section.

To begin the application process, select one of the 46 departmental programs, and click the link to Apply.

Eligibility

Departments may have specific eligibility requirements related to the applicant’s major, coursework, degrees, or academic performance. These limitations will be listed on the department or program website.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment. MIT’s Nondiscrimination Policy can be found online at referencepubs.mit.edu.

Requirements

To be admitted as a regular graduate student, an applicant must have earned a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a college, university, or technical school of acceptable standing. Students in their final year of undergraduate study may be admitted on the condition that their bachelor’s degree is awarded before they enroll at MIT.

The application process can vary significantly between departments, but in general the following list of application requirements holds true:

  • Submission of the online application. Qualified applicants interested in more than one department must submit separate applications to each department of interest.
  • A $75 application fee. Applications to the MIT Sloan School of Management may have application fees between $75 and $250.
    • For more details regarding application fee waivers and eligibility, please see our Application Fee Waiver page.
  • Letters of recommendation. 
  • A statement of objectives.
  • Official GRE test scores.
  • Official TOEFL or IELTS English proficiency exam test scores.
  • Transcripts.
  • CV or resume.

Specific admission requirements vary by department; please visit the Programs page for the requirements of individual departments. In general, most departments require significant work in mathematics and the physical sciences in addition to preparation in a specific field of interest; however, some departments admit students with as little as one year each of college-level mathematics and physical science.

Qualified applicants interested in more than one department must submit separate applications to each department of interest. This will require filling out a completely new application and submitting an additional application fee. Applicants who applied in previous years cannot use the same login user name and must create a new application with a new user name.

Review

Applicants are evaluated by the individual department in which they intend to register on the basis of their prior performance and professional promise, as evidenced by their academic records, letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with their capabilities, and any other pertinent information they submit. While high academic achievement does not guarantee admission, MIT expects students to be able to meet the rigorous academic demands of graduate education.

Admission notifications are communicated directly by the department usually in the form of email or through the online application portal.

Terms of Admission

Admission to graduate study is contingent upon meeting Institute expectations of appropriate conduct.* Any offer of admission you may receive is based on the premise that you have conducted and will continue to conduct yourself, academically and otherwise, in accordance with MIT’s community values, policies, and standards of behavior.

By submitting a graduate application, you understand and affirm that all the information you have provided is accurate, complete, and your own work, and you agree that the Institute may verify this information. If there is new information that changes the accuracy of your answers after you submit your application, you are obligated to inform the MIT Graduate Admissions Office immediately. Should we learn of any misrepresentation or omission of the facts on your application––whether at the time of submission or later––we reserve the right to rescind your offer of admission.

Per Institute policy, you must report any conduct that may result, or has resulted, in any disciplinary or other similar negative action against you, including actions that occur after receiving your admissions offer. MIT Graduate Admissions has the right to rescind or defer your offer of admission if your conduct at any time does not meet the high levels of personal and academic integrity that you demonstrated in your application, or if we learn of information that changes the underlying basis for our admissions decision. Some examples include, but are not limited to, changes in your academic performance; a failure to graduate from your current institution; recent disciplinary action or disciplinary action that was not previously disclosed; or engaging in conduct that indicates a serious lack of judgment or integrity.

Readmission

If you would like to resume a program interrupted by an absence of one or more terms please download the Readmission Form. Submit the form directly to your department. Additional information about readmission can be found on the OGE Graduate Policies and Procedures website.

MIT Nondiscrimination Policy

Downloadable Forms

MIT Readmission Form (DOCX)

MIT Readmission Form (PDF)

*Please note that these terms are separate from and unrelated to conditional admissions, a practice at some universities in which an applicant may be permitted to skip select application requirements. MIT Graduate Admissions does not offer conditional admissions.