Diverse communities
Are you looking for a community to plug into? MIT surely has one for you! These pages will get you started with some of the constituencies we serve. However, our pages are only a springboard to finding your network at MIT. Visit MIT Engage to see a list of all campus groups, letting you discover […]
Diversity initiatives for prospective students
Whether you’re considering pursuing a graduate program in the future, or currently working on your MIT application, we have resources to support you. If you’re considering a Master’s or PhD at MIT, talk with our representatives at a national conference or event near you. You can also connect with a Graduate Diversity Ambassador to learn […]
Anti-bias resources and required training
As members of the MIT community, we are each part of building a respectful, caring, and inclusive campus culture. The OGE has compiled anti-bias resources from the Institute and beyond to support you in your individual learning. To equip you for your time on campus, two online trainings are required in graduate student onboarding, providing […]
Graduate Application Resources for Prospective Students
Graduate Application Assistance Programs MIT is committed to fostering a diverse student body and research workforce. At the forefront of this commitment is cultivating a diverse and competitive applicant pool for our graduate programs at MIT. The Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP) is a student-led initiative designed to help prospective applicants, particularly those from identities […]
Transitioning out of school
Preparing to graduate and take the next step in your career is an exciting time, marking many milestones and accomplishments. It’s also an important transition period that marks a segue from student life to the “real world.” As you prepare to transition out of school, there are many important things to consider. The OGE has […]
Food resources
Check out the resources below to learn about food at MIT and the surrounding area: As graduate student Elise N. notes in her article Eating and Socializing on a Budget in Cambridge, changing the way we budget around food can create new opportunities for socializing and saving. To learn more about budgeting, check out the […]
Identity theft
Identity theft is the theft or unauthorized use of sensitive, personal information in order to access a person’s financial resources or to commit crimes. For example, using stolen credit card numbers to make purchases or using personal information (date of birth, social security number, etc) to obtain credit by applying for fraudulent credit cards. The […]
Helpful links
General financial literacy resources iGrad – Collection of helpful articles, videos, games, calculators, etc. related to financial literacy including such things as personal finance, student loans, and career advice CGS GradSense for enhancing student financial education Cash Course – Collection of online customizable financial tools provided by the National Endowment for Financial Education Finding a budgeting tool […]
Investing
What is investing? Investing is expending money with the expectation of achieving a future profit. Money put into a savings account, CD, or other savings vehicle offers low rates of return in exchange for high levels of safety and security. However, individuals often seek higher rates of return and are willing to accept higher levels […]
Saving
Saving is all about transforming income into wealth. Working and having a source of income is indispensable to financial security, but it’s only a first step. Smart budgeting and planning can help you build up surplus income each month that can be set aside for saving. Most financial institutions offer several options for saving and investing your money, […]
Credit
What is credit? Credit refers to your ability to borrow money to purchase goods and services. Financial institutions that grant credit, such as banks and credit card companies, use your past spending and payment history to determine your credit-worthiness as well as how much future credit to extend to you. How is credit measured and […]
Budgeting
What is a budget? Budgeting is the process of creating a spending plan to know where your money is going and whether you will have enough money for the things you need. A budget includes everything from daily necessities like housing and food to unexpected expenses. Budgeting also helps you forecast and save for future […]
Doctoral Long-Term Financial Hardship Funding
Doctoral students with long-term financial hardships may apply for additional support. Long-term hardship assistance is intended to be a resource for doctoral students who are experiencing recurring financial distress, including unexpected and unavoidable expenses, when they have exhausted all other resources. If MIT provides financial support, the award is in the form of a grant that does […]
Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Fund
Graduate Student Short-Term Emergency Hardship Funding is available to help graduate students to cover unforeseen, essential expenses. It is intended to be a resource for students experiencing one-time, unavoidable financial emergencies when they have exhausted all other resources. The Fund can help cover or subsidize expenses such as those related to emergency housing issues, travel […]
Transition Support Coordinators
Office of Graduate Education Suraiya Baluch, Associate Dean for Graduate Student Advisingbaluch@mit.edu | (617) 258-0304 1 – Civil and Environmental Engineering Sarah J Smithssmith1@mit.edu Kiley Clapper, Academic Administrator (on leave)kclapper@mit.edu | (617) 253-7119 2 – Mechanical Engineering Nicolas Hadjiconstantinou, Professorngh@mit.edu | (617) 452-2280 3 – Materials Science & Engineering Harry Tuller, Professor & Director of Crystal Physics & […]
Guaranteed Transitional Support
MIT continues to refine a transitional support program for graduate students at the Institute who wish to change research advisors or groups. In implementing this program, one of the Institute’s goals is to ensure that there are options for students who are in research situations with unresolved conflict. These students can switch research advisors without […]
MIT Grant for Graduate Students with Children (GGSC)
The MIT Grant for Graduate Students with Children (GGSC) is a need-blind grant available to all full-time PhD students. Master’s students who are eligible for summer tuition subsidy are also eligible for the grant. In order to qualify for the grant, the student’s child must reside with them at least half-time throughout the year. Eligibility […]
Financial assistance and grants
We know that financial stress can affect individual well-being and academic success. MIT can provide some assistance to graduate students experiencing financial hardships arising from a variety of circumstances. The following financial assistance and grants are not loans, and do not need to be repaid. Funds disbursed are tax-reportable income and may reduce eligibility for […]
Academic integrity
MIT’s collected policies about ethical and responsible research are presented in a clear and well-structured website around Responsible and Ethical Conduct at MIT. This site offers resources for anyone with a policy question. It also offers specific policies on personal conduct; harassment; retaliation; and responsibilities of advisors. Tools for successful research at MIT MIT graduate students […]
Conflict of interest
Although there is no policy against working outside of MIT while a registered student, there can be issues of conflict of interest. “Conflict of interest” is a situation in which the concerns or aims of two different parties are incompatible. Conflict of interest may take several different forms; the conflict may show up in the […]
Petitions
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 Administrators (Grad Admins)
In departments and degree-granting programs, the graduate administrator (or “grad admin”) serves as the key representative responsible for a broad array of services and resources for graduate students. Responsibilities generally include the following areas: Please do not hesitate to contact individuals at the addresses provided, or either of the facilitators of the Graduate Administrators Roundtable, […]
Graduate Officers
The graduate officer is the faculty member or senior academic staff member who oversees graduate affairs on behalf of a department or degree-granting program. Graduate officers advocate for graduate students, provide guidance, manage conflicts, enforce departmental policies, develop strategic programming and curricula, and approve final degree lists. Most importantly, graduate officers work to ensure that a graduate […]
Committee on Graduate Programs
Committee description and charge The Committee on Graduate Programs shall consist of six elected faculty members, the Associate Chair of the Faculty, two graduate student members, and the following ex officiis voting members and/or their designee(s): the Vice Chancellor, the Vice President for Research, and the Registrar. The Chair of the Faculty shall appoint the Chair of the Committee […]
Departmental committees
Each department exercises a large measure of autonomy for its graduate program under policies established for the Institute as a whole. Under the general responsibility of the department head, each department has a departmental graduate committee, including one or more graduate registration officers, to administer departmental graduate procedures. A departmental graduate committee acts with power […]
Loans
While most forms of financial support for graduate students are granted by the academic departments, graduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents may apply through Student Financial Services (SFS) for federal and private student loans and/or student employment under the Federal Work-Study Program. International graduate students may only apply for private student loans. […]
Veteran benefits
More information on specific veterans’ benefits can be found from Student Financial Services. MIT administers veteran benefits, including Chapter 33 or Post 9/11 VA benefits, much like other external funding sources such as fellowships or scholarships, and thus, the same policies apply. Funding received from these benefits may affect your financial aid by first reducing the amount of […]
International students
Employment regulations for international students are more strict than regulations for domestic students, due to US immigration laws. F-1 and J-1 international students are allowed by immigration regulations to work on campus, but they need to fulfill three conditions: International students who hold full time research or teaching assistantships (equal to 20 hours per week) […]
Employment and professional activities
See Finding employment for information about on- and off-campus jobs and internships. Research and teaching assistantships and Instructor-G appointments A 100% research assistantship requires an average of 20 hours of employment service per week over the appointment period. MIT recognizes that graduate students typically spend significant additional time conducting research in support of their academic […]
Graduate resident advisors
Graduate students who have completed at least one graduate year at MIT or new students who were MIT undergraduates may apply to Residential Life Programs for positions as Graduate Resident Advisors (GRAs). The compensation for a GRA position includes free use of a room or apartment in the assigned residence during the appointment plus a monthly […]
Registration units
Maximum units for Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants A department or program may set a maximum number of units for which its student employees may register each term. As an exception, research and teaching assistants may register for one language subject, or in other subjects as listeners, without the units being counted against the maximum.
Tuition and salary payments
Most research and teaching assistants receive a salary as well as full or prorated tuition remission, as appropriate. The compensation for research and teaching assistants is adjusted to make the appointments equally attractive, taking into account the availability of tuition support, the opportunities for thesis research, and other benefits connected with each. Salary levels are […]
RA/TA/IG terms of appointment
Students who wish to be considered for RA, TA, or IG appointments should contact their departments. The information below is intended as a summary of certain provisions of the MIT-GSU Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). In all cases, the CBA shall govern. Duties RA, TA, and IG duties are set out in Article 19 of the […]
Research assistants (RAs)
Each year a large percentage of graduate students at MIT hold appointments as research assistants (RAs). Research assistants are student-employees whose employment terms are detailed primarily by the MIT and MIT GSU Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). A research assistant is a member of a research group in a laboratory or on a project, whose principal […]
Teaching assistants (TAs) and Instructors-G (IG)
The principal duties of a teaching assistant include, but are not limited to, assisting an instructor in classroom and laboratory teaching, preparing apparatus or material for demonstration, conducting tutorials and discussion sessions, holding office hours, counseling students, proctoring exams, maintaining course websites and monitoring discussion boards, and grading homework, quizzes, and exams. MIT appoints a […]
I-9 obligations
Who needs to complete an I-9 Federal law requires MIT to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all graduate students, including U.S. citizens, who are paid compensation for services. This includes graduate students holding a research or teaching assistant appointment. When to complete an I-9 You may complete the Form I-9 as soon as […]
