phd students at mit

• Current MIT Graduate Students

Doctoral Programs in Computational Science and Engineering

Application & admission information.

The Center for Computational Science and Engineering (CCSE) offers two doctoral programs in computational science and engineering (CSE) – one leading to a standalone PhD degree in CSE offered entirely by CCSE ( CSE PhD ) and the other leading to an interdisciplinary PhD degree offered jointly with participating departments in the School of Engineering and the School of Science ( Dept-CSE PhD ).

While both programs enable students to specialize at the doctoral level in a computation-related field via focused coursework and a thesis, they differ in essential ways. The standalone CSE PhD program is intended for students who plan to pursue research in cross-cutting methodological aspects of computational science. The resulting doctoral degree in Computational Science and Engineering is awarded by CCSE via the the Schwarzman College of Computing. In contrast, the interdisciplinary Dept-CSE PhD program is intended for students who are interested in computation in the context of a specific engineering or science discipline. For this reason, this degree is offered jointly with participating departments across the Institute; the interdisciplinary degree is awarded in a specially crafted thesis field that recognizes the student’s specialization in computation within the chosen engineering or science discipline.

Applicants to the standalone CSE PhD program are expected to have an undergraduate degree in CSE, applied mathematics, or another field that prepares them for an advanced degree in CSE. Applicants to the Dept-CSE PhD program should have an undergraduate degree in a related core disciplinary area as well as a strong foundation in applied mathematics, physics, or related fields. When completing the MIT CSE graduate application , students are expected to declare which of the two programs they are interested in. Admissions decisions will take into account these declared interests, along with each applicant’s academic background, preparation, and fit to the program they have selected.  All applicants are asked to specify MIT CCSE-affiliated faculty that best match their research interests; applicants to the Dept-CSE PhD program also select the home department(s) that best match. At the discretion of the admissions committee, Dept-CSE PhD applications might also be shared with a home department beyond those designated in the application. CSE PhD admissions decisions are at the sole discretion of CCSE; Dept-CSE PhD admission decisions are conducted jointly between CCSE and the home departments.

Please note: These are both doctoral programs in Computational Science and Engineering; applicants interested in Computer Science must apply to the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science .

Important Dates

September 15: Application Opens December 1: Deadline to apply for admission* December – March: Application review period January – March: Decisions released on rolling basis

*All supplemental materials (e.g., transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation) must also be received by December 1. Application review begins on that date, and incomplete applications may not be reviewed. Please be sure that your recommenders are aware of this hard deadline, as we do not make exceptions. We also do not allow students to upload/submit material beyond what is required, such as degree certificates, extra recommendations, publications, etc.

Application

A complete electronic CSE application includes the following:

• Three letters of recommendation ;
• Students admitted to the program will be required to supply official transcripts. Discrepancies between unofficial and official transcripts may result in the revocation of the admission offer.
• Standalone CSE PhD Statement Prompt: Please explain why you are a good candidate for the MIT PhD program in computational science and engineering (CSE). Describe why you wish to attend this program, what you would like to study, and any research experience you have. If your interests primarily involve machine learning, data science, or operations research, please explain why the CSE PhD program (rather than another MIT program focused specifically on one of those areas) is the right choice for you. Describe one or more accomplishments of which you are particularly proud, and that suggest you will succeed in your chosen area of research.
• Dept-CSE PhD Statement Prompt: (please note: joint program applicants will also need to respond to department-specific prompts) Please explain why you are a good candidate for the interdisciplinary PhD in computational science and engineering (CSE). Explain the motivation for your choice of home department or departments, what you would like to study, and any research experience you have. Describe one or more accomplishments of which you are particularly proud, and that suggest you will succeed in your chosen area of research.
• Official GRE General Test score report , sent to MIT by ETS via institute code 3514 GRE REQUIREMENT WAIVED FOR FALL 2025 ;
• Official IELTS score report sent to MIT by IELTS†  (international applicants from non-English speaking countries only; see below for more information)
• Resume or CV , uploaded in PDF format;
• MIT graduate application fee of $90‡.

‡Application Fee

The MIT graduate application fee of $90.00 is a mandatory requirement set by the Institute payable by credit card. Please visit the MIT Graduate Admission Application Fee Waiver page for information about fee waiver eligibility and instructions.

Please note: CCSE cannot issue fee waivers; email requests for fee waivers sent to [email protected] will not receive a response.

Admissions Contact Information

Email: [email protected]

► Current MIT CSE SM Students: Please see the page for Current MIT Graduate Students .

GRE Requirement

GRE REQUIREMENT WAIVED FOR FALL 2025 All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Aptitude Test. The MIT code for submitting GRE score reports is 3514 (you do not need to list a department code). GRE scores must current; ETS considers scores valid for five years after the testing year in which you tested.

†English Language Proficiency Requirement

The CSE PhD program requires international applicants from non-English speaking countries to take the academic  version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).  The IELTS exam measures one’s ability to communicate in English in four major skill areas: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.  A minimum IELTS score of 7 is required for admission.  For more information about the IELTS, and to find out where and how to take the exam, please visit the IELTS web site .

While we will also accept the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language), we strongly prefer the IELTS. The minimum TOEFL iBT score is 100.

This requirement is waived for those who can demonstrate that one or more of the following are true:

• English is/was the language of instruction in your four-year undergraduate program,
• English is the language of your employer/workplace for at least the last four years,
• English was your language of instruction in both primary and secondary schools.

Degree Requirements for Admission

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.

Applicants without an SM degree may apply to the CSE PhD program, however, the Departments of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Mechanical Engineering nominally require the completion of an SM degree before a student is considered a doctoral candidate. As a result, applicants to those departments holding only a bachelor’s degree are asked in the application to indicate whether they prefer to complete the CSE SM program or an SM through the home department.

Nondiscrimination Policy

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment.  To read MIT’s most up-to-date nondiscrimination policy, please visit the Reference Publication Office’s nondiscrimination statement page .

Additional Information

For more details, as well as answers to most commonly asked questions regarding the admissions process to individual participating Dept-CSE PhD departments including details on financial support, applicants are referred to the website of the participating department of interest.

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Graduate Education

MIT’s graduate students and postdocs represent one of the most talented and diverse cohorts of scholars in the world. The Institute not only invests in student academic success, but fosters community, well-being, and personal growth.

The Institute’s graduate programs provide collaborative environments and leading-edge facilities, such as MIT.nano , for advanced study. Students work together with faculty to extend the boundaries of knowledge in fields ranging from quantum computing to medicine to political science to the arts. MIT boasts globally prominent master’s and doctoral programs in engineering, mathematics, architecture, management, the social sciences, and the humanities.

The Institute for Medical Engineering and Science ; the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society ; the Center for Real Estate ; and other research units offer interdisciplinary graduate degree programs . The Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program and the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering provide opportunities for graduate students to engage with other local institutions.

Graduate admissions 2023

• 34,744 a pplications for graduate study
• 3,936 o ffers of admission (11%)
• 2,303 f irst-year students registered in advanced degree programs (59%)

MIT graduate students pursue career paths ranging from academia to industry, government, nonprofits, and beyond. Comprehensive support opportunities include one-on-one advising through Career Advising and Professional Development and interactive online resources. The Faculty Job Search Series and the Path of Professorship conference for women focus on academia, while Mentoring Circles and Graduate Career Exploration Grants provide connections and resources for all career paths. Through programs like the Grant Writing Training Certificate and the Research Mentoring Certificate , graduate students deepen skills in seven competency areas: career advancement, communication, interpersonal skills, personal development, social responsibility, and teaching.

Starting in 2024, MIT will have capacity for more than 3,300 graduate student residents—a 25% increase. Graduate students will have the option to live in one of MIT’s eight graduate houses or in the new Graduate Junction affiliated housing complex (scheduled to open in August), all of which are conveniently located near the main campus. Six of these living options are able to accommodate graduate students and their partners. Three can accommodate over 500 students with families. Approximately 100 graduate students also live in undergraduate residence halls as graduate resident advisors.

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If you’re in a PhD program at MIT, you are an exceptional researcher and scholar. With your deep knowledge and skills set, there are no limits to what you can achieve. When you can do so much, narrowing your options and making decisions about what you want to do and where you want to go can be daunting. We’re here to help. Visit CAPD for a one-on-one conversation and address your questions with an advisor, use our resources to learn new skills like networking, and join our workshops to help you refine your job documents and search strategies. Whether you decide to pursue a career in academe, government, non-profit, or industry CAPD is ready to support you.

Career Appointments

Schedule a one-on-one career advising appointment to discuss any career questions you might have. All of our advisors are trained and experienced in working with PhDs. We can help you with exploration and planning, job/internship searches, application materials, interviews, salary negotiations, and any other questions or concerns. Have questions about PhD career advising? Contact Alexis Boyer .

Set up an appointment

Application materials for PhDs and Postdocs: Examples and how-to guides

These resources are designed for MIT PhDs and postdocs to serve as guides through the process of career document preparation. Whether you’re converting your CV into a resume for an industry role, refining your CV for an academic job search, or creating other documents, you’ll find examples, how-to guides, and strategies here.

Find resources

Graduate Professional Development

MIT’s comprehensive collection of professional development opportunities are designed to help graduate students develop skills and knowledge valuable for any career path you decide to follow, within and beyond academe.

Graduate student professional development is skills-based training complementary to your discipline-based coursework, focusing on seven competency areas: career advancement, communication, interpersonal development, leadership and mentoring, personal development, social responsibility, and teaching.

Explore the competencies

Career Exploration for PhDs

Have you ever wondered what’s out there for someone with your advanced skills and training? How do you find out what all the options are for PhDs? How did your mentors and advisors start their careers? Apply your researcher’s mind to career exploration and find answers to your most pressing questions about PhD careers. CAPD has what you need to start exploring career possibilities and forge your own path.

• Check out these resources to get you started.
• Make an appointment to work with a career advisor to review and refine your plan.

Explore careers for PhDs

Workshops and Events

Take advantage of all MIT has to offer by participating in Institute career fairs and CAPD workshops and events tailored for PhDs. Refine your job documents, discover ways to develop your professional skills before you hit the job market, or learn how to leverage the power of your MIT network.

• Hear about upcoming CAPD events through the Graduate Career Newsletter. Not getting the newsletter? Check your spam filters to make sure it gets through from Handshake!
• Is your organization or academic department interested in specialized graduate career programming? Contact Alexis Boyer .

View all events

PhD & Postdoc Career Series: Fall 2024

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Join us for a series of programs tailored to your unique needs as an advanced trainee!

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Representatives from the following organizations and industries are eager to connect with you prior to, and after the fall career fair through a coffee-chat conversation. Schedule your coffee-chats by applying on Handshake. The time slots available are limited, so apply …

MIT Sandbox Applications Now Open

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Did you know MIT Sandbox provides funding and mentorship to MIT students interested in pursuing entrepreneurship? Join us for an information session where you will learn more about the program and how Sandbox provides up to $25K in seed funding, mentorship, …

A recap of the 2023-24 MIT Career Exploration Series

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Fall: Sept 6. – Dec. 22, 2023 | IAP: Jan 8 – Feb 5, 2024

Read the text below or scroll for a visual report.

The Career Exploration Series is an initiative led by Career Advising & Professional Development (CAPD) at MIT to …

Handshake 101: What it is & how to use it

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CAPD is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone we serve. If you need any disability-related accommodations to access Handshake, please email  [email protected]  and our staff will be happy to set up appointments or assist in navigating other …

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Here you will find a sample of relevant jobs & internships. Visit  Handshake  to see all opportunities.

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David Aaker

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• Vice Chairman Prophet

Dr. Rebeccah Brown

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• MIMEDX Group, Inc.

Tahmeena Godin

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Journee Harris, Grad Student Career Exploration Grant Recipient

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• Degree: Master's in City Planning Evaluation Intern, Downtown Vision, Inc.

Natalija Jovanovic

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• Co-Founder TNG Company

Breanna Lam, Grad Student Career Exploration Grant Recipient

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• Degree: PhD in Biology Lab Design Consultant, Lee CMI

Hannah Shay, Grad Student Career Exploration Grant Recipient

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Comprehensive job sites that list academic positions (higher education) at all different levels and for all fields (mostly focused within …

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The following materials are commonly requested.  We encourage you to schedule an appointment with a career advisor to review your …

Academic Interviews (Faculty Positions)

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Interviews for faculty positions often include two rounds:

First round – Phone or Video  (20-40 minutes)

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Receiving two or more job offers can be both an exciting and stressful time. Whether you are waiting to hear …

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Virtual career fairs offer the opportunity for students and employers to connect in ways that transcend physical distances, at greater …

Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD Program

Graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences are among the sharpest, most innovative brain scientists to be found anywhere. In a given year the department admits less than 5 percent of applicants, and our PhD program is consistently ranked among the best in the world. Students work hard to get here, and they are highly valued in the BCS community.

Innovative:  Our students often take on riskier projects and pilot studies that probe the edges of our technical and scientific knowledge. They can move among projects more easily, and their successes lay the foundation for not only their careers but the future directions of their mentors’ labs.

Collaborative:  Our students bring bold, fresh thinking to the department, and exploring these potentially transformative ideas often means reaching across boundaries of lab, center, and department to build new collaborations. Graduate students help BCS mesh with the rest of MIT.

Supportive: Graduate students are the most frequent mentors of undergraduate students in UROPs , actively guiding and developing those who will become the next generation of top-tier graduate students. BCS graduate students also are helping make sure the department is a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable community.

Overview of the Program

Graduate students in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences work with an advisor and advisory committee to pursue an innovative and rigorous program of original research. Students should aim to complete their PhD in five to six years.  

• Students take three to four of their required six courses
• Students complete required Responsible Conduct in Science training.
• Students complete a minimum of three lab rotations by March 31.
• Students select a thesis advisor by April 30.    
• Students complete the remaining two to three of their academic course requirements by the end of the Spring Term.
• Students complete teaching assistant training and their first teaching (TA) requirement.
• Students form their qualifying exam advisory committee, have their first committee meeting, and turn in the completed committee meeting form to BCS HQ by the end of the Spring Term. 
• Students should plan which activities they will participate in to fulfill the professional development requirement .
• Students complete the second teaching requirement.
• Students complete the written and oral qualifying exam in October or November.
• Students form a thesis committee, submit a written thesis proposal to their committee, orally present their proposal to the thesis committee, and receive committee approval, before the end of the Spring Term.
• Students fulfill their professional development requirement by the end of the Summer term of their fourth year.
• Students must meet with their thesis committee once per year.
• Students take the final steps to completing the PhD oral examination (also known as the thesis defense) and submission of the approved written dissertation.

For detailed information on courses, rotations, and other program requirements, see Program Details .

MIT Sloan PhD Program

77 Massachusetts Avenue Building E52 Cambridge MA, 02139

617-253-7188 [email protected]

Website: MIT Sloan PhD Program

Application Opens: September

Deadline: December 1 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Fee: $95.00

Terms of Enrollment

Fall Term (September)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Standardized Tests

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

• GRE or GMAT score required
• Institute code: 3510
• Must be <5 years old

Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)

• GMAT or GRE score required
• Department code: X5X-QS-21

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

• Minimum score required: 7
• Electronic scores send to: MIT Graduate Admissions
• Must be <2 years old

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

• Minimum score required: 90 (iBT), 577 (PBT)

Waivers are not offered.

Areas of Research

• Economic Sociology
• Information Technologies
• Institute for Work and Employment Research
• Organization Studies
• System Dynamics
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management

Financial Support

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a stipend. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget. Please see the Sloan PhD website for more information.

Application Requirements

• Online application
• Statement of purpose
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts
• English proficiency exam scores
• GRE or GMAT scores
• Video statement (for Accounting only)
• Video statement (for Marketing and System Dynamics)

Special Instructions

Additional details about the admissions process can be found in the Admissions section of the PhD Program website.

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Career development

After completing your doctoral studies, you will be fully prepared for a variety of career options. Many of our students pursue careers in academia or industry. Others choose a research-related or non-research career, reflecting the broad role of biology in the world.

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Student Support

There are many resources at MIT, and the sites below aggregate information about people and offices who support students and the types of help they provide. In nearly all cases, graduate students who are seeking help or support or who would like to discuss a situation they are facing should contact the graduate directors, the DEI officer, or the  Office of Graduate Education . We can either help you directly or help you identify the right people to connect with.

• Get Help – Biology department-specific information and advice about how to find someone to talk to
• Graduate Student Resources at MIT – list provided by the Division of Student Life
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• At the website ask.mit.edu you can enter any question and be connected with an appropriate resource

Student organizations and resources

We encourage you to check the department calendar (login required) to find out more about upcoming events and programming.

The Biology Graduate Student Council presents the interests of Biology graduate students to the department, faculty, and MIT at large.

The BioPals Program matches incoming first-year graduate students with more senior students (“Pals”).

BioREFS (Resource for Easing Friction and Stress) provide MIT’s Biology community with an independent resource to support, encourage, diffuse, and mediate during times of stress.

The  MIT Biotech Group provides educational and career development events and resources for students interested in the biotechnology industry.

The Biology Diversity Community (BDC) is a cross-disciplinary, student-driven group that fosters peer support for underrepresented students that unites a network of individuals throughout the biology community.

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Why choose MIT? Our own graduate students have asked this very same question, and have shared their insights through insightful blog posts . Diverse students explore topics from choosing an advisor to balancing mental health and wellness.

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We’re excited to welcome you to MIT! As you prepare to come to Cambridge, lean on these important updates and helpful resources .

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For Graduate Students

The MIT Department of Physics has a graduate population of between 260 and 290 students, with approximately 45 students starting and graduating each year. Almost all students are pursuing a PhD degree in Physics, typically studying for 5 to 7 years and with the following degree structure:

Elements of the Doctoral Degree in Physics:

This is a roadmap for the path through our doctoral program. Each category is an element needed to complete your degree. Further information is available by clicking the accordion and links.. Read our Doctoral Guidelines PDF for more complete information.

Core Requirements – Written Exams/Classes

Students demonstrate knowledge in 4 four areas. Each of the Core Requirements can be satisfied either by:

• passing a written exam ; or
• receiving a qualifying grade in a related class.

A B+ grade or above in the related subject satisfies the requirement in:

• Classical Mechanics ( 8.309 )
• Electricity & Magnetism ( 8.311 )
• Quantum Mechanics ( 8.321 )
• Statistical Mechanics ( 8.333 )

See the Written Examination section of the General Doctoral Examination page for more information and schedule for the upcoming written examination .

Required Classes – Specialty & Breadth

In addition to the demonstrated proficiency in the 4 subject in the Written Exams, graduate students must take 4-5 additional subject classes in Physics Specialty and Breadth areas .

• The Specialty Area builds proficiency related to the student’s research area, with 2 subject classes required (3 in NUPAT and 3 in NUPAX ( effective Fall 2023 )) from the pre-approved Specialty Area chart.
• The Breadth Area extends the student’s knowledge beyond their research area with 2 subject classes in different areas of Physics. The pre-approved Breadth Area chart lists many options.
• Oral Exams are given in each Research Areas
• Team of 3 faculty examiners
• Research Supervision Form
• Research Co-Supervision Form
• Starting research work with the Supervisor’s Group
• After completing the Oral Exam
• Forming a Committee and Submitting a Thesis Proposal

Thesis Committee and Proposal

• Generally by the beginning of third year, after completing Oral Exam
• Submitting a Thesis Committee Proposal
• Completing the Committee
• Holding the first meeting
• Thesis Proposal Cover Sheet
• PHD Thesis Proposal Form
• SM Thesis Proposal Form

Preparing to Complete the Degree – Final Year

• Submitting any necessary requests for any subject substitutions, if needed.
• Consulting with Thesis Supervisor about scheduling the Thesis Defense
• International Students – Consulting International Students Office with post-completion plans
• Writing up Research in final Thesis document

Defense of Thesis Research

Student defends Thesis Research to Committee Members

Written Thesis

• Formatting Thesis

Thesis Submission and Degree Completion

• Submission of Written Thesis for MIT Archives
• Fill out the  Degree Application  through the student section of  WebSIS . Petitioning to be on the degree list for a particular commencement is required. Note that it is easier to be removed from the degree list to be added, so students are encouraged to apply for the degree list if there is any reasonable chance they will complete the PhD in the coming term.
• Full Guidelines and Policies for the MIT Physics PhD program
• Progress Benchmarks and Nominal Timetable (found under Academic Issues section)
• Written General Exam Samples and Study Materials
• Catalog of Class Subject Descriptions
• In-depth information for Prospective Applicants
• Graduate cost of attendance

Note: For more detailed information regarding the cost of attendance, including specific costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing and food as well as transportation, please visit the SFS website .

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The broad scope and high quality of MIT's graduate education have made it a global leader. The most important factor in the effectiveness of graduate programs at MIT is the quality of the faculty. MIT is proud of its nationally and internationally recognized faculty of scholars and academic leaders, who are also effective teachers and research collaborators.

More than a third of MIT graduate students have international citizenship. The Institute has made significant efforts, with some success, to increase the numbers of underrepresented and women students attending its graduate programs. This representation of students from diverse backgrounds contributes greatly to the richness of the MIT community and to the excellence of its graduate academic programs.

Graduate education at MIT places special emphasis on the relevance of science and technology to the complex problems of society. Such problems frequently require an interdisciplinary approach involving expertise in several different departments.

Extensive resources for graduate study have developed naturally at MIT from a long tradition of emphasis on contributions to new knowledge. The wealth and diversity of teaching and research resources are described in the school and departmental sections.

Although most graduate students find their interests served by programs available within a single department, others choose to work in interdisciplinary fields (described in the sections on Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs  and Research and Study ), which may reach into two or more departments and involve work in any of MIT's laboratories and centers.

An additional resource for graduate study is cross-registration in programs with Harvard University and Wellesley College, and joint degree programs with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Limited study opportunities are also available at Boston University, Brandeis University, Tufts University, and at local institutions through the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Gender, Culture, Women, and Sexuality.

Graduate students are encouraged to use MIT's extensive athletic facilities. Teams comprised of both undergraduate and graduate students participate in intercollegiate competitions and the intramural athletic program.

Graduate students also participate in a wide array of social activities at MIT, and take advantage of the numerous cultural and intellectual opportunities in the Boston area, including free admission to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Science. A more detailed description of campus activities can be found in the section on Campus Life.

Independent Activities Period

Independent Activities Period (IAP)  is a four-week period in January during which faculty and students are freed from the rigors of regularly scheduled classes for flexible teaching and learning and for independent study and research. IAP is part of the academic program of the Institute—the "1" month in MIT's "4-1-4" academic calendar. Students are encouraged to explore the educational resources of the Institute by taking specially designed subjects, arranging individual projects with faculty members, or organizing and participating in IAP activities. They may also pursue interests independently either on or off campus.

Departmental programs may require students to complete a subject (of no more than 12 units) during one IAP.

More than 600 activities are offered each year on a wide range of topics, both academic and nonacademic. In addition, most departments offer "special subjects," for which students can arrange credit for individual work.

Many IAP activities, both credit and noncredit, are organized each fall. Noncredit activities are advertised, beginning in early November, on the MIT Events Calendar . Information on credit activities is available, beginning in early December, on the Subject Listing & Schedule website.

Organizing Activities

Nonacademic activities may be organized or attended by members of the MIT community: faculty, students, and employees. Tips on organizing an IAP activity are available on the IAP website. Organizers may approach MIT departments and organizations to help defray expenses.

Students find organizing IAP activities a rewarding challenge. For many, it is their first opportunity to develop and teach a program from their own ideas. In doing so, they acquire organizational and leadership skills that prove invaluable to their careers.

Tuition, Housing, and Meals

Regular students paying full tuition in either the fall or spring term do not have to pay additional tuition or housing fees to the Institute during IAP. Students who have not been charged full tuition in either the fall or spring term are subject to additional tuition charges and should consult the Registrar's Office, Room 5-117, 617-258-6409. MIT Dining provides food service options through retail, house dining, and catering services throughout the entire academic year, including IAP. Please visit the Dining website in early December to learn more about dining options during IAP .

Academic Credit and Grades

Students should follow directions to register for subjects  on the Registrar's Office website. In addition to regular subjects, students may make arrangements to earn credit for independent work under faculty supervision. No student may earn more than 12 units of credit during IAP. Credits received by first-year undergraduate students during IAP are not counted toward their credit limits for fall or spring term.

All credit-bearing subjects are graded according to the grading rules approved for that subject number. A subject can be graded P/D/F only if it has been approved with P/D/F grading. Similarly, the number of units awarded must be as specified for that subject. However, faculty sometimes teach new classes under special subject numbers for which credit units are arranged.

For students to receive credit for work done in IAP, instructors must submit grades to the Registrar's Office by the deadline given in the academic calendar. If a grade is received after the Add Date of the succeeding term and the student did not register in the subject during IAP, the student must petition to receive credit. IAP credit will not be given if the grade is received after the end of the succeeding spring term.

Students may view their IAP grades on WebSIS shortly after the start of the spring term. Students who do not receive grades when expected should check promptly with their instructors or the Registrar's Office to ensure the grades are submitted and recorded.

Special Students

Applications for special student status solely for IAP will not be accepted. Special students admitted to the fall or spring term must consult the Admissions Office concerning their status during IAP; they do not automatically have IAP privileges. If the special student has paid full tuition during the fall term or is admitted to do so in the spring, there will not be an additional tuition charge for IAP. If the student has not been paying full tuition, a charge for the IAP units will be added to either the fall or spring term up to a maximum of full tuition for the term.

Office of Graduate Education

The Institute has a single faculty that is responsible for both undergraduate and graduate instruction. The administration of graduate education rests with the president, provost, chancellor, vice chancellor, senior associate dean for graduate education, and the Committee on Graduate Programs (a standing committee of the Faculty).

The mission of the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) is to provide Institute-wide support and service to students, faculty, and staff to make graduate education at MIT empowering, exciting, holistic, and transformative. The senior associate dean for graduate education directs the office.

Each department exercises a large measure of autonomy for its graduate programs, under general guidelines established for the Institute as a whole. Each department has a departmental committee on graduate students, including one or more graduate registration officers, to administer department and Institute graduate procedures.

More detailed information about the organization, rules, regulations, and procedures of graduate education is given in Graduate Policies and Procedures .

Career Advising and Professional Development helps students make informed decisions about career goals and find opportunities related to their professional objectives. CAPD provides programming and one-on-one advising specifically for graduate students and supports those interested in the faculty path as well as careers beyond academia. As a complement to academic coursework and research, CAPD offers workshops and programming on MIT’s  professional development competencies : career advancement, communication, interpersonal skills, personal development, leadership and mentoring, social responsibility, and teaching. Graduate students are encouraged to visit the office during their first year to learn what career resources are available. Many services can be accessed  via Handshake , and the office can be reached by email or by phone at  617-715-5329 .  

See also the Career Advising and Professional Development description under Undergraduate Education.

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Directory: Graduate Students

• Detailed List

Achenjang, Niven

Graduate Student

Ahn, Jeonghyun

Allen, Keita

Arrieta Candia, Rodrigo

Aryan, Shrey

Axelrod-Freed, Ilani

Bhatia, Manan

Blakey, Kenneth

Brandenberger, Anna

Bryutkin, Andrey

Buchanan, Jonathan

Bullock, Elisabeth

Chavez, Diego

Chen, Zihong

Chin, Byron

Chua, Anlong

Cohen, Alex

Cowen-Breen, William (Charlie)

Damiani, Tino

Daniels, Max

Darrow, David

Digalaki, Korina

Dillon, Travis

Dumanski, Ilya

Evans, Davis

Firester, Benjy

Fu, Haoshuo

Gaetz, Marisa

Gavrilova, Svetlana

Greer, Sarah

Gujral, Onkar

Guzman, Jose

Ha, Seokmin

Harris, Mitchell

Hosle, Johannes

Huang, Yiqi

Inagaki, Ryota

Jorgensen, Frederic

Kangabire, Alain

Karpov, Ivan

Khesin, Andrey

Kim, Yonghwan

Kirkpatrick, Yael

Krulewski, Cameron

Larsen, Anne

Law, Michael

Laymuns Richard, Genaro S.

Lazarev, Daniel

Lee, Joonsoo

Lee, Tang-Kai

Lepsveridze, Saba

Lerner-Brecher, Matthew

Li, Zhenhao

Lindblad, Ayodeji

Lu, Jeffrey

Lu, Jonathan

Lu, Weixiao

Majid, Mahbod

Manea, Cosmin

Mani, Nitya

McKee, Kyle

McWeeney, Alexander

Meng, Julia

Messing, Joshua

Mkrtchyan, Mikayel

Motorin, Ivan

Mularczyk, Hanna

Ngotiaoco, Timothy

Nguyen, Son

Nissim, Ron

Ondras, Janko

Pacheco-Tallaj, Natalia

Pan, Yuchong

Panner, Michael

Portnoy, Elia

Reznikov, Jacob

Riesen, Andrew

Ringoot, Evelyne

Rodriguez Figueroa, Jonathan

Shi, Jia (Jane)

Snider, Sarah

Sole Pi, Oriol

Srinivasan, Vijay

Stelow, Mary

Struss, Anastasiia

Tan, Songchen

Tan, Xinyu (Norah)

Tripathi, Ashu

Vafa, Neekon

Walden, Harry

Wan, Hamilton

Wang, Frank

Wang, Yuanzheng

Wei, Xunjing

West, Nicholas

Woodruff, Dora

Yan, Guangxi

Yang, Tristan

Zakharov, Dmitrii

Zhang, Lichen

Zhang, Shijie

Zhao, Xinrui

Zheng, Kai Zhe

Zimin, Aleksandr

News : Designing better delivery for medical therapies

HST MD/PhD student Sayo Eweje seeks to develop new technologies for delivering RNA and protein therapies directly to the body’s cells.

Austin Chen | MIT News correspondent

Early in his undergraduate studies in bioengineering, Sayo Eweje was thinking of a career in medicine. He was inspired by the idea of harnessing medical knowledge to improve patients’ lives, having grown up seeing his father do so as a gastroenterologist. However, his research experiences in college made him appreciate how scientific advancement can lead to paradigm-shifting innovations. What if he could contribute to breakthroughs that improved lives on a much larger scale?

“That idea really captured me, and I realized that we’re only enabled to do that by really delving into the frontiers of science,” he says. In his junior year of college, he decided to aim for a career as a physician-scientist, splitting his time between caring for patients and conducting research. After graduating, he entered the Harvard-MIT MD/PhD program, which is affiliated with both Harvard Medical School ( the London Society ) and MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences (IMES). 

Now, Eweje is entering his sixth year in the program, and the fourth year of his PhD studies in medical engineering and medical physics (MEMP) through the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology (HST). Throughout his PhD, he has worked in the lab of Elliot Chaikof at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where his research has focused on the development of protein-based nanoparticle systems for delivering nucleic acid and protein therapies directly to cells inside the body.

Eweje intends to continue encouraging young people to explore STEM. “Everyone should have the right to explore their fullest potential,” he says.

Photo: Jake Belcher

Eweje’s interest in this area was sparked shortly after he entered the program: Initial reports describing a promising new gene editing-based treatment for inherited blood disorders were released, highlighting the curative potential of this approach. However, administering this therapy involves removing blood-forming stem cells from patients, editing them, then putting them back in. In order to accommodate the edited cells, recipients undergo heavy chemotherapy, which led to questions surrounding toxicity and scalability.

“The thought that I had, and that many others in the field had, is that if we could deliver these gene-editing therapies inside of the body without having to remove cells, without having to do this chemotherapy, his could be a much more effective and accessible therapy,” Eweje says.

“After thinking about problems like that and understanding that a lot of this ultimately comes down to drug delivery and engineering nanoparticles and delivery vehicles, I realized that’s where I want to spend my time,” he says. “There are so many challenges in treating disease where the bottleneck ultimately comes down to effective delivery.”

Striking disease at the source

A number of diseases are caused by mutations in hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells, and Eweje chose Chaikof’s lab in part because the team was looking for ways to deliver RNA and protein therapies directly to those cells in patients. The work has spun off in many interesting directions since then.

“It started there, but it has become a much broader platform-focused project,” Eweje explains. “We’re looking at things ranging from gene editing in the lungs to immunotherapy and thinking about new cancer treatments.”

This January, he published an  article in Biomaterials that gave a progress update on the state of research using protein-based nanoparticles to deliver nucleic acid therapies to cells. Historically, scientists have found success with viral vectors for delivering gene-based therapies, but because of those viral origins, there remains the possibility of triggering a patient’s immune system.

“Protein materials, particularly human-derived protein materials, are far less likely to trigger that immune response, which is one major advantage,” he says. “The other thing that we’re actively working towards in the lab is this idea of leveraging programmability and precise structure in recombinant proteins.”

While much work remains to determine whether nonviral, protein-based nanoparticles can used as effectively as those that are virus-derived, or lipid nanoparticles, he’s grateful to have learned valuable lessons during this process.

“I really appreciate the fact that I’ve had an opportunity to learn about what’s out there, better understand the challenges, and carry that knowledge forward,” he says.

Building opportunity for others

Outside the lab and the hospital, Eweje is engaged in education and outreach projects as close as Cambridge and as far as Nigeria, where his family traces their roots. He is a co-founder of the Program of Ragon and IMES in Science and Medicine (PRISM), which hosts weekly programs for high school students in the greater Boston area to learn directly from scientists and clinicians about various topics in STEM.

“I see kids as stem cells,” he says. “They have so much potential to differentiate into so many different things, but you have to put them in a proper environment and give them the exposure required to understand where they can go.”

He’s also a co-managing director of the Critical Healthcare Information Integration Network (CHIIN), a nonprofit that provides medical information to community health workers in rural and underdeveloped areas of Africa. It operates via a chatbot that can respond to queries over SMS text messaging and is therefore able to reach communities without internet access, indirectly assisting thousands of patients.

“Part of it was developing confidence in the users by giving them something to have in their back pocket as a reference tool,” he says.

As his time in the HST program draws to a close, Eweje aims to defend his PhD next year and return to full-time clinical work at Harvard Medical School. Ultimately, he envisions a career at the intersection of clinical medicine and biotech innovation.

He also intends to continue encouraging young people to explore STEM. “Everyone should have the right to explore their fullest potential,” he says.

“I find a lot of gratification in the impact that we can have on someone’s life just by giving them the opportunity to learn about something, which could change the trajectory of what they do,” he adds. “We have not only the pleasure of doing that, but also a little bit of an obligation.”

* Originally published in MIT News.

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Engineering proteins to treat cancer

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Like many children of first-generation immigrants, Oscar Molina grew up feeling like he had two career choices: doctor or lawyer. He seemed destined for the former as he excelled in high school and planned to major in biochemistry at the University of California at Los Angeles, but as an undergraduate, he fell in love with research.

“I was fascinated by discovery. As I did it more in college, I realized I didn’t want to be a doctor,” he says. “Once I saw that I could make an impact and be at the forefront of therapy with biotech, I knew I wanted to do that.”

If the next couple of years go as planned, his parents will indeed see their son become a doctor — just not exactly the way they might have guessed. He’s entering the fifth year of his PhD program in biology at MIT and is currently working in the lab of Professor Ronald Raines, researching the potential of proteins to kill cancer cells.

Molina, who is the first in his family to attend college, also works to support his fellow students through outreach and community-building efforts. In various roles, including as a Graduate Community Fellow in MIT’s Office of Graduate Education, he sought to connect and encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds as they pursued their own graduate studies.

“I had a lot of opportunities presented to me that made me ask, ‘Why me?’” he says. “I recognize that they were super valuable, and that’s why I should deliver that back to other people.”

Unlocking protein construction chemically

The spirit of giving back isn’t just limited to Molina’s work outside of the lab. He chose chemical biology and the pursuit of new cancer therapies as his research focus partly because his grandfather has been dealing with the disease for the last 10 years. The ultimate goal guiding his research is to make all protein-based cancer therapies more effective.

He and other collaborators in the Raines Lab published a paper in June that takes an important step in that direction, suggesting a way to make fusion proteins with greater customization and improved performance. They discovered that a chemical called 3-bromo-5-methylene pyrrolone can be used to combine three proteins efficiently and with high levels of control and modularity, a significant advance given most of the techniques for protein conjugation are only able to combine two at a time in a single spot.

“Now, we can have chemical control of where we include different things, where we can kind of plug-and-play,” he says.

Researchers can now adjust multiple characteristics at the same time — for example, increasing the protein’s half-life or improving its ability to target cancer cells — while still achieving a homogenous end product. They’re also relevant to immune cell redirection therapies, which require multimeric protein chimeras to activate immune clearance of cancer cells.

“That’s the most interesting thing to me,” he says. “How do we give a biologic therapy the best opportunity to be active and efficacious?”

His upcoming thesis will center around that question as it relates to chemotherapies based on ribonuclease 1, an enzyme that is best-known for cleaving RNA.

Paying it back and paying it forward

While that thesis will likely demand more of Molina than any other project he’s worked on in the past, he’s no stranger to hard work. After his mother and father left their respective homes of Guatemala and El Salvador in the 1990s, they dedicated their lives to giving their children futures that they themselves didn’t have access to.

Witnessing their efforts impressed two beliefs into Molina’s worldview: the value of education and the importance of support. Among his family, he is the first to graduate from a U.S. high school, the first to attend a four-year college, and the first to attend graduate school. These “firsts” can weigh heavily, and as he began his studies at MIT, he knew how difficult it can be to carry that burden alone.

“I saw the need and wanted to help other people be the first in their family to do things like go to college,” he says. “I also wanted to help people with similar backgrounds to mine, like being an underrepresented minority or a first-generation college student.”

That desire led Molina to join MIT’s Office of Graduate Education as a Graduate Community Fellow in January 2022, where he worked on supporting various affinity groups across the Institute. This included helping groups out with logistics, funding applications, community outreach and cross-group collaborations. He also spent part of last summer as a pod leader for the MIT Summer Research Program, which works to prepare underrepresented students for graduate education and research.

He’s also leveraged his personal interests to volunteer with various community organizations in Cambridge and Boston. Despite his numerous commitments, he’s an avid marathon runner, and ran the 2022 Boston Marathon while raising nearly $8000 for Boston Scores, a program that provides educational and athletic opportunities for students in the Boston Public Schools system.

After graduation, Molina plans on joining a startup in Boston’s biotech scene while learning more about the venture capital firms that fund their research. Wherever he ends up, he plans on continuing to apply the core truths that brought him where he is now.

“I want to be at the forefront of creating therapies. I really like science. I really like helping others. I really like the ability to create things that are impactful,” he says. “Now it’s time to take that and find my way to what’s next.”

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Spotlight: Sep 4, 2024

“I had a lot of opportunities presented to me that made me ask, ‘Why me?’” says biology PhD student Oscar Molina, a first-generation college graduate. “I recognize that they were super valuable, and that’s why I should deliver that back to other people.”

Sep 4, 2024

The Washington Post reported on a quest by David Rush ’07 to set as many Guinness World Records as possible. He now holds more than 181 world records — in everything from juggling blindfolded to balancing 101 toilet paper rolls on his head.

Generations of MIT students have attended lectures and movies in 26-100, but since 2018 they’ve embraced what’s become another quintessential experience just across the hall: picking up a banana in 26-110, now better known as the MIT Banana Lounge.

Via @mitvball on Instagram: “An extremely successful 2024 pre-season comes to a close with the team web of trust. Bring on the regular season!”

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Yessenia Gomez has served as a police officer for nearly 20 years, eight of them with the MIT Police. “The most rewarding part of being a police officer, as cheesy as it may sound, is helping people,” she says.

HST grad student Sayo Eweje is developing new technologies for delivering RNA and protein therapies directly to the body’s cells. “There are so many challenges in treating disease where the bottleneck ultimately comes down to effective delivery,” he says.

Smart. Open. Grounded. Inventive. Read our Ideas Made to Matter.

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Work and Organization Studies

Phd students.

WOS PhD students are investigating new and sometimes controversial theories and ideas. And they are initiating an important dialogue around the changing nature of work and what those changes mean for people and organizations. Below is a list of current PhD students in the Work and Organizational Studies group.

IWER PhD Students

Alexander Busch

B.A. Sociology, Heidelberg University; BSc Economics, Heidelberg

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B.A. English Language and Literature; M.A. Computational Social Science

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Laura Changlan Wang

B.A. Psychology and Statistics

B.A. Neuroscience and Healthcare Management; M.S. Customer Analytics

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IWER Alexander Kowalski, PhD 2022 - Cornell University, The ILR School

Arrow Minster, PhD 2024  - San Francisco State University

Duanyi Yang, PhD 2020 - Cornell University, The ILR School Organization Studies

Vanessa Conzon, PhD 2020 - Boston College’s Carroll School of Management

Raquel Kessinger, PhD 2024 - Boston College’s Carroll School of Management  Jenna Myers, PhD 2020 - University of Toronto Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources Heather Yang, PhD 2020 - Bocconi University   

Economic Sociology Brittany Bond, PhD 2020 - Cornell University, The ILR School

Carolyn Fu, PhD 2022 - Harvard Business School

Summer Jackson, PhD 2020 - Harvard Business School

Ethan Poskanzer, PhD 2022 - University of Colorado James Riley, PhD 2020 - Harvard Business School

Hagay Volvovsky, PhD 2023 - Tel Aviv University

J. Michael Whalen, PhD 2020