By any standard, MIT belongs among the premier research universities in the world. It holds this distinction not only in science and technology, but also in areas such as mathematics, linguistics, economics, management, urban studies, music, and the history of science and technology. MIT employs a distinguished faculty in a wide range of humanities subjects.

"Research University" is a term applied to those institutions of higher learning that expect their faculty to be informed about and contribute to the continuing development of their fields. MIT expects its faculty to be as involved and successful in teaching as in research. Exceptional students from around the world are attracted by MIT's distinguished reputation. They should, and do, have comparably high expectations for their learning experiences in their degree program, but the full realization of the educational opportunities at MIT relies as much on the devoted commitment of the students as on the faculty.

• —Nader Tehrani, Head Department of Architecture