New Graduate Student Enrollment

Architecture's graduate orientation is scheduled to begin August 26, 2024. It is important that you join us on campus for the entire week, which will introduce you to your program, Architecture, and MIT. Orientation events are organized by the Department of Architecture, the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) – 2024 Orientation timeline, and MIT's Graduate Student Council (GSC).

Specific orientation events will be updated throughout summer 2024.

• OGE Timeline & Resources & Orientation Event Hub
• GSC Orientation Schedule
• Architecture Orientation Schedule – NOW AVAILABLE
• Architecture 2023 Orientation Guide – update coming summer 2024
• MIT Academic Calendar 
• International Students check the ISO's website

You may enjoy reading the MIT SA+P Pocket Guidebook for incoming students written by the Architecture Student Council (ASC). There will be an updated version coming summer 2024.

We also highly recommend you review this training guide on recycling practices at MIT before you arrive on campus. It's quick! Only takes about 10-15 minutes: Atlas Training: Responsible Waste Disposal Practices

Timeline

• mid-June through early August: Zoom with Academic Administrator
• 6/24/24: Deadline for MIT's required trainings (Sexual Assault Prevention and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)
• 8/15/24: Architecture deadline for receipt of final, official transcripts (read details below carefully)
• 8/12/24–8/16/24: Jumpstart Part I: Software (by invitation) ON CAMPUS
• 8/19/24–8/23/24: Jumpstart Part II: Making (by invitation) ON CAMPUS
• 8/25/24, Sunday: Institute on-campus orientation begins
• 8/26/24, Monday: Mandatory Architecture on-campus orientation begins
  • Plan on 9am in Building 7: details will be posted as they become available summer 2024
• 8/27/24, Tuesday: 
  • 9–10:30am, 11–12:30pm & 1:30–3pm, 3:30–5pm Concurrent OGE sessions
  • 8:30am–noon, International Students take the EET, Room 26-100
    • It is highly recommended you arrive 20–30 minutes prior to the test start time
    • Students will need to bring to the test:
      • a charged laptop computer functionally connected to the MIT wi-fi network
      • Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browser loaded on their computer (not Bing or Edge)
      • a pair of earbuds or earphones that connects to their computer (cordless is okay)
• 8/28/24, Wednesday: 
  • Mandatory Architecture on-campus orientation activities continue
  • Plan on 9am in Building E15
• 8/29/24, Thursday:
  • OGE/GSC on-campus orientation events
• 8/30/24, Friday:
  • Architecture virtual orientation, including optional Dual Degree Info/Q&A Zoom session
• 8/26–8/30 TLL TA Days (for students TAing) Note: Please plan on completing the mandatory IDHR training before the 8/28 option, as Architecture orientation activities will conflict
• 9/3/24, Tuesday: 
  • Registration Day (you can explore classes before this date but may not yet register)
  • Noon: SA+P Dean's office welcome lunch (RSVP  form)
  • Optional Architecture Studio Previews (2pm on campus)
• 9/6/24, Friday: Registration deadline

➤ Now that you will be enrolling in September, you need to send us your official transcript(s).

Official digital transcripts may be sent directly from your institution to arch@mit.edu. You may also have your digital transcript sent to arch@mit.edu using the National Student Clearing House, Parchment, or your institute-specific platform, if this is an option for your school. Architecture does not have access to anything sent to or shared with admissions@mit.edu / Graduate Admissions, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, E38-200.

Alternatively, have your previous school(s) mail us your official transcripts in a sealed envelope:

Architecture Graduate Admissions
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 7-337 
Cambridge, MA 02139

Any transcripts sent to any other offices at MIT will not be accessible, including Graduate Admissions, and you will need to resend. If you are currently pursuing a degree program, please wait to send your transcript until your degree is conferred. Provide notarized English translations if the originals are not in English. Final transcripts that include your last semester grades and the date your degree was conferred must be received no later than August 15. If your degree conferral date is not included on your official transcript, you must also send a copy of your diploma that does provide this information by August 15.

Any discrepancy between the scanned transcripts uploaded for admission and the official transcripts may result in a withdrawal of our admission offer. You will be placed on a registration hold until the original, official transcripts have been provided to MIT Architecture.

➤ Now that you will be enrolling in September, if test scores were part of your application, you need to send us your official score(s). (copied from Admissions page)

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to submit either an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score (Academic test) or a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The admissions committee regards English proficiency as crucial for success in all degree programs. In order to meet the admissions deadline, it is recommended that candidates take the IELTS or TOEFL on the earliest possible date. We do accept the Home Version of both IELTS and TOEFL. NOTE: Official scores do not need to be sent unless you are admitted, and intend to enroll.

Admitted applicants must request that an official copy of their test results be sent directly to MIT by IELTS International or Educational Testing Service. IELTS and TOEFL Scores must be no older than two years as of the date of application. To avoid delays, please use the following codes when having your TOEFL scores sent to MIT: 

• Institutional Code: 3514
• Department Code: 12

➤Set up your student profile on the MIT Architecture website.

You will need to have your MIT email set up before you can log into the Department website, as the website login will be your MIT email. You may include a brief biographical statement and attach a portfolio of your work. This is a helpful way for you to get to know your classmates and for the faculty to see your resume if you are shopping for a teaching assistantship or other work on campus.

More details to come summer 2024.

➤NOMAS sign-up invitation

If you want to keep up the going-ons, events, and news of MIT’s National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, then please add your name to the GoogleSheet (check back in summer) in order to be added to the NOMAS listserv. The listserv is our go-to place for any information related to NOMAS, so sign up if you do not want to miss out!

➤Request a Current Architecture Student Mentor 

You may have some questions before you enroll that a current student can answer best. The Architecture Student Council (ASC), Harris and Mara will reach out summer 2024.

➤Fall 2024 TA jobs 

On the job portal! Students – please ensure you’re using the “Single Sign On option” to log in! (if you have any issues, please contact STOA – stoa@mit.edu). Deadline to apply: 5pm, Monday, May 6 ET

Please be sure you are aware of eligibility requirements, time requirements, roles and responsibilities, and how accepting a TA position may affect your loans (if not previously accounted for). More information listed under Student Jobs & Finances on the department website. If you have any questions about applying, please send them to arch@mit.edu. 

This section contains specific information for incoming MArch students.

Jumpstart (formerly Pre-Orientation Workshop) by invitation
8/12/24–8/16/24: Jumpstart Part I: Software (by invitation) ON CAMPUS

8/19/24–8/23/24: Jumpstart Part II: Making (by invitation) ON CAMPUS

MIT Architecture's Jumpstart is designed to prepare incoming MArch students for the rigors of the first design studio and to develop basic skills. The course is intended for students with little architectural studio experience, but open to others who would benefit from introductory exposure to unfamiliar software. Jumpstart is created for our MArch student community by our MArch student community. This experience is taught through exercises that have been handed down from year to year and taught by our esteemed teaching fellows (who are recent graduates). Jumpstart will begin in early August and be held entirely ON CAMPUS. More detailed information will be available by mid-July. 

Updated 7/17/24: Part I will introduce students to essential skills and software (drafting, Rhino, Adobe suite, and rendering). Part II will focus on making skills (laser cut, cast, 3d print, risoprint etc..)

Credit for Previous Academic Work 

MArch students who have successfully completed the equivalent of one or more required architecture subjects outside MIT (or within MIT as undergraduates) may be given advanced credit for those subjects by submitting a petition for curriculum adjustment with all relevant material including syllabi (in English), reading lists, problem sets, paper assignments, etc. Please reference your Curriculum Chart: https://architecture.mit.edu/graduate-programs#march

Petitions are submitted to arch@mit.edu by the first day of classes each term and are then reviewed by the MArch Program Committee (composed of one faculty member from each of the four discipline groups) and acted on in the first month of the semester. All requests for advanced credit must be resolved by the beginning of the penultimate semester.

MIT-specific On-boarding

Make sure you’ve created your Kerberos ID and installed MIT certificates on your computer, phone, or tablet. Once you’re ready to log in, download the latest version of the Atlas app on mobile or desktop by visiting apps.mit.edu from any device (including desktop computers) or searching “MIT Atlas” in your preferred mobile app store.

In the app, you’ll see an item for Required Trainings. Have technical questions about the MIT Atlas app? Email servicedesk@mit.edu.

MIT centralized all on-boarding information, including tasks and forms, for incoming students on the New Graduate Student Activities site located on the new MIT Atlas app tile called “Onboarding.” Please download the latest version of the Atlas application on mobile or desktop to access the new onboarding tile after you have created your Kerberos ID and installed MIT certificates on your computer, phone, or other device.

You can find the latest version of MIT Atlas by visiting apps.mit.edu from any device including desktop computer; mobile devices may also search “MIT Atlas” in their preferred app store. Once the app is live on May 1, 2024, incoming graduate students with a Kerberos ID and MIT certificates can access the material via the MIT Atlas app. 

In the tile, students can obtain important onboarding information and complete essential forms and tasks: 

• Personal information (including emergency contacts)
• Other demographic information
• Required trainings
• Mind and Hand Book
• MIT ID cards
• Intellectual Property (IPIA)
• Medical matters
• Money matters (including I-9 verification)
• Orientation
• Commuter connections
• Housing
• ORCID at MIT
• International students (tab displays only for international students)
• Graduate student families

Please feel free to direct technical questions about MIT Atlas to helpdesk@mit.edu.

You are responsible for carefully reading the information on each of the New Graduate Student Activity tabs and fulfilling each task by the stated deadline as necessary. Prior to arrival at MIT, all incoming graduate students are expected to complete Part 1 of the SAPG and DEI course as well as the Academic Integrity course. The deadline for completing these courses is June 24, 2024.

The Office of Graduate Education (OGE) and our campus partners have developed a Canvas Orientation course as your one-stop site for information, resources, and ways to get connected to the campus community. You can log in from your browser or in the orientation section of your Atlas app’s Onboarding tile.

Have questions about the Canvas Orientation? Email OGE-comms@mit.edu. 

OGE is updating their central activities via their 2024 Orientation timeline The OGE Slack channel is now open! If you didn’t receive your invitation, please try following these steps to join the Incoming MIT Grads 2024 workspace. If that doesn’t work, feel free to email Lydia at lhuth@mit.edu. Please review the Orientation Slack community guidelines before you get started.

Notes from Graduate Housing

• Graduate Housing Portal: MIT graduate students who are interested in on-campus housing are welcome to select their desired unit through the Self-Selection process within their Housing Portal.
• Summer Sublicensing Opportunities: Members of the MIT community who are seeking temporary on-campus housing accommodations this summer are welcome to sublicense an available on-campus housing unit from a current graduate housing resident by visiting our Sublicense Center website. Please visit the website for additional information, including step-by-step tutorials and policies.
• Off-Campus Housing Opportunities: Members of the MIT community who are interested in exploring off-campus housing opportunities are welcome to visit our Off-Campus Housing website, mitoffcampus.com, for listings, as well as a roommate finder tool.
• If you’re in the housing search process, we encourage you to watch one of the Graduate Housing and Residential Services recorded webinars about on-campus housing and off-campus rental resources. 

From Student Financial Services (SFS):

• Graduate cost of attendance for Fall 2024–Spring 2025 academic year: https://sfs.mit.edu/graduate-students/guide/grad-cost-of-attendance/

The Department of Architecture has its own in-house computing service within the School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) to compliment those provided by MIT's Information Services and Technology (IS&T). The organization's name is Systems and Technology Organization for Architecture (STOA).

During Architecture's orientation, STOA staff will hold an orientation session for all incoming Architecture graduate students. The orientation session will provide an introduction to computing at MIT in SA+P. Topics will include software, how and where to print, and steps needed for a safe and secure technology experience at MIT.

Please visit the STOA website for more information on technology resources, licensed software, and  information regarding collaboration platforms, printing and research or personal computing recommendations. 

Students are expected to learn needed software themselves. LinkedInLearning is a superb on-line, hands-on training resource should you feel you need it. You cannot register without first obtaining a Kerberos ID and web certificates.

Please visit the IS&T web site if you have any questions about your MIT Kerberos identity, Duo 2-factor-authentication, obtaining your MIT Certificate, centrally provided software, and setting up your MIT email account. IS&T also has 24/7 phone and email based support via their Service Desk, as well as an on-site walk-in experience at the Atlas Service Center from 8am to 6pm, Monday through Friday.  If you have any questions or technology concerns in the department, please email the team at stoa@mit.edu. STOA can guide you to the best solution within the department or the Institute for all of your technology concerns.

How is MIT dealing with COVID-19?

You may view the latest status on the MIT Now: Adapting to COVID, Keeping Connected, a centralized web site. 

In order to make resuming on campus studies safe, MIT announced on April 30, 2021 that every enrolled student must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a medical or religious exemption. If you have concerns or questions about meeting the requirement or traveling if unvaccinated, you can contact medical@mit.edu to discuss your particular situation.

When do I need to arrive on campus?

Orientation begins the week of August 25. Allow extra time if you need to find off-campus housing. Incoming single students or couples with or without children should begin looking for housing well in advance of arrival, preferably over the summer. MIT Housing has a helpful off-campus housing site with a roommate match-up service.

Do I really need to take the English Evaluation Test? (EET)

The Institute requires all entering international students whose primary language of instruction from the age of six through high school has not been English to take the EET. This test is useful in identifying if any specific help is needed. It is not possible to fail this test. 

How do I get credit for a subject I've previously taken that is a requirement for the MArch Program? 

MArch students who have successfully completed the equivalent of one or more required architecture subjects outside MIT (or within MIT as undergraduates) may be given advanced credit for those subjects by submitting a Petition for Curriculum Adjustment. Details about credit for previous academic work and a downloadable Petition for Curriculum Adjustment form are available on the Degree Programs webpage.

When will I learn who my academic advisor will be?

The name of your department advisor will be confirmed during orientation, and you will meet with them individually on Registration day. Your academic advisor/registration officer is not always the same as your research advisor. If you aren't sure, ask during your degree program's orientation. 

When do I register for classes?

There is NO pre-registration available for incoming graduate students. Registration Day is Tuesday, September 3, the day before classes begin. You will meet with your Registration Advisor and register online (unless you are an international student who has not yet been cleared by the International Students Office). For more information on registration procedures, go to the department registration site or the MIT Registrar's site.

When and where can I get my MIT ID Card?

Incoming graduate students should visit the Atlas Service Center, Building E17-first floor to receive a MIT ID card. Students who have a photo they would like to use should review the specifications at Submit your ID Photo. You can also have your photo taken in the Atlas Center. Consult the Atlas Service Center for any updates about in-person service.

• At the Atlas Center Welcome desk, identify yourself as a student.
• Bring a valid passport, U.S. driver’s license or U.S. government-issued picture ID for proof of identity. Driver’s licenses from other countries, college/university IDs from other institutions, credit/bank cards or insurance cards will not be accepted.
• The name on your government issued ID must match the legal name that MIT has on file for you.

I have a Research or Teaching Assistantship appointment in the fall. What do I need to do to get paid?

You will need to fill out the online I-9 Employment Eligibility form, and bring the form and approved supporting documents listed on the website to the Atlas Service Center (located at E17-first floor) within the first few days of arriving on campus, and before September 1st, if possible. For the online I-9 form and more detailed instructions, click here. On or after September 1st, you will need to go online to the "About Me" section of Atlas.mit.edu. Fill out the "Tax Withholding" and "Direct Deposit Preferences" forms so you can be paid. 

When can I begin applying for Department Teaching Assistantships and hourly jobs for fall term?

You may apply for Department work in the form of a teaching assistantship (TA) or hourly work. Before August, you will be sent a link to your MIT Architecture profile by email to your MIT address and invited to add personal information to your profile about your work experience, research interests, and a link to your portfolio. You have already received an email with the link to an online Department jobs listing showing the positions that are available after assignments have been made for students who receive a TA as part of their financial aid package. Having your profile in place will help the faculty easily pre-screen you after you apply for positions of interest. 

NOTE: You may not apply for a TA position for a class that meets the same time as one of your required subjects. For example, MArch students who need to take a studio may not TA for undergraduate studios that also meet on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. Be sure to check the class fall schedule, in the upper-right-hand side of the classes section of Architecture's website, when it becomes available. For more information, go to the Department Handbook.

Students who must work as a TA as part of their financial package will be assigned a class. For more information, contact the director of your degree program.

I've been admitted with a Department of Architecture tuition scholarship. When will the scholarship be posted to my Bursar's bill? 

Your fall bill will be available for viewing in July, which is before the Department processes scholarship appointments. Do not panic. If you will be receiving tuition support, awards will be posted to your Bursar's account by early August. You should pay only the portion of the fall term bill that is your responsibility by August 1st. The Bursar's Office will not charge interest on the unpaid portion due by the Department. You will receive an email confirmation when the Department processes your scholarship, and the scholarship will be posted on your Bursar's bill shortly thereafter. For up-to-date information, you can always check your Bursar's account from WebSIS, using the MITPAY function. Go to WebSIS and click on the section for students and select Financial Record.

As you will quickly learn, MIT's websites were not developed centrally and there has been a recent attempt to create overarching websites to help you find things. Some helpful web site links are listed below, and some will require a MIT certificate.

• Student Resources: How to find stuff at MIT
  Start here to find helpful info about offices, services and tools you can use, and discover new ones. Find the academic calendar, finances, Spouses & Partners Connect, MIT Medical, housing, dining, transportation, campus map and much more.
• Registrar's Office: 
  A good place to look for information regarding registration instructions, class schedules, MIT Bulletin (catalog), ordering transcript and enrollment certification letters.
• MIT WebSIS (student.mit.edu)
  This is the student information system for registration, viewing status of registration, entering your academic record, updating your contact information and emergency contact information and more.
• Office of Graduate Education (OGE) 
  The go-to office for MIT's official graduate policies and procedures, student support and development, student finances, GradDiversity, programs and resources for women, resources for grad families and more.
  • Check the MIT Graduate Orientation Canvas course’s Welcome to MIT module for essential advice on these topics: Moving and finding furniture, Laptops and computing resources, Food resource, and Social events and social media.
• International Students Office (ISO)
  The go-to office for all things relating to international students including applying for I-20 and DS-2019 for newly admitted international students. Sylvia Hiestand is Architecture's ISO Advisor.
• Atlas Center: 
  Go here to find all the required MIT forms and tasks for incoming graduate students.
• Student Financial Services (SFS)
  This is MIT's central office that oversees loans, charges and payments to your student account (MITPay), and more.  
• Student Disability Services (SDS)
  If you have a disability, contact SDS to provide documentation that identifies you specific disability, describes your functional limitations, and lists the requested accommodation.

• Architecture Social Media https://www.facebook.com/MITDepartmentofArchitecture/  

  https://twitter.com/MITarchitecture

  https://www.instagram.com/mitarchitecture/

  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF0b_PC-cvPzv6Us56S6rtA