Student Resources

When an offer of admission is accompanied by a financial aid offer, those details are described in the letter of admission. Students are encouraged to review the terms and conditions. In general, awards to PhD candidates include a fellowship and stipend component, and awards to Master’s degree students carry tuition support only.

Financial aid offers are guaranteed for the length of the residency requirement of the degree. In order to retain departmental funding, a student must be registered full-time, hold a 4.0 cumulative GPA at the end of each academic year, fulfill the Department's English as a Second Language requirement, and in the case of MArch candidates, make satisfactory progress through the studio sequence. Students do not need to reapply each year to retain the offer made upon admission.

Tuition payment in full, or a satisfactory arrangement for payment, is due in advance of Registration Day each term. Students may opt to pay tuition in monthly installments under the Bursary Payment Plan, but there is a finance charge for this plan.

Graduate students do not need to reapply each year to retain the financial offer made upon admission but must be enrolled full-time and be in good academic standing.

MIT offers a number of student loan programs and also participates in alternative loan programs. The Office of Student  Financial Services assists students in financing their education and with repayment. Loans are generally limited to graduate students who are United States or Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents; however, continuing international students may apply for a loan providing certain criteria are met.

MIT will authorize only loan amounts that — when combined with family resources, financial aid, on campus jobs, and other assistance — do not exceed the cost of attendance. Standard student budgets reflecting these costs have been developed by Student Financial Services and are used to determine financial need.

Application forms and specific information may be obtained from Student Financial Services, Room 11-120. Phone: 617-258-8600.

The Marvin E. Goody Award ($5,000.00, can be split between two students at the committee's request) is given each term to a student in any department at MIT expected to complete their SM Thesis or equivalent (i.e., MArch, SMArchS, SMBT, MCP, SM, MEng) at the end of the following term. The competition is held in December (for completion in May) and in May (for completion in February) of each year. Selection will be on the basis of the promise and subject of the thesis proposal as it relates to the aims of the Goody Award.

The aims of the award, which was established in 1983, are to extend the horizons of existing building techniques and use of materials, to encourage links between the academic world and the building industry, and to increase appreciation of the bond between good design and good building — criteria that are intended to reflect the range of Marvin Goody's interests as a teacher, researcher, and designer. To be appropriate for the Goody Award, a thesis proposal must address one or more of the stated aims.

The criteria the committee will use in judging applications are:

• the promise of the thesis, in the form of evidence that the work it contains is likely to satisfy the intentions of the prize
• the student's record, as evidenced by letters of support and the student's statement. In this last regard, the Committee will look for evidence that the promise of the thesis will be realized.

Eligibility

Students who will complete their Master's thesis in the semester immediately following application.

Process

The award is administered by a committee consisting of the following:

• Caitlin Mueller, Associate Professor of Building Technology, Associate Professor of of Civil and Environmental Engineering  
• Brandon Clifford, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Department of Architecture
• Herbert H. Einstein, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Admir Masic, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Applications consist of two parts:

Part I: These four required documents, uploaded as separate PDFs:

• A brief resumé of the applicant.
• A two-page summary of the applicant's thesis proposal.
• A statement by the applicant describing the relationship of their proposed thesis to the aims of the Goody Award.
• A budget indicating proposed use of funds. Be specific about how the award money would facilitate the realization of the thesis.

Please upload your submission to the AY 2024-25 Architecture Awards Page

Part II: 

• A confidential letter of support should come from the thesis advisor (if one has been assigned by the deadline) or one other faculty member. This letter should make clear the specific qualities of the proposal in relation to the objectives of the Goody Award and should be submitted by the recommender by email to arch@mit.edu. Please provide a name and email address of a MIT faculty member who is willing to write a recommendation letter on your behalf on the application.

Applicants are strongly urged to seek the advice of faculty in the formulation of their statements and applications.

Schedule

Spring Term 2025

• Deadline for proposals: April 4, 2025, 11:59pm
• Winners will be announce at the End of Year Celebration

Fall Term 2024

• Deadline for proposals: November 22, 2024, 8:59am
• Announcement of winners: December 20, 2024

Recent Winners

Spring 2024: Gabriel Andrade and Jeonghyun Yoon
Fall 2023: Christina Battikha
Spring 2023: William Marshall and Susan Williams
Fall 2022: Sabika Bharmal and Ous Abou Ras
Spring 2022: Latifa Alkhayat and Natalie Pearl, Architecture
Fall 2021: Maryam AlHajri and Kimball Kaiser, Architecture
Spring 2021: Nare Filipoysan and Carolyn Tam, Architecture
Spring 2020 and Fall 2020: No awards given
Fall 2019: Rodrigo Escandon Cesarman, Architecture
Spring 2019: Alexandre Beaudoin-Mackay and Sarah Wagner (joint thesis), Architecture
Fall 2018: Gideon Schwartzmann, SMArchS Architectural Design 
Spring 2018: No award given 
Fall 2018: Zach Cohen, Architecture
Spring 2017: No award given
Fall 2016: Liz McCormick, Architecture, and Zoe Temco, MEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Spring 2016: Zhao Ma, dual degrees with Architecture and Civil and Environmental Engineering
Fall 2015: No award given
Spring 2015: Sixto Cordero, Architecture
Fall 2014: Juney Lee, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Carrie McKnelly, Architecture
Spring 2014: Tyler Crain, Architecture
Fall 2013: David Costanza and James Coleman, Architecture
Spring 2013: Andrew Manto and Edrie Ortega, Architecture
Fall 2012: Moa Carlsson, Architecture
Spring 2012: No award given
Fall 2011: Timothy G. Cooke, Architecture 
Spring 2011: No award given
Fall 2010: Maggie Nelson, Architecture, and Robert Marne Zahner, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Spring 2010: No award given
Fall 2009: Lara Davis, Architecture, and Rory Clune, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Spring 2009: No award given
Fall 2008: James Vanzo, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Yaniv Junno Ophir, Architecture
Spring 2008: Edmund Ming-Yip Kwong, Architecture

The Ike Kligerman Barkley Traveling Fellowship is comprised of up to $12,000 in prize funds awarded annually for both travel and research for up to two graduate students in their penultimate year. The intent of the IKB Traveling Fellowship is to consider the intersection between traditional and contemporary design. See below for eligibility requirements.

Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must be an enrolled architecture student in good academic standing at one of the following schools:

• Berkeley
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Georgia Tech
• Harvard University
• Kent State University
• Louisiana State University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Princeton University
• Rhode Island School of Design
• Rice University
• Savannah College of Art and Design
• University at Buffalo
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Michigan
• University of New Mexico
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Virginia
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Yale University

Any number of students may apply from each school. Please contact us if you have any questions about eligibility.

Process

The complete application include the registration form, eligibility affidavit and a research proposal. The Fellowship is not running 2024.

Submission Requirements

All applications must be submitted electronically.
Complete applications include the Registration Form, Eligibility Affidavit and a Research Proposal.

Schedule

Deadline for application: Not available 2024
Announcement of winners: Not available 2024

The Julian Beinart Research Award ($1,400) is given to a graduate student in the School of Architecture and Planning at MIT to support research covering a broad field of investigation into city design or theoretical propositions about the form of cities, in the field of architecture and urbanism. The award may be used for travel, materials and other associated costs. It is not intended for post-graduate research.

Eligibility

Graduate students in SA+P whose research relates to the objectives of the Beinart Award, and who will graduate in February or June 2025.

Process

The award is administered by a committee consisting of:

Rafi Segal, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanism, Department of Architecture
Alan Berger, Professor of Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Applications consist of these four required documents, uploaded as separate PDFs:

• statement of the research topic, including applicant's name, degree program
• description of how the grant would be used to contribute to the applicant's research
• curriculum vitae
• budget
• names of two MIT Faculty willing to write a recommendation letter on your behalf

Please upload your submission to the AY 2024-25 Architecture Awards Page

Schedule

Spring Term 2024

• Deadline for proposals: April 19, 2024, 11:59pm
• Winners will be announced at the End of Year Celebration

Past Recipients

2024: Daniela Martinez Chapa, SMArchS
2023: Hon Ting Wong, SMArchS
2022: Pramada Jagtap, SMArchS
2021: Lasse Rau, SMArchS AU 
2020: Luis Alberto Meouchi Velez, SMArchS AD
2019: Melissa Gutierrez Soto, SMArchS AU 
2018: Alina Nazmeeva, SMArchS AU
2017: Tiffany Ferguson, MCP
2016: Joohui Son, M.Arch
2015: Caroline Murphy, SMArchS HTC 

The family of Rosalia Elisa Ennis, (MArch '76) established a research award in her memory in the MIT Department of Architecture. The annual award of $1,000 will be given to an black American woman student in any Department program (including undergraduate) for research and research-related travel in the field of architecture. It is hoped that the final product of the research will be of publishable quality. Projects need not only be written. The award might, for example, support the preparation of a final competition submission, travel in support of archival research, or visual documentation of a building, set of buildings or place.

Eligibility

Black American women in any architecture department program. This Award is unavailable for future applicants.

Recipients

2022: Amanda Ugorji, MArch, 2024
2021: Katharine Kettner, MArch, 2022
2012: Vernelle Noel, SMArchS Computation 2013
2011: Felecia Davis, PhD in Design and Computation 2017
2010: Runo Okiomah, MArch, 2011
2006: Fallon M. Samuels, SMBT-HTC 2007
2002: Britta Butler, M.Arch 2003

One or two grants (up to a maximum of $4,000 awarded in total) will be awarded to a Master or PhD (resident only) student(s) in the Department of Architecture for use anytime through the summer of 2024. The grant may be used for purposes that contribute to the research of the applicant, including travel, but may not be used for travel to conferences or conference fees nor as a summer stipend. It is not intended for post-graduate research. Past grants have supported archival research, project documentation and first-hand study of architectural history and design. To reflect emerging opportunities in architecture, students whose research engages computation and design are especially encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

Master or PhD (resident only) students in the Department of Architecture, expecting to complete degrees in February or June 2026.

Process

The application consists of these four required documents, uploaded as separate PDFs:

• statement of the research topic, including applicant's name and degree
• description of how the grant would be used to contribute to the applicant's research
• curriculum vitae
• budget
• names of 2 MIT faculty willing to write letters of recommendation on your behalf

Please upload your submission to the AY 2024-25 Architecture Awards Page.

Schedule

Deadline for application: April 19, 2025, 11:59pm
Winners will be announced at the End of Year Celebration

Recent Fellows

2024: Soala Ajienka, Courage Dzidula Kpodo, Dimitrios Moutafidis
2023: Lauren Gideonse, Ekin Bilal
2022: Luna Bou Ghanem, Jola Idowu, Chelsea Spenser
2021: Maryam AlHajri, Jitske Swagemakers, Jackie Qianyue Xu 
2020: Xiomara Alzarez, Aidan Flynn
2019: Elizabeth S. Browne, ElDante Winston
2018: Natalie Bellefleur, Sridipta Ghatak
2017: Jackson Davidow, Jonah Ross-Marrs, Danniely Staback 
2016: Grigori Enikolopov, Hunmin Koh, Rixt Woudstra
2015: Caroline Murphy, Kelly Presutti, Anatasia Hiller
2014: Ann Lok Lui, Carrie McKnelly, Deepa Ramaswamy
2013: Felecia Davis, Breanna Rossman
2012: Giacomo Gastagnola Chaparro, Nicholas Vicario
2011: Ana Maria Leon Crespo, Ella Peinovich, Todd Jerome Satter, Andrew G. P. Ferentinos
2010: Laura A. Delaney, Christian A. Hedrick, Ogheneruno Elo Okiomah, Buck Sleeper
2009: Charles Curran, Laura Rushfeldt
2008: Caitlin Berrigan, Kenfield Griffith, Stephanie Tuerk 
2007: Sarah Dunbar, James Graham, Maria Fabiola Lopez-Duran

Bequest of Louis C. Rosenberg (1913) established a travel fellowship award for senior American architectural students for study travel in Western Europe. Students must be United States Citizens.

Eligibility

MArch (Year 3) or SMArchS (Year 1) degree candidates of United States citizenship currently enrolled. Travel to Western Europe may occur during summer 2023 (subject to change due to COVID restrictions on travel). A committee of Architecture faculty members appointed by the Department Head of Architecture administers the award. Selection will be on the basis of the anticipated educational value to the recipient. Both the absolute value of the proposal in architectural terms and its relation to the individual student's needs and goals are key considerations.

Process

The application consists of these three required documents, uploaded as separate PDFs:

• A statement of the research topic and travel plan, maximum 5 pages, including a description of how the grant would be used to contribute to the applicant's educational goals. Include the applicant's name and degree program at the top of the research statement.
• A brief resume of the applicant
• A budget, up to a maximum of $1,500. 

Please upload your submission to the AY 2024-25 Architecture Awards Page

Schedule

Deadline for proposals: April 19, 2024, 11:59pm
Winners will be announced at the End of Year Celebration

Recent Winners

2024: Tejumola Bayowa
2023: Christopher Hassan Allen
2022: Zachary Schumacher
2021: Angelica Door 
2020: Adiel Benetiz 
2019: Michael T. Stradley 
2018: Malcolm Rio, Gideon Schwartzman
2017: Shane Reiner-Roth, Emily Watlington
2016: Kristina Eldrenkamp, Nicolas Pacula
2015: Julia Litman-Cleper, Ryan McLaughlin, Elizabeth Yarina
2014: David Costanza
2013: John Maher, Kyle Barker
2012: Nancy Kim, Mariel Villere

The Department of Architecture will provide scholarships for one graduate and/or undergraduate students to attend the Architecture Summer Session at the Chateau Fontainebleau in France. The scholarship is made possible by the support of A. Anthony Tappe MArch and MCP '58, an alumnus of Fontainebleau.

This unique program runs Wednesday,  June 28 - August 4, 2023. Workshops, lectures, visits and studios will be in and around the Chateau Fontainebleau. The program for architects begins in Paris with seminars and visits over five days, which will prepare the students for the following weeks in Fontainebleau. During these 4 weeks, workshops, lectures, visits and studios will be in and around the Chateau Fontainebleau. A 4-day tour to architectural sites in France will acquaint students with some of the finest masterpieces of French art and architecture, both historic and contemporary. This year the daytrips are to Troyes, Belfort, Ronchamp, Arc et Senans, and Fontenay Abbaye. Combining a music conservatory with an architecture studio in a historic setting, the Fontainebleau Schools is a unique institution for summer study.

Go to the Fontainebleau Schools website for all the details and watch their promotional trailer.

Eligibility

Architecture graduate and undergraduate students.

Process

The application for the A. Anthony Tappe scholarship through the Department of Architecture, consists of CV/Resume with contact information and previous schools and experience and a portfolio that includes at least three hand drawings and one comprehensive architecture project (PDFs should be in A4 landscape format).

Please upload your submission to the AY 2024-25 Architecture Awards Page

In addition to package above, please apply directly to Fontainebleau. The complete online application to Fontainebleau includes the following:

• CV/Resume with contact information and previous schools and experience
• Portfolio that includes at least three hand drawings and one comprehensive architecture project (PDFs should be in A4 landscape format).
• Official transcript of academic record from MIT
• One letter of recommendation from a faculty member
• One passport-style photo
• Non-refundable $75 application fee

One student will receive the MIT scholarship, which covers the program fees but not travel. Others are encouraged to apply directly to Fontainebleau Schools for consideration for Fontainebleau scholarship aid.

Schedule

Deadline for application for MIT scholarship: Sunday, March 24th at 11:59pm
Announcement of MIT scholarship recipient: Friday, March 29th
Deadline for application to Fontainebleau: TBD

Recent Winners

2024: Dong Nyung Lee, MArch '27 and Thomas Logan King, MArch '26
2023: Yi En Wu, MArch ‘25
2020, 2021 & 2022: No recipients due to COVID-19 
2019: Ellen Wood, M.Arch '22 
2018: Jiye Ha, M.Arch '21
2017: Stella Zhujing Zhang, M.Arch '20
2016: Danielly Staback, MArch '18, and Maria Roldan, BSA '17
2015: So Yeon Lim, MArch '18
2014: Xinyi Ma, MArch '17
2013: Patrick Little, MArch '16
2012: Breanna Rossman, MArch '14
2011: Joan Chen, BSAD '12
2010: Amanda Levesque, BSAD '10
2009: Esther Chung, BSAD '09
2008: Ji-Hye Ham, BSAD '08
2007: Rebecca Rahmlow, SMArchS '08
2006: David Foxe, BSAD and MArch '06

Support is intended for travel expenses (air, train, taxi, etc.), plus accommodations, and a registration fee, if applicable, up to the maximum $600 guideline. All other expenses are considered personal and not reimbursable.

Eligibility

Graduate candidates are eligible to apply for partial travel support to one conference per academic year, up to a maximum of $600. Department of Architecture graduate degree candidates must be in residence status and must take an active part in the scholarly meeting (such as presenting a paper or chairing a panel).

Process

Applications must be submitted to dougl@mit.edu a minimum of one month prior to departure. A simple e-mail request with the specific name of the conference, location, dates, estimated cost, and explanation of the level of participation will suffice.

If approved, reimbursement of costs will be provided after the completion of the trip. Students should submit receipts, and a conference program or invitation letter which shows the level of participation, to Douglas Le Vie in Room 7-337. Funding is limited so students are encouraged to apply as early as feasible.

For an additional source of conference-related travel funding, go to the Graduate Student Council Travel Grant.

Each year, Kohn Pederson Fox presents three $10,000 awards to students who are in their penultimate year at one of twenty-six design schools. The goal of the award is to allow students to broaden their education through a summer of travel before their final year at school. Further questions and inquiries can be directed to KPF at 212-977-6500. 

Eligibility

An applicant must be enrolled as an MIT Architecture master's or undergraduate student with at least one semester remaining for their degree. The student completes the application, and the Department can nominate up to two students.

Process

Submission requirements:

• A portfolio of fifteen one-sided pages at 11"x17" or smaller, in a binding.
• All work must be executed by the student alone. No work executed in an office—unless it has been designed and drawn solely by the student—should be included.
• The first page will be a one-sided 8 1/2"x 11" sheet with the applicant's name, address, email address, telephone number, school attending and signature of the Department Head, and signature of the applicant indicating permission for display/publication of portfolio and subsequent travel report images on the KPF website. This page should contain a statement of the student's travel itinerary and the rationale for these travel plans. It should be easily detachable and should be the only page with any personal or identifiable information about the applicant.
• The portfolio should be submitted to kbertin@mit.edu. Professor Nicholas de Monchaux will select up to two nominations, and the applications will be sent to Susan Green, Kohn Pedersen Fox, 111 West 42nd St., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10036.

Schedule

Deadline to submit digital application to arch@mit.edu via DropBox: Friday, March 31, 2023, 5:00pm
Deadline for nominated students to submit application materials: Tuesday, April 11, 2023 5:00pm

Recent MIT Winners

2019 Honorable Mention: Taeseop Shin 
2018 Winner: Mackenzie Muhonen
2017 Honorable Mention: Maya Shopova
2013 Winner: Erioseto Hendranata
2012 Honorable Mention: Hoi Kwan Cheung, Alan Lu
2010 Winner: T. Buck Sleeper
2008 Winner: Hoi Lung Damian Chan

The RAMSA Travel Fellowship is a $15,000 prize awarded annually by the Partners of Robert A.M. Stern Architects for the purpose of travel and research.  The fellowship seek to promote investigations of the perpetuation of tradition through invention — key to the firm’s own success.  The prize is intended to nurture emerging talent and will be forwarded to an individual who has proven insight and interest in the profession and its future, as well as the ability to carry forth in-depth research. The fellows complete their travel in the summer and present their research to RAMSA's office in New York City the following spring. This year, the RAMSA jury recognizes that summer travel may be postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions; if safe travel to the proposed location is not feasible in 2022, RAMSA will work with the fellow to determine an alternate timeline and/or proposal.

Eligibility

Enrollment as an MArch student or post-professional degree program in architecture in penultimate year (graduating in February or June 2024) in one of 19 participating schools including MIT. The student submits the application directly to RAMSA as there is no limit to the number of students who may apply from MIT. Email fellowship@ramsa.com with any questions.

Process

Submission requirements, application forms and the terms of the fellowship can be found on the RAMSA Travel Fellowship web site. Click here to download the application package.

Schedule

Deadline for departmental signature: March 15, 2023
Deadline for submission of proposal to RAMSA: March 30, 2023
Announcement of the Award: April 21, 2023

Recipients

2016: Jan Casimir, honorable mention 
2015: Elizabeth Yarina, first runner up

The John Belle Travel Fellowship is a $10,000 annual award by the Beyer Blinder Belle Foundation in honor of John Belle, FAIA, RIBA, Hon. PhD, a founding partner of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners. John devoted his career to the public realm — the planning, design, restoration and adaptive reuse of public buildings and urban centers. The purpose of the Fellowship is to expand students' understanding of the public realm in existing cities through travel and research, and how the knowledge gained might be applied to contemporary urban needs and design challenges.

Eligibility

Only MArch students who have completed at least one semester of graduate level study are eligible for this award. The student completes the application, and it must be approved by the Department Head.

Process

Each submission must included a complete application, a digital travel proposal, and a 10-page portfolio. Applications were send to students in early January 2024.

Schedule

Deadline for approval by Department Head: Submit digital travel proposal with budget breakdown and 10-page design portfolio to the AY 2024-25 Architecture Awards Submissions Page by 11:59pm January 24, 2025.
 

Announcement of Award: April 2024

The RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship, generously supported by the Norman Foster Foundation and Foster + Partners, offers one travelling scholarship of £7,000 to a M.Arch student to develop a national or international research project relating to the sustainable survival of our cities and towns. 

• learning from the past to inform the future
• the future of society
• density of settlements
• use of resources
• quality of urban life
• transport

The period of the travel for the successful applicant will be subject to the respective government's confirmation that the travel specified may be safely undertaken. Prior to travel, the successful applicant will be required to complete a health risk assessment which meets the approval of the RIBA and the Norman Foster Foundation. Upon the completion of the travel the student will be invited to present their research at Foster + Partners in London.

Eligibility

M.Arch students currently enrolled in the penultimate year of the program.

Process

MIT can submit one application for the scholarship from one of its students signed by the Department Head.

The application consists of the following:

• one completed application form signed by the student and the Department Head 
• and one A1 ‘poster’ presented as a pdf file detailing the proposal (topic, objective, locations). Applicants are restricted to 500 words on the poster submission, and images should be high-resolution 

Please consider carefully your choice of font size, font colour and background colour to ensure legibility of your panel. You do not need to submit a printed copy. Please ensure that your name, your advisor’s name, and the name of your School of Architecture / University are NOT mentioned anywhere on your poster.

Audio-visual supporting materials are welcome, and must be submitted as MP3 or MP4 files. Although limits to the length of these files are not imposed, nominees should consider that the judges have limited time to examine them; as such, we recommend a maximum duration of 2 minutes per file.

Link to the application form and detailed instruction

For any enquiries regarding the application process, please contact student.funding@riba.org.

Schedule

Deadline for approval by Department Head: Submit digital application and poster to arch@mit.edu via Dropbox by May 5, 2024
Deadline for submitting approved application is 15:00 (GMT) Thursday, May 16, 2024.

After departmental approval, please fill out the application and send your A1 ‘poster’ on https://riba.grantplatform.com/. 

For more information on this award, please visit https://www.architecture.com/education-cpd-and-careers/studying-architecture/advice-on-funding-your-architectural-studies/funding-opportunities-for-students-of-architecture/riba-norman-foster-travelling-scholarship. 

Terms

Gifts of friends and alumni/ae of Leon B. Groisser ('48 and '70), and MIT Architecture Faculty member from 1968 through 1996, established a travel fellowship award to a Department of Architecture undergraduate major for thesis research-related travel during IAP or Spring Break.

Eligibility

Any Course IV undergraduate major in their senior year who will complete a thesis in the Spring term immediately following the proposed period of travel.  

Process

A committee of Architecture faculty members appointed by the Department Head of Architecture administers the award. Selection will be on the basis of the promise of the proposal as it relates to developing the Architecture thesis.  

The application consists of one PDF with the required documents in the following order:

1.     A statement of the research topic, maximum 5 pages, including the applicant's name and a description of how the grant would be used to contribute to the applicant's research.

2.     A brief resume of the applicant

3.     A budget, up to a maximum of $1,500.

Please label the PDF: YEARFA_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME

Send the PDF document to arch@mit.edu. 

Schedule

Deadline for proposals: December 1

Announcement of winners: Mid December

MIT limits the total amount of financial support a student may receive from/through MIT. All graduate students are limited to a maximum of a full stipend and full tuition per term. When the receipt of a Research Assistantship or an internal or external fellowship would push a student over the funding limit, the Research Assistantship or fellowship supplants the departmental award for that term. The student does not forfeit eligibility for financial support in other terms for which aid has been promised.

All graduate students are limited to a maximum of 20 hours of work per week, a 100% level stipend in any combination of TA/RA salaries/fellowship stipends, and 100% tuition, per semester. Please view Current Rates to check the maximum funding allowed.

It is possible to carry more than one type of appointment (for instance a partial RA and partial TA), combine two partial appointments of the same type (for instance, two half-time TAs), or even combine a partial TA or RA with an hourly position, providing the combination does not exceed the guidelines stated above.
One exception to the 20 hour work week limitation can be made for students who are United States citizens, and then only with the permission of the faculty TA/RA supervisor and the department's Administrative Officer. Such students may be eligible to work on campus up to 10 additional hours per week on the hourly payroll on an occasional basis throughout the term. Under no circumstances, however, will the Payroll Office issue payment for additional work beyond this ten hour per week limit.

Regulations for international students are stricter, due to U.S. immigration laws. International students are not authorized to work more than 20 hours per week in any combination of types of employment during the academic year. Summer (June 1 through August 31) and Independent Activities Period (IAP) (January 1 – 31) are not considered a period of regular enrollment for immigration purposes; thus, during these times, international students may work on campus in addition to their full-time RA or TA (up to 40 hours total per week) but only with the permission of the RA/TA faculty supervisor.

Students are advised to confirm eligibility requirements before accepting more than one position. International students should also contact MIT's International Students Office (web.mit.edu/iso) for more information on determining how/if visa status and the Department of Homeland Security regulations affect employment eligibility.

Graduate students may hold a maximum of one full-time appointment during term. A full-time appointment is defined as the equivalent of 20 hours per week. Normally, this takes the form of one full-time TA or RA appointment. Students may combine partial appointments provided the combined hours do not exceed 20 per week. Students are advised to check with the Department of Architecture to confirm eligibility requirements before accepting more than one position.

Graduate students who hold full-time Research or Teaching Assistantships or who receive full support on a fellowship are not usually eligible for additional employment. A U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident who applies for work in addition to their full-time RA or TA appointment may be permitted additional compensated employment at MIT up to a maximum of 10 hours per week. This is a rare occurrence, however, and requires prior permission from the faculty TA/RA supervisor and the department's Administrative Officer.

Regulations for international students are stricter, due to U.S. immigration laws. International students must be full-time registered students; their work cannot exceed 20 hours per week when school is in session; and those who hold full-time Research or Teaching Assistantships are not allowed to take any other employment on or off campus.

Note that the summer and IAP terms are not considered a period of regular enrollment for immigration purposes; thus, from June through August and in January only, international students may work on campus in addition to their full-time RA or TA positions. However, they may do so only if they are registered for the term and have the permission of the RA/TA faculty supervisor.

International students should contact MIT's International Students Office (ISO) for more information on determining how/if visa status and US Department of Homeland Security regulations affect employment eligibility.

All students who work on campus must have a social security number and complete the following forms, which are available from the Atlas Service Center (first floor of E17) or on their website.

I9 Employment Eligibility Verification

Everyone in the United States — not just students — must complete the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) from the Department of Homeland Security. The most common documents needed to complete this form are an original Social Security card, birth certificate (certified copies are acceptable), or passport.

Federal law mandates that U.S. Workers must provide a completed I-9 form and original document(s) identified in Lists A, B, and C of the form. You cannot work or be paid until you provide the I-9 form and documents to the Atlas Service Center (first floor of E17). Detailed instructions and required documentation can be found here.

W4 & M4: Federal and State Tax Forms

By law, the Institute must withhold federal and Massachusetts state taxes from all salaries. All individuals who receive salary payments must complete the federal (W4) and state (M4) forms. After the start date of your appointment, you can complete tax withholding forms and arrange for direct deposit online here.

Direct Deposit Authorization Form

All MIT employees, including students, are required to have their paychecks directly deposited to a US bank account that they designate. (Visit the Atlas site, go to About Me/Direct Deposit Preferences.)

Inventions & Proprietary Information Agreement

Graduate Research Assistants must also sign the MIT Inventions and Proprietary Information Agreement (IPIA), acknowledging that all inventions created at MIT, with MIT funds, become the property of MIT. Signing the form is required, and it should be submitted to the headquarters of the Department of Architecture or sent directly to the MIT Technology Licensing Office (TLO) via interdepartmental mail (NE18-501. The form may be downloaded from the MIT Technology Licensing Office.

Portfolios

Students should have up-to-date portfolios available on their MIT Architecture website profile. Among other things, portfolios are needed to apply for departmental travel awards and prizes. It is in the student's interest to update their portfolio after each term. When faculty are hiring students for TAs or hourly positions, they review the student profiles, so be sure to keep your profile updated with recent work.

If you are just getting started with your cover letter, resume, or portfolio, the best place to begin might be Life of an Architect: Architectural Portfolios. The same resource for resumes is also a pretty good place to start Life of an Architect: Writing Your Resume. If you discover any other amazing resources, please let Paul Pettigrew paulpett@mit.edu know, and update this list for future use. 

Books About Architecture/ Design Portfolios and Resumes

• The Infographic Resume: How to Create a Visual Portfolio That Showcases Your Skills and Lands the Job, Hannah Morgan
• Constructing the Persuasive Portfolio: The Only Primer You’ll Ever Need, Margaret Fletcher
• Graphic Design for Architects: A Manual for Visual Communication, Karen Lewis

Graduate School Application Portfolio Examples and Advice

• Composing the Personal Narrative Archinect's Official Portfolio Guide Part I: The Academic Portfolio

Job Search Portfolio Examples and Advice

• Composing the Personal Narrative, Archinect's Official Portfolio Guide: Part II: The Search for Employment
• The Best Architecture Portfolio Designs
• What should be in your portfolio? Firms tell you what they're looking for and how to get hired
• Design: Architecture Portfolios
• Don’t Judge a Portfolio by Its Cover?
• Life of an Architect: Architectural Portfolios
• Definitive Guide to an Epic Architecture Portfolio Part l
• Definitive Guide to an Epic Architecture Portfolio Part 2
• Issuu’s 74 Exceptional Architectural Portfolios
• The Best Architecture Portfolio Designs

Portfolio Tools & Techniques

• 4 Easy Steps to Shrink a Huge InDesign File Size
• Portfolio Tutorials
• Portfolio Covers
• Portfolio Table of Contents

Portfolio Printing

• Battle of Print on Demand (P.O.D.) Printers 2016
• Definitive Guide to an Epic Architecture Portfolio Part 3

Resume/ CV Design

• The Top Architecture Resume/CV Designs
• The Ultimate Checklist for Digitally Upgrading Your Resume
• Life of an Architect: Writing Your Resume
• Emailing Your Resume Fatal Errors

Cover Letters

• I Review Hundreds of Cover Letters - Here’s What I Instantly Reject

Where to Apply and Why

• 6 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing Which Architecture Firm to Work For

Job Interview Questions and Tips

• How to Prepare for an Interview at an Architecture Firm
• How to Prepare for a Job Interview in Architecture
• The Top 5 Questions to Prepare for in an Architecture Job Interview
• 20 Common Architecture Job Interview Questions

First Job

• Getting Your First Job
• Your First Architectural Job is Important

Salary

• An Architect’s Salary
• A copy of the 2021 AIA Compensation Report can be found in the Rotch Library and/or can be viewed online.

The Department will academically support practical experience internships for professional, full-time work performed by a current MIT Architecture student in an architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, or planning office or directly related to an art, architecture, or building technology project for Course 4 students. 

Note: CPT internships are only offered over the IAP and Summer terms, no exceptions. Internships or CPT are not supported by the department during the academic year (for fall or spring terms), when the curriculum focuses on academic work on campus.

Requirements

• The work must be performed for a minimum of six weeks during the time frame of the summer term or a minimum of four weeks during the time frame of the January IAP term, between the first term of enrollment and graduation.
• One credit unit is received during the summer term and six credit units during the January IAP term upon registration for 4.090 (undergraduate students) or 4.190 (graduate students). For those doing Thesis CPT internships, register for 4.THU (undergraduate students) or 4.THG (graduate students).
• 4.190 and 4.090 can be repeated for credit over two summers and one January term. International students must understand that if you have reached your degree unit requirement for your degree program by the end of the term prior to the proposed internship, you may be ineligible for a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) internship, unless your internship is integrally related to your thesis. In this case you will complete all the steps outlined below except you will register for 4.THU (undergraduate students) or 4.THG (graduate students) instead of 4.090/4.190. If you are not eligible for Thesis CPT, you may apply for an Optional Practical Training internship (see details below).

Deadlines

IAP 2024 Internships

• Application Due: December 15, 2024
• International Student Internships must occur within the date range December 21, 2024-January 31, 2025
• Employer evaluations are due: January 20, 2025

Summer 2024 Internships

• Application Due: April 22, 2024
• International Student Internships must occur within the date range May 23-August 23, 2024
• Employer evaluations due: August 21, 2024
• Registration for 4.090 or 4.190 during the summer session will result in tuition charges per credit on a per-credit basis. See tuition rates.

Instructions

All Students (U.S. Citizens and International Students)

1. Secure a job prior to applying for credit.
2. Complete the Department Practical Experience Internship Application Form and have it approved/signed by your advisor. Your advisor will review your application for appropriateness in relation to your degree program and will be responsible for submitting a final grade at the conclusion of the term. Submit a scan of the approved (signed) application form to Tonya Miller for graduate internships or Paul Pettigrew for undergraduate internships. You may also drop printed copies off in 7-337, the Department of Architecture main office.
3. Register for either 4.190 (graduate students) or 4.090 (undergraduate students) by the registration deadline. If you are doing a Thesis CPT internship, register for 4.THU (undergraduate students) or 4.THG (graduate students) instead.

• Immediately prior to completion of your internship, have your employer complete and return the Practical Experience Internship Employer Evaluation Form directly to Tonya Miller for graduate internships or Paul Pettigrew for undergraduate internships. You may not provide the evaluation form yourself. The awarding of required academic credit and grade will be largely based on the evaluation of your employer.

Additional Requirements for International Students

It is critical that you register and receive a grade and credit for 4.190. Failure to do so will mean you have been working in the U.S. illegally.

• Review ISO's information on F-1 Curricular Practical Training.
• You must be in legal F-1 visa status for one full academic year before you may participate in Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
• Make an appointment with Sylvia Hiestand of the International Students Office Advisors (E18-219) at least three weeks prior to the start date of employment and bring the following with you:
  • A letter provided by the Department of Architecture main office on Departmental letterhead, addressed to the International Students Office:
    • Graduate students should contact Tonya Miller for the ISO-required letter template. Work with your advisor to complete the highlighted areas in the template, have your advisor scan in their signature then return it to Tonya (still in Word format). Once the letter is reviewed for grammar and necessary formatting, you will receive a digital version on Department letterhead. 
    • Undergraduate students should contact Paul Pettigrew for further information on the required Department letter.
      • A copy of the job offer letter from the organization or company — see sample letter (note that this letter is separate from the letter signed by your advisor referenced above).
      • A copy of the I-94 admission record and passport identity page with expiration information.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

• For international students, there are circumstances that may require you to apply for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) internship instead of CPT or in addition to CPT (see information for OPT: pre-completion and post-completion). Please note that you must apply much earlier for OPT — 3-4 months lead time is required. Circumstances include the following:
  • If you have reached your degree unit requirement for your degree program by the end of the term prior to your internship, you are ineligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and must apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT).
  • If the time frame of your internship extends beyond the parameters of the official date ranges referenced in the deadlines section above, you will need to also apply for OPT. You may be able to combine both CPT and OPT in the same summer; check with the MIT International Students Office.

International Internships and Research

For almost 40 years, MISTI has pioneered international education at MIT. MISTI works across departments, centers, and labs throughout the Institute to enable immersive, impactful learning experiences and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty. Programs include subsidized internships, global teaching and startup labs, study abroad, and independent research.

Whether it’s creating one-of-a-kind students programs, fueling partnerships between researchers, or serving as an enabling partner for exciting programs across the Institute, MISTI delivers the training, resources, insights, and expertise that make it possible for MIT students and faculty to learn from the world and with it.

Learn more and apply here.

The Takenaka Corporation, one of Japan's leading full-service architecture & construction companies, offers a 3-month internship from June 1 through August 31 in the Architectural Design Section of its Osaka office. As of 2019, MIT has participated in this program for over 20 years, and past interns have found the experience to be professionally and personally rewarding. MIT Students enrolled in the MArch and SMArchS programs are eligible and welcome to apply.

The application consists of the following elements:

• A completed application form.
• A one-page statement of interest that includes student's area of interest in architecture, the student's concentration field, and/or proposed thesis topic, and comments on why student wants to participate in the internship.
• A portfolio of student's design work.

For further information, contact Professor William O'Brien Jr.

Takenaka Summer Internship Application

Applications will be reviewed by members of the Department.

1998: Jaime Solari
1999: Daniel Steger
2001: Jason Hart
2002: Aaron Greene
2003: William J. Braddock
2004:Ahmed Elhusseiny
2005:Luis Berrios-Negron
2006: Omar Rabie
2008: Aftab Jalia
2009: Ogheneruno Okiomah
2010: Lisa Hedstrom
2011: Clay B. Anderson
2012: Menglin Jiang
2014: Caner Oktem
2015: Mary Lynch-Lloyd
2016: Nicole Ashurian
2017: Thuy Le
2018: No intern
2019: Arditha Auriyane
2020–2022: No intern