The MIT education: Cross-registration

In addition to the thousands of courses already offered by the Institute, you can cross-register for no additional cost at Harvard, Wellesley, and MassArt.

We believe that MIT students should choose their own education adventure.⁠01 As the 1949 <a href="https://facultygovernance.mit.edu/sites/default/files/reports/1949-12_Report_of_the_Committee_on_Educational_Survey.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lewis Report</a> on the MIT undergraduate education wrote: “the Institute should encourage initiative, promote the spirit of free and objective inquiry, and recognize and provide opportunities for unusual interests and aptitudes...” To that end, we have established strong ties with nearby institutions to help our students develop their interests by cross-registering when and as appropriate.

Harvard

MIT undergraduates may take subjects at Harvard University for degree credit at no extra charge. Harvard subjects can count toward fulfillment of major and minor requirements, including the HASS requirement where appropriate. You can read one of Yuliya’s blog posts about cross-registering at Harvard here.

Wellesley

MIT students (of any sex or gender) may cross-register at Wellesley College. Generally, you cannot take Wellesley classes to fulfill the science core of your GIRs, but you can take them to fulfill electives or departmental requirements in other areas. Additionally, MIT students may earn Massachusetts teaching certification, which is recognized in many states, to teach at the elementary or high school level.

MassArt

MIT undergraduates may cross-register at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), a respected (and quite frankly rad) art school in Boston with studio classes such as drawing, painting, and printmaking that are not offered for credit at MIT. Classes taken at MassArt may not be used to satisfy Institute, departmental, or minor requirements, but may be used toward unrestricted elective credit.

Domestic Study Away

Through this program, you can spend as long as one year studying at another academic institution within the U.S. Students pursuing this program usually pay tuition to the outside institution rather than to MIT for these terms. However, while on an approved domestic study away program, you maintain full-time student status at MIT.