MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

New department committee appointed to study the doctoral program

November 21, 1995

From: Paul Penfield, Jr.

Date: November 21, 1995

Subject: DOCS

I am pleased to tell you that the department has appointed an ad hoc committee to examine our doctoral program in depth.

As you know, for the past several years we have focused on renovating our undergraduate and Master's level education. Out of this effort came the new Master of Engineering program. It is now time to turn our attention to the doctoral program.

Our present doctoral program is strong -- in fact, it is the envy of most other universities. Admission is highly competitive, and our graduates go on to exciting careers. However, even successful programs need periodic examinations. It has been decades since the last thorough look at the doctoral program, and in the meantime a lot has changed. It is not at all obvious that we couldn't have an even more successful program.

I have asked Profs. Lozano-Pérez and Senturia to head a committee which they have chosen to call "DOctoral Clean Slate committee," or DOCS for short. Its charter is to start with a clean slate and define the kind of program that makes sense today, assuming only two constraints: (1) it should have a deep research experience, and (2) the basic mix of faculty should be about what we have in the Department today. Everything else is on the table -- admissions, qualification procedures, breadth requirements, area structure, advising system, minor, administration, etc.

The committee will consist of Tomás Lozano-Pérez and Steve Senturia along with the following other department faculty: Arvind, Lou Braida, Munther Dahleh, Dave Karger, Harry Lee, and Jacob White. It will be a small committee, but with a broad range of styles, technical interests, and ages.

Our hope is that DOCS will start its work in January, and report by September 1996. Then DOCS will disband, possibly to be replaced by a committee to plan and oversee the implementation of proposed changes.

Please be prepared to assist DOCS in its mission. We all have strong opinions about the doctoral program, so their job will be a challenge. But out of their efforts will come a consensus about the strongest possible doctoral program to take our department into the years ahead.