September 2008                                                                                                Memorandum 3813

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Graduate Office, Room 38-444

6.961  INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
AND COMPUTER SCIENCE 

This seminar series is intended for first-year full time graduate students who have not yet found a research home. There is a simple test to see if you should sign up for this seminar: If you can not turn in a signed copy of the Research Supervision Agreement - Form 3902 (see the next page) by September 8, 2008, then you should register for this class.

To help you get oriented in the MIT environment, the Department considers it desirable for you to include 3 units of the seminar 6.961, Introduction to Research in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, as part of your registration for your first Fall term, and to limit the remainder of your registration to no more than two graduate classes. While students on fellowship may take more classes, this is not recommended. The intent of 6.961 is to provide you with guidance in finding a research topic of personal interest to you, and with a faculty member who shares a similar interest. To assist you, there will be a series of weekly, one-hour seminars during the first half of the Fall term. It is expected that by end of the term, you will have found a research problem and a supervisor.

More information about these seminars will be discussed at the EECS Graduate Orientation on Wednesday, August 27, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Grier Room, 34-401.

The times and locations of the seminars will be announced on the Stellar Class site at http://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/6/fa08/6.961.

We hope you will find this experience a very worthwhile part of your graduate program.

September 2008                                                                                                             Form 3902

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Graduate Office, Room 38-444

RESEARCH SUPERVISION AGREEMENT
for first-year EECS graduate students
2008-2009

To be filled out by the Graduate Student 

General Area or Research Direction
(Keywords or a short description is sufficient)
This is not a thesis proposal, but only serves to verify that the student has a research supervisor

Students in the first Students in the first year who are serving as TA’s or receiving Fellowships (and are so far unable to identify a thesis supervisor and research project) should register for three units of Subject 6.961 (Intro to Research in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) as a supplement to classroom subjects. The intent of 6.961 is to assist students in the advisor selection process.

Student Signature _____________________________________________________ Date _____________

To be filled out by RESEARCH SUPERVISOR

I certify that I am presently supervising the thesis research of the above student.

Supervisor’s Signature ___________________________________________________ Date ___________

RETURN COMPLETED FORM TO ROOM 38-444 by September 8, 2008