September 2007 Memorandum 3903
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Graduate Office, Room 38-444
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
CONTENTS
Institute Graduate School Policies and Procedures
Master of Science and Master of Engineering
Electrical Engineer/Engineer in Computer Science
Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Science
Registration in 6.961, 6.962-9, 6.971-9
Academic Credit for Assigned Teaching and Research
Registration for Master's Thesis
Limitation on Support
Adding and Dropping Subjects
Other Graduate Office Memoranda and Forms
Sources of Information, Assistance and Mediation
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Institute Graduate School Policies and Procedures
Institute policies and procedures relating to the Graduate School can be found in the MIT Course Catalogue (http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/) and in the latest Graduate Policies and Procedures (http://web.mit.edu/gso/gpp). Students are responsible for knowledge of these rules and regulations
Graduate Study Arrangements
All arrangements for graduate work are under the direction of the Department Committee on Graduate Students. This Committee (either directly or through your Graduate Counselor) approves your program, your thesis subject and arrangements, any changes you may wish to make and prepares the recommendations for graduate degrees. Initial counselor assignment is made on the basis of information supplied by you in your admissions application. If your interests can be better served by a different counselor, a change of counselor can be made later by consulting the Graduate Office.
All records are kept in the Graduate Office, Room 38-444. All changes in registration, petitions, etc., should be brought there.
Use of Library
The MIT Library system includes a number of specialized branches at different locations around the campus. Two branches of particular relevance for EECS students are the Barker Engineering Library, Room 10-550, and the Science Library, Room 14S-100. The library staff will be pleased to assist graduate students in the use of the library. Knowledge about keys and guides to the use of electrical engineering and computer science literature will be especially helpful to graduate students who are preparing for thesis work. (See http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/eecs)
Degree Requirements
Master of Science and Master of Engineering
The Institute's requirements for the Master's degree are 66 units plus an acceptable thesis. The 66 units must include a minimum of 42 units of graduate "H" subjects. The remaining requirement of 24 units may be graduate "H" subjects, other graduate subjects ("G" subjects), or intermediate or advanced undergraduate subjects, as approved by the Graduate Counselor and the Department. In general, subjects that ordinarily may be taken by first or second-year undergraduate students will not be accepted for non-H credit in an SM or EE program. The Department requires that the 66 units consist of at least six subjects, and that the 42 "H" units consist of at least four subjects. For a degree "with specification", 34 units of "H" subjects and the thesis, must be in a single field. Interpretation of the term "field" is left to the Graduate Committee. Our Department has interpreted "field" to be much broader than "course" or "department". Many mathematics and physics subjects, for example, have been regarded as being in the field of electrical engineering.
Electrical Engineer/Engineer in Computer Science
For the EE/ECS degree 162 units are required, plus an acceptable thesis. The Department further requires 24 units of thesis registration, and that at least 90 units, consisting of no fewer than eight subjects (none less than 9 units), of the 162 required units be graduate "H" subjects. Subjects in which the grade received is C, D or F will not be accepted in fulfillment of the unit requirement for the EE/ECS degree. A Master's thesis of superior quality will satisfy the EE/ECS thesis requirement. When the Master's thesis grade is reported, the thesis supervisor is asked to certify that, should the EE/ECS degree eventually be sought, the Master's thesis meets the required criteria for quality.
Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Science
The Institute's basic requirements for the award of a doctorate are:
Completion of a major program of advanced study, including a General Examination.
Completion and oral defense of a thesis on original research.
A minimum residence requirement of four terms of full-time graduate work.
Consult the current Catalog and Graduate Education Manual for additional information. The Department has several additional requirements (see Memo 3800 for details).
Registration Information
Registration in 6.961, 6.962-9, 6.971-9
6.961: It is very important for new graduate students to become involved with the faculty in research as soon as possible. If you are a new graduate student and do not hold a Research or Teaching Assistantship (full-time or part-time), you should include 12 units of 6.961, Introduction to Research in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, in your registration for your initial regular term, and limit the remainder of your registration to no more than three subjects. In the course of 6.961, you should explore areas of mutual interest with several faculty members (the list Research Interests of Faculty Members can help you identify appropriate faculty), and reach an agreement with one for supervision of the special problem. By the 6th week of the term (4th week in summer), submit a statement of your problem, signed by the supervisor, to the Graduate Office using Form 3902. It is very likely that the special problem will evolve into a thesis topic. Memorandum 3813 describing 6.961 is available in the EECS Graduate Office or from your Graduate Counselor. An orientation meeting is held during the first week of classes in the Fall Term and a series of seminars is held early in the Fall Term. 6.961 registration carries graduate "G" credit.
6.962-6.963: 6.962-3 should be used when you wish to pursue a special topic of an advanced nature under the supervision of a faculty member. These subjects do not carry graduate "H" credit. You must submit a statement on Form 3902 describing the special study and approved by the supervisor, to the Graduate Office before the end of the fourth week of the term.
6.964-9 and 6.971-9: These subject numbers are used exclusively for special organized subjects and seminars and should not be used for individual special studies. 6.971-9 carry graduate "H" credit; 6.964-9 carry "G" credit.}
Academic Credit for Assigned Teaching and Research
Teaching and research are both important parts of the total educational experience of a graduate student. Academic credit is awarded by allowing Teaching Assistants to register for 6.981 and Research Assistants to register for 6.991. Full-time Teaching Assistants are restricted to a maximum of two scheduled classroom or laboratory subjects per term, not to exceed 27 units; they may also register for up to 24 units per term of 6.981. Full-time Research Assistants are also restricted to a maximum of 27 units of classroom subjects in addition to their thesis and/or 6.991 registration. Part-time Teaching Assistants are restricted to 36 units of scheduled subjects; they may also register for 12 units of 6.981. Part-time Research Assistants are restricted to 36 units of scheduled subjects; they may also register for 12 units of 6.991. No exceptions to these restrictions are allowed.
Registration for 6.981: Teaching Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Registration in 6.981 may be repeated for each term in which an appointment as Teaching Assistant is held. Only P and F grades will be given. This subject does not carry Graduate "H" credit. Graduate students who are not Teaching Assistants may get credit for teaching under 6.980.
Registration in 6.991. Research in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Registration will be permitted only if work undertaken for credit qualifies as an educational experience of graduate caliber. The student must submit a written report to the supervisor and graduate counselor before the end of the term. Registration in 6.991 may be repeated for each term in which a Research Assistantship appointment is held. Before the end of the fourth week of the term the student must submit to the Graduate Office a statement on Form 3902, approved by the research supervisor, which describes the work to be performed. Registration will occur in blocks of 12 units and will not exceed 24 units per term. Only P and F grades will be given. This subject is not a Graduate "H" subject.
Registration for Master's Thesis
It is extremely important for all new graduate students to make an early start on thesis research. The Department expects the Master's thesis proposal to be submitted during the first two regular terms of residence. The proposal should be submitted before the end of the seventh week of the term of initial thesis registration.
Before a candidate's name can be included on the degree list for either the Master's or EE/ECS degrees, the student must have registered for at least 12 units of thesis and have submitted an acceptable thesis proposal. In addition, registration must include all requirements for the degree. A student must be registered for thesis in the term in which a grade is submitted.
Thesis registration is normally in blocks of 12 units. The expected length of the Master's thesis is 24 units.
A thesis submitted for the Master's degree which is certified to be of superior quality will also satisfy the requirements for the EE/ECS degree.
A Master's candidate finishing in September is advised against deferring all thesis registration until the summer and should sign up for at least 12 units in the Spring term. Students must be registered for thesis during the term in which the document is submitted.
For an RA, the thesis will ordinarily coincide with the research assignments and thesis registration replaces part or all of 6.991 registration. For a TA, the thesis will not ordinarily coincide with the teaching assignment and the thesis registration will replace part of the 27 units of regular subjects permitted. There may be occasional situations in which a TA finds that the teaching assignment can be used for thesis, in which case thesis credit may replace 6.981.
For purposes of administering these principles, graduate counselors will proceed as follows: for TA's the thesis is presumed to be unrelated to the job assignment unless there is contrary notification from EECS administrative headquarters; for RA's the thesis is presumed coincident with the job assignment unless the job supervisor states otherwise.
Limitation on Support
Department support, in the form of RA's, TA's or Departmentally-administered Fellowships, will not be provided to S.M. students or MEng students in the doctoral program beyond their fourth regular term of registration if the Master’s thesis has not been submitted. Students whose Teaching Assistant activities have seriously delayed their theses may petition to be eligible for one additional term of support.
Adding and Dropping Subjects
There are a number of situations that can arise which make it necessary to change registration after Registration Day. However, such changes generally lead to inefficient use of the Department's limited resources and often represent an unproductive use of time by the student. The Department encourages you to investigate the nature of the subjects you intend to register for before Registration Day and plan your program so that your registration will need to be changed only as a result of unforeseen circumstances. Faculty in charge of subjects and students who have taken the subject before are possible sources of information about subjects you intend to take.
If it becomes necessary to change registration, consult with your Graduate Counselor. All changes should be made through the Graduate Office. Please do not file change of registration cards with the Registrar.
Faculty regulations prohibit adding subjects after the fifth week of the term and prohibit dropping subjects in the last three weeks of the term. Exceptions to these rules require a petition to the Dean for Graduate Students, approved by the Department Graduate Officer.
Application for a Degree
To receive a graduate degree, a student must apply for it. An Application for Advanced Degree form is available on line (http://student.mit.edu/cgi-docs/student.html) and must be completed by the end of the first week of the term in which the degree is to be awarded. If it later appears that the degree requirements will not be completed in that term, inform the Graduate Office so that your name will be removed from the degree list.
Additional Employment
While the Institute has no stated policy concerning outside employment by full-time graduate students, the Department strongly cautions full-time students not to attempt to work more than 8-l0 hours a week for income. Since problems with patents, copyright and conflict of interest may arise in connection with outside employment, students are urged to consult the Graduate Office before undertaking such employment.
There is an Institute policy for Research and Teaching Assistants and MIT Fellowships that is stated in Graduate Policies and Procedures and in MIT Policies and Procedures. In summary, assistants are not allowed to accept outside employment, or additional employment at the Institute. Exceptions require approval of the Dean for Graduate Students.
Other Graduate Office Memoranda and Forms
3800 The Doctoral Program in EECS
3802 Thesis and Thesis Proposal
3805 The Technical Qualifying Examination
3806 The Research Qualifying Examination
3813 6.961-2 Special Studies in EECS
3902 Description of special study and/or research problem (to be filed by every student registered for any of the subjects 6.961-2 and/or 6.99l)
Research Interests of Faculty Members Who Supervise Theses
Sources of Information, Assistance and Mediation
Students are encouraged to take advantage of these resources in resolving both academic and non-academic difficulties.
Student Government and Student Organizations
EECS Graduate Student Association (http://web.mit.edu/eecsgsa/www)
EECS REFS (http://www.eecs.mit.edu/refs/)
Student representatives on EECS Department Graduate Committee
The Graduate Student Council (http://gsc.mit.edu) and EECS representative
Faculty and Administration
Graduate Counselor
Thesis Supervisor
Area Chairs:
Area I: Systems, Communication, Control and Signal Processing, Prof. M. A. Dahleh
Area II: Computer Science; Prof. S. Teller
Area III: Electronics, Computers and Systems; Prof. H. S. Lee
Area IV: Energy and Electromagnetic Systems; Prof. L. A. Kolodziejski
Area V: Materials and Devices; Prof. L. A. Kolodziejski
Area VII: Bioelectrical Engineering; Prof. L. D. Braida
Chairman of the Department Graduate Committee; Prof. T. P. Orlando
Department Head: Prof. W. E. Grimson
Dean for Graduate Students: Dean S. R. Lerman
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