EECS Freshmen through M.Eng. level students who are registered and in good standing may take part in EECS MISTI.

Any registered course VI junior in good standing may apply to the VI-A Internship Program. Students must be committed to the completion of the work assignments and of the M.Eng. degree with an industry-based thesis.

VI-A International is part of the VI-A M.Eng. Thesis Program, which offers both a salaried and well-structured internship experience plus the credits which lead to an advanced degree (the M.Eng. degree). The program concomitantly requires both a high level of academic commitment and responsibility toward the company internship commitment.

MISTI provides hands-on, tailored internships with leading companies, labs, schools, and NGOs abroad. The program also offers workshops, IAP courses, and opportunities to study abroad in your major. Opportunities vary country by country; visit the website of the country program that interests you.

VI-A International students are required to submit mid-term and final reports on each work assignment. You will receive an "incomplete" if you do not return completed reports on time. Additionally, company mentors are required to evaluate your performance at the conclusion of each assignment.

VI-A students admitted to the M.Eng. program usually have consecutive summer and fall VI-A assignments after their senior year. To complete their M.Eng. thesis, other schedules can be accommodated with the agreement of their VI-A company.

The purpose behind making the last two work assignments consecutive is to provide the student sufficient time to do an in-depth piece of engineering work at the company which will be acceptable to the Department's faculty as the basis for the M.Eng. thesis.  For special circumstances, with the agreement of their VI-A company and the approval of the VI-A M.Eng. Thesis Program Director, VI-A students can request from the VI-A Program a different graduate intern schedule.

Since most MISTI interns go abroad over the summer, there should be no disruption to your MIT curriculum. Other students go right after graduation. A few interns choose to take a semester or a year of leave; if that's the case, you should discuss the plan with your MIT department to determine whether you can graduate on time. As for MISTI semester- and year-long study abroad opportunities and IAP workshops, these programs are designed so that you can earn MIT credit and graduate on time.

Because the MISTI and VI-A International programs cover different phases of a student's academic life, it is possible to experience both programs, starting with a MISTI experience early during your undergraduate career and then allowing for a junior year experience in the VI-A International M.Eng. program. Visit both the MISTI website and the VI-A site to gain specific information.

Undergraduate VI-A students do not pay tuition while on VI-A work assignment. Graduate VI-A students generally have tuition obligations covered by the VI-A Fellowship or Research Assistantships. See: http://via.mit.edu/faqs.html

All MISTI internship costs are covered either through the host institution or by MISTI. Other MISTI programs, such as study abroad and IAP courses and workshops, require a minimal contribution by the student. See: http://web.mit.edu/misti/students/faqs.html

Currently, the VI-A International Program includes companies in Limerick, Ireland: Beijing and Shanghai, China; Reutlingen and Stuttgart, Germany; Bangalore, India; Paris, France; and Tokyo, Japan.

The MISTI Program currently includes internships in China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico and Spain.

VI-A International students should apply in the fall of their junior year and if accepted would start the following summer.

MISTI students generally take part during the summer or IAP to avoid interrupting their regular academic year program. Students applying to the MISTI program are eligible in any academic year and even following graduation or as graduate or postdoctoral associate.

If you are already working under an EECS faculty member who has sponsored (via MISTI global seed funding or other funding) a visiting faculty member for a semester at MIT, you may be eligible to return to that visiting foreign faculty member's university to continue working under him/her for a following semester or preferably during the summer. You should speak with the faculty member for which you are working as a UROP.

If you are working as a teaching assistant under an EECS faculty member who is already guiding a visiting faculty member from a foreign university, you may be eligible to return with this visiting faculty member to his/her university for a term continuing as a TA at this university. You should speak with the EECS faculty member involved.

As an EECS faculty member, you are eligible to apply for MISTI seed funding. MISTI Global Seed Funds includes a general pool for projects in any location and several country-specific funds supported by outside donors. See: http://web.mit.edu/misti/faculty/seed.html

If you are a student who would like to start a special international effort, you should contact one of the members of the EECS International Group.

As an EECS faculty member you are eligible for applying for MISTI seed funding. MISTI offers seed funds to MIT faculty and research scientists to jump-start international projects and collaboration.

Applicants are encouraged to involve MIT students in their projects. Funding may be used to cover travel, meeting and workshop costs to facilitate international projects and collaboration. Additional funds are available for bringing students on the projects.

If you have outstanding EECS students who as advisees are reaching their junior year with excellent grade levels and outstanding credentials (see the VI-A Program website), you might want to encourage him/her to apply in fall of his/her junior year.

As an EECS faculty member you should consider the MISTI global seed funding as a way to cover associated costs with inviting a foreign faculty member to pair with you in teaching and/or researching here in EECS at MIT. See: MISTI Global Seed Funds, http://web.mit.edu/misti/faculty/seed.html