Saluting our Schools

MIT students apply technology as they learn

Computing and computation pervades all engineering disciplines. The campus experience is an MIT hallmark

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA) is all about “applying the intelligent use of technology to society,” says Dr. Dedric Carter, assistant dean for development and strategic initiatives in the MIT School of Engineering.

The university’s overall mission is to bring the best uses of technology into daily life. What that means for prospective students is a wide selection of engineering disciplines from which to choose.

Many degrees represent collaborations within MIT. For example, the managerial aspects of info systems are addressed by the MIT-Sloan School of Management and the engineering systems division in the School of Engineering. The school has nine departments, all of which require students to acquire skills in computing and computation.

This isn’t deterring students from entering any of these disciplines, Carter says. MIT is currently seeing great growth in civil, environmental and nuclear engineering. “We’re looking at new infrastructure from the federal government, alternative energy and the materials and structures that can be exposed to extreme conditions,” he says.

A variety of multi-disciplinary and specialized majors
Electrical engineering and computer science is the School of Engineering’s largest major. A five-year professional masters program enables EE students to begin their masters in the fifth year after completing four years of study. This program is also available to students in environmental engineering and materials science.

Mechanical engineering, the next-largest major, involves a lot of robotics. Robotics studies, Carter says, apply to both the mechanical and electrical engineering fields.

Materials science is on the rise, says Carter. “Developing advanced materials for extreme environments is an area of acute interest right now,” he adds. “We’ve just opened a new laboratory for advanced materials that will allow us to continue groundbreaking work in this area.”

The school also offers majors in chemical engineering, aeronautics, bioengineering and nuclear science.

Social science, management and engineering systems all intersect within the School of Engineering. “Our goal is to help students solve the biggest problems,” says Carter. “Their impact is already being felt in areas like health care and global logistics, and they are also looking at management and policy issues.”

Time on campus is one of MIT’s hallmarks
Applications are on the rise as undergrads decide to pursue grad school rather than look for a job in an uncertain economy. This has increased competition for admission to all of MIT’s programs.

MIT accepts transfer students so long as they meet the school’s rigorous admission standards. “We want to know that they can do the work,” explains Carter.

Most learning occurs on campus in Cambridge. There are, however, international partnerships for students from a number of countries that enable them to come to the school and also do some work remotely.

There are a few programs with distance components and material on the MIT OpenCourseWare website that serve as refreshers. But Carter says that most of the work is intentionally done on campus. “We believe the hallmark of the MIT education is time on campus.”

Enrichment programs abound
Research is robust at MIT. There are active partnerships with government, industry and international institutions like the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Center.

Recent research projects have included biological engineering for students in the engineering systems division, and a nanotechnology program, both in Portugal. MIT also has a large alumni population in Asia and fosters deep relationships with institutions there.

The MIT educational environment features constant connections between researchers and students in the undergrad and grad communities. “We often have grad students managing undergrads as part of research,” Carter says. “They manage a set of students for the professor who’s supervising. It’s good training for them, and exciting for the students.”

MIT’s Minority Summer Research Program gives undergrads the opportunity to work in a research lab under the guidance of experienced scientists and engineers on staff at the school, and demonstrates the value of a graduate degree.

The Converge program offers a fall weekend on the MIT campus for underrepresented students seriously interested in applying to the school for grad studies. Attendees get a taste of the MIT experience before applying.

The Industrial Partnership Program is an undergrad program for EE and computer science students. Companies submit proposals that students bid on, which then become their undergrad projects.

MIT also offers a one-year undergrad research program. Other formal research programs are offered through a combined undergrad and masters program. Students spend part of the time as co-ops at the sponsoring company and do their masters theses there.

The Undergrad Practice Opportunities Program (UPOP) is mostly for sophomores. Two hundred students in engineering go through a set of classes during an independent study period in January. This is followed by resume and training workshops. They do internships in the summer, and write about the experience in mini classes in early fall.

“We believe it’s helpful for students to get industry practice early in their college careers,” says Carter. Some students intern again at the same company, and others want to try something new. “The range of opportunities is enormous,” Carter says. Students in UPOP can intern throughout the U.S., as well as Spain, France and Israel.

MIT is committed to diversity
Diversity is important at MIT because diverse populations “bring new ideas and different perspectives to problem solving,” says Carter. “We try to meet the needs of the student, and scholarships are need based.” Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

There are 1,886 undergrads and 2,794 grads enrolled in MIT’s School of Engineering. Of that total, 180 undergrads and forty-six grad students are African American; 437 and 287 are Asian American; 262 and eighty-nine are Hispanic; and seventeen and eight are Native American.

MIT supports underrepresented students through the presence on campus of groups like NSBE, SHPE and SWE. “They offer strong student outlets for jobs, socialization, peer support and mentoring,” says Carter, who is campus dean for NSBE. “They have such a wide appeal to people at MIT.”

Carter urges students to follow their hearts. “You want to look at a program and say, ‘Can I see myself there?’ Visit the campus, write the program office and get a current student to describe it. You have to be active in seeking out a good understanding of the school.”

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