mit thesis submission deadline

MIT Thesis FAQ: New Degree Candidates

• New Degree Candidates
• Thesis Checklist
• Creating an Accessible Thesis
• Saving Your Thesis as a PDF/A-1
• Student Frequently Asked Questions
• Access and Availability Questions

Instructions

Reminder: students - submit your thesis electronically to your department or program.  .

Please pay close attention to the following sections of the Specifications for Thesis Preparation :

• Joint Thesis
• Copyright   (and review the copyright and licensing section below)
• Permission to Reuse or Republish a Thesis
• Changes to a Thesis After Submission

Here are some sample title pages to assist you with formatting:

• PhD thesis with a CC license
• Multiple authors thesis
• Dual degree with extra committee members

What to submit to your Department/Program

Submit the following:

• A PDF/A-1  of your final thesis document (with no signatures)
• Signature page (if required by your department; your department will provide specific guidance)
• Source files (not required)

File naming

Files must be named according to this scheme: authorLastName-kerberos ID-degree-dept-year-type_other.ext

• Thesis PDF: macdonald-mssimon-mcp-dusp-2023-thesis.pdf
• Signature Page: macdonald-mssimon-mcp-dusp-2023-sig.pdf

Temporary Holds

Please review the Holds section of the Thesis Specifications . The Office of Graduate Education oversees the policies and procedures for requesting a temporary publication hold  of your thesis. They offer this form for publication hold requests.

Note: Request for temporary holds must be submitted prior to graduation . To contact OGE and the Vice Chancellor's office, email  [email protected] To contact the Technology and Licensing Office, email  [email protected]

What to submit to the Libraries

This form  must be completed by the day of graduation:  https://thesis-submit.mit.edu/ .

The information you provide must match the title page and abstract of your thesis. You will be asked to confirm or provide:

• Your name as it appears on your thesis (Family Name, Given Name Middle Name)
• Thesis title
• Department or Program
• Supervisor(s)
• Copyright (see the Copyright and Licensing section below)
• ProQuest opt-in (for Graduate and Doctoral candidates only)

Copyright and Licensing

You may, optionally, choose to apply a Creative Commons License to your thesis. The Creative Commons License allows you to grant permissions and provide guidance on how your work can be reused by others. For more information about CC: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/

Before you apply a CC license or CC0 (public domain) to your work, please note that the licenses cannot be revoked.  This means once you apply a CC license to your material, anyone who receives it may rely on that license for as long as the material is protected by copyright, even if you later stop distributing it.

• To determine which CC license is right for you, use the CC license chooser  
• Note: You do not need to apply a CC license to your work. If you choose not to, your thesis will be available in DSpace@MIT with the following statement: In Copyright  https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

Formatting Your Copyright Statement

• Following the instructions in the thesis specifications under How To Copyright a Thesis .
• If using a CC license, replace "All Rights Reserved" with your chosen CC license (CC-BY-NC 4.0).
• Remember to also include the following statement below your (c) : " The author hereby grants to MIT a nonexclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free license to exercise any and all rights under copyright, including to reproduce, preserve, distribute and publicly display copies of the thesis, or release the thesis under an open-access license. "

What Copyright information to submit to the Libraries

• I hold copyright (if you choose this option you will have the option of also choosing a CC license)
• I hold copyright and give it up to the public domain (this means that your thesis will be released openly under CC0 "No Rights Reserved" and opts out of copyright and database protection.  This may not be revoked.)
• This is a work of the US government
• Another person or organization owns copyright 

For more information Review the Copyright section of the Thesis Specifications .

ORCID: Open Researcher & Contributor ID

What is ORCID?

ORCID is an open, non-profit, community-based effort to provide a registry of unique researcher identifiers and a method of linking research-related items, such as articles as datasets, to these identifiers.

ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher. The goal is to support the creation of a permanent, clear, and unambiguous record of scholarly communication by enabling reliable attribution of authors and contributors.

Register for an ORCID ID.

This process also associates your ORCID with your MIT profile. Once you have the ID you also have the option to build your profile through the “import works” button, associating your papers, data sets, and other research output with your ID. You can then include the ID as a link on your CV or web page. You can also create an account without linking it to your MIT profile here .

See our ORCID FAQ  for more information.

ProQuest Opt-in

What is the ProQuest Opt-in?

When submitting your title page information to MIT Libraries, you may choose to opt in to the pilot program to provide additional open access to MIT theses through  ProQuest Dissertation & Theses Global  (PQDT). The aim is to make theses more visible and discoverable. By opting in, you consent to your full thesis being available in ProQuest's database. If you are a Bachelor's candidate or do not opt in, ProQuest will only access your abstract.

There is no cost to you and your thesis will not be sent to ProQuest until it is published by MIT. See the Thesis Specificatio n and  PQDT's Author Dissertations FAQs  for more information about participating.

Quick links

• Thesis Specifications
• Distinctive Collections
• Scholarly Publishing@MIT
• About DSpace@MIT
• Dissertation/Theses

Have questions?

Contact us at [email protected] .

• Next: Thesis Checklist >>
• Last Updated: Aug 30, 2023 4:55 PM
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Spring degree dates & deadlines

May 2024 graduation.

Search form

Master of architecture (march) thesis, fall term 2023 theses deadlines (february 2024 degree candidates).

MArch students are required to register for 24 units of thesis (4.THG) the final term. The thesis proposal, including a thesis proposal form signed by all the thesis committee members, is due the first week of the term in which the student registers for thesis.

Friday, February 10, 2023: Registration Day (Penultimate Term)

• Petition must include approved pdf of dual degree coursework plan and indication of co-thesis advisor in secondary department (some dual degrees require additional paperwork)

Tuesday, September 4, 2023: Registration Date

• Deadline to Submit Thesis Committee Members: Email [email protected] with names and email addresses of Thesis Committee members
• You and your committee will then be sent a DocuSign version of the Thesis Proposal Form to fill in and collect esignatures
• Each DocuSign form must be generated separately and cannot be created until all email addresses are collected

Friday, September 8, 2023

• Registration: 4.THG, 24 units
• Degree list: Put yourself on the February degree list by applying for a degree
• All signatures must be on a single form (this includes a working thesis title and signatures; it does not include an abstract)
• Joint Thesis writers must also submit an OGE General Petition to [email protected] , including a statement of contribution from each writer (see Joint Thesis for details)

September 11–15, 2023: Proposal Review (scheduled in conjunction with Thesis Coordinator )

Wednesday, september 27, 2023: 10–11am.

• STOA equipment reservation system
• MIT AV pricing
• Scaled version of Media Lab 6th floor

October 2–6, 2023 ( exact date TBD ): Critic Requests due to Thesis Coordinator

Friday, october 6, 2023 – add date, week 7 of term: international students only.

• Earliest date to begin OPT authorization process
• It is important to plan ahead as processing times for F-1 Post-Completion OPT, by application with USCIS, can take on average 90 days for USCIS to process.  J-1 Academic Training requires that a student secure a training position/job that begins within 30 days of degree completion in order to apply for AT authorization.

October 25 AND 26, 2023: Midterm Reviews, 9am–noon in Long Lounge and adjacent dome spaces

• With invited internal critics
• 10/12/23 update note: Previously, these were listed as October 16–20, 2023, in line with the Graduate Handbook; however, the Architecture's Committee on Graduate Programs (COGS) ratified a widening of the Midterm Review window on 10/4/2023. This change shall be updated in the Graduate Handbook as soon as possible.

Monday, October 23, 2023, 12–1pm in Long Lounge

• Lunch & Learn: Library Resources and THESIS BOOK SPOTLIGHT please   RSVP HERE

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

• Lord Jim visits MArch Thesis

Friday, November 3, 2023: Thesis need requests due to this GoogleForm

• 3 iPads without tripods (STOA)
• 4: 65”, 2: 70”, 2: 55”, 1: 47” from studios (7-434 65” * 2 70” 55” 47”  7-403 65”  3-415 70” 55”  10-485 65”)
• TV Wall in Silverman Room (Media Lab)
• 1 Projector in Lecture Hall (Media Lab)
• 4 projectors in the Multi-Purpose Room (2 each on 2 walls adjacent to each other) (Media Lab)
• Banquet tables ( Media Lab )
• Notes on space:  We are unable to pinup anywhere except on the pinup boards specifically rented for the event and nothing may be placed on the glass floor in the Winter Garden: Media Lab Space Restrictions . We work to accommodate accessibility principles (no less than 36” between doorways or around presentations to allow for access, etc.): ADA compliance . Scaled version of Media Lab 6th floor
• There are 48 pinup panels and 42 lights, which can be attached to the top of individual panels

Week 10 of term: Website Materials due to cohort's Dropbox

• 1. A text document (Word, Pages, txt, or rtf), including Thesis Title (exact formatting), Name(s) as you would like it/them displayed on the thesis website (i.e. Jim or James), Committee (advisor and readers indicated), Thesis statement (200-500 words)
• 2. Media 5 - 10 images (JPEG or PNG), each file as compressed as possible, Thesis PNG ‘icon' or ‘logo' (i.e. a ‘cut out’ image without a background, maximum dimension 250px for main page), Audio recording (MP3) of you reading your thesis statement

November 6–10, 2023: Penultimate Review (scheduled in conjunction with Thesis Coordinator )

Wednesday, november 8, 2023.

• STOA visits MArch Thesis

Monday, November 27, 2023

• Submit digital information and images about your thesis for the Final Review Pamphlet via GoogleForm by 9am
• Review pamphlet proof due. This is for typos only: this will not be a time to switch images or content
• Final pamphlet link

Week 15 of term ( exact date TBD )

• Final website ( https://marchthesis.mit.edu/ ) submissions due via cohort's Dropbox
• Note video files are not compatible with the platform, so moving media is restricted to GIF-type files
• Please include any images, thesis statement, and roles/names of thesis advisor and readers

Friday, December 15, 2023

• Last date to change thesis title via WebSIS
• You must return to the online site of your application and add or make a change to your thesis title by this deadline. The title on your final thesis must be an exact match of the one you submit on your Application for Degree. If you add your title after this date, you will be charged a late fee.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023: late afternoon/evening

• The "All clear" to start bringing your materials over will probably be after 2pm (may be as late as 5pm!).
• MIT ID card will allow you to swipe your way through the main doors to E14 at any hour and use any E14 elevator card reader. There is a freight elevator by the loading dock at the rear of the 1 st floor.
• A representative sample only of Long Lounge model bases will be brought over by truck. These will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in E14 6 th floor. If you have some special requirement or need for a particular shape or size base, then contact Lord Jim well in advance.
• If you have a large, heavy model that would be best transported by truck, please contact Lord Jim well in advance. It must be ready for pickup on (date TBD), at 8:00am in one of the thesis studios.
• Anything that we transport will be returned by truck on (date TBD).
• PLEASE NOTE: OUR TRANSPORTATION OF YOUR MODEL IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE WILL NOT BE REPSONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR LOSS.  We will make every effort to move your work carefully, but these are movers, not art conservators.
• The E14-670 catering kitchen will be used as a storage area for your materials. Do not block the circulation path or the rear door of the freight elevator.

Thursday, December 21, 2023: Final Review & Load-Out

• With invited external critics
• From Lord Jim: ALL MATERIALS MUST BE REMOVED FROM E14 BY 8:00AM ON 12/22. We are under a lot of pressure to return these rooms promptly to a clean and empty condition.  YOUR COOPERATION IS EXPECTED AND APPRECIATED.
• Studio Clearout notes from Lord Jim: MArch thesis students to use the designated space in 5-414 for storage *** BUT only until the day of the thesis review Thursday, 21 December***.    All must be removed by 21 December.  I will be cleaning out the 5-414 studio for the end of the semester and anything left behind will be disposed of without exception.   Remember that the 11.360 class will have ended by then and you will also have one-half of the 7-403 thesis studio available to store your models after the E14 review.
• Lord Jim will post the updated assignment plan to the studio door.  PLEASE DO NOT place any thesis materials elsewhere in the 5-414 studio.

Friday, December 22, 2023:

• Please arrive 15 mins early to the space. Outside, you will find a table and brushes for dusting off your model.  Please clean and assemble your model (including the bottom) outside of the space before you enter the room.
• A single speck of dust on the camera lens can trigger the sensors and ruin not only your photos, but those of your colleagues.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please email [email protected] .

Thursday, January 4, 2024, 1pm

• Thesis Formatting Q&A via Zoom: https://mit.zoom.us/j/95737990306

Friday, January 5, 2024: 9am deadline to submit theses to the Department Thesis Submission Portal

• Note: Your final thesis book must be reviewed and approved by thesis advisor(s) via eSignature pdf before submission to the Department Thesis Submission Portal.
• This is for the purpose of making certain the document is in compliance with MIT archive requirements. You will be contacted quickly if adjustments are needed. Please do not email separately.
• Dual degree candidates must abide by their home department's deadlines and protocols (for example, Architecture cannot accept digital copies of the thesis with signatures).

Friday, January 19, 2024

• All theses must be cleared by each department (multiple departments for dual degrees) and submitted to the Institute.
• If a thesis is not approved by both thesis advisor and the Department this point, the student may be pulled from the February degree list.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

• Degree award date.

Last week of May 2024

• Wednesday, May 29, 3–5pm – Architecture Department's End of Year Celebration / Awards Ceremony on Walker Lawn
• Spring 2024 Thesis students' degree award date
• 11am–12:30pm, SA+P Advanced Degree Ceremony in Kresge Auditorium
• 3–4:30pm, OneMIT Ceremony on Killian Court for all graduates
• More details, as they become available, will be posted on https://commencement.mit.edu/

Formatting, Specifications & Thesis Submission

Spring term 2024 theses deadlines (may 2024 degree candidates), friday, september 8, 2023: registration day (penultimate term).

• Attachments must include dual degree coursework plan and indication of co-thesis advisor in secondary department (some dual degrees require additional paperwork)

Wednesday, November 22, 2023: Drop Date (Penultimate Term)

Friday, december 15, 2023: end of reading period (penultimate term).

• All signatures must be on a single form
• Joint Thesis writers must also submit an OGE General Petition to [email protected] , including a statement of contribution from each writer (see Joint Thesis )

Thursday, December 1, 2023 – Monday, January 8, 2024

• PreRegistration: 4.THG, 24 units

Friday, February 9, 2024

• Registration deadline. Note: You will be unable to register until your completed Thesis Proposal Form has been received with all esignatures
• Degree list: Put yourself on the May degree list by applying for a degree
• Please note the Institute requires joint thesis writers to graduate on the same degree list (September, February, or June). So, if joint thesis writers decide to unjoin their thesis, each writer must submit a wholly separate thesis to the Institute.
• It is filled out by one student (but includes both students’ information), then is esigned by the thesis advisor(s) as “Academic Advisor,” then comes to Kateri as “Graduate Administrator,” and it includes a pdf attachment with a 1- or 2-page proposal (see https://archthesis.mit.edu/joint for guidelines).

Monday, February 12–Friday, February 16, 2024

• Proposal Reviews (scheduled by each student with thesis committee)
• Week 2 of term: International Students Only
• Earliest date to begin OPT authorization process: It is important to plan ahead as processing times for F-1 Post-Completion OPT, by application with USCIS, can take on average 90 days for USCIS to process.  J-1 Academic Training requires that a student secure a training position/job that begins within 30 days of degree completion in order to apply for AT authorization.

Friday, March 8, 2024: Add Date

Monday, march 18–friday, april 5: mid reviews (scheduled by each student with thesis committee), spring break: monday, march 26–friday, march 29, 2024.

• GoogleForm for May Review requests open (remaining open until 4/12)
• May Review Schedule Draft emailed

Friday, April 12, 2024

• You must return to the online site of your application and add or make a change to your thesis title by this deadline. The title on your final thesis must be an exact match of the one you submit on your Application for Degree. If you add your title after this date, you will be charged a late fee

Monday, April 15–Friday, April 19: Penultimate Reviews (scheduled by each student and committee)

Monday, april 22–friday, april 26, 2024.

• Tuesday, April 23: Drop Date
• Tuesday, April 23: Submit digital information and images about your thesis for the Final Review Pamphlet via Dropbox by 9am. Link coming soon

Monday, April 29, 2024–Friday, May 3, 2024

• Review pamphlet proof ( exact date TBD ) due. This for typos only: this will not be a time to switch images or content.
• ( choose "Single Sign On" and log in with your MIT email address )
• Note: Your final thesis book must be reviewed and approved by thesis advisor(s) before submission to the department portal
• If you are having difficulty when logged into Office 365 or Sharepoint under a different log in, try clearing your cache on your browser so that you can log in to the form with your MIT Kerberos account
• This is for the purpose of making certain the document is in compliance with MIT archive requirements. You will be contacted quickly via the portal if adjustments are needed. Please do not email separately
• Dual degree candidates must abide by their home department's deadlines and protocols (for example, Architecture cannot accept digital copies of the thesis with signatures)

Friday, May 10, 2024

• If a thesis is not approved by this point, the student may be pulled from the May degree list.

May 15, 2024: Final Reviews

Approved summer extension.

• Monday, June 3, 2024: Summer registration for 4.THG
• Around Friday, August 1, 2024: 9am department thesis deadline via the Department Thesis Submission Tool
• Around Friday, August 9, 2024: All theses must be cleared by each department (multiple departments for dual degrees) and submitted to the Institute. If a thesis is not approved by this point, the student may be pulled from the September degree list.
• Around Wednesday, 9/18, 2024: Degree award date

MArch Thesis Contacts

• MArch degree administrator: Kateri Bertin
• MArch thesis coordinator (Fall only): Rosalyne Shieh
• MArch thesis submission: Kateri Bertin and Tonya Miller
• MArch presentation booklet coordination: Joél Carela

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The sections below describe many of the elements of the MIT EECS Graduate Program, and contain explanations of the requirements and in some cases the opportunity to complete fillable forms.

Current EECS SM and PhD students should use the EECS PhD Status Portal for entering administrative plans and proposed activities.

Departmental requirements.

Graduate Counselor Assignments

Also known as academic advisors, Grad Counselors are assigned prior to matriculation, and are meant to offer advice on departmental requirements and timeline for completion of degree milestones.

Research Supervisor Agreement Form

Also known as the “Purple Form”, this advisor selection form is used by first-year graduate students to document the initial advising relationship and subsequent changes.

The Technical Qualifying Evaluation (TQE): Instructions for Students

The TQE plan should be declared by February 15, following a June or September admission. Four subjects should be selected out of three boxes on the grid. The TQE is typically completed by the end of the 4th semester.

Once a student has submitted a TQE plan using the PhD Status Portal , the Grad Office will notify the student and their graduate counselor that their plan has been recognized by the EECS Department. Changes to an approved plan should be made with the Grad Administrator.

The Research Qualifying Evaluation (RQE): Description and Process

Please find information on applying for an EECS RQE, which is the second step in the doctoral-qualification process. Typically, the RQE is applied for and completed in the 5th or 6th term of the graduate program. Guidance on preparing for the RQE is available here from the EECS Communication Lab.

Minor Requirement

The minor is a doctoral program requirement, consisting of two graduate subjects with a coherent theme, which is different from the research topic. The minor should be at least 18 units. Language acquisition minors require special approval.

Professional Perspective Graduate Requirement

Two units of professional perspective are required of students who started the program on or after June 2019. There are many options for completing the requirement. Internships should be restricted to Summer and IAP terms. Work authorization issues need to be carefully considered by international students.

Masters (SM) and Doctoral (PhD/ScD) Thesis Proposal Guidelines

A thesis proposal is required of all students writing a masters or doctoral thesis. In order for it to be an effective proposal, it should be submitted at least a year before completion of the thesis itself. The elements of the proposal are a cover page, proposal content, timeline, and references. The proposal should be signed by the research advisor(s). In the case of a doctoral proposal, the thesis committee need to sign off on agreement forms, as below. Completed proposals (and agreements) can be emailed to Meredith Bittrich and Alicia Duarte.

Guidance on writing a thesis proposal is available here from the EECS Communication Lab.

Doctoral Thesis Supervision Agreement Form

Doctoral Thesis Reader Agreement Form

Doctoral Thesis Committee Progress Report

Used by doctoral students to document a thesis committee meeting; annual meetings are recommended.

Departmental Petition Form

Used by students for special requests, such as language acquisition minors, waiver of requirements, CS students wishing to use entire TQE grid, etc.

Final SM and Doctoral Thesis

MIT Libraries Thesis Preparation

Thesis Defense Procedures

SM theses do not require a defense. As we emerge from the pandemic, doctoral thesis defenses can be held in person, or in a hybrid fashion. Doctoral defenses are listed on our EECS events calendar.

Final Thesis Submission

MIT has migrated to an electronic thesis submission process. Signatures are no longer required on the cover page, but the cover page must conform precisely to Institute standards. Janet and Alicia in the EECS Graduate Office can advise degree candidates on the thesis submission process. There are also various forms to be completed at the time of a thesis submission. The EECS Graduate Office will communicate with all degree candidates within two weeks of the start of the term.

Thesis Submission Procedures for May 2024

At the link above, we provide instructions for our new process, where students will upload the final thesis and accompanying documents directly to the EECS Graduate Portal .

Sample SM Thesis Cover Page

Sample SM Dual Thesis Cover Page

Sample PhD Thesis Cover Page

For the May 2024 degree list, the thesis submission deadline will be Friday, May 17, 2024 (at 3 pm).

Additional Resources

Reference Materials for Incoming Graduates

Please use this handbook of Reference Materials for EECS Graduate Students – especially if you have questions at 3am

Faculty Interests Guide

Most theses will be supervised by a member of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) faculty. This guide is intended to help students who are seeking a thesis topic and an appropriate thesis supervisor by listing the EECS faculty and their research.

MIT Academic Integrity Handbook

To ensure that all MIT students understand the high academic standards of the Institute, we have prepared this handbook to help guide you when you approach the writing, research, coding and test-taking tasks your classes will demand of you.

EECS Communication Lab

The EECS Communication Lab offers free, 1-on-1 coaching for any writing, speaking, or visual design task for anyone affiliated with MIT EECS.

Additional Employment Request Form

Bridge Funding Form

This funding is made available to continuing students who run into financial difficulty due to circumstances which are beyond their control. These funds are intended to ‘bridge’ a gap in RA/TA funding and are awarded for one term only. Please speak with Leslie Kolodziejski or Janet Fischer before submitting this form.

SMACT Thesis

Rae Yuping Hsu, Fall 2019 Final Reviews.

The SMACT thesis is twofold, consisting of a dissertation and a realized project presented at the ACT Studio Final Review during the student’s last semester.

This  curriculum worksheet and the ArchThesis portal from the Department of Architecture may be useful to students during their writing of their theses, as well as in preparation of thesis documents for submission.

Preparing for thesis

It is a good idea for students to start looking for a thesis advisor and readers as early in their time at ACT as possible. In addition to being a good way to confirm the availability of faculty they would like to work with, it also gives them an opportunity to clarify their choice of topic, as well as to network.

Once students have confirmed their topics, they might reach out to the ACT Project Archivist to discuss research resources that may be particularly relevant to their work, including databases and special collections at MIT and elsewhere. The archivist’s assistance may be useful as soon as a student’s second semester at ACT, if not earlier.

Thesis advisor

A student’s thesis advisor does not need to be the same faculty member as their academic advisor, who is assigned in the first semester and with whom they consult regarding course selections, academic plan, and overall progress. Their thesis advisor does need to be a tenured or tenure-track (core) ACT faculty member. Students should familiarize themselves with potential advisors’ approaches to theory as well as their practice, and schedule a meeting with whichever faculty member(s) may be most interested to discuss likely thesis topics. In anticipation of selecting a thesis committee by the October of their third semester, students may begin meeting with potential advisors and readers as early as the beginning of their second semester. A good place for students to begin their analysis of which ACT faculty member has research interests that may overlap with their own is the ACT faculty profile pages. Students can only have one thesis supervisor.

Thesis readers

Students can recruit thesis readers from within ACT or Architecture, within MIT, or from outside the Institute. They should focus on individuals whose research interests and background are applicable to their topics. Students are required to have at least one reader from within MIT. Readers may be tenured or non-tenured. Students must have one and are encouraged to have two thesis readers.

How to find thesis readers

Once students have determined one or two likely topics for their theses, they should research scholars within MIT and elsewhere who may be well suited to provide guidance. Within MIT, a good way for them to begin looking for readers is to read what they can on MIT websites about individuals and research groups who may be investigating subjects similar to their topics.

Most department websites have profiles of faculty and groups that can give students a sense of the kind of scholarship taking place there.

On the Architecture website, these pages are

• architecture.mit.edu/people  and
• architecture.mit.edu/program/research ;

At the Media Lab, these listings are available at

• media.mit.edu/people/faculty  and
• media.mit.edu/research/groups-projects

If students are not sure which departments would be the best fit, they can browse through all department websites from this list of departments and programs:  web.mit.edu/education

Once students have found 4 or so faculty who may have interest in their thesis topic, they should contact them to arrange for meetings. Availability as well as relevance is important to consider when looking for readers.

In the first semester , students take  4.387 Theory and History Colloquium . Over the semester students produce a thesis statement, a revision of that statement, an annotated bibliography, and two 1500 word papers addressing their thesis topic from two different perspectives. These two short papers will then be combined into one 10 page final paper.

During the  second semester , students take  4.388 Thesis Preparation . Deliverables for 4.388 include a further developed thesis proposal, an outline of their thesis, a further developed annotated bibliography, and either a methodologies chapter or a sample chapter – in many cases the student is strongly encouraged to produce both. These documents are sent over the summer to potential committee members, with the aim that in the beginning of the third semester the student’s committee will have been formed and their thesis advisor will have been chosen. Due dates for these assignments are specified in the course syllabus.

During their  third semester,  students enroll in  4.389 Thesis Tutorial.  In the October of the third semester, they officially confirm their thesis supervisor and two readers and submit their  thesis committee forms to the Academic Liaison. The committee selections are forwarded to Architecture HQ. Also in October or late September, students meet with the entire ACT academic community and present their thesis proposals to the group.

The student writes the remainder of the thesis during this semester – three to four chapters – and submits a full first draft of the thesis by December 14. The full first draft must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style using Notes and Bibliography, and must include a title page as well as an abstract. There is no set length for the thesis.

Third semester deadlines: End of September or beginning of October: Thesis proposal presentations in ACT Studio. End of October:   Thesis Committee Form  due. December 14: Full first draft of thesis due. The committee form and first draft must be submitted on time in order to obtain a passing grade in Tutorial and ACT Studio. A thesis title must be included.

During their  fourth semester , students apply for their degrees by the February deadline ($50 Registrar fee for late application), enroll in  4.THG Thesis , and revise the thesis, often several times. Final drafts are due to the thesis committee on April 1st, and to the Department of Architecture in early May by the Institute deadline for Master’s theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar , with email or other written confirmation of submission to the Academic Liaison. Students must  adhere to the  Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by MIT Libraries. Confirmations of spring semester thesis submission dates will be provided in early March. Theses cannot be completed over the summer, as ACT faculty will not be present.

Fourth semester deadlines: February: Institute deadline to apply for degree. $50 late fee. See  MIT Graduation Checklist . April: See  MIT Graduation Checklist . Order your cap and gown by the deadline this month if you have not already done so. Thesis due to committee and academic assistant April 1. ACT Studio Finals: Thesis project presented during ACT Studio Final Reviews. Institute Masters’ Thesis deadline: Final thesis submitted to Arch HQ, early May.

Thesis submission

Before printing the thesis on archival paper, students should submit the full document for a thesis formatting pre-check. See ArchThesis for guidelines on formatting, specs, and submission.

Digital Copy

Students can upload high-resolution color PDFs of their theses to MIT’s DSpace  repository. If they do not elect to do so, low-res black and white scans of the hard copy submitted to Architecture HQ will be archived instead.

Degree Requirements