phd in architecture mit

Degree Requirements

Graduate programs.

MArch Curriculum Chart

As the first program of its kind in the United States, the professional degree program at MIT also has a particular responsibility to the future. Defined by the intersection of design and research, our professional program serves as a laboratory for all the innovation and scholarship within the department — while also serving as a laboratory for the future of architectural education itself.

In this laboratory, our students are leaders. The small size of MIT’s MArch program, with 25 students in each class, allows for unique trajectories through MIT into the profession of architecture and beyond. The program’s size also ensures that our experiments together are conducted in an atmosphere of engaged debate — with ourselves, with guests, and with the larger communities that we serve. As well as within the classroom, this culture extends through public lectures and programs within the department, the School of Architecture and Planning, and all of MIT — with students curating the most agile platforms for dialogue.

Though it feeds on everything that surrounds it, the MArch laboratory derives its energy from its key testing ground: the studio. Studio is a key site of iterative, embodied, design learning, where cultural meaning animates methods and materials with urgency. MIT’s MArch studio sequence is both surrounded by and infused with deep disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking, sometimes in support of — and other times deliberately at odds with — studio concerns. It comprises three distinct units: (3) Core Studios, (3) Research Studios, and a Thesis Project. The collective mission of the three Core studios is to offer fundamental architectural methods to students, while opening up a series of different entries into the vocation of an architect, such that students can begin to develop their own positions and become well versed in initiating other entries and paths through the discipline. Each of the Core studios is oriented toward the contemporary conversations and the future of the discipline, which means that they are constantly updated. Though each of them delimits a different set of cultural, technical, and disciplinary issues, together they deliver approaches, attitudes, and questions  we deem essential for students establishing their own research projects and agenda.

For a large part of the population of every incoming class of MArch students, these three studios will be the first experiences in navigating uncertainty in the creative process, the exhilaration of giving form to ideas, imagining material assemblies with specific properties, and searching for the appropriate ways to align architecture’s agency with their own cultural and social ambitions: These will be experienced with increasing levels of control throughout our creative lives. Enabling a lifelong process of iteration and experimentation is the underlying ethos of all three core studios.

Following Core, the Research Studios offer an array of topics at scales that range from 1:1 experimentation in assembly to the geographic scale. They fit — though, never neatly — into several categories of inquiry: architectural, which includes design of buildings and urban life; urban, which includes design of landscape, territories, and the urban fabric; and cross studios, which focus on interdisciplinary topics and open up the possibilities for the final deliverables of the studio to take place in various media suited to the focus of their research.

Seminars and Lecture courses drill down into historical and disciplinary expertise, which contextualize, challenge, and sometimes enable studio’s instrumental thinking, while Workshops provide a platform for faster, more discrete experimentation than is normally conducted in studios. All of these are mechanisms by which faculty involve students in the deep depths of their own research.

The Thesis semester caps the MArch studio sequence. It provides to students a precious and sustained space for their own experimentation with framing the terms of engagement with the world. The size of the program becomes relevant here once again. Many forms and formats of work are possible for this self-directed project: a student could choose to see their contribution at this stage as feeding into a larger project already well under way in the department, or one of the labs currently operating, or as a more intimate dialogue with individual faculty. The buzz, the energy, and the production that take place during the MArch thesis ferment into material artifacts, processes, statements — knowledge — that probes the edges of architecture. The final Thesis presentation, set to be the last event of the semester, is when the faculty involved in the MArch program, together with students and guest critics, celebrate our students’ ideas, risks taken, decisions made in the course of their thesis projects, and all those yet to come.

Those who have not yet studied in a department of architecture and are admitted to MArch at Year 1 require 3½ academic years of residency to fulfill the degree requirements.

Faculty Advising

A faculty advisor with a design background will be assigned to each MArch student before the first term of registration. The advisor will monitor the student’s progress through completion of the degree. 

Subjects and Credit Units

The MArch is awarded upon satisfactory completion of an approved program of 282 graduate units and an acceptable 24-unit thesis for 306 total graduate credits.

Subjects required for the 3½-year program include the following:

• Six architectural design studios (3 core studios and 3 research studios)
• Geometric Disciplines and Architectural Skills I (4.105)
• One Computation restricted elective (4.117, 4.511, 4.521, or 4.567) 
• Three Building Technology subjects (4.464, 4.462, and 4.463)
• Architectural Assemblies (4.123)
• Precedents in Critical Practice (4.210)
• Professional Practice (4.222)
• Architecture from 1750 to the Present (4.645)
• One History, Theory and Criticism restricted elective (4.607, 4.612, 4.621, 4.647, 4.241, or 4.652)
• One History, Theory and Criticism elective
• One Computation/Media Lab elective (4.5xx or MAS.xxx)
• Urban Design elective (11.xxx)
• ACT elective (4.3xx)
• Three open elective subjects (or 24 total credits)
• Preparation for MArch Thesis (4.189)
• Graduate Design Thesis (4.ThG)

All elective subjects must be at least nine units.

Credit for Previous Academic Work

MArch students who have successfully completed the equivalent of one or more required architecture subjects outside MIT (or within MIT as undergraduates) may be given advanced credit for those subjects by submitting a petition for curriculum adjustment with as much relevant material as possible (including a transcript, syllabi, reading lists, problem sets, paper assignments, or portfolios). Petitions are submitted to Kateri Bertin before the first day of class and are then reviewed by the MArch Program Committee by the end of the first month of term. The Committee is composed of one faculty member from each of the four discipline groups. Depending on the subject for which MIT credit is requested, students may substitute an elective in the discipline group or substitute a free elective. All requests must be resolved by the beginning of the penultimate semester.

English Proficiency Requirement

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will prove helpful to students who need to develop the skills necessary to write a thesis.

Jumpstart  

MIT Architecture's Jumpstart is designed to prepare incoming MArch students for the rigors of the first design studio and to develop basic skills. The course is intended for students with little architectural studio experience but is also open to others who would benefit from introductory exposure to unfamiliar software. Jumpstart is created for our MArch student community by our MArch student community. This experience is taught through exercises that have been handed down from year to year and taught by our esteemed teaching fellows (recent graduates).

Policy on Incomplete Subjects and Thesis Semester

MArch students may have no more than one incomplete in a required subject when they register for thesis (4.THG). This incomplete can be no older than one term (received the term prior to thesis registration).

Students who have incompletes from several subjects or incompletes from earlier terms will be denied registration until those subjects are finished and graded. This policy applies to incompletes in subjects required by the degree curriculum or necessary for units toward the degree. 

Academic Audits

A chart indicating progress through the academic requirements will be maintained as part of each student’s file. The administrator of master’s degree programs will distribute this audit to students and to faculty advisors each term.

Thesis Preparation and Thesis

An MArch thesis at MIT operates as an independent thesis project, interrogating the discipline of architecture. The thesis is developed by the student and is supported by a committee of readers and an advisor. In the next-to-last term of registration (the semester prior to thesis), students enroll in Preparation for MArch Thesis (4.189). This course guides students towards declaring a thesis statement as well as forming the thesis committee. The result of this 9-unit subject is a thesis proposal.

The MArch thesis committee is composed of three members. The thesis advisor must be a permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty with an architecture design background. The second and third members (also known as readers) may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional, or a faculty member from another institution. Download the Thesis Committee Guidelines here.

Thesis co-advising is permitted as long as one of the advisors is a permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty with an architecture design background. The other advisor may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional, or a faculty member from another institution.

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.

The MArch Thesis Review Schedule includes deadlines for proposal review, public mid-review, penultimate review, final review, and final thesis document.

The MArch degree is awarded after all the degree requirements have been met and the approved, archival-ready thesis has been submitted to the Department of Architecture by the Institute deadline for master’s theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar . Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

SMACT Degree Requirements

The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMACT program is two academic years. SMACT students do not register for summer term.

A faculty advisor from the Art, Culture and Technology Program is assigned to each SMACT student at matriculation. The advisor will consult on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact; changes in advisor may be made to make this possible. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.

A minimum of 135 units of graduate-level coursework is required, not including thesis. Subjects to be taken:

• 4.390 Art, Culture and Technology Studio is taken each of the four terms of enrollment in the program 
• Two ACT graduate subjects, one of which must be taken with an ACT core faculty member
• Two elective subjects that support student's area of study
• 4.387, SMACT Theory & Criticism Colloquium, taken during first term
• 4.388, SMACT Thesis Preparation, taken during second term
• 4.389 SMACT Thesis Tutorial, taken during third term
• 4.THG, Thesis (registration for thesis), taken during fourth term

Art, Culture and Technology Studio

Art, Culture and Technology Studio (4.390) is restricted to SMACT degree students and serves as the core of the curriculum. It is coordinated by an ACT faculty member and involves the participation of all faculty currently advising SMACT candidates. Students are expected to participate in all class meetings. Attendance at the ACT Lecture Series and other ACT events is expected.

SMACT Thesis

For requirements visit the ACT Website .

SMArchS degree requirement chart

The Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) is a two-year program of advanced study founded on research and inquiry in architecture as a discipline and as a practice. First established at MIT in 1979, the program is intended both for students who already have a professional degree in architecture and those interested in advanced non-professional graduate study. The degree may be pursued in one of six areas: Architectural Design, Architecture & Urbanism, Building Technology, Design & Computation, History, Theory & Criticism, and the Aga Khan Program in Islamic Architecture. With one of these areas as an intellectual home, students are encouraged to explore connections in their research across these areas, and beyond to other programs and departments throughout MIT. SMArchS students work closely with one or more faculty who guide them in planning their courses of studies and in directing them purposefully towards a thesis. Notable strengths of the program are its range of concentration areas of study, its curricular flexibility and cross-disciplinary research focus, as well as its high faculty-student ratio.

Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at MIT is a unique international graduate program designed to promote, sustain, and increase the teaching of architecture in the Islamic world. It prepares students for careers in research, design, and teaching. With strong links with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Aga Khan Programs at Harvard, AKPIA concentrates on the critical study of the history and historiography of Islamic architecture; the interaction between architecture, society, and culture; strategies of urban and architectural preservation; design interventions in disaster areas and environmental and material-sensitive landscape research. The siting of AKPIA at MIT's Department of Architecture is intended to negate the polarizing dichotomy between the discipline of architecture (derived from Western architectural history and praxis) and Islamic Architecture, which is routinely relegated to area and cultural studies.

Architecture and Urbanism

Architecture and Urbanism is a special program for students interested in the development of critical urban design, as well as its history and theory. Consciously locating itself in the contemporary debate about what constitutes good city form with expansive metropolitan regions and systems of cities, the program teaches students to develop articulate and intellectually grounded positions. Students are expected to interrogate current positions within the field in order to explore critical alternatives to existing paradigms of urbanism. The assumption is that design inquiry is an intellectual act with the capacity to yield both critique and alternative possibilities.

The program aims to nurture well-versed, intellectually-robust, and historically-conscious architects who understand the relationship between architecture and urbanism, not as a question of taste and fashion, but as form, process, and associated socio-culturalwith meaning. The program emphasizes a unique combination of both design and scholarship. Our students are unique in their capacity to relate to both. The particular interests of faculty and students may vary, but the goal is always the achievement of the most advanced and effective methods of shaping the form, sustainability, and social condition of the built environment. The design, theory, and elective subjects are also formulated in support of this goal.

The first year of the program builds a student’s foundation with a required sequence of two studios and two theory courses. All incoming students participate in an introductory urban design studio in the fall, and a choice of urban design studio options in the spring. A course in urban design theory is taught in the fall and theory of city form in the spring. In the fall of second year, students take a thesis preparation course and have the option of enrolling in a third studio course. All students complete a master’s thesis. Students may tailor their work to a diverse array of interests, and are encouraged to engage intellectually with surrounding disciplines.

Architectural Design

The Design program offers both a theoretical foundation in the history and development of architectural design pedagogy and praxis and a platform for applied research into new design methodologies. To nurture independent theses related to the notion of design, the program aims to equip students with a critical understanding of different modes of creative synthetic production with particular focus on emerging modes of design activity, conceptual or technical, and on the potential for radicalizing current modes of architectural and building praxis.

The program encourages interdisciplinary engagement with other areas of specialist research within the Department and across the entire Institute, seeking to benefit from the remarkable academic and research environment of MIT. We see Design as a potentially integrative activity and support work that is collaborative or that bridges to other domains of knowledge.

The rich graduate design studios and workshops in the Architecture Department and Media Lab are open to SMArchS students, but the program intends to offer a distinctly post-graduate opportunity for individual design enquiry structured by seminars and lectures that give critical depth to such independent research work.

Building Technology

Building Technology offers students the opportunity to explore critical topics for the future of the built environment and resources. This area explores ways to use design and technology to create buildings that contribute to a more humane and environmentally responsible built world. Strategies employed toward these ends include integrated architectural design strategies, resource accounting through material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, building and urban energy modeling and simulation, human comfort analysis and control design and engineering and other technologically-informed design methods. Students interested in any of these strategies will be challenged to address topics of clear and important relevance to the future of the built environment through creative and analytically rigorous approaches.

Research areas supervised by the faculty address innovative materials and assemblies, emerging and nontraditional building materials, low-energy and passive building energy strategies, innovative analysis and modeling of historic structures and various issues of energy and material resources at the urban scale, including urban environmental sensing, the urban heat island effect and urban metabolism. Ideally, students entering into the program will be incorporated into active and ongoing research projects while pursuing their own intellectual and career agendas. These projects change regularly and individual faculty are best informed of current research position opportunities.

Students will often work alongside students from other departments, including Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning and others. The only class requirement stipulated by the BT group, 4.481 Building Technology Seminar, is offered during the first semester. BT SMArchS students will be accommodated in the Building Technology student lab area and will have the opportunity to work with and share their interests with BT students in other degree programs.

These areas of study are offered with the primary intention of providing the tools and perspectives necessary for changing the nature of the built environment toward a resource-efficient future. Students of diverse educational backgrounds and interests are considered.

Design and Computation

The Computation Group inquires into the varied nature and practice of computation in architectural design, and the ways in which design meaning, intention, and knowledge are constructed through sensing, thinking, and making computationally. It focuses on the development of innovative computational tools, processes and theories, and applying these in creative, socially meaningful responses to challenging design problems.

History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art

SMArchS students in History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art will expand upon prior experience (which can be in design, theory, history, practice, or other post-undergraduate work) to explore compelling research that links historical or contemporary topics with methodological issues. Working alongside doctoral students in the program, SMArchS students will be exposed to a wide range of historical periods and theoretical approaches. It is expected that research topics will be developed in close discussion with HTC faculty, building on the required Methods seminar (taken twice) to clarify the appropriate scope and original sources required for the master's thesis. The HTC program is intensely interdisciplinary, and students are expected to enrich their core disciplines of history and theory with inquiry into other fields as appropriate for their research interests. Opportunities occasionally emerge for HTC students to become involved in editing, organizing research symposia, and preparing exhibitions; students will also be brought into discussion with colleagues from across the discipline groups in the SMArchS program.

The following information applies to SMArchS degree programs in all disciplines.

The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMArchS program is two full academic years, to be completed in four consecutive semesters of enrollment.

A faculty advisor from the Department of Architecture is assigned to each SMArchS student at matriculation. The advisor weighs in on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.

The SMArchS degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of an approved program of at least 96 graduate units, and an acceptable thesis.

Students, with their advisors, construct individual programs of study focused on their particular interests. Subjects that must be taken include:

• 4.221, Architecture Studies Colloquium (1st term)
• One or two core subjects in methods from the list below depending on the student’s area of study (1st and/or 2nd semester): Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture : 4.619 Historiography of Islamic Architecture and 4.621 Orientalism and Representation Architectural Design : 4.130 Architecture Design Theory and Methodologies Architecture and Urbanism : 4.228 Contemporary Urbanism Proseminar: Theory and Representation, and 4.163J Urban Design Studio Building Technology : 4.481, Building Technology Seminar Design and Computation : 4.580, Inquiry into Computation and Design History, Theory and Criticism : 4.661, Theory and Method in the Study of Architecture and Art (HTC students are required to take this subject both fall terms of their residency)
• Six subjects within the student’s area of interest; in the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, one additional required subject is 4.612 Islamic Architecture and the Environment; in Architecture and Urbanism, two of the subjects must be 4.241J Theory of City Form and one approved option design studio
• 4.288 SMArchS Architectural Design Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.286 SMArchS Urbanism Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.587 SMArchS Computation Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.686 SMArchS AKPIA Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.688 HTC Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.288 Preparation for SMArchS Thesis for SMArchS AD only (2nd term)
• 4.288, Preparation for SMArchS Thesis; SMArchS AD students register for 4.ThG Graduate Thesis (3rd term)
• 4.THG, Graduate Thesis (final term)

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will be necessary for students who need to develop the language skills suitable for a written thesis.

SMArchS students may have no more than one incomplete in a required subject when they register for thesis (4.THG). This incomplete can be no older than one term (received the term prior to thesis registration).

Students who have incompletes from several subjects or incompletes from earlier terms will be denied registration until those subjects are finished and graded. This policy applies to incompletes in subjects required by the degree curriculum or needed for units toward the degree.

SMArchS Thesis Preparation and Thesis Schedule

Thesis Preparation

Students enroll in Preparation for SMArchS Thesis (4.288) their third term of registration.

By Week 7, students finalize selecting a thesis advisor. The result of this 9-unit subject is a well-formulated thesis proposal and a department-scheduled presentation of the thesis proposal at the end of the term. By Week 14, students must submit a signed copy of the thesis proposal form and thesis proposal to the degree administrator for master's programs in the headquarters of the Department of Architecture. Once the SMArch Committee has approved the thesis proposals in consultation with the thesis advisor, students are permitted to register for thesis the following semester. Any student who is not able to produce an acceptable thesis proposal by the end of the term will be given until the end of IAP to produce a thesis proposal. If the proposal is still not acceptable, the student will be required to retake Preparation for SMArchS Thesis (4.288) their fourth term of registration.

The SMArchS thesis committee is composed of at least two and no more than three members. The thesis advisor must be permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty. The first reader must be a permanent faculty member of the Department of Architecture or a related department at MIT. The third member (second reader) may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional or a faculty member from another institution.

Co-thesis supervision is permitted as long as one of the advisors in a permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty. The other advisor may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional or a faculty member from another institution.

SMArchS students who have an approved thesis proposal are required to register for 36 units of thesis (4.THG) in their fourth and final term.

During Week 7 (before Spring Vacation), each discipline area will schedule the thesis review for its students. At the review, students will submit a draft or prototype or complete conceptual design of the thesis to his/her thesis committee, and reviewers from across the discipline areas will attend the reviews. If a student's progress is not satisfactory, the student will not be permitted to present at the final review.

During Week 11, SMArchS students will submit one copy of the thesis book to their thesis committees and meet with their thesis committees to formally defend the thesis.

NOTE: The Week 11 defense is a penultimate review. Presenting at the final review is seen as a privilege, not a right. Faculty is under no compunction to pass inadequate work. If a student's work is found wanting, s/he will not be allowed to present at the public final review. The committee may decide not to pass the thesis, or alternatively, pass it only after the student undertakes additional work to meet targets set by the committee, on a date agreed on by the latter. An extension beyond the academic year will only be granted in response to a written petition by the student concerned. The petition must be addressed to the SMArchS committee, upon which the committee will reach a decision in consultation with the thesis advisor.

By Week 14, students will submit two copies of the final approved, archival-ready thesis to the headquarters of the Department of Architecture by the Institute deadline for master's theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar. Consult the SMArchS Degree Administrator to confirm the thesis submission deadline. Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

The SMArchS thesis final presentations are scheduled by the Department during the last week of the term (Week 15). These presentations, also known as final reviews, are made to the Department of Architecture community, faculty, students, and invited external reviewers. A copy of each thesis book submitted during Week 14 will be available at the reviews.

The SMArchS degree is awarded after all the degree requirements have been met, and after two copies of the approved, archival-ready thesis have been submitted to the headquarters of the Department of Architecture by the Institute deadline for master's theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar . Consult the SMArchS Degree Administrator to confirm the thesis submission deadline. Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

SMBT Requirements form

The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMBT program is three terms, one of which may be a summer term. However, many take two academic years to complete all the requirements.

Each student in Building Technology is assigned a faculty advisor at matriculation. The advisor weighs in on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact; changes can be made to make this possible. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.

A Report of Completed SMBT Requirements form is kept by the degree administrator in the headquarters of the Department of Architecture. It is the student's responsibility to work with the thesis advisor to keep this report updated and on file.

A minimum of 66 units of graduate-level coursework is required. Credit received for thesis (4.THG) registration does not count toward this minimum.

Subjects to be taken include:

• 4.481, Building Technology Seminar, taken in the fall of the first year of registration. It is expected that the thesis proposal will be a product of this subject.
• 2 subjects in a single field of specialization (major), chosen from thermal science, structures, materials, controls, lighting and systems analysis.
• 1 subject from another field of specialization (minor) in Building Technology. Other fields may also be accepted for specialization with advisor approval.
• 1 subject in applied mathematics.
• Thesis registration, 4.THG, is allowed only if the thesis proposal has been approved and the Report of Completed SMBT Requirements has been submitted.

A thesis is required for the SMBT degree. The topic is selected from a subject currently being investigated by the faculty, and research is carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty member in the program. This faculty member will be the student's advisor and must approve the thesis proposal prior to thesis registration. Thesis readers are optional.

The SMBT is awarded after two copies of the defended, approved, archival-ready thesis have been submitted to Department of Architecture headquarters by the Institute deadline for master's theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar. Students must adhere to the Specification for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to comfortably write a thesis.

PhD- Building Technology

BT/PhD Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to fill out the appropriate section of the Report of Completed BT/PhD Requirements upon completion of the requirements listed below. This document is submitted to the degree administrator and kept in the student's official departmental file. The degree administrator informs the MIT registrar when the degree requirements have been fulfilled.

Qualifying Paper

The qualifying paper, which often emerges from the Building Technology Seminar (4.481), should demonstrate the student's potential for work at a high standard of scholarship. The paper must be completed and accepted by the dissertation committee before a student can continue to the general examination. Insufficiencies in the qualifying paper may require remedial subject work on the part of the student.

Dissertation Proposal

The PhD dissertation is a major work that makes an original scholarly contribution to the field of investigation. Most BT/PhD dissertation research will be a portion of a sponsored research project. The dissertation is the main focus of the doctoral program and the primary indicator of a PhD student's ability to carry out significant independent research. The Building Technology dissertation must result in advances in the state of the art that are worthy of publication in a respected technical journal in the field.

Approval of the dissertation topic is gained through a proposal submitted to the dissertation committee no later than the end of the second term of registration. Once the proposal has been approved, the student may register for Graduate Thesis (4.THG).

Coursework: Major and Minor Fields

Coursework is selected in consultation with the faculty advisor. A normal registration load is 36 units, which would be a combination of specific subjects and research. Though the core group of subjects will be within the department, students are encouraged to take outside subjects. Building Technology Seminar (4.481) is the only specific subject required for the degree and is taken during the student's first term. Typically a student's program will include at least five graduate subjects in the major field and three in the minor field. Preparation for Building Technology PhD Thesis (4.489) is used as registration for research until the dissertation proposal has been approved. After that point, Graduate Thesis (4.THG) is used as registration for research.

General Examination

The purpose of the qualifying examination is to determine whether the student possesses the attributes of a doctoral candidate: mastery of the disciplines of importance to building technology and ingenuity and skill in identifying and solving unfamiliar problems. The examination consists of two parts. (1) A demonstration of mastery in three areas through coursework and (2) a presentation of research as explained below.

Subject Area Mastery Allowable subjects are listed in Discipline areas for the Building Technology PhD General Exam / Record of subject mastery. To pass the subject area mastery portion of the doctoral general exam, students must earn three As and one B (or four As) in at least four subjects chosen across three of the seven areas from Table 1. Substitutions of subjects not included in the table will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require approval from all BT faculty.

Research Presentation The research presentation exam will take place over 120 minutes, and should include a 45 minute formal presentation by the doctoral student, followed by 45-60 minutes of questions and discussion with all BT faculty. The research presented should be ongoing research or recently completed research carried out in Building Technology. The presentation should put the work in context, present research findings and propose future work. It will be evaluated both for intellectual content and for clarity of communication. The discussion portion of the exam led by BT faculty may cover both the presented work specifically as well as a broader range of related topics to gauge the student's familiarity with their research content.

Logistics Examinations are offered in January (last week of IAP) and May (the week after final exams). Students must obtain permission of their advisor to take the exam. In case a student is working on a multidisciplinary research topic with a significant component falling outside the expertise of any BT faculty, an expert (ideally MIT faculty) representing the topic area should participate in the general exam. The advisor will invite this expert in consultation with the student. All students must complete the coursework and research presentation portions of the exam by the end of their fourth semester in the PhD program. Advisors of PhD students will submit to the BT faculty the proposed plan for coursework completion for each of their advisees at least three months before the research presentation. Students who do not pass may be invited to retake certain subjects or repeat the research presentation, or they may be asked to terminate their enrollment in the PhD program.

Dissertation Defense

A dissertation committee of three or more people, generally assembled in the first semester of registration, supervises research and writing of the dissertation. The student's advisor is always a member of the dissertation committee and typically serves as its chair. The chair must be a member of the Building Technology faculty. In special circumstances, one of the three members of the dissertation committee may be selected from outside the Department of Architecture. The student is responsible for arranging meetings with the committee at least once each term.

A final draft of the completed dissertation must be delivered to each committee member one month prior to the scheduled defense. The dissertation is presented orally in an open meeting of the faculty of the department; at least three faculty members must be present. After the presentation, the dissertation is either accepted or rejected.

The PhD is awarded after two copies of the defended, approved, archival-ready dissertation have been submitted to the Department of Architecture at its headquarters. The copies must be submitted by the Institute deadline for doctoral theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar . Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

Nonresident Research Status

Students are expected to carry out thesis research while in residence at the Institute. It is rare that a PhD candidate in BT will need to apply for nonresident status. However, should a student who has completed all requirements except for the dissertation need to continue thesis research in years beyond the awarded funding, he or she may opt to apply for nonresident research status with the permission of the dissertation advisor.

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required degree credits but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to comfortably write a dissertation. It is expected that required ESL subjects will be taken within the first year of the student’s program.

PhD- Design and Computation

Computation/PhD Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to fill out the appropriate section of the Report of Completed Computation/PhD Requirements upon completion of the requirements listed below. This document is submitted to the degree administrator and kept in the student's official departmental file. The degree administrator informs the MIT registrar that the degree requirements have been fulfilled.

Subject Work

PhD Students are expected to complete at 144 units of subject work while in residency at MIT. This is usually accomplished over two years by enrolling in an average of 36 units per term, which equals three or four subjects per term. In those special cases where the student is awarded advanced standing at admission, the unit requirement is lowered accordingly. The only specific subject requirement is 4.581 Proseminar in Computation. All other subjects are selected in consultation with the faculty advisor and may be taken both in and out of the Department of Architecture. Registration in 4.THG, Graduate Thesis, does not count toward the 144-unit requirement.

PhD students in Computation are expected to enroll in 4.581, Proseminar in Computation, during their first year in residence. The Proseminar is meant to provide a rigorous grounding in the field with a focus on specific research topics related to architecture and design practice.

Major and Minor Fields

Major and minor fields must be approved by the student's advisory committee, which is selected with the assistance of the advisor in the first year of enrollment. Normally, the minor field requirement will be satisfied by outstanding performance in three related subjects (not less than 27 units). The major field requirement is satisfied upon successful completion of the general examination.

The general examination is given after required subject work is completed and is taken no later than the third year of residency. The general examination is meant to show broad and detailed competence in the student's major field of concentration and supporting areas of study. The content and format of the general examination are decided by the student's advisory committee in consultation with the student. The committee evaluates the examination upon completion and may 1) accept the examination, 2) ask for further evidence of competence, or 3) determine that the examination has not been passed. In the event that the general examination is not passed, the committee may allow the student to repeat the examination or may recommend that the student withdraw from the PhD program.

The PhD dissertation is a major work that makes an original scholarly contribution. It is the main focus of the doctoral program in Design and Computation, and it serves as the primary indicator of a PhD student's ability to carry out significant independent research.

The dissertation committee comprises a minimum of three members — one thesis advisor, who also serves as the dissertation committee chair, and two readers. The chair must be a permanent member of the Computation faculty and the student's advisor. The first reader must be a permanent faculty member of MIT. The second reader may come from Computation or may be a faculty member appointed from outside the department or the Institute. Students may add more members in consultation with their advisor. The student is responsible for arranging meetings with the committee members on a regular basis.

Formal approval of the dissertation topic is gained through a proposal, which the student submits and defends to his or her dissertation committee prior to the completion of the sixth semester of registration. The proposal should contain these elements:

• General statement of scope of the thesis
• Significance of the thesis
• Survey of existing research and literature with critical comments and an assessment of the extent to which this material will be utilized
• Method of the thesis work
• Outline or brief sketch of the thesis
• Working bibliography
• Resources for primary material
• Plan of work, including a timetable

An oral examination in which the candidate meets with the dissertation committee to discuss the proposal marks the formal acceptance of the topic. The result of the defense can be that the thesis proposal is accepted, accepted with revisions or rejected.

Students will often register for Preparation for Computation PhD Thesis (4.589) in the term leading up to their proposal defense. Once the proposal has been approved, the student may register for 4.THG, Graduate Thesis. The student may be asked to present his or her dissertation proposal in the class Research Seminar in Computation (4.582).

Students are advised to meet with committee members to obtain comments and guidance throughout the writing phase of the project. Regular contact with committee members during the process of drafting the thesis can ensure a student's readiness for thesis defense. The final draft should be submitted to committee members at least one month prior to the defense. The defense should be scheduled at least two weeks prior to the published Institute PhD thesis deadline.

The dissertation is defended by oral presentation in front of the dissertation committee. At least three faculty members must be present. If a member of the committee is not able to attend, he or she must contact the committee chair with comments and questions. That member must also inform the committee chair of a vote.

The result of the defense can be that the thesis is accepted, accepted with revisions or rejected. If the thesis is accepted with revisions, the student makes the necessary changes to the document and submits them within an agreed time frame to all or some of the committee members. If rejected, the student must re-defend according to a timetable agreed upon at the defense.

Students are expected to carry out thesis research while in residence at MIT. It is rare that a PhD candidate in Design and Computation will need to apply for nonresident status. However, should a student who has completed all requirements except for the dissertation need to continue thesis research in years beyond the awarded funding, he or she may opt to apply for nonresident research status with the permission of the dissertation advisor.

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required degree credits but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to write a dissertation.

PhD- History, Theory and Criticism

PhD students complete 204 units (not including registration in 4.THG) during their residency at MIT. This is usually accomplished over the first three years of residency by enrolling in an average of 36 units per term, the equivalent of three subjects. The breakdown of required subjects is as follows:

• 4.661, Methods Seminar, is taken each fall term for first two years—2 x 12 = 24 units
• Nine subjects completed by the end of the second year: lecture, seminar and/or independent study—9 x 12 = 108 units
• 4.683, Preparation for HTC Qualifying Paper = 15 units; taken in the 4th or 5th semester
• 4.684 Preparation for HTC Major Exam = 27 units; taken in the 5th semester
• 4.685 Preparation for HTC Minor Exam = 15 units; taken in the 6th semester
• 4.689 Preparation for HTC PhD Thesis = 15 units; taken in the 6th semester

Independent study subjects may be taken with advisor approval after the first year of residency. No more than one independent study project may be taken per term, and no more than 12 units may be devoted to any one research project. Registration for an independent study project requires completion of a departmental Independent Study Project form, this constitutes a contract for the deadlines and deliverables for the subject and the definition of supervisory involvement.

Advancement to Candidacy:

A student is advanced to doctoral candidacy on completion of the following “hurdles,” which should be completed by the end of the third year of studies:

• Qualifying paper—register for 4.683 (15 credit units)
• General exam: major field—register for 4.684 (27 credit units)
• General exam: minor field—register for 4.685 (15 credit units)
• Language requirement
• Dissertation proposal—register for 4.689 (15 credit units)

Students are responsible for planning their hurdles in consultation with their advisor in a timely manner, in order to complete the planner for HTC degree requirements available from the HTC office (Room 3-305). The planner must be submitted in the fall of the second year, with updates submitted as needed. The sequence of hurdles completion can be determined by the student in consultation with his/her advisor. All pre-thesis requirements* must be completed and approved by the first week of the fourth year. Failure to complete pre-thesis requirements by the end of the third year (term 7) may result in the suspension of funding. [* “Pre-thesis” includes the dissertation proposal. When that document is completed and filed, assuming all other hurdles are completed, then the student may enroll in “Thesis,” 4.THG.]

Additional paperwork must be submitted to confirm completion of each of the above hurdles; this paperwork is signed by the student’s advisor and by the Director of HTC. The HTC faculty meet at the end of each Spring semester to review student progress in general and advance students to the status of candidacy (also known as “ABD”). Once approved, copies of the internal HTC documents are submitted to the Department of Architecture degree administrator and filed in the student's official departmental file. The degree administrator communicates with the Registrar when degree requirements have been fulfilled, and allows the Institute to certify candidacy.

It is strongly recommended that work on the QP be completed within one month. The paper must be the result of a seminar or directed research conducted during the student's HTC study at MIT and may not be part of thesis research. The instructor for the class administers the paper, but if this faculty member is outside HTC, the paper should also be read by a member of the HTC faculty to administer the grade. The core criterion for the paper is that it should be ready for publication in a scholarly journal. Since this requirement should be completed before the general exams, the paper topic should be discussed with the advisor no later than the third semester. Register for 15 credit units of 4.683 the term in which the qualifying paper is submitted.

General Examination: Major and Minor Fields

The fields of examination are set by mutual agreement between the student and their advisor. The purpose is to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the student's critical awareness of the discipline in which he or she works. Most universities, research institutions and other potential employers require assurance that a graduate has areas of competency beyond his or her specialization.

It is strongly recommended that work on the minor exam be completed in three months. The minor exam may cover a different time period from the major exam, or it may have a theoretical focus that complements the historical focus of the major exam, or it may cover in depth a topic within the broader field covered in the major exam. The minor exam may be a three-hour written test, or it may consist of preparing materials for a subject: specifically, a detailed syllabus, a bibliography, an introductory lecture and at least one other lecture. Register for 15 credit units of 4.685 the term in which the minor is completed.

It is strongly recommended that work on the major exam be completed in three months. The major exam is a three-hour written test covering a historically broad area of interest that includes components of history, historiography and theory. Preparation for the exam will focus on four or five themes agreed upon in advance. Register for 27 credit units of 4.684 the term in which the major is completed.

Although it is possible for one professor to give both exams, such an arrangement limits the student's exposure to the faculty. With approval, a faculty member outside HTC may administer the exam. In this case, an HTC faculty member must also read the exam.

Topics and examiners should be finalized no later than the fourth semester. One exam can be taken as early as the end of the fourth semester.

Language Requirement

It is recommended that students complete their language requirement by the end of the fourth term. Because of the foundational role French and German have played in the discipline of art and architectural history, successful study or testing in these two languages constitutes the usual fulfillment of this requirement. For students working on topics for which there is another primary language, a substitution may be approved by the student’s advisor. The MIT Global Studies and Languages department administers graduate language examinations.

The language exam can only be waived under the following circumstances:

• The student is a native speaker of the language needed
• Two years of university courses (two years minimum) have been completed for a language not administered by the language department, and a “B” or better average grade was maintained

Credits accumulated from language subjects taken to fulfill this requirement cannot be used toward the 204 credits of coursework required for the degree.

A dissertation advisor should be selected by the end of the fourth semester. During the fifth semester, the Thesis Topic Workshop will be held for the student to present the broad outlines of a topic, to identify relevant archives, and to review methodologies. It is estimated that the writing and revising of the proposal should take no more than four months.

Immediately following the Thesis Topic Workshop in the fifth semester, an appropriate dissertation committee should be proposed by the student and approved in principle by the advisor. (The committee may be changed with the approval of the advisor up to the eighth semester.) The dissertation committee comprises a minimum of three members; two must be MIT Department of Architecture faculty members, and the chair must be a member of the HTC faculty (and the student's main advisor). The third member may come from HTC or may be appointed from outside the department or outside the Institute. Students may add additional members in consultation with their advisor.

The dissertation proposal should be drafted and defended by the end of the sixth semester. Formal approval of the dissertation topic is gained through a proposal, which the student submits and defends to his or her dissertation committee prior to the end of the sixth semester of registration. The student is strongly advised to have an informal meeting of the committee some weeks prior to the formal defense, to reach a consensus that the thesis topic is of the right scale and the prospectus itself is ready to be defended. Register for 15 credit units of 4.689 the term in which the dissertation proposal is submitted.

A dissertation proposal (also called a prospectus) should contain these elements:

• General thesis statement
• Scope, significance or “stakes” of the thesis
• Outline or brief sketch of the dissertation, e.g. summaries of proposed chapters
• Archives and proof of access; IRB approval if required

The formal defense of the prospectus consists of an oral examination in which the candidate meets with the dissertation committee; the committee decides whether the prospectus is approved as is, requires further revision, or does not pass the defense.

When the appropriate paperwork is filed with the HTC administrator in acknowledgment of successful completion of this exam, the dissertation topic and proposal are considered approved. The student is passed to candidacy. Once the proposal has been approved, the student may register for 4.THG, Graduate Thesis.

Regular contact with committee members during the process of drafting the thesis can ensure a student's readiness for the final thesis defense. Students are advised to meet with committee members to obtain comments and guidance throughout the writing phase of the project. The final draft should be submitted to committee members no later than one month prior to the defense. The defense cannot be scheduled any later than two weeks prior to the published Institute PhD thesis deadline.

The dissertation is defended in the presence of the full dissertation committee. If a member of the committee is not able to attend or participate by virtual means (speakerphone, video call), he or she must contact the committee chair with comments and questions. That member must also inform the committee chair of a vote.

The result of the defense can be that the thesis is accepted, accepted with revisions or rejected. If the thesis is accepted with revisions, the student makes the necessary changes to the document and submits them within an agreed time frame to all or some of the committee members, as determined at the defense. If rejected, the student must re-defend according to a timetable agreed upon at the defense. Students are strongly advised to set a defense date three months before the Institute’s deadlines to allow for revisions and avoid compressing the time given to the committee to read the dissertation.

The PhD is awarded after two copies of the defended, approved, archival-ready dissertation have been submitted to the Department of Architecture at its headquarters. The copies must be submitted by the Institute deadline for doctoral theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar. Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

Thesis Research in Absentia

Acceptance into the program is granted with the presumption that students will remain in residence at the Institute while completing the degree. However, on occasion, work away from the Institute may be essential for such tasks as gathering data. Students who have completed all requirements except for the dissertation may therefore apply to take one or two semesters in absentia. A proposal for thesis in absentia , which outlines work to be accomplished, should be delivered to the director of HTC no later than the drop date of the semester prior to the one in which the student plans to be away. (The student should consult with the Academic Administrator in Headquarters as well as HTC staff for a review of the financial and academic implications of TIA status.) Both the HTC faculty, the Department, and the dean of the graduate school must grant approval. Students must return to regular registration status for the final term in which the dissertation is to be submitted to the Institute. However, the dissertation draft may be submitted to the student’s primary advisor and committee members at any time during the TIA period. Similarly, the defense can also be scheduled at any time (as long as the committee has at least 4 weeks to read the full and final draft). Regular registration status is required only in order to file the archival copy and apply for the degree.

Students are expected to carry out thesis research while in residence at the Institute. However, should a student who has completed all requirements except for the dissertation need to continue thesis research in years beyond the awarded funding, he or she may opt to apply for nonresident research status with the permission of the dissertation advisor (the student should consult with the Academic Administrator in Headquarters as well as HTC staff for a review of the financial and academic implications of non-resident status).

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The School of Architecture and Planning (SA+P) has supported MIT's mission of meeting the world's greatest challenges since its start in 1865. While advocating the forward-looking, technologically driven optimism of MIT, the School also invests in critically reflecting on technological innovation—its social impact and confrontation with cultural values.

SA+P is made up of six main divisions—the Department of Architecture; the Department of Urban Studies and Planning; the Media Lab; the MIT Center for Real Estate; the Art, Culture, and Technology Program; and the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism. Over the years, the School has embraced a broader range of fields that address and improve human environments.

What binds these fields together is a strong commitment to the deployment of technology toward social good. What also binds them is the use of design and deliberation approaches toward action that are distinct from but complementary to the engineering approach to problem solving.

Design is a main unifying approach of SA+P activities. We believe that design and policy interventions should be grounded in a commitment to improving individual human lives, equity and social justice, cultural enrichment, and the responsible use of resources through creative problem solving and project execution. Our curriculum empowers students with skills that enable them to design physical spaces, policies, and technologies that will shape how those spaces are used, with the goal of sustaining and enhancing the quality of the human environment at all scales, from the personal to the global.

The School of Architecture and Planning enrolls an average of 600–700 students a year in a collection of courses ranging from Renaissance architecture to the cities of tomorrow, digital fabrication, motion graphics, shape grammars, photography, sensor systems, integrative design across disciplines, news and participatory media, and construction finance. By far the largest number of those students enter our graduate programs, and many pursue cross-disciplinary studies and dual degrees among those programs and others at the Institute.

Throughout the years, we have been noted for the diversity of our student body, drawing on candidates from around the world and from all walks of life. The Department of Architecture graduated its first woman, Sophia Hayden, in 1890, and three years later, Robert Taylor became the first African American to graduate from an American architecture program—a tradition of inclusiveness that continues today.

Global Projects

One of MIT's founding principles is the belief that professional competence is best fostered by focusing teaching and research on real problems in the real world. Accordingly, a central aspect of our teaching and research is our ongoing participation in global initiatives—many of them collaborative undertakings among our six divisions, with other divisions of MIT, and with public and private institutions in the United States and abroad.

SA+P is fully committed to the mission of leadership both locally and globally. As a result of this commitment, faculty play a central role in preparing students to be leaders and good global citizens who engage with the problems facing countries at all stages of development by taking part in the public discussion of issues on a global scale and studying, developing, and applying best practices around the world.

Our history stretches back a century and a half, providing our current students with a legacy and long tradition of pioneering excellence. The Department of Architecture was the first such department in the nation (1865) and became a leader in introducing Modernism to America. The program in city planning was the second of its kind in the country (1932), later evolving into the current Department of Urban Studies and Planning, the longest continuous planning program in the United States and repeatedly ranked number one in the nation.

The Media Lab, the birthplace of multimedia computing (1985), has come to be known around the world as a world-class incubator of new design ideas; the Center for Real Estate established the nation's first one-year graduate program in real estate development (1984); and the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (1967), now part of the new Program in Art, Culture, and Technology, pioneered the use of technologies such as lasers, plasma sculptures, sky art, and holography as tools of expression in public and environmental art. The Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism (2012), established as a premier research center focused on the design and planning of large-scale, complex 21st-century metropolitan environments, aims to redefine the field of urban design to meet contemporary challenges, utilizing interdisciplinary collaborative practices and the most advanced analytical and representational tools.

More recently, the Sustainable Urbanization Lab (SUL) was established to study behavioral foundations for urban and environmental planning and policies aimed at sustainable urbanization in the most rapidly urbanizing regions of the world. Reflecting the need to examine sustainable development at a global scale, three new projects were introduced to extend the China Future City’s analytical framework beyond China to incorporate a global analysis of sustainable urbanization. The SUL will be defined by three "blocks", two of which are interrelated research themes: Environmental Sustainability and Place-based Policies, and Self-Sustaining Urban Growth; the third block, the China Future City Program educational program, will continue to serve as the MIT's teaching and research center on China’s urbanization.

The Rotch Library is one of the nation's premier resources in architecture and planning, offering extensive depth in architecture, building technology, art history, photography, environmental studies, land use, urban design, housing and community development, regional planning, urban transportation, and real estate. Its visual collections hold more than 60,000 digital images and 380,000 slides.

The School's Wolk Gallery mounts several shows a year in its exhibition space, overseen by the curator of architecture and design at the MIT Museum. The Keller Gallery, a vest-pocket space of about 200 square feet, shows a steady stream of faculty, student, and experimental projects, including work from alumni and friends. The PLAZmA Digital Gallery is an electronic showcase of work and events on display in the School's public areas, featuring faculty and student work.

The MIT Museum frequently features exhibitions on architecture and visual studies in its main galleries at 265 Massachusetts Avenue, as well as in its Compton Gallery, located in the heart of campus under the big dome. The Museum's website spotlights its wide range of collections as well as exhibitions no longer on display in its galleries.

The List Visual Arts Center, three galleries on the first floor of the Media Lab's Wiesner Building, presents 5–8 shows a year exploring contemporary artmaking in all media. Rotch Library also features exhibitions of student, staff, and faculty work, as well as shows drawing from its collections, in its space in Building 7-238.

Degrees Offered in the School of Architecture and Planning

Urban science and planning with computer science (course 11-6).

Many departments make it possible for a graduate student to pursue a simultaneous master’s degree.

Several departments also offer undesignated degrees, which lead to the Bachelor of Science without departmental designation. The curricula for these programs offer students opportunities to pursue broader programs of study than can be accommodated within a four-year departmental program.

The selection process at MIT is holistic and student centered; each application is evaluated within its unique context. Selection is based on outstanding academic achievement as well as a strong match between the applicant and the Institute.

Undergraduate applicants do not apply to a particular school, department, or program. Although the application asks about a preferred field of study, admitted undergraduates are not required to choose a major until their sophomore year. Admissions information for regular and transfer applicants  is provided in the Undergraduate section , as well as on the undergraduate admissions website .

Applicants for graduate study apply directly to their particular department or program of interest. See the individual department and program descriptions for specific requirements.

Office of the Dean

Hashim Sarkis, MArch, PhD Professor of Architecture Professor of Urban Planning Dean, School of Architecture and Planning

Martha Collins Assistant Dean for Human Resources and Administration

Barbara Feldman Assistant Dean for Development

Ken Goldsmith Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration

Monica Orta Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Student Support

Melissa Vaughn Director of Communications

Dineen Doucette Manager of Finance and Human Resources Administration

James Harrington Facilities Manager

Nicholas Marmor Manager of Business Development

Lori B. Gans Individual Giving Officer

Maria Iacobo Communications Strategist

Hélène Rieu-Isaacs Administrative Assistant, Development and Finance

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Architecture

77 Massachusetts Avenue Building 7-337 Cambridge MA, 02139

617-715-4490 [email protected]

Website: Architecture

Application Opens: September 15

Deadline: January 7 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Fee: $75.00

Terms of Enrollment

Fall Term (September)

Standardized Tests

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

• The GRE is not required for any Architecture program

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

• Minimum score required: 7
• Electronic scores send to: MIT Graduate Admissions

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

• Minimum score required: 110 (iBT) 637 (PBT) for PhD program in History, Theory, and Criticism
• Minimum score required: 100 (iBT) 600 (PBT) for all other programs
• Institute code: 3514
• Department code: 12

The IELTS exam is preferred over the TOEFL. Waivers are not offered.

Areas of Research

• Architectural Design
• Architecture and Urbanism
• Art, Culture and Technology
• Building Technology
• Design and Computation
• History, Theory, and Criticism of Architecture
• History, Theory, and Criticism of Art
• Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

Financial Support

The Department wants to make it possible for all of our students to graduate with a debt no larger than they can reasonably expect to repay while working in their profession.

Financial aid from the Department is in the form of direct tuition awards and Departmental employment. Financial aid awards to Master’s degree students are in the form of a partial tuition award. Master’s degree students are also eligible to compete for work opportunities in the form of Teaching or Research Assistantships or hourly positions.

Application Requirements

• Online application
• Statement of objectives
• Transcripts
• English proficiency exam scores
• Portfolio or Writing Sample, as appropriate

Required for MArch, SMBT, and PhD in Building Technology or History, Theory, and Criticism applicants:

Special Instructions

Applicants should not send any supplemental material with their applications.

A scanned PDF of an original transcript (or English translation) from each university should be uploaded in the application. Only those applicants who are accepted for admission will be required to send a hard copy of an official, sealed transcript (with English translation) from each school attended. Any discrepancy between the scanned transcripts and official transcripts may result in a rejection or withdrawal of our admission offer.

Some degree programs require a portfolio of design work and/or writing sample (maximum 30 pages). Applicants should follow instructions detailed on the Architecture website under the degree program of their interest.

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If you require further information, please visit the Privacy Policy page.

News + Events

Faculty and staff, selected publications, computation.

Architectural Space in XR: a Case Study at the Monastery of Simonos Petra-  Nikolaos Vlavianos

Growing Islands: Rebuilding Beaches and Protecting Coastlines through Wave Energy - Self Assembly Lab

Of Shape and Touch - Dimitrios Chatzinikolis

Formwork free 3D printed squinch vaults - Alexander (Sandy) Curth

A Machine Learning Model for Understanding How Users Value Designs - Jeremy Bilotti

AR Travel to Aalto House, Aino and Alvar Aalto: Shared Vision , Gallery A4, Tokyo- T. Nagakura and ARC Group 

Discrete-to-Complete-  Myles Sampson

A Proposal for a Digitally Fabricated House in Somerville, MA - Lawrence Sass

Visual Computing I - So Jung Lee

Self-Shaping Mechanisms: Rapid Prototyping of Pneu-Knit Systems - Maryam AlHajri

Networking Knowledge and Experience: An Instrumental System for the Personal Development of Designers - Bowen Lu

Adaptive Pattern Language on Human Behavior via Multi-Action Video Understanding-  Charles Wu

Knit Structure Behavior for Customized Mask Design - Lavender Tessmer

Inala Locke Discipline Group Assistant  [email protected]

The Design and Computation Group inquires into the varied nature and practice of computation in architectural design, and the ways in which design meaning, intentions, and knowledge are constructed through computational thinking, representing, sensing, and making. We focus on the development of innovative computational tools, processes and theories, and the application of these in creative, socially meaningful responses to challenging design problems.

Faculty, research staff, and students work in diverse and mutually supportive areas including: visualization, digital fabrication and construction processes and technologies, shape representation and synthesis, building information modeling (BIM), generative and parametric design, critical studies of digital and information technologies, digital heritage, and software and hardware development of advanced tools for spatial design and analysis. Our aim is to cover the many facets of a rapidly changing and growing area with in-depth, agenda-setting research and teaching.

Our work is informed simultaneously by architectural practice as well as a variety of other disciplinary perspectives including mathematics, computer science, cognitive science, philosophy, anthropology, STS (Science, Technology, and Society), media studies, and art. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the interdisciplinary environment of MIT, and to take subjects and participate in research across different MIT departments to explore and develop their interests. They are expected to acquire both the technical skills and the theoretical and conceptual foundations to rethink and challenge the limits of current design processes and practices, and to consider the social and cultural implications of their positions.

This area of study offers a concentration in the Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) program and a doctoral (PhD) program. Please go to the Design and Computation Group's list of Dissertations and Theses to see the work done at the culmination of the degree programs.

See  Graduate Programs  for degree requirements.

Spring 2022 Public Program

MIT’s Department of Architecture is pleased to announce our spring 2022 public program; a continuing conversation on where we are now.

How MIT students are transforming the art of narrative

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Desktop: A Material History of MIT Architecture During a Year Apart

PhD in Computation

The PhD program is broadly conceived around computational ideas as they pertain to the description, generation, and construction of architectural form. Issues range from the mathematical foundations of the discipline to the application and extension of advanced computer technology. The mission of the program is to enhance and enrich design from a computational perspective, with clear implications for practice and teaching.

Faculty, research staff, and students work in diverse but overlapping and mutually supportive areas. Work on shape representation, generative and parametric design is directed at a new computational basis for design. Work on digital modeling and rendering seeks to extend the possibilities of visualizing design ideas and un-built work, as well as to improve architectural design practice where designers and technical collaborators are geographically separated. Work on rapid prototyping and CAD/CAM technologies aims to expand design possibilities through the physical modeling of design ideas, and to revolutionize the construction and building phase of architectural practice.

Research employs computational media for the representation and use of design knowledge. Faculty, research staff, and students associated with the group combine education in architecture and urban design with education in computer graphics, art, mathematics, and other fields.

The minimum residency requirement for the PhD degree is two years and it is expected that most students will take no more than five years to complete the degree.

Faculty Advising

Each student will be assigned a faculty advisor in Computation upon admission. The advisor will consult on the student's initial plan of study and on the choice of subjects in subsequent terms. He or she will assist the student in selecting an advisory committee and subsequently a dissertation committee. Often, but not always, the faculty advisor becomes the dissertation committee chair if the student so desires.

Doctoral Research Opportunity in Computation and Advanced Urbanism The Norman B. Leventhal Center of Advanced Urbanism and Departments of Architecture and Urban Studies and Planning have established a collaborative doctoral-level concentration in Advanced Urbanism. Urbanism is a rapidly growing field that has many branches. At MIT, we speak of Advanced Urbanism as the field which integrates research on urban design, urbanization and urban culture.

The concentration in Advanced Urbanism seeks doctoral applicants (one to two per year) who have: 1) at least one professional design degree (in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, etc.); 2) research interests in urbanism that would draw upon both ARCH and DUSP faculty advising; and 3) a commitment to engage with the research community at the LCAU and within their home department throughout their time at MIT. Applicants should apply for admission to an existing ARCH or DUSP PhD program and must meet all specific admissions requirements of the respective PhD program. Admissions committees nominate applicants who fit the urbanism program to a joint advanced urbanism admissions committee. The selected applicants are admitted by their home department discipline group (DUSP; AKPIA, BT, Computation, HTC) with financial support and research assistantships from LCAU.

Prospective students with questions pertaining to the doctoral studies in Advanced Urbanism should reach out to their prospective home doctoral program and to LCAU doctoral committee members: Rafi Segal and Brent Ryan. Or to the mailing list [email protected]. See links at top for program-specific information.

The Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) is a two-year program of advanced study founded on research and inquiry in architecture as a discipline and as a practice. The program is intended both for students who already have a professional degree in architecture and those interested in advanced non-professional graduate study.

SMArchS in Computation

The Computation Group inquires into the varied nature and practice of computation in architectural design, and the ways in which design meaning, intention, and knowledge are constructed through sensing, thinking, and making computationally. It focuses on the development of innovative computational tools, processes and theories, and applying these in creative, socially meaningful responses to challenging design problems.

Theses and Dissertations

March theses.

Choi, Joshua , web page   … MArch 2014, document title: Democratic Play: Crowd-Sourcing through Games for Architectural Design (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Fisher, Derek  … MArch 1998, document title: Ground Zero (William Mitchell and Andrew Scott) 

Gealy, Rachel  … MArch 2010, document title: Urbanizing the American Dream: Symbiotic Housing for Baltimore (Kent Larson) 

Kwon, Kyoung Eun  … MArch 2004, document title: Filmic Architecture: On Motion Perspective in an Architectural Synthesis (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Li, Dan , web page   … MArch 2016, document title: Fluid Atmospheres: Adaptive Interplay between Natural and Artificial Light Projection (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Liao, Nancy Han  … MArch 2001, document title: Complexly Curvlinear Surfaces in Composite Materials (William Mitchell) 

Nelson, Maggie  … MArch 2011, document title: Re-imagining the Maison Tropicale: a 21st century prefabricated building system inspired by Jean Prouve' (Lawrence Sass) 

Park, Kat  … MArch 2003, document title: Reinterpretation of space in a networked community (William Mitchell and William Porter) 

Park, Sung-o  … MArch 2009, document title: A Design Strategy for Transforming an Old Power Plant into a Cultural Center (Kent Larson) 

Patel, Sayjel Vijay , web page   … MArch 2015, document title: 3-DJ: Sampling As Design (Skylar Tibbits) 

Rosenberg, Alice   … MArch 2010, document title: Planning Ahead -- The Emergence of Clean Energy Technology (Kent Larson) 

Sheehan, Travis , web page   … MArch 2012, document title: The Urban Design of Distributed Energy Resources (Kent Larson and Dennis Frenchman) 

Sun, Meng , web page   … MArch 2017, document title: Cyberspace as a Memory Container (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Tang, Pui Wan Pearl   … MArch 2004, document title: Revealing Expressive Spaces - transformation of a former quarry to a dancers' retreat center (William Porter) 

Willis, Robin C  … MArch 2011, document title: Feather Weights: Rapid Redeployable Structures for Interim Use (Kent Larson) 

Yoo, Hyunjoon , web page   … MArch 1997, document title: Infotecture: Space as Void, Solid, and Activity Information (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Zhang, Xu , web page   … MArch 2017, document title: Conversation On Saving a Historical Community: A Participatory Renewal and Preservation Platform (Takehiko Nagakura) 

SMArchS Theses

Akbarzadeh, Masoud , web page   Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA  … SMArchS 2012, document title: Designing Performative Surfaces: Computational Interpretation of Flow Pattern Drawings (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Aparicio, German , web page   Project Manager, Gehry Technologies, Inc  … SMArchS 2010, document title: Holzbau: Timber Construction and Material Information Exchanges for the Design of Complex Geometrical Structures (Lawrence Sass) 

Araya, Sergio , web page   Professor and Dean, School of Design, Universidad Aldolpho Ibáňez  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Parametric Constructs: Computational Designs for Digital Fabrication (Ann Pendleton-Jullian)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Arida, Saeed , web page   … SMArchS 2004, document title: Contextualizing Generative Design (Terry Knight) 

Ariza, Ines , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Decoding Details: Integrating Physics of Assembly in Discrete Element Structures (Caitlin Müeller) 

As, Imdat  … SMArchS 2002, document title: Emergent Design: Rethinking of contemporary mosque architecture in light of digital technology (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Bacharidou, Maroula ,  web page   Teaching Fellow, MIT Architecture  ... SMArchS 2018, document title: Active prototyping : a computational framework for designing while making ( Terry Knight ) 

Bernal, Guillermo , web page   Physical Computing Designer, MIT Mobile Experience Laboratory  … SMArchS 2014, document title: Learning from Master's Muscles: EMG-Based Bio-Feedback Tool for Augmenting Manual Fabrication and Crafting (Takehiko Nagakura and Federico Casalegno) 

Blain, Johanne  Personal Care Attendant, Cerebral Palsy of Massachusetts  … SMArchS 2005, document title: Translations of Culture and Identity: A Study of Internet Use In the Haitian Community (William Mitchell) 

Botha, Marcel , web page   Partner , Mutopo  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Customized Digital Manufacturing: Concept to Construction Methods across Varying Product Scales (Lawrence Sass) 

Can, Eddie , web page   Lead Designer, Zaha Hadid Architects  … SMArchS 2003, document title: Choreographic Assemblages: An Archaeology of Movement and Space (Stanford Anderson and Joan Jonas) 

Cardoso Llach, Daniel , web page   Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University  … SMArchS 2007, document title: A Generative Grammar for 2D Manufacturing of 3D Objects (Lawrence Sass and Terry Knight)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Carlsson, Moa , web page   PhD Student, Massachustts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2013, document title: Stratified, Destratified, and Hybrid GIS: Organizing a Cross-Disciplinary Territory for Design (George Stiny) 

Charles, Patrick P. , web page   Associate Professor, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI  … SMArchS 2000, document title: Perspectives on the Role of the Body in the Design Process: Observations from an Experiment (William Porter) 

Chatzitsakyris, Panagiotis , web page   Principal, 0.27 Architects  … SMArchS 2005, document title: The Man With The Movie Camera: An event driven approach to architectural design (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Chen, Shouheng  Principal, Shouheng Design and Technology, Toronto, Canada  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Embedding Methods for Massing and Detail in Computer Generated Design of Skyscrapers -- Exploration through Examples of Cesar Pelli's Projects (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Chen, Xiaoji  Interaction Designer II, Xbox  … SMArchS 2011, document title: Seeing Differently: Cartography for Subjective Maps Based on Dynamic Urban Data (Takehiko Nagakura and Carlo Ratti) 

Chen, Naichun , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Urban Data Mining: Social Media Data Analysis as a Complementary Tool for Urban Design (Kent Larson and Takehiko Nagakura) 

Cheng, Chin-Yi , web page   Research Scientist, Autodesk  … SMArchS 2017, document title: Interactive Design Process Based on Augmented Intelligence: A Framework and Toolkit for Designers to Interact and Collaborate with AI Alogritms (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Cheung, Kenneth , web page   Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Understanding Behavior with Ubiquitous Computing for Architectural Design Tools (Kent Larson) 

Chiu, Shih-Sang   … SMArchS 2009, document title: Trig'r: Collective Perception of Architecture (Terry Knight) 

Cho, Min-Jung  … SMArchS 2003, document title: Workspace in Transition: Rethinking Workspace through the Design of Reconfigurable Work Surfaces (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Choi, Joshua , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Merging Three Spaces: Designing User Interface (UI) in Virtual Reality (VR) for Spatial Design (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Choma, Joseph , web page   Assistant Professor, Clemson University  … SMArchS 2011, document title: A Pedagogical Guide into Trigonometric Transformations (George Stiny) 

Corem, Yaniv , web page   (Mis)Chief Design Officer, YCXD, Haifa, Israel  … SMArchS 2010, document title: UDesign Toward a User-centered Architecture (Kent Larson and Una-May O'Reilly) 

Crichfield, Heather  Partner, Fuster + Architects, PSC, Puerto Rico  … SMArchS 2000, document title: Spatial Manifestations in Pluralist Cultures: The Case of the Isleta de San Juan (William Porter and Sibel Bozdoğan) 

De Biswas, Kaustuv , web page   Co-Founder, VibrantData  … SMArchS 2006, document title: A Computational Model of Visual Interpretation (Terry Knight) 

Demchak, Gregory  Director of Product Management, Synchro Software Ltd  … SMArchS 2000, document title: Towards a Post-Industrial Architecture: Design and Construction of Houses for the Information Age (William Mitchell) 

Dessi-Olive, Jonathan , web page   … SMArchS 2017, document title: Computing with Matter, Shapes and Forces: Toward Material and Structural Primacy in Architecture (George Stiny and John Ochsendorf) 

Dimas, Anastasios  Senior BIM Manager, iTech Management Consultancy, UAE  … SMArchS 2009, document title: D-work Innovation: Where, When and in Which Social Context Do Good Ideas Evolve in the Distributed Work Environment of Knowledge Workers? (Kent Larson) 

Dritsas, Stylianos , web page   Assistant Professor, Singapore University of Technology and Design  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Design Operators (William Porter) 

Duarte, José Pinto , web page   Associate Professor, Technical University of Lisbon  … SMArchS 1993, document title: Order and Diversity within a Modular System for Housing: A Computational Approach (William Mitchell) 

Dutta, Projjal  Director, Sustainability Initiatives, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NYC  … SMArchS 1997, document title: Moksha: Design of Disposable Objects for Second Uses as Construction Components (William Mitchell) 

El-Khaldi, Maher  PhD Candidate, Simon University, British Columbia, Canada  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Mapping Boundaries of Generative Systems for Design Synthesis (George Stiny)  received a MS.Arch from Georgia Institute of Technology 

El-Zanfaly, Dina , web page   PhD Candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2011, document title: Active Shapes: Introducing Guidelines for Designing Kinetic Architectural Structures (Terry Knight) 

Elbaum, Meredith   President, The Elbaum Group  … SMArchS 2003, document title: BridgeGreen: Bridging the Disconnect Between Design Professionals and Resources for Environmentally, Socially, and Economically Responsive Architecture (John Fernandez) 

Ewing, Phillip , web page   … SMArchS 2014, document title: Interactive Phototherapy: Integrating Photomedicine into Interactive Architecture (Kent Larson) 

Fan, Janet  Director, Workplace Strategy, CBRE, Beijing City, China  … SMArchS 2003, document title: Learning Environment Assessment (William Porter) 

Fasoulaki, Eleftheria  Architect Engineer, ELEF Architects  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Integrated Design: A Generative Multi-Performative Design Approach (Terry Knight) 

Feng, Keru , web page   Co-President, ecotectour, Suttgart, Germany  … SMArchS 2004, document title: The Ethos in The Form Making of Grand Projects in Contemporary Beijing City (William Porter) 

Fox, Michael A. , web page   Principal, Fox Lin Inc, Los Angeles, CA  … SMArchS 1996, document title: Novel Affordances of Computation to the Design Processes of Kinetic Structures (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Gane, Victor  CEO, AestheticLink, Menlo Park, CA  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Parametric Design: A Paradigm Shift? (William Porter)  received a PhD from Stanford University 

Gao, Yu , web page   Real Estate Salesperson, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty  … SMArchS 2013, document title: Self-Organized Collaboration: A Self-Evolving Online Collaborative Production Model for Social Enterprise Grassroots Startups (George Stiny) 

Gazit, Merav , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Living Matter: Biomaterials for Design and Architecture (Terry Knight) 

Goldklang, Shaul , web page   Project Manager, Adam America Real Estate  … SMArchS 2013, document title: Mass-Customization in Commercial Real Estate: How the Aviation Industry Can Help Us Create Beautiful Buildings that Add Value (George Stiny) 

Gore Chandorkar, Tripti  Manager in the Design & Interactive Services, Sapient Corporation  … SMArchS 2005, document title: Users, Technology and Space in Libraries in the Digital Age (William Mitchell) 

Griffith, Kenfield , web page   CEO, mSurvey  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Design Computing of Complex-Curved Geometry using Digital Fabrication Methods (Lawrence Sass)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Gun, Onur Yuce , web page   Computational Geometry Specialist, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, New York  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Narration of Light: Computational Tools for Framing the Tonal Imagination (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Gunji, Akira  , Fogarty Finger Architecture PLLC  … SMArchS 2005, document title: Inferring Design Environment (IDE): '(Re)shaping a Design Pattern as a Learning Process' (Terry Knight) 

He, Shan , web page   Software Engineer, Data Visualization, Uber, San Francisco, CA  … SMArchS 2014, document title: Mapping Urban Perception: How Do We Know Where We Are? (Takehiko Nagakura and Carlo Ratti) 

Hoang, Han Mai , web page   General Director, The BIM Factory, Vietnam  … SMArchS 2005, document title: Automated Construction Technologies: Analyses and Future Development Strategies (Lawrence Sass) 

Hovsepian, Sarah , web page   Director, FABWorks, University of California, Irvine  … SMArchS 2012, document title: Digital Material Skins: For Reversible Reusable Pressure Vessels (Terry Knight and Neil Gershenfeld) 

Ingram, Josh , web page   Software Developer, Objecutive, San Antonio, TX  … SMArchS 2012, document title: [A]Sorted Selection: Improving Building Performance and Diversity Using a New Form of Interactive Evolutionary Algorithm (Terry Knight and Una-May O'Reilly) 

Kalenja, Adela, web page   Project Architect, Eco Offsite, Palo Alto, CA  … SMArchS 2010, document title: The Hard Hat and the Hand-Held: Communication with Hand-Held Computing in the Construction Process (Terry Knight and Takehiko Nagakura) 

Kamath, Ayodh , web page   Assistant Professor, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI  … SMArchS 2009, document title: Integrating Digital Design and Fabrication with Craft Production (Terry Knight) 

Kardasis, Ari   Partner, Space Inch, Brooklyn, NY  … SMArchS 2011, document title: The Soft Grid (Terry Knight) 

Kashyap, Sameer  Director, Parametric Design, Ghery Technologies, Los Angeles, CA  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Digital Making: Exploring Design with Computer Controlled Fabrication (William Porter and Lawrence Sass) 

Kassner, Moritz , web page   Chief Executive Officer and Partner, Pupil Labs, Germany  … SMArchS 2012, document title: PUPIL: Constructing the Space of Visual Attention (Terry Knight and Patrick Winston) 

Keel, Paul  Research Scientist, Collaborative Sense-Making, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 1997, document title: Process and Relation Analysis: Capturing Architectural Thought (William Porter) 

Kilian, Axel , web page   Assistant Professor, Princeton University  … SMArchS 2000, document title: Defining Digital Space Through a Visual Language (William Mitchell) a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Kim, Simon , web page   Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania  … SMArchS 2008, document title: I/O: Input/Output; Design Stategies: An inquiry into thinking/making (William Mitchell) 

Kirschner, Michael , web page    AutoDesk  … SMArchS 2015, document title: Visual Programming in Three Dimensions: Visual Representations of Computational Mental Models (George Stiny) 

Kotsopoulos, Sotirios , web page   Studio Instructor, NuVu Studio, Cambridge, MA  … SMArchS 2000, document title: Point, Line, Plane: Basic Elements of Formal Composition in Shape Computation and Bauhaus Theories. (Terry Knight) 

received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Kovidvisith, Kalaya  Director, FabCafe, Thailand  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Open Source Alliance Ecology: The Internet Framework for Consumer Driven Participative Design (Kent Larson) 

Lee, Sophia Juhee  Project Manager, University of Southern California  … SMArchS 2003, document title: Wireless Bridges: The Laptop Experience in Learning Environment (William Porter and Francis Duffy) 

Leung, Victor Pok Yin , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Put it Together: Animating Machine Assembly Instructions for Novices (Terry Knight) 

Li, Si  PhD Student, Georgia Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Data Structures for Context Responsive Modeling in Architecture (William Mitchell) 

Liapi, Marianthi , web page   Transformable Intelligence Environments Lab Research Director, Technical University of Crete  … SMArchS 2005, document title: Spatial Diagnosis and Media Treatments (Terry Knight) 

Litman-Cleper, Julia , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Situated Mapping: Augmented-Reality Clay and Adaptive Interfacing (Terry Knight and Ruth Rosenholtz) 

Liu, Yuchen  Senior Architect, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture  … SMArchS 2009, document title: Robotic Design Construction: Digital Fabrication Strategies for Freeform Masonry Casting and Mobile Assembly (Lawrence Sass) 

Lobel, Joshua , web page   Lead Engineer, CW Keller & Associates  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Building Information: Means and Methods of Communication in Design and Construction (George Stiny) 

Lostritto, Carl , web page   Assistant Professor, Rhode Island School of Design  … SMArchS 2012, document title: Computing Drawing: Programming a Vintage Pen Plotter (George Stiny) 

Loukissas, Yanni , web page   Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2003, document title: Rulebuilding: Exploring Design Worlds Through End-user Programming (William Porter and Lawrence Sass)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Maclain, James  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Design - Make: the Translation of Design Iintention to Fabrication (Lawrence Sass) 

Mairopoulos, Dimitrios , web page   Research Specialist, MIT Self-Assembly Lab  … SMArchS 2015, document title: M-Cell Assembly (Terry Knight and Skylar Tibbits) 

Mburu, Fred  , Oracle  … SMArchS 2001, document title: Context Modeling : Extending the parametric object model with design context (Wiliam Porter and Takehiko Nagakura) 

McGill, Miranda , web page   UX Designer, Yorktown Heights, NY  … SMArchS 2001, document title: A Visual Approach for Exploring Computational Design (Terry Knight) 

McKnelly, Carrie , web page   Howard E. LeFevre ’29 Emerging Practitioner Fellow, Ohio State University  … SMArchS 2015, document title: Knitting Behavior: A material-centric design process (Lawrence Sass) 

Mendoza, Rolando  Executive Director of Project Integration, Walt Disney Imagineering Shanghai  … SMArchS 2001, document title: Mapping/Forces/Constructing Context: an Operatic Proposal for Boston (Fernando Domeyko) 

Mogas-Soldevila, Laia , web page   Architect, Researcher, Mediated Matter Lab, MIT  … SMArchS 2013, document title: New Design Companions Opening Up the Process Through Self-Made Computation (George Stiny)  received a Master of Science in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT 

Moon, JunSik  , Seoul National University, Korea  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Shape Grammar for Mies Van Der Rohe's High-rise Apartment (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Mutlu, Murat , web page   Principal, International Office of Architects, NYC  … SMArchS 2010, document title: Generative Morphologies of Architectural Organization in Matter Force Field (Meejin Yoon and Nader Tehrani) 

Narahara, Taro   Assistant Professor, New Jersey Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2007, document title: The Space Re-Actor: Walking a Synthetic Man through Architectural Space (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Noel, Vernelle , web page   PhD Candidate, Pennsylvania State University  … SMArchS 2013, document title: Trinidad Carnival: Improving Design Through Computation and Digital Technology (Azra Aksamija) 

Nunez, Joseph  Intern Architect, DLR Group, Sacramento, CA  … SMArchS 2010, document title: Prefab the FabLab: Rethinking the Habitability of a Fabrication Lab by Including Fixture-Based Components (Lawrence Sass) 

Ob'yedkova, Ekaterina , web page   Conversation Engineer, Catalia Health, San Francisco, CA  … SMArchS 2014, document title: Multimodal Environmental Interfaces: Discrete and Continuous Changes of Form, Light, and Color Using Natural Modes of Expression (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Özkâr, Mine , web page   Associate Professor, Istanbul Technical University  … SMArchS 1999, document title: Envisioning Creative Space (William Porter and John Rajchman)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Pantazi, Magdalini-Eleni  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Dissecting Design: Exploring the Role of Rules in the Design Process (George Stiny) 

Papadopoulou, Athina , web page   PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2014, document title: Perceptual Prototypes: Towards a Sensory Pedagogy of Space (Terry Knight) 

Papanikolaou, Dimitris , web page   DDes Candidate, Harvard University  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Attribute Process Methodology: Feasibility Assessment of Digital Fabrication Production Systems for Planar Part Assemblies Using Network Analysis and System Dynamics (William Mitchell)  received a MS in Media Arts and Sciences, MIT, and Ddes Harvard University 

Park, Hyoung-June , web page   Associate Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa  … SMArchS 1997, document title: Formalization, Data Abstraction, and Communication (George Stiny) 

Patera, William , web page   Managing Partner, Pupil Labs, Germany  … SMArchS 2012, document title: PUPIL: Constructing the Space of Visual Attention (Terry Knight and Patrick Winston) 

Phillips, M. Giles , web page   Chief Product Designer, Constant Contact  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Design By Searching: A System for Creating and Evaluating Complex Architectural Assemblies (Kent Larson) 

Pinochet, Diego , web page   Associate Professor, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile  … SMArchS 2015, document title: Making gestures: design and fabrication through real time human computer interaction (Terry Knight) 

Plewe, Thoma s  President, NeverCenter, Ltd Co., Salt Lake City, UT  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Besting the Tract Home: A Software-Based Bricolage Approach to Affordable Custom Housing (Terry Knight) 

Press, B. Joseph , web page   Director, Deloitte Digital, Switerland  … SMArchS 1997, document title: Emergent Pedagogies in Design Research Education (William Porter)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Raber, Christianna , web page   Principal, Christianna Raber Sustainable Architectural Design Services  … SMArchS 2004, document title: The Story of the HOUSE I Lite System : 'Less calories, more taste, your site, your vision... ' (Andrew Scott) 

Reichert, Steffen , web page   D.Eng Candidate, University of Stuttgart  … SMArchS 2010, document title: Reverse Engineering Nature: Design Principles for Flexible Protection Inspired by Ancient Fish Armor of Polypteridae (Terry Knight and Christine Ortiz) 

Rosello, Oscar , web page   … SMArchS 2017, document title: NeverMind: An Interface for Human Memory Augmentation (Terry Knight) 

Rosenberg, Daniel , web page   … SMArchS 2009, document title: Designing for Uncertainty: Novel Shapes and Behaviors using Scissor-Pair Transformable Structures (Terry Knight)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Rothenberg, John   Founding partner , Sosolimited, Boston, MA and San Diego, CA  … SMArchS 2007, document title: Indeterminate Liberal Form: Public Space in Sprawl (Terry Knight) 

Saad, Rita  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Parametric Tools and Digital Fabrication for the Design of Luminous Ceilings (Lawrence Sass and William Porter) 

Sandoval Olascoaga, Carlos , web page   … SMArchS 2016, document title: Painting with Data: From a Computational History of Urban Models to an Alternative Urban Computing (George Stiny) 

Sass, Lawrence , web page   Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 1994, document title: Precedents in African American Architecture (William Porter) 

Seely, Jennifer , web page   Architect, Norwood Architecture  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Digital Fabrication in the Architectural Design Process (William Porter and Lawrence Sass) 

Senske, Nicholas , web page   Assistant Professor, Iowa State University  … SMArchS 2005, document title: Fear of Code: An Approach to Integrating Computation with Architectural Design (William Porter) 

Sharif, Shani , web page   Intern Software Developer, Autodesk in Atlanta, GA  … SMArchS 2010, document title: The Confluence of Digital Design/Fabrication and Biological Principles: Systematic Knowledge Transfer for the Development of Integrated Architectural Systems (Terry Knight and Lawrence Sass) 

Sheardwright, Ian  Software Developer, Gensler, Hartford, CT  … SMArchS 2002, document title: Three-Dimensional Sketch Tool (Wiliam Porter) 

Sich, Mark  , Shell Global Solutions, New Orleans, LA  … SMArchS 1997, document title: Articulating Architectural Design through Computational Media (William Mitchell) 

Simondetti, Alvise  , ARUP  … SMArchS 1997, document title: Rapid Prototyping in Early Stages of Architectural Design (William Mitchell) 

Sinisterra, Maria  Principal, Ainoa Studio  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Rethinking Emergency Habitats For Refugees: Balancing Material Innovation And Culture (Reinhard Goethert and William Porter) 

Smithwick, Daniel , web page   PhD Candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2009, document title: Architectural Design 2.0: An Online Platform for the Mass Customization of Architectural Structures (Lawrence Sass) 

Soares, Gonçalo Ducla , web page   Project Manager, Arte Charpentier Architectes, Paris, France  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Audio-Visual Frameworks for Design Process Representation (William Porter) 

Soto Ogueta, Carolina , web page   Executive Director, BIM Planning, CORFO (Chilean Economic Development Agency)  … SMArchS 2012, document title: User Innovation in Digital Design and Construction: Dialectical Relations Between Standard BIM Tools and Specific User Requirements (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Sun, Xiaohua  Professor, College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University  … SMArchS 2002, document title: Using Space to Think (William Porter)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Sung, Woong Ki , web page   PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2013, document title: Sketching In 3D: Towards a Fluid Space for Mind and Body (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Tai, Alan Song-Ching , web page   Associate, Front, Inc  … SMArchS 2012, document title: Design for Assembly: A Computational Approach to Construct Interlocking Wooden Frames (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Tibbits, Skylar , web page   Research Scientist and Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2010, document title: Logic Matter: Digital Logic as Heuristics for Physical Self-Guided-Assembly (Terry Knight and Patrick Winston) 

Tichenor, James  LAB Co-chief, Rockwell Group  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Electronically Modulated Materials: Effects And Context (William Porter) 

Toulkeridou, Varvara  Research Engineer, Autodesk  … SMArchS 2010, document title: Dynamic Descriptions: Steps Towards a Design Machine (George Stiny) 

Tsakonas, Konstantinos  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Measuring the Value of Workspace Architectural Design: Construction of the Workspace Communication Suitability Index (WOCSIT) (William Mitchell) 

Tsamis, Alexandros , web page   Associate Professor, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Digital Graft: towards a non-homogeneous materiality (Mark Goulthorpe and Ann Pendleton-Julian)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Turakhia, Dishita , web page   … SMArchS 2017, document title: Thirteen Ways of Looking - A Theoretical Inquiry into Computational Creative Thinking: Thoughts as Shapes, Ideas as Spatial Relations and Creative Thinking as Shape Grammar (George Stiny) 

Turgeman, Yaniv Jacob , web page   CEO, R&D Lead, EveryBiome  … SMArchS 2015, document title: Microbial Mediations: Cyber-Biological Extensions of Human Sensitivity to Natural and Made Ecologies (Terry Knight and Eric Alm) 

Vairani, Franco  Principal, Squared Design Lab, Los Angeles, CA  … SMArchS 2001, document title: Behind the Screen: on the perception of computer-generated architectural representations (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Vardouli, Theodora , web page   Assistant Professor, McGill University  … SMArchS 2012, document title: Design-for-Empowerment-for-Design: Computational Structures for Design Democratization (George Stiny) 

Verbeeck, Kenny  Engineer Team Leader, Ney & Partners Structural Engineering, Brussels, Belgium  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Randomness as a Generative Principle in Art and Architecture (George Stiny) 

Villalon, Rachelle , web page   , Hosta Labs  … SMArchS 2008, document title: Reasonable Computing for Architectural Fabrication (Lawrence Sass) 

Watabe, Mark  Software Engineer, Twitter  … SMArchS 2010, document title: The Shape of Digital Content: A Computing Language Based on Gibson's Ecological Approach to Visual Perception and the Theory of Shape Grammars (George Stiny) 

Whiting, Emily , web page   Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College  … SMArchS 2006, document title: Geometric, Topological and Semantic Analysis of Multi-Building Floor Plan Data (Takehiko Nagakura and Seth Teller) 

Wiggins, Glenn   Academic Administrator, Greater Boston Area  … SMArchS 1989, document title: Methodology in Architectural Design (Donald Schon)  received a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Wortmann, Thomas , web page   Studio Instructor, Singapore University of Technology and Design  … SMArchS 2013, document title: Representing Shapes as Graphs: A Feasible Approach for the Computer Implementation of Parametric Visual Calculating (George Stiny) 

Wu, Qiong (Julia)  … SMArchS 2003, document title: Bracket Study: Textual, Computation, Digital (Terry Knight) 

Yang, Lin  Architectural Designer, KlingStubbins  … SMArchS 2009, document title: BIM Game: A "Serious Game" to Educate Non-experts about Energy-related Design and Living (Kent Larson) 

Yeh, Bryant , web page   Head Designer and Technical Chief, JoT House, Inc.  … SMArchS 1998, document title: Kinetic Wall: An Exploration into Flexible Structure (Takehiko Nagakura and William Mitchell) 

Yi, Lu  … SMArchS 2008, document title: A New Approach in Data Visualization to Integrate Time and Space Variability of Daylighting in the Design Process (Marilyne Andersen and Takehiko Nagakura) 

Yu, Huei-Sheng  … SMArchS 2009, document title: Parametric Architecture: Performative/Responsive Assembly components (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Zaman, C̦ağri , web page   PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2014, document title: Hallucination Machine: A Body Centric Model of Space Perception (Terry Knight and Patrick H. Winston) 

Zolotovsky, Katia , web page   PhD Student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … SMArchS 2012, document title: Bioconstructs: Methods for Bio-Inspired and Bio-Fabricated Design (Terry Knight and Christine Ortiz) 

Zulas Castellanos, Alejandro  Architect, Stantec Architecture  … SMArchS 2004, document title: Adaptable Architecture: A Computational Exploration Into Responsive Design Systems (Terry Knight) 

PhD Dissertations

Alfaris, Anas  Assistant Professor, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh Saudi Arabia  … PhD 2009, document title: Emergence through Conflict: The Multi-Disciplinary Design System (MDDS) (William Mitchell) 

Araya, Sergio , web page   Professor and Dean, School of Design, Universidad Aldolpho Ibáňez  … PhD 2011, document title: Performative Architecture (George Stiny) 

Arida, Saeed , web page   Chief Excitement Officer and Founder, NuVu  … PhD 2011, document title: More Seeing in Learning (George Stiny) 

Arpak, Asli , web page   … PhD 2016, document title: Seeing as Aesthetic Experience and Creative Action: Visual Practices with Shape Grammars in Design Education (George Stiny) 

Barrios, Carlos , web page   Assistant Professor, Clemson University  … PhD 2006, document title: Design Procedures: A Computational Framework for Parametric Design and Complex Shapes in Architecture (William Mitchell) 

Cardoso Llach, Daniel , web page   Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University  … PhD 2012, document title: Builders of the Vision: Technology and the Imagination of Design (Terry Knight) 

Celani, Gabriela , web page   Associate Professor, University of Campinas, Brazil  … PhD 2002, document title: Beyond Analysis and Representation in CAD: A New Computational Approach to Design Education (William Mitchell and Terry Knight) 

Colakoglu, Birgul , web page   Professor, Yildiz Technical University  … PhD 2001, document title: Design by Grammar: Algorithmic Design in an Architectural Context (George Stiny) 

Davis, Felecia A. , web page   Assistant Professor, Pennsylvannia State University  … PhD 2017, document title: Softbuilt: Computational Textiles and Augmenting Space Through Emotion (Terry Knight) 

Duarte, José Pinto , web page   Associate Professor, Technical University of Lisbon  … PhD 2001, document title: Customizing Mass Housing: A Discursive Grammar for Siza's Malagueira Houses (William Mitchell) 

Griffith, Kenfield , web page   CEO, mSurvey  … PhD 2012, document title: Information to Iteration: Using Information and Communication Technologies [ICT] in Design for Remote Regions (George Stiny) 

Gun, Onur Yuce , web page   … PhD 2016, document title: A Place for Computing Visual Meaning: The Broadened Drawing-Scape (George Stiny) 

Ham, Derek , web page   Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, North Carolina State University  … PhD 2015, document title: Playful Calculation: Tangible Coding for Visual Calculation (George Stiny) 

Intrachooto, Singh , web page   Assistant Professor and Head of the Creative Center for Eco-Design, Kasetsart University , Bangkok, Thailand  … PhD 2002, document title: Technological Innovation in Architecture: Effective Practices for Energy Efficient Implementation (William Porter and Andrew Scott) 

Joachim, Mitchell , web page   Associate Professor, New York University  … PhD 2006, document title: Ecotransology: Integrated Design for Urban Mobility (William Mitchell) 

Keel, Paul  Research Scientist, Collaborative Sense-Making, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … PhD 2004, document title: Knowledge Trading: Computational Support for Individual and Collaborative Sense-Making Activities (William Porter) 

Kilian, Axel , web page   Assistant Professor, Princeton University  … PhD 2006, document title: Design Exploration through Bidirectional Modeling of Constraints (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Koschitz, Duks , web page   Assistant Professor, Pratt Institute, New York, NY  … PhD 2014, document title: Computational Design with Curved Creases: David Huffman's Approach to Paperfolding (Terry Knight and Erik Demaine) 

Kotsopoulos, Sotirios , web page   Studio Instructor, NuVu Studio, Cambridge, MA  … PhD 2005, document title: Constructing Design Concepts: A Computational Approach to the Synthesis of Architectural Form (Terry Knight and George Stiny) 

Li, Andrew I-kang , web page   Associate Professor, Kyoto Institute of Technology  … PhD 2001, document title: A Shape Grammar for Teaching the Architectural Style of The Yingzao Fashi (George Stiny) 

Liew, Haldane  … PhD 2004, document title: SGML: A Meta-Language for Shape Grammar (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Loukissas, Yanni , web page   Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology  … PhD 2008, document title: Conceptions of Design in a Culture of Simulation (William Porter) 

Martino, Jacquelyn , web page   Researcher, IBM, Yorktown Heights, NY  … PhD 2006, document title: The Immediacy of the Artist's Mark in Shape Computation: From Visualization to Representation (George Stiny and Terry Knight) 

Monks, Michael  Software Engineer, BOSE Corporation  … PhD 1999, document title: Audioptimization: Global-Based Acoustic Design (Julie Dorsey) 

Mota Toledo, Selene , web page   Senior Research Engineer, Samsung Think Tank Team  … PhD 2014, document title: Scalable Recognition of Human Activities for Pervasive Applications in Natural Environments (Kent Larson) 

Muslimin, Rizal , web page   Lecturer, University of Sydney, Australia  … PhD 2014, document title: EthnoComputation: On Weaving Grammars for Architectural Design (Terry Knight) 

Nikolovska, Lira , web page   Senior User Experience Architect, Autodesk  … PhD 2006, document title: Poetics of Furntiture: Augmenting Furniture with Technologies (Terry Knight) 

Oh, Byong Mok  Vice President of Service Strategy, Samsung Electronics  … PhD 2002, document title: A System for Image-based Modeling and Photo Editing (Julie Dorsey) 

Oxman, Neri , web page   Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … PhD 2010, document title: Material-based Design Computation (William Mitchell) 

Özkâr, Mine , web page   Associate Professor, Istanbul Technical University  … PhD 2004, document title: Uncertainties of Reason: Pragmatist Plurality in Basic Design Education (George Stiny) 

Park, Juhong , web page   Assistant Professor, University of Miami  … PhD 2015, document title: Synthetic Tutor: Profiling Students and Mass-Customizing Learning Processes Dynamically in Design Scripting Education (Takehiko Nagakura) 

Press, B. Joseph , web page   … PhD 1999, document title: Building Community: Design in the Organizational Mind (William Porter) 

Rocha, Altino , web page   Assistant Professor, University of Èvora, Portugal  … PhD 2004, document title: Architecture Theory 1960-1980: Emergence of a Computational Perspective (William Mitchell) 

Romao, Luis , web page   Assistant Professor, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal  … PhD 2005, document title: A Study of Illegal Housing of Lisbon Built in 1974 to 1984: From Description to Computation (William Mitchell and George Stiny) 

Rosenberg, Daniel , web page   … PhD 2015, document title: Transformational Design: A Mindful Practice for Experience-Driven Design (George Stiny) 

Sass, Lawrence , web page   Associate Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology  … PhD 2000, document title: Reconstructing Palladio's Villas: An Analysis of Palladio's Villa Design and Construction Process (William Mitchell) 

Shamonsky, Dorothy , web page   Director of UI/UX Research and Development, Integrated Computer Solutions  … PhD 2003, document title: Tactile, Spatial Interfaces for Computer-Aided Design: Superimposing Physical Media and Computation (William Mitchell) 

Shelden, Dennis , web page   Chief Technology Officer, Gehry Technologies  … PhD 2002, document title: Digital Surface Representation and the Constructibility of Gehry's Architecture (William Mitchell) 

Smithwick, Daniel , web page   … PhD 2016, document title: Physical Design Cognition: An Analytical Study of Exploratory Model Making to Inform Creative Robotic Interaction (Lawrence Sass) 

Smyth, Evan  Staff Software Architect, DreamWorks Animation  … PhD 2001, document title: Designing Aesthetically Pleasing Freeform Surfaces in a Computer Enviroment (William Mitchell) 

Sun, Xiaohua  Professor, College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University  … PhD 2007, document title: A Study of Temporal Visual Composition (William Porter) 

Telhan, Orkan , web page   Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA  … PhD 2013, document title: The Living Commons: A Spatial Theory for Biological Design (George Stiny) 

Thompson, Maria  Interim Chief Technical Officer, Photic Planning & Design  … PhD 2007, document title: Psychophysical Evaluations of Modulated Color Rendering for Engergy Performance of LED-based Architectural Lighting (Terry Knight and Una-May O'Reilly) 

Tolba, Osama , web page   Associate Professor, Arab Academy for Science & Technology, Heliopolis, Egypt  … PhD 2001, document title: A Projective Approach to Computer-Aided Drawing (Julie Dorsey and Leonard McMillan) 

Tsamis, Alexandros , web page   Associate Professor, Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Santiago, Chile  … PhD 2012, document title: Software Tectonics (George Stiny) 

Upitis, Alise  Assistant Curator, MIT List Visual Arts Center  … PhD 2008, document title: Nature Normative: The Design Methods Movement, 1944-1967 (Terry Knight) 

Vairani, Franco  Principal, Squared Design Lab, Los Angeles, CA  … PhD 2009, document title: bitCar Design Concept for a Collapsible Stackable City Car (William Mitchell) 

Vardouli, Theodora , web page   Assistant Professor, McGill University  … PhD 2017, document title: Graphing Theory: New Mathematics, Design, and the Participatory Turn (George Stiny) 

Wiggins, Glenn   Academic Administrator, Greater Boston Area  … PhD 1993, document title: Architectural Drawing as Designing and Creating: A Constructionist Perspective (Donald Schon and William Porter) 

Yakeley, Megan  … PhD 2000, document title: Digitally Mediated Design: Using Computer Programming to Develop a Personal Design Process (William Mitchell) 

Yee, Susan  Independent Architecture & Planning Professional, San Diego, CA area  … PhD 2001, document title: Building Communities for Design Education: Using Telecommunication Technology for Remote Collaborative Learning (William Mitchell) 

Zolotovsky, Katia , web page   … PhD 2017, document title: Guided Growth: Design and Computation with Biologically Active Materials (Terry Knight) 

Extra-Departmental Subjects

Course 1 - civil and environmental engineering, 1.000 | computer programming for scientific and engineering applications  .

  Instructor:   R. Juanes

1.001 | Engineering Computation & Data Science

Instructor:  J. Williams

1.022 |  Introduction to Networks Models

Instructor:  A. Jadbabaie

Provides an introduction to complex networks, their structure, and function, with examples from engineering, applied mathematics and social sciences. Topics include spectral graph theory, notions of centrality, random graph models, contagion phenomena, cascades and diffusion, and opinion dynamics.

1.124J | Software and Computation for Simulation 

Instructor:  Prof. J. Williams

Modern software development techniques and algorithms for engineering computation. Hands-on investigation of computational and software techniques for simulating engineering systems, such as sensor networks, traffic networks, and discrete simulation of materials using atomistic and particle methods. Covers data structures and algorithms for modeling, analysis, and visualization in the setting of multi-core and distributed computing. Treatment of basic topics, such as queuing, sorting and search algorithms, and more advanced numerical techniques based on state machines and distributed agents. Foundation for in-depth exploration of image processing, optimization, finite element and particle methods, computational materials, discrete element methods, and network methods. Knowledge of an object-oriented language required.

1.125 | Artitecting and Engineering Software Systems

Software architecting and design of cloud-based software-intensive systems. Targeted at future engineering managers who must understand both the business and technical issues involved in architecting enterprise-scale systems. Student teams confront technically challenging problems. Introduces modern devops concepts and cloud-computing, including cloud orchestration for machine learning. Also discusses cyber-security issues of key management and use of encrypted messaging for distributed ledgers, e.g., blockchain. Students face problem solving in an active learning lab setting, completing in-class exercises and weekly assignments leading to a group project. Some programming experience preferred. Enrollment limited.

Course 2 - Mechanical Engineering

2.007 | design & manufacturing i.

Instructor:  S. Kim, A. Winter

2.089J | Computational Geometry 

Instructor:  Staff 

2.093 | Finite Element Analysis of Solids & Fluids I

Instructor:  Staff

2.739J | Product Design & Development

Course 3 - materials science and engineering, 3.032 |  mechanical behavior of materials.

Instructor:  L. Gibson

Course 4 - Architecture

4.s50 |  Special Subject: Architectural Computation

4.110 | design across scales, disciplines and problem contexts, 4.140j/mas.863.j | how to make almost anything.

Instructor:  Neil Gershenfeld

4.246 | DesignX Accelerator

Instructor:  Staff    

Students work in entrepreneurial teams to advance innovative ideas, products, services, and firms oriented to design and the built environment. Lectures, demonstrations, and presentations are supplemented by workshop time, when teams interact individually with instructors and industry mentors, and by additional networking events and field trips. At the end of the term, teams pitch for support of their venture to outside investors, accelerators, companies, or cities. Limited to 30; preference to students in DesignX Program.  The DesignX program provides a ton of really valuable resources if you're interested in starting a company -- frequent mentorship from faculty and industry experts who care about the work you're doing, time and space to turn an idea into a company, funding, workshops, etc. The more you can put in, the more you'll get out. There's an application process in the fall semester.  

4.450 | Computational Structure Design & Optimization

Instructor:  Caitlin Mueller

4.481 | Building Technology Seminar

Instructor:  BT Faculty

Course 6 - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

   , 6.0001 | introduction to computer science and programming in python.

Instructor:  A. Bell

6.005 6.031  |   Elements of Software Construction

Instructor:  M. Goldman

6.034 | Artifical Intelligence

Instructor:  K. Koile

6.036 | Introduction to Machine Learning

Instructor:  L.P.Kaelbling

6.041A/6.041B | Introduction to Probability I & II

Instructor:  J.N. Tsitsiklis

6.045J | Automata, Computability and Complexity

6.046j | design & analysis of algorithms.

Instructor:  S. Devadas

6.170 | Software Studio

Instructor:  D.N. Jackson

6.431A/6.431B | Intro to Probability I & II

6.801 | machine vision.

Instructor:  B.K.P. Horn

6.803 | The Human Intelligence Enterprise

6.804 | computational cognitive science.

Instructor:  J. Tenenbaum

6.809J | Interactive Music Systems

Instructor:  E.Egozy, L.Kaelbling

6.834J | Cognitive Robotics

6.835 | intelligent multimodal user interfaces, 6.837 | computer graphics.

Instructor:  J.Solomon

6.838 | Shape Analysis

Instructor:  J. Solomon

The DesignX program provides a ton of really valuable resources if you're interested in starting a company -- frequent mentorship from faculty and industry experts who care about the work you're doing, time and space to turn an idea into a company, funding, workshops, etc. The more you can put in, the more you'll get out. There's an application process in the fall semester.  

6.844 | Artifical Intelligence

6.849 | geometric folding algorithms: linkages, origami, polyhedra, 6.850 | geometric computing, 6.860j | statistical learning theory & applications.

Instructor:  T. Poggio

6.861J | Aspects of Computational Theory of Intelligence

6.862 | applied machine learning.

If you want to take this course for graduate credit, be sure to pre-register and fill out the application well in advance of the semester. It fills up fast.

6.863J | Natural Language & the Computer Representation of Knowledge

6.865 | advanced computational photography, 6.883 | modeling with machine learning  , 6.901j | innovation engineering: moving ideas to impact.

Instructor:  F. Murray  

Course 9 - Brain and Cognitive Sciences

9.012 | cognitive science.

Instructor:  E. Gibson, P. Sinha, J. Tenebaum

9.19/9.190 | Computational Psycholinguistics

Instructor:  R.P. Levy

Introduces computational approaches to natural language processing and acquisition by humans and machines, combining symbolic and probabilistic modeling techniques. Covers models such as n-grams, finite state automata, and context-free and mildly context-sensitive grammars, for analyzing phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and larger document structure. Applications range from accurate document classification and sentence parsing by machine to modeling human language acquisition and real-time understanding. Covers both theory and contemporary computational tools and datasets. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments.

9.10 | Cognitive Neuroscience

Instructor:  R. Desimore, E. K. Miller

9.523 | Aspects of Computational Theory of Intelligence

Instructor:  Tomaso Poggio

9.660 | Computational Cognitive Science

9.65 | cognitive processes, course 11 - urban studies and planning, 11.321  |   data science and machine learning in real estate.

Small group study of advanced subjects under staff supervision. For graduate students wishing to pursue further study in advanced areas of real estate not covered in regular subjects of instruction.  This is a great general introduction to data science and machine learning, and is suitable for both those with and without prior experience. It does a great job of highlighting use cases and challenges of applications in real estate and the built environment that you wouldn't get from a standard ML course, with many guest speakers from industry. The homework and projects were very manageable for beginners. 

Course 15 - Management

15.371j | innovation teams.

Instructor:  L. Perez-Breva

15.871 |  Introduction to Systems Dynamics

Instructor:  Prof. H. Rahmandad

Course 18 - Mathematics

18.06 | linear algebra.

Instructors:  Fall: S. Johnson; Spring: A. Edelman

Reviews linear algebra with applications to life sciences, finance, engineering, and big data. Covers singular value decomposition, weighted least squares, signal and image processing, principal component analysis, covariance and correlation matrices, directed and undirected graphs, matrix factorizations, neural nets, machine learning, and computations with large matrices. Students in Course 18 must register for the undergraduate version, 18.065.

This class covers a broad range of mathematical tools involving matrices, which are are everywhere in data analysis and machine learning (including deep neural network technology). Prof. Strang wrote a textbook specifically for this class, which he uses for lectures and homework (the textbook is a great resource for everything that involves matrices — but it is not an introduction to linear algebra). I would recommend this class to both Masters and PhD students, given that you have some understanding of linear algebra. There is weekly homework, math problems done by hand, sometimes including one simple programming exercise. There are no exams or quizzes. There is only one open ended final project. Prof. Strang is one the best and most dedicated Professors I’ve met at MIT, and a really great teacher — you’ll certainly enjoy him delivering a lecture, even if you don’t understand the material."

18.065 | Matrix Methods in Data Analysis, Signal Processing, and Machine Learning

Instructor:  Prof. Gilbert Strang

18.0851 | Computational Science & Engineering I

Instructor:  Fall: W. Gilbert Stran; Spring: L. Demanet

18.900 |  Geometry and Topology in the Plane

Instructor:  P. Seidel

Covers selected topics in geometry and topology, which can be visualized in the two-dimensional plane. Polygons and polygonal paths. Billiards. Closed curves and immersed curves. Algebraic curves. Triangulations and complexes. Hyperbolic geometry. Geodesics and curvature. Other topics may be included as time permits.

18.4041 | Theory of Computation

Instructor:  Michael Sipser 

Course MAS - Media Arts and Sciences

Mas.s66  |  human machine symbiosis.

Instructor:  Pattie Maes

MAS.131  |  Computational Camera & Photography

Mas.581  |  networks, complexity and their applications, mas.630  |  affective computing.

Instructor:  R.W. Picard

Great course with lots of one-on-one feedback with the instructor and TA. Excellent if you're looking to perform experiments with human subjects since it walks you through the process of getting COUHES approval. The workload can be reasonable and is hugely dependent on how much you choose to tackle in the course project. 

MAS.712  |  Learning Creative Learning

Mas.834  |  tangible interfaces.

Instructor:  H. Ishii

MAS.836  |  Sensor Technologies for Responsive Environments

Mas.863.j  |  how to make almost anything.

Instructor:  N. Gershenfeld

Course 21 - Humanities

21w.820j  |  writing: science, technology, and society, 21g.152  | chinese ii, 21a.819  |  qualitative research methods, harvard courses, compsci 164 |  software engineering.

Instructor:  David K. Malan

COMPSCI 171 | Visualization

Instructor:  Hanspeter Pfister

APCOMP 209 | A  Data Science 1: Introduction to Data Science

Instructor:  Pavlos Protopapas and Kevin A. Rader

ENG-SCI 153  |   Laboratory Electronics

Instructor:  David Abrams

EDU T402 | Team  Learning

Instructor:  Daniel Wilson

GSD 6338 | Introduction to Computational Design

Instructor:  Panagiotis Michalatos

GSD 6317 | Material Distributions: Gradients of Compliance 

Instructor:  Not Listed

GSD SCI 6317 | Material Practice as Research: Digital Design and Fabrication 

Gsd sci 6459 | mechatronic optics.

Instructor:  Andrew Witt

Lawrence Sass

Terry Knight

Takehiko Nagakura

George Stiny

Skylar Tibbits

Inala Locke

• 2022, MIT Press Shapes of Imagination: Calculating in Coleridge’s Magical Realm George Stiny
• 2021 Multi-objective optimization of 3D printed shell toolpaths Alexander Curth, Tim Brodesser, Lawrence Sass, Caitlin Mueller
• 2015 Making Grammars: From Computing with Shapes to Computing with Things Terry Knight, George Stiny

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Master’s programs

All master’s programs offered, architecture, building science and technology, business and management, real estate, public administration and public policy, urban, community and regional planning, similar grad schools.

• Harvard University
• Rating 4.29 out of 5   7 reviews
• Cornell University
• Columbia University
• NEW YORK, NY
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Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program develops leaders who make a difference in the world.

A rigorous, hands-on program that prepares adaptive problem solvers for premier finance careers.

A 12-month program focused on applying the tools of modern data science, optimization and machine learning to solve real-world business problems.

Earn your MBA and SM in engineering with this transformative two-year program.

Combine an international MBA with a deep dive into management science. A special opportunity for partner and affiliate schools only.

A doctoral program that produces outstanding scholars who are leading in their fields of research.

Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

A joint program for mid-career professionals that integrates engineering and systems thinking. Earn your master’s degree in engineering and management.

An interdisciplinary program that combines engineering, management, and design, leading to a master’s degree in engineering and management.

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This 20-month MBA program equips experienced executives to enhance their impact on their organizations and the world.

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PhD Program

Program overview.

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

Admissions Events

Check out our event schedule, and learn when you can chat with us in person or online.

Start Your Application

Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

May phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview, august phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education. Here are the academic placements for our PhDs graduating in May and September 2024. Our 2024-2025 job market candidates will be posted in early June 2024.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

Attention To Retention: The Informativeness of Insiders’ Decision to Retain Shares

2024 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Gabriel Voelcker

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program  Doctoral Forum Videos

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Department of Urban Studies and Planning • Department of Architecture

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We design the next generation of computer systems. Working at the intersection of hardware and software, our research studies how to best implement computation in the physical world. We design processors that are faster, more efficient, easier to program, and secure. Our research covers systems of all scales, from tiny Internet-of-Things devices with ultra-low-power consumption to high-performance servers and datacenters that power planet-scale online services. We design both general-purpose processors and accelerators that are specialized to particular application domains, like machine learning and storage. We also design Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to facilitate the development of such systems.

Advances in computer architecture create quantum leaps in the capabilities of computers, enabling new applications and driving the creation of entirely new classes of computer systems. For example, deep learning, which has transformed many areas of computer science, was made practical by hardware accelerators (initially GPUs and later more specialized designs); and advances in computer performance have also made self-driving cars and autonomous drones possible.

Computer architecture spans many layers of the hardware and software stack, and as a result we collaborate with researchers in many other areas. For example, several of our current projects focus on the design of domain-specific architectures, and involve researchers in programming languages and compilers to ensure that our systems are broadly useful, as well as domain experts. In addition, the waning of Moore’s Law is making emerging technologies, like CN-FETs, photonics, or resistive memories, an attractive way to implement computation, sparking collaborations with experts in these areas.

Latest news in computer architecture

Qs world university rankings rates mit no. 1 in 11 subjects for 2024.

The Institute also ranks second in five subject areas.

Department of EECS Announces 2024 Promotions

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) is proud to announce multiple promotions.

EECS Alliance Roundup: 2023

Founded in 2019, The EECS Alliance program connects industry leading companies with EECS students for internships, post graduate employment, networking, and collaborations.  In 2023, it has grown to include over 30 organizations that have either joined the Alliance or participate in its flagship program, 6A.

2023-24 EECS Faculty Award Roundup

This ongoing listing of awards and recognitions won by our faculty is added to all year, beginning in September.

Department of EECS announces 2023 promotions

The department is proud to announce multiple promotions this year.

Upcoming events

Eecs spring town hall.

In the News

2n: graduate program in naval architecture and marine engineering.

by Alissa Mallinson

MechE’s 2N program in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is almost as old as the department’s main Course 2 program in mechanical engineering.

The graduate program, which started in 1901 under the direction of Professor William Hovgaard and in cooperation with the US Navy, prepares Navy, Coast Guard, and foreign naval active duty officers, as well as other graduate students, for careers in ship design and construction.

Influential in the field of ship design and as a professor of marine engineering at MIT, Professor Hovgaard was a commander in the Danish Navy when he came to the 2N program. He taught several hundred Navy officers during his time at MIT and was the author of several leading textbooks on the subject, including  Structural Design of Warships , General Design of Warships , and Modern History of Warships .

At the time, many ship designs were built by engineers who didn’t have experience with life on a boat or at war. Professor Hovgaard developed 2N with the idea that a prerequisite of knowledge in these areas would lead to more effective and well-built warships. Similarly, the program’s instructors have always been commissioned US Navy officers as well.

Those principles on which the program was based are still important elements of the course of study today.

“The average 2N student is coming from the fleet,” says the program’s director, Captain Mark Thomas. “They’ve gotten their commission at the Naval Academy, ROTC, or Officer Candidate School. They’ve gone to sea for four to five years, either on a surface ship or a submarine. And then they apply for this program and come back here as graduate students.”

Most post-graduate naval students attend the Navy’s own graduate school in Monterrey, Calif., but the school doesn’t have a naval architecture program, so all the naval architects go to MIT. They have all earned a technical undergraduate degree, although not necessarily in naval architecture, and they all want to become engineering duty officers, not to command at sea.

“Our graduates aspire to command shipyards, warfare centers, and major acquisition programs,” says Thomas. “Their careers involve the design, acquisition, construction, testing, and maintenance of surface ships and submarines.”

2N students present their ship designs in an end-of-year final presentation. Photo courtesy of Captain Thomas.

The program, which is competitive, with only about nine spots offered to more than 30 applicants per year, is comprised almost entirely of already existing MechE courses open to any student at MIT – with only one catch: the Navy-specific courses are held off campus at Draper Labs. It involves lessons in submarine combat systems, surface ship combat systems, weapons effects and vulnerability, and submarine concept design. The rest of the courses focus on hydrodynamics, power and propulsion, autonomous underwater vehicle control, and structural dynamics, among other things. There is a specific series of five courses that are required to earn the naval architecture master’s degree – Naval Architecture, Systems Engineering and Naval Ship Design, Naval Ship Conversion, and a capstone project – but outside of that the students are free to hone in on their individual interests.

Because of the overlap with Mechanical Engineering requirements, most students only have to take a few extra classes to graduate with dual degrees in both naval architecture and mechanical engineering. And many students now are also pursuing the Systems Design Management degree in conjunction with the Sloan School of Management. Since many graduates of the 2N program go on to become commanding officers and program managers, they are interested in gaining some business savvy as well the standard technical degrees they are required to earn.

“From the Navy’s perspective, the 2N program is a crown jewel of Navy graduate education,” says Thomas. “It has produced more than its share of officers who go on to very senior ranks, including the current Assistant Secretary of the Navy (RDA), the Honorable Sean Stackley. There is a long history of success.”

Captain Mark Thomas

Professor of the Practice in Naval Architecture and Engineering Captain Mark Thomas earned his BS in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University, his SM in electrical engineering from MIT, his NE in naval engineering from MIT, and his PhD in hydrodynamics from MIT. He is the US Navy’s senior uniformed Naval Architect. His technical contributions encompass a wide range of naval engineering challenges, from keeping today’s ships at sea and designing ships for the future to evaluating technology advancements for both today and tomorrow’s Navy.

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2024 MAD Design Fellows Announced at the MIT Museum

The ten Design Fellows are MIT graduate students working at the intersection of design and multiple disciplines such as Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning, Architecture, Media Arts & Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Management.

May 2, 2024

Each year, the MIT Morningside Academy for Design (MAD) supports MIT graduate students with a fellowship allowing them to pursue design research and projects while creating community. Pulling from different corners of design, they explore solutions in fields such as sustainability, health, mobility, urban planning, social justice, or education. On May 1, 2024, MAD announced the 2024 cohort of Design Fellows at the MIT Museum. The event “ Designers for the Future ,” which was part of Boston Design Week, was the occasion to put in dialogue three generations of Design Fellows — the 2022 inaugural cohort, the current 2023 cohort, and the incoming 2024 cohort — to explore how to design across time, space, and disciplines. Congratulations to:

Sofia Chiappero

MCP, MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning MITdesignX

Sofia is working around the intersection of community development and technology, aiming to address the challenges faced by underserved communities at risk of displacement in Latin America. Through a blend of social science and digital inclusion, she seeks to design a new approach to researching human interactions and replicating them in virtual settings, with the ultimate goal of preserving the identity of these communities and giving them visibility for resilient growth.

Clemence Couteau

MBA, MIT Sloan School of Management

Clemence is tackling the rise of postpartum depression (PPD) among U.S. mothers by aiming to develop a digital solution empowering at-risk pregnant women to improve mental health outcomes. This involves a self-directed therapy chatbot in a mobile app, based on the “ROSE” protocol.

Mateo Fernandez

MArch, MIT Architecture

Mateo explores how to depart from the current construction industry, designing alternatives such as growing buildings with biomaterials, and deploying advanced 3D printing technologies for building.

Charlotte Folinus

PhD, MIT Mechanical Engineering

Charlotte creates new methods for designing soft robots, using these tools to design soft robots for gentle interactions, uncertain environments, and long mechanical lifetimes.

Alexander Htet Kyaw

SMArchS, MIT Architecture SM, MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science MITdesignX

Alexander's current research utilizes robotic assembly, multimodal interaction, and generative AI to challenge conventional manufacturing and fabrication practices. He is working on an AI-driven workflow that translates design intent into tangible objects through robotic assembly.

PhD, MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning

As a Design Fellow, Dení uses design research to evaluate and extend the scope of Bicheeche Diidxa’, a longstanding Participatory Action Research initiative for disaster resilience focused on five Zapotec communities along the Los Perros River in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Caitlin Morris

PhD, Media Arts & Sciences

Caitlin’s research explores the role of multisensory influences on cognition and learning, and seeks to find and build the bridges between digital and computational interfaces and hands-on, community-centered learning and teaching practices.

Maxine Perroni-Scharf

PhD, MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Maxine is currently working on developing techniques that enable the discovery and design of extremal metamaterials — 3D printed materials that exhibit extreme properties arising not from their chemical composition but rather from their structure. These can be applied to a variety of tasks, from battery design to accessibility.

Lyle Regenwetter

Lyle develops methods to incorporate design requirements, such as safety constraints and performance objectives, into the training process of generative AI models.

Zane Schemmer

PhD, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

Zane’s research aims to minimize the carbon footprint of the built environment by designing efficient structures that consider the availability of local materials.

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Fresenius Kabi

Summer 2024 manufacturing engineering intern.

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Job Summary

We currently have an opportunity for a Summer 2024 Intern to join our Manufacturing Engineering team at our Grand Island, NY facility.

Responsibilities

• Interact with personnel on all levels in Production.
• Collect data on existing challenges, perform analysis, and determine best possible course of action to address them.
• Look for ways to standardize tasks in order to reduce frequency of errors.
• Help with improving inconsistencies that might be present in the batch records.
• Help perform gap assessments resulting from internal and external audits.
• Help with SOP revisions.
• Support all Production departments: Formulation, Filling/Capping, Prep, Lyo, etc.

Requirements

• Candidate must have completed at least sophomore year in an engineering discipline.
• Preference is Industrial Engineering, but consideration will be given to other Engineering disciplines.
• Must be we versed in Microsoft Office applications: Work, Excel, Power Point, etc.
• Intern candidates must be permanently authorized to work in the U.S.
• Our internships are unable to accommodate OPT.
• Interns are responsible for their own housing.

Additional Information

We offer an excellent salary and benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverage, as well as life insurance, disability, 401K with company match, and wellness program.

Fresenius Kabi is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, disabilities, or protected veteran status.