Contact:
Mriganka Sur Ph.D.
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
46-6237
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA
02139
Telephone: (617) 253-8784
FAX: (617) 253-9767
E-Mail: msur@mit.edu
WWW:
http://web.mit.edu/bcs/
Other Degrees Offered in the Program:
PhD in:
Program Established: 1964
Number of Faculty: 40
Number of
Students: 73
U.S. Citizens: 84%
Female: 45%
U.S. Underrepresented Minorities: 15%
Native American: 0%
African American (not of Hispanic
origin): 7%
Hispanic: 8%
Number of Graduates in the Last Five Years: 44
Faculty
Supervising Graduate Student Theses: 22
Average
Number of Years to Complete the Program: 5.6
Program Description: The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. These programs are designed to prepare participants to be competent scientists engaged in original research and to teach effectively. Graduates gain expertise in both specific research areas and the broader fields of brain or cognitive science. Students may specialize in molecular and cellular neuroscience, systems neuroscience, cognitive science, computation, or (for students whose research interests encompass more than one discipline) in cognitive neuroscience.
Graduate students begin research apprenticeships during their first semester, with lab rotations strongly encouraged before final decisions regarding their choice of advisor. Assignments sometimes change as students' goals become more focused. Before the end of the first year, students form advisory committees composed of two to four faculty members. These committees monitor their progress during subsequent years and, with membership changing as necessary, eventually evolve into thesis committees. Starting in the first year, graduate students are expected to spend at least half of their time in the laboratory conducting research.
Course requirements are designed to permit flexibility. Students normally choose one of four departmental research areas as a major field and a second as a minor field, although the minor field is sometimes chosen from a different MIT department. After fulfilling core course requirements, students take a specified number of lecture courses in their major and minor fields. There is a written qualifying examination at the end of the second year, and oral qualifying examination and a research report in the third year.
In preparation for academic careers, students are trained in giving seminars, classroom teaching, and work as teaching assistants in departmental subjects. A thesis proposal is submitted in the fourth year. The remaining time is devoted to research.
Admission Requirements:
Graduate student selection is based primarily upon evidence of research interest and potential for work within the areas represented in the department. Candidates may have undergraduate concentrations in a variety of fields, but regardless of undergraduate major, applicants are expected to have outstanding records, particularly in mathematics and the sciences.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical test scores are required with the application; GRE subject tests are not required.
How, or Where to Apply: You can apply online at http://www.applyweb.com/apply/mitg/menu.html, or to download an application form for our graduate program, please go to http://web.mit.edu/admissions/graduate/how_to_apply/application_download.html. Please note that the file you will be downloading is stored as a postscript "PDF" file, and that you will be prompted to open the file with the Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 3.0 or higher.
Annual Tuition and Fees Costs: $33,400
Approximate Cost of Living Per Year: $25,400
Housing Availability and Costs Per Year: http://web.mit.edu/housing/grad/
Day-Care Facilities Availability and Costs Per Month: http://web.mit.edu/gsc/www/studentlife/family/childcare.shtml
Stipend/ Assistantships and Financial Assistance: $25,400
Last revised September 2006
http://www.andp.org/programs/graduate/unitedstates/massachusetts/mit.htm
Directory of Neuroscience Training Programs
© 2007 Association of Neuroscience Departments and Programs
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