<p>I browsed around in the admission and I found that some of the things I take in high school can serve as credit(units???) for MIT
so I wonder, what is the MIT’s requirements for getting a Bachelor degree? because if I know more about it, I would chose to finish more AP test and getting unit in Humanities Arts, and Social Sciences.</p>
<p>How much unit does one need for bachelor degree? does it change with majors? can one chose a lot of classes to reduce the time required to graduate?</p>
<p>Where can I find out more infos like this? I don’t see it on the admission’s website beside the General Institute Requirements.</p>
<p>And if I double major in math and computer science, I can chose to go with the combined, simultaneous bachelors/masters program in EECS. So that meand I can get bachelors in math and computer science at my 4th year and master at CS at 5th year, right?</p>
<p>Generally, you need 180 units outside the General Institute Requirements to get one bachelor’s degree from MIT, although some departments have higher requirements.</p>
<p>If you have 5s on AP tests in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, you will get general elective units for them (which count toward the 180 units for a degree), but you will still have to take 8 humanities, arts, and social sciences classes at MIT – the AP tests provide general credit, but don’t actually get you out of the requirement.</p>
<p>Undergraduate degree programs at MIT are structured so that you can take all 17 GIR classes, plus the 180 units outside the GIRs, and graduate in four years, having taken four classes per term. If you choose to take more than four classes per term, you can graduate early. This is not always easy, either logistically or workload-wise.</p>
<p>
Yes. In this case, to get two bachelor’s degrees, you would need 270 units outside the GIRs.</p>
<p>EDIT: I should add, also, that there will soon/eventually be a “degree requirements” page on the Admissions site. I know this because I wrote it with Paul and Keri recently.</p>
I did hear they were trying to get rid of the extra 90 units you need to get a second degree, and make it a regular “double major” instead of two diplomas. Not sure how likely that is to actually happen, though.</p>
<p>That’s totally lame. I mean, the 270 units is often pretty tough, but once you graduate, you get to actually write two degrees after your name (molliebatmit, SB, SB), and you get to list two degrees awarded on every application you will ever complete for the rest of your life. I’m currently applying for a predoctoral fellowship, and I wrote my two degrees in the “previous education” section, and it felt awesome.</p>
<p>It was one of the recommendations of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Educational Commons. It’s being hotly debated right now…the Committee on Curricula is ironing out their opinion on it, and it will probably come to the next Faculty Meeting.</p>
<p>(I know this because I have a friend on the CoC.)</p>
<p>Mollie: Does anyone actually write SB after their name anyway?</p>
<p>I do! I mean, I don’t normally, but I do for lab-related stuff where everybody writes their degrees, even if they’re just bachelors’. My profile on the lab webpage lists me as SB SB, which I think is sort of dorky and show-offy, but hey, that’s the purpose of a lab webpage.</p>
<p>I think there’s actually some utility in showing that you were able to complete two full undergraduate degrees, and without two full degrees, a double major becomes somewhat pointless except for personal satisfaction.</p>
<p>the only reason for me want 2 Bachelors is because my dad will not pay any tuition if I chose to major in math… since he strongly believe all math major people have no jobs.
awww… 270 units >.<
well… maybe I can’t get in MIT anyway… so I shouldn’t worry too much about it…</p>
<p>thx molliebatmit. My dad was really impressed with that $65000+ out of school average
I guess that can change his view a little.
I wish if I grad with 2 SB I get $67,875+$72,742…
ahh…if only everything works like addition… xD</p>
<p>@ Jessie - I’m going to guess Mandie updated you on the situation? As it happens, one of the student CoC members has been pretty diligent in bringing the issue of double majors vs. double degrees before the UA over the past few weeks and requesting our feedback.</p>
<p>As I understand it, the issue was actually supposed to be on the agenda for the February faculty meeting, but apparently other things took priority. Alas, I had class and couldn’t attend the faculty meeting, so I don’t know the full details of what actually went on. A proposal is definitely on its way towards coming before the faculty in March, though.</p>
<p>If I want to exempt differential equations, can I take a test to do so? Does such a test exist? In addition, if you don’t do so well on it, does it hurt you?</p>
<p>Passing out of differential equations (18.03) is possible via an advanced standing exam (ASE). I believe you may also have to complete some homework as well. More details on the ASE policies for the Class of 2012 should be posted on the [“First</a> Year”](<a href=“http://mit.edu/firstyear/2012/index.html]"First”>http://mit.edu/firstyear/2012/index.html) website in the upcoming months.</p>
<p>Is there ASE for every possible class?
All I know is the ASE for chem and bio…
if there are like 10 Chinese related class, I can get a whole lot of units done.</p>
<p>There are official advanced standing exams for the most common freshman classes (calc I/II, diff eq, linear algebra, bio, chem, physics I/II). If you want to take an ASE in a class that doesn’t generally offer it, you have to email the professor and ask permission.</p>
<p>The Academic Guide says
So sometimes it’s not as easy as showing up and taking the test – professors can require you to complete an entire homework set before taking it (as they do in the cases of diff eq and linear algebra), or to do some other kind of work as they see appropriate.</p>
<p>And to answer Donmu’s question on the previous page, if you take and fail an ASE during freshman year, it won’t be recorded on your transcript, just like it wouldn’t be recorded if you failed any other class. If you take and do poorly on an ASE after freshman year (or if you pass during freshman IAP/spring), the grade will be recorded.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, it will appear on your transcript; but an Advanced Standing Exam can never affect your GPA, regardless of whether you ace it or flunk it.</p>
<p>Your internal record is your within-MIT-only transcript – it can be seen by you and by your advisor, but it’s not shown on your external transcript, which is what you would send for a graduate school application or job application.</p>
<p>Classes you failed as a freshman, classes you dropped before Drop Date, and +/- modifiers on your letter grades are shown on the internal record, but not on an external transcript.</p>
I mean, I don’t normally, but I do for lab-related stuff where everybody writes their degrees, even if they’re just bachelors’. My profile on the lab webpage lists me as SB SB, which I think is sort of dorky and show-offy, but hey, that’s the purpose of a lab webpage.</p>