Harvard-MIT Cross Registration

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1

<p>Hi! Does anyone have any experience with this? I just have a few general questions.</p>

<p>-Is it really inconvenient, in terms of the academic calendars not lining up and in terms of walking over to a different campus for class?</p>

<p>-If you take enough classes in a particular subject at Harvard, then would it count as a concentration?</p>

<p>-How many people take advantage of this program?</p>

<p>And, if anyone has any first hand experience, I would really appreciate your general impressions of it.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>

It is somewhat inconvenient, although it’s much less inconvenient than it used to be – Harvard changed their academic calendar a few years ago, and now it lines up with MIT’s calendar much more closely. </p>

<p>Typically students wouldn’t walk from MIT to Harvard, but would take the bus or the subway. It’s about a 15-20 minute trip. </p>

<p>

A concentration for what? </p>

<p>It can be somewhat difficult to get cross-registration courses to count toward MIT requirements. It’s easy to get general elective credit for courses, but it’s more difficult to take a class at Harvard and get it counted as one of your required GIRs, for example.</p>

3

<p>^ As far as HASS concentrations are concerned, I have heard of someone getting a language concentration in a language not offered at MIT by going to Harvard.</p>

4

<p>Great, thanks Mollie!
And PiperXP, was the concentration as being from Harvard?</p>

5

<p>If you mean concentration as per the Harvard definition of a major, you can’t be student at MIT and get your major from Harvard. You won’t get a Harvard degree by cross-registering from MIT even if somehow you were able to meet all Harvard requirements for the concentration. </p>

<p>My D met a few of her premed requirements by cross-registering at Harvard. That was not uncommon.</p>

6

<p>^ I meant concentration as in the MIT definition, which is 6 classes ( I think?!)
Oh well, in any case, that was more of a curiosity question. I’m just glad to hear that cross-registration is not uncommon. </p>

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

7

<p>^ No, it doesn’t go on your diploma as being from Harvard or anything.</p>

<p>A concentration is 3-4 classes, depending on which field. It means that you’re using part of your HASS requirements to focus in on a specific area. The 6-class thing you might be thinking of is a minor at MIT.</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>They changed it yet again ~2 years ago, for them to have a J-term. Now our spring breaks don’t line up anymore, and they start a week before us in January. The spring break part really sucks, as students taking Harvard classes will have to go to their Harvard class during our break.</p>

9

<p>^That actually is the change to which I’m referring – previously, Harvard started fall semester later, then their exams were during IAP. The misalignment was really bad back then.</p>

10

<p>^ lol, but we no longer have the opportunity to go on WorldMUN (hosted by Harvard and takes place in various international colleges) because it’s always during Harvard’s spring break…that part is sad for us, especially having been to the one in the Hague before they switched calendars.</p>