Cross-Registration with MIT

The MIT subject listing and schedule and academic calendar may be found at the MIT Registrar's Office website.

Academic Calendars for Exhange Schools (Wellesley, MIT, Babson, Brandeis and Olin)

Be sure to check out the dates carefully, because MIT is not on the same academic calendar as Wellesley. NOTE: If you do not complete your MIT registration by the designated dates, you will have to petition Wellesley's Academic Review Board and/or MIT's Committee on Academic Performance for approval of late registration. There is no pre-registration for MIT courses. Wellesley students who cross-register are responsible for maintaining parallel registration at both Wellesley and MIT for all MIT courses. This means registering at both schools. In addition, any changes must be made at both places.

Cross-Registration Process

1. The first step for Wellesley students is to attend the first meeting of the MIT class and ascertain if there is space available by speaking with the instructor.

Please note: the MATH department at MIT does not close classes, so speaking with the instructor is not necessary. Just register for the class and, for Calculus, Differential Equations, and Linear Algebra, visit the Undergraduate Math Office (2-108) to sign up for a recitation.

2. The second step is to go to the Wellesley Registrar's Office to obtain a triplicate Cross-Registration Form. Fill out the form and obtain a signature from the Registrar's Office.

3. Take the signed triplicate form to the MIT Student Services Center (11-120) and obtain a signature from the MIT Registrar representative in the office. He will keep the yellow copy of the form and return the rest to you. Obtain a personal information form from him and fill it out while you're there.

4. Return to the Wellesley Registrar's Office and file the white copy of the signed triplicate form. The pink copy is for your records. This copy will be used to register you for the course as well.

Dropping and Adding Classes

Students are expected to meet the established Wellesley deadlines to drop or add a course. To CHANGE an MIT course, students obtain add/drop cards from the Wellesley Registrar. MIT add/drop forms may be picked up at the MIT Student Services Center. Completed cards are returned to the offices in which they originated. You must add and/or drop on BOTH campuses.
RULE OF THUMB: Cross-registration at MIT requires doing EVERYTHING twice! The deadline for adding an MIT course is only extended by one week past the Wellesley add/drop date.

Units of Credit

The MIT subject listing and schedule gives the time distribution of each course - e.g. (4 2 6). The sum of the 3 digits equals the number of MIT credits. The first digit represents the number of hours per week of class; the second stands for the hours/week of laboratory, and the third is the number of hours of preparation. 6-8.99 MIT credits equal .5 Wellesley unit; 9-14.99 MIT credits equal 1 Wellesley unit; 15-17.99 MIT credits equal 1.25 Wellesley units; 18-24 MIT credits equal 2 Wellesley units. It is also possible to take a course without receiving credit -- auditing or "listening." MIT courses are available to students after their first semester at Wellesley. Students may take up to two courses per semester, regardless of the number of units per course.

Graduate Courses

Wellesley students may take graduate level courses at MIT provided they have met the necessary pre-requisites. Please review the MIT Bulletin for detailed information regarding pre-requisites. Please also note that in graduate courses, particularly at the Sloan School of Management, priority is given to MIT graduate students. It is a good idea to register for and attend a fifth course at Wellesley until you know the final status of your MIT course registration.

Restrictions

If you intend to use an MIT course towards your Wellesley major, you must contact the chair of your major department to check on any restrictions which may apply. You also need Wellesley approval to use an MIT course to fulfill a Wellesley requirement or to receive 300-level credit. NOTE: 350 Research or Individual Study is a Wellesley course and may NOT be pursued at MIT with an MIT faculty member supervising.

Arranged Credit Courses

Students taking subjects for which the credit units are "to be arranged" (TBA) should complete the MIT registration by the deadline, but number of credits need not be indicated at that time. After consultation with the MIT instructor, credit units may be determined; an MIT Add/Drop Form should be filed at the MIT Student Services Center as though adding the course. The instructor signs the card under the section marked "Approval of Staff Member in Charge."

Final Exams

Final examinations at MIT are not offered on a self-scheduling basis. The final examination schedule is issued at the end of the third week of the term.Note: the MIT exam period does not always coincide with the Wellesley exam period.

Grades

Grades earned at institutions other than Wellesley ordinarily do not appear on the Wellesley transcript. However, because of the unique cross-registration program between Wellesley and MIT, grades earned in MIT courses do appear on the Wellesley transcript; they are counted in a student's Wellesley GPA; and they are included in the calculation of her Latin honors. MIT does not award plus (+) or minus (-) after a letter grade, although they do use them for some internal purposes.

Students receive letter grades at MIT, except when they take UROPs or courses in the Undergraduate Seminar Series (mandatory Pass/Fail) or when they choose to have a letter grade converted according to Wellesley's "Credit/Non-Credit" system. Students must designate a course Credit/Non by the Wellesley deadline to elect an MIT course credit/non.

At the end of the term, grades are sent to the Wellesley Registrar as well as to students.

Senior Grades

Seniors must have MIT grades for Spring semester courses in time for the Wellesley deadline. The Registrar's Office (WC) provides forms which must be completed by the instructor and returned by him/her to the Student Service Center at MIT. Students do not deliver grade sheets.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

UROP enables students to join the research efforts of MIT faculty in a number of departments. (Normally available to juniors and seniors). Students considering a UROP project must study the UROP handbook, which is available on the web (see above link). Pay particular attention to the section which pertains to Wellesley Students. Current research opportunities are posted on the UROP web pages and at the UROP office at MIT. Wellesley's Center for Work and Service may have information as well.

Miscellaneous Information Regarding Cross-Registration

Wellesley Faculty Advisors for MIT Classes

Athena Accounts

The Athena computing environment is MIT's campus-wide, networked system available to all MIT students, faculty and staff. An MIT email account (called an athena account) will allow you to access class websites, participate in MIT’s subject evaluation process, and use WebSIS. To register for an email account you need a personal account coupon. To obtain your account coupon bring your MIT ID Card to the Student Services Center, 11-120, or the Athena User Accounts Office, building N42, 211 Massachusetts Avenue near Vassar Street.

Once you have your email account please go to WebSIS and provide your emergency contact information.

Physical Education

Wellesley students may take MIT physical education classes. Schedules for these classes are available in the MIT Physical Education Office, (W35-297) on Vassar Street. In order to enroll in MIT PE classes, Wellesley students must purchase an Athletic card. This card gives access to all athletic facilities for classes and recreational sports for the whole academic year. Interested students should register early. In order to assure transfer of PE credits to Wellesley, students must inform the MIT office that they are Wellesley students seeking Physical Education credit.

Transportation

To enable students to participate in the Exchange, Wellesley operates free weekday bus service between the two campuses. You must show your Wellesley ID card to board the bus. Guests of Wellesley students who wish to ride the Exchange Bus must present a ticket or token to the bus driver before boarding. Information regarding schedules for the Exchange Bus is available at the Information Bureau, Wang Campus Center, at http://www.wellesley.edu/Transportation/exchange.html or by calling the Transportation Hotline, Ext. 2318.

Questions about the Exchange Bus should be addressed to Peter Eastment, Director of Housing & Transportation at Ext. 3433 or by email to peastmen@wellesley.edu

Automobile Parking

Parking in Cambridge is next to impossible to find, and there is no student parking in the MIT lots.

Libraries

By showing a Wellesley ID, students may use the MIT libraries as would MIT students. A Wellesley student does not have to be cross-registered to use library facilities. A copy of the "Guide to MIT libraries" is available at any MIT library. If you are cross-registered, you may also get an MIT ID card at their Stratton Student Center (Bldg. W20 Lower Level).

Email: regoffice@wellesley.edu
Registrar's Office: April 27, 2006
Last Modified: August 27, 2009
Expires: January 1, 2010
Maintained by: C. Voorhees