Applying

"The truly unique thing about this program is that every decision—from the time students are admitted to the time they get their degrees—is made by joint faculty committees whose members have to come to a consensus."
—A. Lawrence Peirson III, former Associate Dean, WHOI

Applicants to the MIT/WHOI Joint Program come from widely varying backgrounds and throughout the world. Potential applicants are welcome to visit one or both institutions. However, an onsite interview is not required for admission, nor is it necessary to know or have the support of a specific faculty member.

Admission to the Joint Program is highly competitive. In recent years, about 15-20% of applicants have been offered admission to the Joint Program. Most successful applicants have completed an undergraduate degree or equivalent in a basic science or engineering discipline.

Applications forms may be completed online, or they may be downloaded. Applicants who wish to be considered for the MIT/WHOI Joint Program should indicate this as their main MIT department on the application. They may also indicate one or more areas of research from among MIT/WHOI Joint Program's disciplines: Applied Ocean Science and Engineering, Biological Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, Marine Geology and Geophysics, and Physical Oceanography.

There is a detailed checklist and calendar of the steps required to complete an admissions application. A Joint Committee made up of staff members from both institutions evaluates applications, and notification is made to the applicants by early March.

Admitted students are encouraged to enroll in June and reside at WHOI during their first summer.  Admitted students may also participate in a 10-day summer sail.

Joint Program students, who remain in good academic standing, are provided financial support, consisting of tuition (the 2011-2012 rate is $53,940 per year) and a stipend (currently averaging $29,484 per year) during five years of full-time study. (The stipend rate is set by MIT each year.) This support may come from a Graduate Research Assistantship that is an integral part of a research project, or it may come from a variety of fellowships to which applicants may apply before coming to the Joint Program.

You can direct questions or submit your application to either of these Joint Program offices: