Summary of MIT Subject Listing

Introduction

• At MIT, "courses" refer to fields of study leading to degrees, while "subjects" refer to what is commonly known as classes.
• Each course is associated with a department or program, e.g., Course 6 for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
• Subject listings and schedules are available online through MIT's catalog.

Departments and Programs Offering Subjects at MIT

• Aeronautics and Astronautics (Course 16)
• Aerospace Studies (AS)
• Anthropology (Course 21A)
• Architecture (Course 4)
• Biological Engineering (Course 20)
• Biology (Course 7)
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Course 9)
• Chemical Engineering (Course 10)
• Chemistry (Course 5)
• Civil and Environmental Engineering (Course 1)
• Comparative Media Studies / Writing (CMS, Course 21W)
• Computational and Systems Biology (CSB)
• Computational Science and Engineering (CSE)
• Concourse (CC)
• Data, Systems, and Society (IDS)
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (Course 12)
• Economics (Course 14)
• Edgerton Center (EC)
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course 6)
• Engineering Management (EM)
• Experimental Study Group (ES)
• Global Languages (Course 21G)
• Health Sciences and Technology (HST)
• History (Course 21H)
• Humanities (Course 21)
• Linguistics and Philosophy (Course 24)
• Literature (Course 21L)
• Management (Course 15)
• Materials Science and Engineering (Course 3)
• Mathematics (Course 18)
• Mechanical Engineering (Course 2)
• Media Arts and Sciences (MAS)
• Military Science (MS)
• Music (Course 21M)
• Naval Science (NS)
• Nuclear Science and Engineering (Course 22)
• Physics (Course 8)
• Political Science (Course 17)
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
• Special Programs
• Supply Chain Management (SCM)
• Theater Arts (21T)
• Urban Studies and Planning (Course 11)
• Women's and Gender Studies (WGS)

How to Read Subject Descriptions

• Subject Name: Combination of number and title. "J" indicates joint offering.
• Subject Information:
  • Same subject as: Lists other departments offering the subject.
  • Offered under: Cross-listed elective subjects.
  • Subject meets with: Indicates differences in course requirements for subjects taught together.
  • Prerequisites: List of required background subjects. Implicit prerequisites are not listed.
  • Academic Year: Availability notation for specific academic years.
  • Credit Units: Denotes time commitment in class, lab, and prep.
    • GIRs: General Institute Requirements include specified courses in Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics, etc.
  • HASS Designations: Fulfillment of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences requirements.
  • Grading and Repeatability: P/D/F grading and details on repeatable subjects.

Subject Content and Instructor(s)

• Subject Content: Detailed descriptions specify content or refer to another subject.
• Instructor(s): Listed in italics within the description.

Examples of Subject Descriptions

1. 11.003[J] Methods of Policy Analysis:

   • Jointly offered with 17.303[J].
   • Prerequisites include 11.002[J] and corequisites like 14.01.
   • Not offered in 2024-2025; Offered in Spring 2025-2026.
   • 3-0-9 units, HASS-S.
   • Instructors: C. Abbanat.

2. 20.110[J] Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems:

   • Jointly offered with 2.772[J].
   • Prerequisites include Biology, Calculus II, Chemistry, and Physics I or instructor's permission.
   • Offered in Fall.
   • 5-0-7 units, REST.
   • Instructors: M. Birnbaum, C. Voigt.