General Institute Requirements

The General Institute Requirements, or GIRs, are MIT's "core curriculum" - classes which are taken by every MIT student prior to graduation, regardless of major.

The GIRs consist of 17 classes: 9 in math, science, and technology, and 8 in the humanities, arts, and social sciences. The math/science/technology component of the requirement breaks down as follows:

• 2 classes in calculus: single and multivariable
• 2 classes in physics: mechanics and electricity/magnetism
• a class in each of chemistry and biology
• a Lab class (usually in your major; 46 choices)
• 2 Restricted Electives in Science & Technology, or REST classes (44 options)

Some of these requirements, most often single variable calculus, can be fulfilled with AP/IB exams or college transfer credit. The first six courses listed above are most commonly taken in the freshman year and are known as the "science core."

There are a variety of ways to take these courses. Each of the science core classes have different "flavors." For example, biology, or 7.01x, has three different flavors which cover the MIT basics of biology but each with a different focus, such as genetics/genomics or the environment.

The different flavors are not the only options for the science core. Many students will join Freshman Learning Communities to take much of the science core. The freshman learning communities often offer a coherent freshman curriculum, very small classes, and a common meeting space. There are four Freshman Learning Communities: the Experimental Study Group, or ESG, the Concourse program, Terrascope, and the Media Arts & Sciences (MAS) First Year Program.

Each of the 8 required humanities, arts and social science (HASS) classes are elective, but must fulfill several requirements:

• 3 classes must be HASS distribution, or HASS-D, courses, each chosen from a different one of five lists
• 2 classes must be labeled Communications Intensive, or HASS-CI
• 3-4 classes must go deep into one area of your choice to form your HASS concentration

Unlike the science core, you cannot fulfill any of these requirements with AP or IB classes. Also, please note that the intersection of any of the above groups need not be the null set. That is, some classes will fulfill 2 or 3 of the above criteria. For example, many of the HASS-D courses are also HASS-CI courses, and your concentration may have a HASS-D or HASS-CI course as a part of it.

Also unlike the science core, these HASS classes are usually spaced out over the length of one's MIT career. With 8 required classes and the normal student using 8 terms to get a degree, most take at least one HASS course per term.

In addition to these academic requirements, students must also satisfy the Physical Education Requirement.