Academic Opportunities Outside of MIT Sloan

International Opportunities

The MIT Sloan MBA Program offers three types of international academic opportunities: study tours, action learning labs, and the IEP exchange program. All three are credit-bearing, but differ in the duration of the engagement and course length.

  • Study Tours - Spring semester course with five weeks on-campus lectures in H3; two weeks in-country visiting companies, government, etc. over Elective SIP and Spring Break; 3 units
  • Action Learning - Spring or Fall semester course with on-campus lectures all semester; 2-4 weeks on-site work at client’s location depending on Spring or Fall semester course; 9 – 15 units
  • IEP Exchange - H1 of fall/H3 of spring semester or full fall/spring semester study abroad at exchange host school, limited spots available; 36 – 45 units

Study Tours or 15.228 Seminar in International Management

Every Spring semester, the MBA Program offers several international study tours that are part of the 15.228 Seminar in International Management course. These study tours include an academic component and a travel component and are eligible for Elective SIP credit. Study Tours may be regionally, industry, or project-focused. Student teams submit proposals for competitive review by a selection committee in early October, six months before the trip. Proposals that are accepted by the selection committee are refined and delivered jointly by MIT Sloan faculty, the MBA Program Office, Student Life Office staff, and student organizing teams. Recent international trip destinations have included Africa, South East Asia, Estonia, Switzerland, and Chile.

School-affiliated study tour schedules and personal travel beginning earlier or ending later than the scheduled tour dates must not conflict with MIT Sloan MBA academic attendance requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, regularly scheduled classes, mandatory Career Core sessions, and SIP workshops. Violations of these policies are subject to disciplinary action.

Study tours are not permitted to destinations with U.S. State Department travel warnings.

Action Learning

Students also have multiple opportunities to travel throughout the world on action learning projects. These projects are integral components of such courses as G-Lab, S-Lab, China Lab, ASEAN Lab, and more, all of which are organized by faculty.

International Exchange Program (IEP)

The MBA International Exchange Program (IEP) allows a limited number of MBA students the opportunity to experience and explore another culture from both an educational and business perspective. The MBA Program has formal international exchange relationships with both the London Business School in London, UK, and IESE in Barcelona, Spain. Each year, up to two students from each school come to MIT Sloan for the Fall semester, and in exchange, MIT Sloan sends the same number of MBA students to study at LBS or IESE in the Fall or Spring semester of their second year. MBA students are selected through a competitive application process.

 

MIT Leaders for Global Operations

The MIT Leaders for Global Operations (LGO) program combines master’s degrees at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT School of Engineering. Over two years, students earn both an MBA and an SM in one of seven engineering disciplines (CEE, MechE, EECS, ChemE, AeroAstro, NSE, ORC). Their curriculum combines engineering depth in complex systems, manufacturing, product design and development, data analytics and machine learning, coupled with operations analysis and optimization and the full range of managerial skills that they must develop in order to lead today’s global corporations. LGO’s partner companies play a critical role in all aspects of the program, sponsoring all six-month internships during which students research and develop solutions to pressing organizational needs, and which form the basis for their dual-degree master’s thesis.

Back to the top

MBA Program Policy on Dual Degrees

Some of the research centers and other departments at MIT offer the possibility of doing combined programs that result in two master’s degrees. MIT Sloan also provides formal opportunities to pursue dual degree programs through its partnerships with the Harvard Kennedy School, the MIT Department of Urban Studies, and the MIT Chemical Engineering Program. Please note, however, that pursuing a dual degree program requires careful planning; MIT Sloan does not permit acceleration through the MBA program of study for any dual/concurrent programs other than that with the Harvard Kennedy School and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

MBA students interested in pursuing dual degrees should contact Jenifer Marshall, the dual degree advisor in the MBA Program Office, and be aware of the following conditions:

  • Students must apply to and be accepted by both of the programs;
  • Students must submit a proposed plan of study for completion of both sets of degree requirements. At MIT Sloan, this proposed plan of study must be approved by MIT Sloan Educational Services and the MBA Program Office.
  • Students currently in an MIT PhD program will provide a letter of support from their thesis advisor as part of the admissions process. PhDs are expected to complete and defend their thesis before the start of their MBA studies unless they have the approval of their PhD advisor to slightly delay thesis defense.

Prospective dual degree candidates must adhere to all MBA degree requirements and bear in mind the following academic policies:

  • Cannot “double count” courses toward both degrees
  • Must adhere to the MBA 54-unit credit limit each semester

MIT Sloan and the Harvard Kennedy School

The MIT Sloan MBA Program and the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) have a formalized dual degree program which accepts up to 20 students into each class. This program allows students to pursue a Master’s of Public Administration (MPA), a Master’s of Public Policy (MPP), or a Master’s of Public Administration in International Development (MPA-ID) and an MBA in three academic years. Students must spend one full academic year (fall and spring semesters) in residence at each program and then split the third academic year with primary registration in each school for one additional semester.

The dual degree option is especially relevant for those students who plan to pursue careers in international management or economic development or who plan to work in industries or regions with a high degree of government partnership or regulation. Completion of the two degrees in three years requires careful academic planning, including the use of IAP (Independent Activities Period) in January and/or cross registration from HKS to earn credits toward the MBA degree. The dual degree advisor is available to help coordinate a plan of study. Students are responsible for understanding and completing all the requirements of both the MIT Sloan MBA and the HKS MPA, MPP, or MPA-ID.

International students wishing to participate in the MIT Sloan/HKS dual program are urged to consult with the MIT International Student Office, their MIT Sloan MBA Program advisor, and MIT Sloan Educational Services early in the planning process, to better understand visa and practical training implications.

MIT Sloan has a significant interest in maintaining a strong connection to dual degree students during their semesters at HKS. Jenifer Marshall in the MBA Program Office oversees the HKS ‘cohort’ and works closely with the group during the year to support social and learning opportunities for HKS students.

Concurrent Applicants

Students who apply to MIT Sloan and the Harvard Kennedy School in the same cycle and wish to be considered for the dual degree option must:

  • Self-identify to both schools as a dual degree applicant on their applications;
  • Notify MIT Sloan if accepted into HKS
  • Begin their studies at HKS

Students who are accepted into both programs concurrently are automatically enrolled in the joint/accelerated MIT Sloan/HKS program.

Fall 2023 will be the final opportunity for students to apply to the accelerated program while enrolled at MIT Sloan or HKS. Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, all applicants wishing to pursue the accelerated dual degree must apply concurrently to both programs to be considered.

HKS Starters (Fall 2023 only)

Apply online to the MIT Sloan MBA Program.

Students enrolled at the Harvard Kennedy School may apply online to the MIT Sloan MBA program for the dual degree option. It is possible to be admitted to the full-time, two-year MBA program and not the three-year dual degree option. Submission of supplemental application materials may be required before students are accepted to the dual degree option.

MIT Sloan Starter (Fall 2023 only)

Apply online to the HKS Program.

MIT Sloan starters who were accepted into HKS concurrent with their acceptance into MIT Sloan are automatically enrolled in the joint/accelerated HKS program. MBA students who have not yet applied to HKS and are in good academic standing are invited to apply to join the joint/accelerated HKS program on a space-available basis. To apply, students must complete a Sloan/HKS application by October 10 to be considered as a candidate for the joint/accelerated degree if accepted by HKS. An assessment committee will:

  1. confirm good academic standing as measured by performance in class and on midterm exams
  2. review a 300-word statement of purpose describing how the dual degree path is critical to the student’s professional goals
  3. review current, one-page resume 

The committee will look for good academic progress along with a significant understanding of the program and how it aligns with the applicant’s professional goals. A successful candidate will also demonstrate a strong commitment to public service/public sector work. If there are more candidates than space in the program, the assessment committee will choose the students who have the strongest applications as measured by these criteria. Applicants should expect a competitive process, as most years there are more applicants than available spots.

Candidates will be notified as to whether MIT Sloan will support their interest in the dual degree before HKS applications are due. Students being supported may join the three-year accelerated dual degree program if admitted to HKS provided they have a 4.0 GPA and have no values violations.

All MIT Sloan Starters who are accepted into the program must sign a Notice of Understanding by May 15 of their first year detailing the benefits they will and will no longer be eligible for during the semesters in which they are enrolled in HKS. In the three semesters a student is primarily enrolled at HKS they will NOT have access to MIT employment or benefits including:

  • Health insurance through MIT Medical
  • On-campus accommodations through MIT Housing
  • Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA) positions at MIT
  • Financial aid administered by MIT
  • MIT Identification card and benefits associated with that card (summer between second and third year)

Dual degree students DO have access to the following benefits until graduating from MIT Sloan:

  • Ability to belong to and be elected to leadership positions in student clubs
  • Access to on-campus internship recruiting resources during the first and second year and full time recruiting resources during the third year of the program. (Note: students who graduate from MIT in year two will have full time recruiting services during the 12 months immediately following graduation from the MBA Program while enrolled at HKS.) Also, international students who graduate from MIT in year two will NOT be eligible for CPT for a summer internship, because they will have graduated from MIT and were not registered at Harvard in the Spring.
  • Access to most community activities such as C-Functions and Thanksgiving Dinners

Sloan starters have the option of splitting the second year of the dual degree program so they can graduate with their MIT cohort.

Back to the top

MIT Sloan and the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP)

The MIT Sloan School MBA Program and the MIT Department of Urban Studies (DUSP) have a formalized dual degree program. This program allows students to pursue an MBA and a Master in City Planning (MCP) in three academic years. Students may apply to both programs concurrently or apply during their first year of the MBA or MCP program. Submission of supplemental application materials may be required before students are accepted to the dual degree option.

Students must spend one full academic year (fall and spring semesters) in residence at each program and then split the third academic year with primary registration in each program for one additional semester. Students will be assessed the tuition charged at the program of their primary registration in a given semester. Completion of the two degrees in three years requires careful academic planning to earn credits toward the MBA degree. Jenifer Marshall, the dual degree advisor in the MBA Program Office, is available to help coordinate a plan of study. Students are responsible for understanding and completing all requirements of both the MIT Sloan MBA and the MIT MCP.

For further information on the DUSP or HKS dual degree program, contact Jenifer Marshall at jmars@mit.edu

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering Practice (PhDCEP)

The PhDCEP Program provides students with an educational experience that combines advanced work in manufacturing, independent research, and management. Students are prepared for a rapid launch into positions of leadership in industry and provided with a foundation for the completion of an MBA degree.

Students in this program first pursue doctoral coursework and research in chemical engineering, and then complete requirements for the MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management. An integrative project combines the research and management portions of the program.

PhDCEP participants must complete all MBA degree requirements.

  • Up to three Sloan classes taken before matriculating into the MBA Program may be counted towards the MBA.
  • Classes counted toward another degree are not eligible to be applied to the MBA.

Back to the top