Academics : FAQ

 

 

I. How to Become a Writing Major

 The Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies encourages all students who have an interest and ability in writing to consider becoming a writing major or joint writing major. PWHS offers three undergraduate options leading to the Bachelor of Science in Writing: creative writing, science writing and digital media. Each of these options has its own subject requirements and a senior thesis. Please come by the Program office and pick up brochures describing the requirements. You should also talk to the Director of Student Writing Activities, Mr. William Corbett.

A faculty advisory committee chaired by the Program Head, Professor James Paradis, will provide initial advice on an individual basis to each student who wants to become a writing major. Ordinarily, you should not plan on meeting with the advisory committee until you have completed at least two writing subjects beyond 21W.730 and gotten a letter of recommendation from one of your writing instructors. When you have done these things, the advisory committee will review your individual situation, discuss your writing with you, and either encourage you to be or discourage you from becoming a writing major. We ask that you meet with the faculty advisory committee by the beginning of your junior year.
If you decide to become a writing major after meeting with the advisory committee, Professor Paradis and Mr. Corbett will assign you an academic advisor.

II. Administrative Guidelines for a Major in Writing

Ways to enter the program
A student can declare a Major in Writing in a number of ways.
1.    Freshmen are asked to fill out a Course Selection Card at the end of their freshman year. This card is forwarded by the Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office (UAAO) to the appropriate department. The student is then contacted by the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies to meet with the Major Advisor and the faculty advisory committee. The Program Administrator completes a Prospective Major Sheet, which gives information which helps locate and track the student.
2.    Students who had declared another major and now wish to switch to XXI should discuss their prospects with the Major Advisor and the faculty advisory committee. The Program Administrator fills out a Prospective Major Sheet. The student must complete a Change of Course form. The Major Advisor must sign the form, approving the student's entrance into the Program. When it is properly filed, this form will cause two important things to happen: a) both the old department and the new department will receive copies, prompting the old department to forward the student's folder to the new department (failing this, the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies staff member will contact the old department); b) this form also notifies the registrar that the student is changing majors.
3.    Students who are adding Writing as a second major to an ongoing program must do so by petition. The petition is to include the proposed class work for the second major. The student's program is planned with the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies Major Advisor. The petition must then be signed by the Major Advisor and by the student's major advisor in the other department. The student delivers the original copy of the petition to the Registrar, and a xerox copy to the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies administrator for placement in the student's file as reference. This action will cause the student to be set up in the registrar's files as a double major.

Choosing an Advisor
Once a student has submitted the Course Selection Card or the Change of Course Card, he and the Major Advisor choose an advisor within the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. The student and the new advisor then outline a course of study. The appropriate requirements must be followed; consult the appropriate Bulletins. In the case of a joint major (XXI-E or XXI-S) there is an Engineering or Science Component to be established. This is a series of six subjects that will give the student basic competence in a field of Engineering or Science. This part of the degree program is established by the student and an Engineering or Science Co-Advisor in the appropriate department. An "Engineering or Science Component" form must be completed, signed by the Co-Advisor, and brought to the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies Headquarters Office for the student's file. This certifies that the subject selection meets that department's criteria.

Appropriate Set of Requirements

It is important to know when the student entered MIT, and when a major in Writing was declared. The first date affects the set of General Institute Requirements he must fulfill, and the second affects the set of major requirements he must fulfill. Consult the appropriate Bulletin when establishing the student's program. For instance, a student entering MIT in September of 2008 is obligated to fulfill the GIR's in the 2008-09 Bulletin. 

 The student may also fulfill any more recent set of requirements if so desired. A student cannot be held liable for any set of requirements that was no longer in effect at entrance date, and may not discharge his obligation by fulfilling an earlier set of requirements. Subjects pass on and off the GIR list; if they were on the list when the student took them, they remain valid for fulfilling his requirements.

 Similarly, the student is obligated to fulfill the major requirements in effect at the time she contracted to major with us. If she declared a major in Writing in May of her Freshman year (e.g., starting in the fall of 2008), she is obligated to the requirements in the 2008-09 Bulletin. If the requirements were to change in 2009-10, she could either remain with the 08-09 set, or declare the new set of requirements. If another student, entering in September 2008, started majoring in Nuclear Engineering at the end of his freshman year, and decided to switch to Writing in September of 2010, she would be obligated to the requirements in the 2010-11 Bulletin (or later editions), and would not be allowed to use the requirements in the 2008-09 Bulletin, unlike his classmate who declared her Writing major immediately.

 When a student switches into Writing from an Engineering or Science Major, the course work already completed will probably fulfill a reasonable sequence for at least part of the -E or -S Component, but the student and his chosen Co-Advisor should fill out the Component form in any case, so that we have an official record of that department's requirement.

 If a student wants to double-major, the GIR's must be filled only once. All the specific requirements for both degrees must be fulfilled.

The Role of the Headquarters Office
The Headquarters Office maintains a file for each Writing major. This file includes copies of paperwork pertaining to administrative actions, advisor comments, freshman evaluations, and so on. It also includes a pair of forms which chart the student's progress through the Institute's degree requirements. The first of these forms traces the General Institute Requirements, and is the same for all majors. The second form is specifically designed for the student’s full or joint major.  The student and her advisor should examine these forms closely at the beginning of each semester to be sure that the student is progressing satisfactorily toward completion of her degree.  The Headquarters Office will help with this process by pointing out gaps in the current record; but the ultimate responsibility for the student's subject choice and completion of requirements rests with the student. When the advisor and the student have checked the placement of all subjects among the various General Institute Requirements and Major Requirements, the sheets should be signed by the advisor and student and returned to the Headquarters Office, so any changes of information can be transferred to the student's permanent file.

The Advisor and the student should meet frequently to watch over the student's progress through the Program. A minimum of three meetings per semester is suggested by the HASS Office. More may be desirable.

III. Degree Requirements for Major in Writing

Degree requirements for Major in Writing can be viewed at http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.writi.shtml.

A writing degree chart is at http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.ch21w.shtml.

A Joint major degree requirements can be accessed at http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.human.shtml.

A Joint major chart is at http://web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.ch21es.shtml. 

Administrative Guidelines for a Minor in Writing

The HASS Minor programs require six subjects in a given field arranged in two tiers, Introductory and Advanced. The choice is made by the student in consultation with the Minor Advisor in the field. The acceptable subjects are listed in the Bulletin. In the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies, one subject must be chosen from the introductory level, and five from the advanced level.
The Minor (which is optional) builds on the Concentration (which is not optional), and subsumes it. It is not necessary to fulfill another Concentration in addition to the Minor (however, the Concentration Proposal and Completion forms must be filled out). A maximum of two minors are allowed at M.I.T. A Minor may not be taken in the same field as the student's Humanities Major or a Humanities Component of a Joint Major. The Minor program should be declared by the end of the sophomore year, and no later than two full terms before the SB degree is expected.
Of the six subjects required for the Minor, up to five may be credited also toward the Institute HASS requirement. Only one of those five may count toward the HASS-D requirement. The junior/senior pass/fail option may not be used for any of these subjects. Transfer credit may be used toward the minor at the discretion of the Minor Advisor.
To declare a Minor program, the student fills out a Minor Application form, available from the HASS Information Office (l4N-408). The student and the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies Minor Advisor consult on a program of six subjects which will fulfill the Program requirements, as set forth in the Bulletin. The choice follows one of the Program's three themes: Creative Writing, Science Writing, or Digital Media. When the student has complete the minor he must file a "Completion of a Minor" form.
 

Administrative Guidelines for a Concentration in Writing

 The Concentration is part of the General Institute Requirements, and is required of all undergraduates. The Concentration in Writing consists of four subjects chosen in consultation with the Concentration Advisor. Ordinarily, one will be at the introductory level, and three will be at the advanced level. Of the four, three will be drawn from a major category of the curriculum (creative writing, science writing or digital media).

 With the permission of the Concentration Advisor, one of the Concentration subjects may also be used for the HASS Distribution (HASS-D) requirement. A student may choose to go beyond the Concentration requirement, and build a Minor in the field. It is not then necessary to complete a separate Concentration, but the student must still fill out the Concentration Proposal and Completion forms.

 The Concentration should be selected before the third year.
To pursue the Concentration, the student obtains a "Proposal for a Concentration" form, decides on a subject sequence with the Advisor, and fills out the form. The Form must then be signed by the Concentration Advisor; the student distributes the copies as indicated (NB! the "Registrar's copy" now goes to the HASS Office, 14N-408). The Field Office copy stays with the Concentration Advisor, so he can consult with the student as the need may arise. Changes may be made in the sequence, in consultation with the Concentration Advisor and should be noted on the white copy of the Proposal (retained by the Concentration Advisor).
When the student has completed the subject sequence, he fills out a "Certification of Completed Concentration" form. The student must bring along a copy of the his Grade Report to be examined by the Concentration Advisor to ascertain that all subjects have been taken and passed. If the student is still taking a subject(s) in the final term, this is noted on the bottom of the Certification form, which serves as provisional certification. The Registrar will automatically record the completed Concentration when a passing grade for the subject(s) is recorded.

 Once the Completion Form has received the Concentration Advisor's signature, the student distributes all copies as noted on the bottom of the form (NB! the "Registrar's copy" now goes to the HASS Office, 14N-408). The Field Office copy is retained in the Concentration advisor's file.


Administrative Guidelines for Transfer Credit
Mail or physically deliver the following items to the Transfer Credit Administrator in Room 14E-303.

  • Sealed transcript from the academic institution listing grades for all subjects that you want to be considered for transfer credit
  • class syllabus
  • major paper assignments if not on syllabus
  • bulletin description of class
  • copies of at least one or two papers graded or ungraded written for the class
  • transfer credit sheet

 

Do not bring or send materials directly to transfer credit examiner, Dr. Perelman. Dr. Perelman will contact you if he needs any additional information.
You will be informed within three weeks after all materials have been submitted if you have received transfer credit.
 
Transfer credit is never awarded in the following situations:

  • for classes taken prior to matriculation at a college or university. No credit will be given for classes taken while in high school or other secondary schools.
  • for classes that have fewer than ten weeks of instruction.
  • for classes in which the student's grade is B- or lower.
  • for classes taken at a Community or Junior College