Applied to MIT, not to a course
MIT says you apply to the entire university, not to a specific major, and all first-year students begin undeclared.
Undergraduate · MIT EECS
MIT Course 6-5: Electrical Engineering with Computing, chosen after arrival
MIT says you apply to the entire university and all first-year students begin undeclared. Course 6-5, Electrical Engineering with Computing, is one of three undergraduate degrees in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, beside 6-3 and 6-4. The current catalogue lists it as 6-5, and this guide describes only that current degree. It sets out what the degree chart requires, how it differs from 6-3 and 6-4 and what MIT says about testing.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What MIT says about MIT Course 6-5
Taken from the MIT Course Catalog's degree charts for Courses 6-5, 6-3 and 6-4 and MIT Admissions' Majors & Minors, Tests & Scores and International pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check MIT's pages for the 2028-entry details.
An SB in EECS
The catalogue lists Course 6-5 as a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with Computing, offered by the EECS department.
Circuits and signals sit in the core
The system design centres include Computation Structures, Electrical Circuits and Signal Processing, with Engineering for Impact as the design lab.
Two EE tracks
Students select two subjects from one EE track and two from a different EE track.
The SAT or ACT is required
MIT requires the SAT or the ACT for first-year students and asks that predicted grades be sent if available.
Official sources
- MIT Admissions: Majors & Minorsmitadmissions.org
- MIT Course Catalog: Electrical Engineering with Computing (Course 6-5)catalog.mit.edu
- MIT Course Catalog: Computer Science and Engineering (Course 6-3)catalog.mit.edu
- MIT Course Catalog: Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making (Course 6-4)catalog.mit.edu
- MIT Admissions: Tests & Scoresmitadmissions.org
Read on 1 November 2026 on the MIT Course Catalog's degree charts for Courses 6-5, 6-3 and 6-4 and MIT Admissions' Majors & Minors, Tests & Scores and International pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The EECS department's own website, the EE track lists, the subject descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The degree
What the degree chart requires
The catalogue's chart for Course 6-5 lists fundamentals in Python programming, discrete mathematics and proof, algorithms, low-level programming in C and Assembly, linear algebra and probability. System design centres add Computation Structures, Electrical Circuits and Signal Processing, and Engineering for Impact is the design lab. Students then choose two subjects from one electrical engineering track and two from another, and two Course 6 subjects that also satisfy a requirement in 6-3, 6-4 or 6-5. The chart lists 174 to 186 units in the major. This guide does not describe individual subjects.
Is it the right course?
6-5, 6-3 or 6-4
The catalogue lists these as separate degrees, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general and relies on the degree titles the charts give.
6-5 Electrical Engineering with Computing fits if
you want circuits and signals alongside programming and algorithms.
6-3 Computer Science and Engineering fits if
your centre of gravity is software and computer science. Avandy's MIT Courses 6-3 and 6-4 guide covers it.
6-4 Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making fits if
your interest is intelligent systems. The same guide covers it.
Admission and testing
An MIT application, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
MIT requires the SAT or the ACT for first-year students. It asks that transcripts include the results of external examinations such as the IB or A Levels required for university entrance in your home country, and that predicted grades be sent if available; only admitted students are required to send final grades. Course 6-5 is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not MIT's.
Do you want hardware and circuits alongside software?
The degree chart includes circuits, signal processing and a design lab.
Are you comfortable choosing after arrival?
MIT says first-year students begin undeclared.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
MIT requires one of them from first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
MIT's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check MIT's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. MIT has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check MIT for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Course 6-5 degree chart and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to MIT Course 6-5?
No. MIT says you apply to the entire university, not to a specific major or school, and all first-year students begin undeclared.
Is Course 6-5 the current course number?
Yes. The current MIT catalogue lists Electrical Engineering with Computing as Course 6-5, and this guide describes only that degree.
How is it different from 6-3 and 6-4?
The catalogue lists 6-3 as Computer Science and Engineering and 6-4 as Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making, each with its own chart.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
MIT says it requires the SAT or the ACT for first-year students.
Do A levels and the IB count?
MIT asks that transcripts include external examination results such as the IB or A Levels and that predicted grades be sent if available.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are MIT's wording with no entry-year label. Check MIT's pages again when MIT publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about MIT Course 6-5
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics and physics, how they weigh electrical engineering against computer science and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.