The GRE is not used
EECS does not use GRE scores in admission, regardless of citizenship, apart from the LGO programme.
Doctoral · MIT Electrical engineering and computer science
MIT EECS PhD: the GRE is not used, two essays are asked for and admission is doctoral-only
The MIT EECS graduate admissions pages say the department does not use GRE scores, except for the LGO programme, and that it asks for three letters of recommendation and two essays. Applicants are admitted directly into the PhD, with no terminal master's route, no transfer of credit from another programme and no admission for those who already hold a PhD. The pages carry no entry-year label.
Official information · no entry-year label on the page
What MIT asks for in MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science PhD
Taken from the MIT EECS graduate admission process page and graduate admissions FAQ and read on 2 November 2026. The page carries no entry-year label, so every value below is treated as previous-cycle evidence for a 2028-29 start; MIT's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
Two essays
One on research activities and goals, one on the applicant's academic and intellectual journey.
Doctoral-only admission
There is no terminal master's route, and an existing PhD holder will not be admitted.
Official sources
Read on 2 November 2026 on the MIT EECS graduate admission process page and graduate admissions FAQ, which carries no entry-year label. The application portal, deadlines, funding and the English-test scores were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Does your record fit what the programme page asks?
This guide concerns only the MIT research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the programme page says.
It fits if
you have a very strong background in mathematics, physics, computer science or engineering and want a PhD route directly.
Think again if
you hold a PhD already, or hope to transfer credit from another programme. The FAQ says neither is possible.
Check the page
The Graduate School's programme page is the source; deadlines, funding and score thresholds change by cycle and are not stated here.
How the application is read
What the programme page lists
The pages list a biographical section, three letters of recommendation, a record of subjects with grades and two essays. They state that GRE scores are not used, give minimum scores for the Duolingo English Test, IELTS and TOEFL, and describe an automatic waiver for applicants who meet MIT's central criteria. They discourage extra documents and advise industry applicants to include at least one faculty letter. This guide states no deadline, fee or funding term.
How the programme runs
Focus and working pattern
The department admits applicants into its PhD programme; those without a master's degree earn one on the way. A master's degree completed elsewhere counts toward the PhD requirements, while classes or research credit cannot be transferred from an unfinished programme. These pages carry no entry-year label.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not MIT rules and carry no probability.
Preparing for the GRE
The FAQ says EECS does not use GRE scores, except for the LGO programme.
Expecting a master's-only offer
Applicants are admitted into the PhD and there is no terminal master's degree.
Sending extra papers and awards
The FAQ discourages extra documents and points to the CV upload and a URL box.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check your record
Compare your coursework and experience with the stated expectations.
Prepare the written work
Draft the statements and writing sample the page asks for, in the formats it lists.
Plan the tests
Check which tests are required, optional or not accepted.
Read the current page
Read the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
MIT's programme page carries no entry-year label. A start in 2028-29 means applying under rules MIT has not yet published. Each item below is either read on the page and treated as previous-cycle wording, which may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the programme and the application
The expectations, the written work and the test policy are described on MIT's programme page, which carries no entry-year label. MIT has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. MIT publishes them per cycle; read the page again for the cycle you apply in.
What to do now
Check your record against the programme page, prepare the written work it lists and plan any required test.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does the MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science PhD ask for?
Applicants are expected to have a bachelor's degree by registration and a very strong background in mathematics, physics, computer science or engineering.
Is a test required?
The FAQ says EECS does not use GRE scores in admission, regardless of citizenship, except for the LGO programme, and that it accepts the Duolingo English Test, IELTS and TOEFL for English proficiency, with automatic waivers for applicants who meet the criteria on MIT's central admissions site.
Does this guide state a deadline?
No. The page carries no entry-year label and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding. Check the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Does the programme include funding?
This guide did not use MIT's funding sections and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.