Graduate
Student
Policies
Updated February 3, 2023
MIT is closely monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 situation and taking action to protect the health and wellbeing of MIT students, faculty, and staff, as well as our neighboring communities. Below are updated policies for graduate students that have been guided by MIT Medical and the Institute’s Emergency Management Team, and reviewed by graduate Heads of House, GSC members, and other campus partners. MIT will continue to make policy adjustments and implement additional measures as necessary. Any updates to housing policies will be posted to this webpage.
We're in this together.
MIT encourages students to be attentive to building good communications with others who live near them, who are in the same lab, or with whom they share classes. If students are concerned about the behaviors of other students relative to COVID-19 and health risks, they can report this information through the COVID-19 Public Health Concern Report Form. Concerns about the behaviors of non-student members relative to COVID-19 and health risks may be reported to the MIT Hotline.
COVID-19 Student Policies
Information about access to campus buildings can be found on the MIT NOW website.
It is required that all students be knowledgeable about and adhere to MIT’s current COVID-19 policies. Doing so is important not only for your own wellbeing, but for the safety and wellbeing of those around you—other students, faculty, staff, and our Cambridge-area neighbors.
Failure to comply with these policies may result in a referral to the Committee on Discipline. MIT reserves the right to take interim measures—including immediate removal from Institute-approved housing—to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the MIT and surrounding community.
The Committee on Discipline (COD) has authorized the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) to use an expedited process to resolve alleged COVID-19 policy violations. Please visit the OSCCS website for additional information.
In addition to these COVID-19 policies, the Mind and Hand Book is MIT’s guide for student conduct and behavior. The handbook contains standards, guidelines, regulations, and procedures pertaining to academic integrity and non-academic behavior, and policies for all undergraduate and graduate students. Specific information about other housing policies is available on the Housing & Residential Services website. In the event of any inconsistency between the Mind and Hand Book and these COVID-19 policies, the COVID-19 policies govern.
Mandatory Covid testing and daily health attestations are no longer required for any MIT community members including students, residents, employees, and the unvaccinated.
Visitors are not required to have a negative Covid test before coming to MIT’s campus.
See latest testing updates on the MIT NOW website.
If you have questions about testing, or any other Covid-related policies, please email covidapps-help@mit.edu.
All students, spouses and partners, and eligible dependents are required to comply with MIT’s Covid-19 vaccination policy. Details can be found at MIT Now – Covid vaccinations.
All students and on-campus residents
Wearing face coverings on campus is welcome but optional for all students and on-campus residents in most indoor campus areas. Face coverings are required in MIT Medical facilities.
Unvaccinated individuals and individuals who are not up to date on their vaccinations are strongly encouraged to continue to wear face coverings.
Guests in residence halls and FSILGs must follow all MIT and Covid-related policies.
Residence Halls:
- Residents of Institute-approved housing should follow the Housing & Residential Services policies and protocols and the specific protocols of their residence hall.
Programs with Overnight Stays in MIT Residence Halls and FSILGs:
- Please see the MIT NOW website for more information about building access and visitors.
K-12 programs and visitors:
- Programs hosting K-12 visitors/minors should review MIT’s K-12 students and programs policy. Note that children who are under 12 years of age must either be accompanied by a parent or guardian or be participating in a registered MIT K-12 program. Unescorted access to MIT buildings and facilities via Tim Tickets is not allowed for visitors under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian.
FSILGs
- FSILGs should follow their pre-Covid chapter house guest protocols.
Students should attest in COVID Pass if they are experiencing COVID 19 symptoms as established by the CDC. This attestation will initiate a COVID testing requirement. Anyone experiencing COVID symptoms should not go to classes, lab, work, athletic or social events and should avoid contact with others.
Health Monitoring
MIT may seek to perform additional health monitoring of students, including, for example, taking the temperature of students, if MIT determines that such measures are prudent to maintain a safe campus environment.
Privacy and Disclosure of Health Information
MIT will take appropriate measures to ensure the confidential and private nature of the diagnostic testing and health monitoring information it obtains from students. MIT (including MIT Medical) may, however, share the de-identified testing results and health monitoring information with certain MIT community members who have a legitimate need to know this information, including those with whom a student may have been in close contact.
Students who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, even if minor, must immediately notify MIT Medical by completing an attestation in COVID Pass.
If you test positive for Covid through MIT, the MIT Atlas app and an associated email will immediately direct you to complete a form to provide more detail to MIT Medical’s student health team. You must complete this form as soon as possible. Your prompt response will help the MIT Medical Team determine next steps. You can find more resources after testing positive here.
If you test positive for Covid with a rapid antigen test, you must immediately report the positive test through Covid Pass, complete the form, and begin isolation.
For situational awareness, if you test positive, we encourage you to notify the people who you spent time with in the 48 hours prior to the positive result. MIT Medical is no longer be performing contact tracing activities.
If you are identified as a roommate of someone who is positive, you will also be notified and directed to information and resources made available by the Covid Support Team.
MIT Medical advises all community members to practice personal hygiene habits such as frequent hand washing and sanitizing.
Students should refer to the travel policy on MIT Now for policies and protocols related to travel. All MIT-related travel must be registered and students are encouraged to register personal travel.
