General Institute Requirements (GIRS)

During your first semester, most of your program will involve the General Institute Requirements (GIRs). The GIRs will lay the foundation for study in your major. In your second semester, you might add subjects to help you explore your anticipated major.

All MIT undergraduates must complete 17 General Institute Requirements. Most students complete 7 to 9 of these during their first year.

The GIRs include:

• The freshman science core: Calculus , Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
  
  
• The Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement: Over your four years you must take eight HASS subjects, three of which must be HASS Distribution subjects (HASS-Ds), and two of which must be Communication Requirement subjects (CI-Hs).
  
  
• The Communication Requirement: Each year you must take one Communication-Intensive (CI) subject. During your freshman and sophomore years these will be CI-H subjects, within the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Junior and senior years you will take CI-Ms, within your major department.
  
  
• The Physical Education (PE) Requirement: You are expected to pass the swim test and earn 8 Physical Education points by the end of your sophomore year. PE classes earn 2 points each and are offered in 4 quarters during the academic year and in IAP, so it's quite possible to complete your PE requirement during your first year.

• The Laboratory Requirement: Most students will meet this requirement in the second or third year by taking one 12-unit or two 6-unit subjects, designated for this requirement, in your major department.
  
  
• Restricted Electives in Science and Technology: Students ordinarily take two subjects from a list of approved REST subjects in their second year. One is taken within the major department; the other must be from another department.

Depending on your background and AP or transfer credit, during your first semester you'll most likely take three subjects in the Science Core—Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, or Physics—as well as a Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) subject. These subjects, all part of the GIRs, serve as your entrée into any major department.

You should also enroll in at least one Physical Education class in your first semester in order to complete this requirement by the end of sophomore year. Freshmen and sophomores are given priority in the PE Lottery, so it is easier for you to complete this GIR before the end of your sophomore year.