General Requirements

MISTI internships are open to all MIT undergraduate students, including graduating students who may participate in the summer after their senior year.

Graduate students may be considered for internships in limited cases. For instance:

• When the internship costs are mostly or entirely covered by the host, the MIT department, or some other source
• When the internship represents a meaningful and unique first learning experience abroad
• When the internship may lead to new opportunities for undergraduate students
• When the graduate student agrees to serve as a mentor or provide training for undergraduate students
• When the internship is connected to an MIT Global Seed Funds collaboration

If English is not commonly spoken in a MISTI country, then you should plan to invest the time and effort needed to learn that language; graduate students might be exempt depending on available opportunities. If you feel you already speak a language at the level shown in the table below, contact that country’s manager to confirm you meet the requirement.

You can find the list of language requirements in the table above. 

If a country-specific course is available at MIT, then you should plan to invest time to enroll and learn about that country’s culture, history, and/or society; graduate students might be exempt depending on available opportunities. 

You can find the list of course specific requirements in the table above.

All MISTI countries require 1-2 recommendations with your application, preferably from an MIT faculty member, so start developing relationships with potential recommenders now. Some countries also require you to complete a UROP before the internship starts or have prior internship experience, and you may need to complete a specific course(s) before starting an internship at some host companies or labs.

We want you to experience your host country and culture as an informed, engaged participan—not a visitor. If you are accepted to any country program or placed in an internship, you must complete about 8-12 hours of training in the spring, which may include sessions on weekday evenings or day-long weekend retreats. You’ll learn how to adapt to the country’s culture, navigate the workplace, understand current events, and stay healthy and safe. 

Some GTL programs there are language requirements. For other programs, you may be prioritized in placement if you’ve taken a language course relevant to that country, and some countries prioritize advanced speakers for specific placements. Other programs have no language requirements. You can find the list of requirements here. 

There is no general course requirement for GTL in any MISTI country, but you may be prioritized for placement if you’ve taken a teaching-related course. 

Many MISTI programs require or prefer that you have teaching experience as a TA, education-related club participant, etc.

We want you to experience your host country and culture as an informed, engaged participant—not a visitor—and be prepared to share a mens et manus-style approach to learning. So if you’re accepted to any GTL program, you must complete about 5-10 hours of training prior to departure. You’ll learn how to adapt to the country’s culture, navigate the workplace, understand current events, and stay healthy and safe as well as build effective teaching skills.

Some programs may require language proficiency. 

There is no general course requirement for study abroad in any MISTI country. 

We want you to experience your host country and culture as an informed, engaged participant—not a visitor. Before you study abroad, you must complete about 8-12 hours of training in the spring or fall, which may include sessions on weekday evenings or day-long weekend retreats. You’ll learn how to adapt to the country’s culture, navigate the university culture, understand current events, and stay healthy and safe. 

Exchange programs require 1 recommendation with your application, preferably from an MIT faculty member, so start developing relationships with potential recommenders now. Direct enroll programs do not require a letter. 

Study abroad courses can count for major, minor, and HASS credit. However, they rarely count towards GIRs, HASS distributions, CI-H units, and CI-M units, so we recommend these are completed before studying abroad or an academic plan is made.

Requirements vary by program. Visit our Global Classroom page for more details.

Before your Global Classroom, you’ll attend MISTI Prep and Training sessions designed to help you make the most of your experience abroad.

Are you interested in starting a MISTI Global Classroom or SHASS/MISTI Global Classroom? Find more information here.