Student Nina on a bench in front of a mountain

Your Resources

Your gateway to a world of opportunity and impact

MISTI programs are designed to give students the perspective they need to forge their futures as leaders in an interconnected world.

We’re here to help ensure a rich, rewarding experience abroad—from preparing for a transformative cultural experience to achieving your educational and career goals while making a real difference along the way.

Crafting your experience

What exactly is MISTI? What can you do? Where can you go? And how can you impact the world?

Applying

For many students, MISTI is a life-changing experience. If you’re ready to dive in, apply today and take your first step toward a transformative internship, immersive study abroad, or global research and teaching opportunities.

Funding & Cost

Nearly every MISTI student experience is designed to be cost-neutral. This means your experience is being fully funded by generous MISTI donors, your host company, or a combination of both. Most expenses—including airfare and stipends—are covered.

Get Going

Prepare to revolutionize who you are and what you will become. MISTI is here to assist you with all of the important steps of your journey—from pre-departure paperwork to staying safe abroad, and how to leverage your experiences after you’ve come home.

Preparation and Training

Experience your host country less like a visitor and more as an informed, engaged, and enthusiastic citizen. Learn about important culture and language courses, passport and visa requirements, and everything else you need to be ready for your program.

There and Back Again

Through MISTI, you’ll Iearn new perspectives, find new ways to problem solve, and discover new approaches to our increasingly interconnected global challenges. We want to help you maximize your impact both while you’re abroad and after you return home.

MISTI Stories

Students on an internship site

Crating your experience

Get started with MISTI

What exactly is MISTI? What can you do? Where can you go? And how can you impact the world? Which program are you looking to do? 

Program types:

  • Internships: 3-12 months internship abroad in over 40+ countries for undergrad and grad students—opportunities available in all majors.
  • Study Abroad:  Exchange and direct-enroll program for undergrads.
  • Global Teaching Labs: GTL participants travel abroad to teach STEM (and sometimes entrepreneurship) for three to four weeks every January. Undergrad and grad students are welcome to apply.
  • Global Classroom: 2- to 3-week opportunities to learn abroad alongside MIT faculty. Programs take place over IAP or in the summer.

40+ countries available

Venture through the country pages to find out more about MISTI countries. 

Explore here 

More questions? Email us at misti [at] mit.edu (misti[at]mit[dot]edu) or reach out to a MISTI staff to learn more. 

 

Most MISTI programs are cost-neutral, thanks to our generous donors and host organizations - which means a professional or research placement is within your reach financially.

For internships, Global Classroom, and Global Teaching Labs, all essential expenses are covered, including airfare and housing, and you’ll receive a small stipend for meals and transportation.

For study abroad programs, you will pay either MIT tuition and the host university room and board OR the host university tuition, room, and board. Any financial aid you have will be applied to your study abroad program. Scholarships are also available.

Important steps to take before doing a MISTI

At MISTI, we do our best to help you plan your trip abroad so you can get down to the important business of making an impact on the world through your placement. Here are some of the basics we’ll help you coordinate, and you can learn more about the specifics of your particular program on our program pages or through your program manager.

MISTI is ready to provide resources and guidance for anything from insurance questions to emergencies and issues of personal safety. 

To help us protect you, you will receive training and resources about everything you need to do before your departure and while abroad. 

Once accepted to a program, your MISTI program manager will provide you with a detailed health and safety guide and other materials they will review with you before you leave. 

In the meantime, let us know if you have any questions.

To participate in a MISTI program, you’ll need a valid passport. The U.S. Passport Agency can take 12 weeks or more to process applications. Even if your trip is months away, you should apply now.
 

Many countries also require that you obtain a visa. Your program manager will know what type of visa you need and how to apply. To apply for a visa, you must first obtain a passport.

Once your placement abroad is finalized, your program manager will work with you to make sure that your travel arrangements to and from your host city are in place. While some MISTI programs cover the cost of your travel directly, others will ask you to purchase tickets and will reimburse you prior to your trip.For study abroad, you will be responsible for booking a flight and covering the cost of your travel.

In most cases, your program manager knows the city where you will be living inside and out. The manager will work closely with you to help identify safe, adequate housing in a location that is convenient to your internship or host university. Some students stay in university dorms, some find apartments online, some are offered housing by a host company, and still others prefer homestays.

You also receive a stipend that is enough to cover living expenses for the duration of your experience abroad. (Study abroad students do not receive a stipend). Sometimes the stipend is covered directly by the host organization; other times it is covered by MISTI. Your program manager will make arrangements to ensure you receive your stipend when you need it. To receive your stipend electronically in your bank account, you will need to fill out an MIT direct deposit authorization form. Please visit the "My Reimbursements'' section of the Atlas site to find out how.

MISTI works with health insurance providers to make sure you are covered for the duration of your trip. In addition, MIT students are covered by International ISOS for emergency assistance while traveling abroad. Learn more about MISTI's health and safety procedures.

Each MISTI program has different prerequisites for academic courses and language ability—learn more about yours.

All MISTI country programs require a minimum 4.0 GPA and serious preparation for you to achieve the type of meaningful, in-depth experiences MISTI aspires to, but specific requirements vary by country location and program type. 

 General requirements

MISTI trainings

MISTI has designed country-specific Prep & Training and Health & Safety trainings that all MISTI students are required to attend. The sessions will cover topics such as:

  • Travel and logistics
  • Intercultural communication
  • Workplace expectations
  • Values, norms, and behaviors
  • History, geopolitics, and religion
  • Health and safety

Some of these training sessions are also open to the larger MIT community. 

Explore the preparation and training for specific programs by country to learn more about these sessions, as well as other country-specific resources, such as suggested readings and links to videos and other online materials. 

Preparation and Training for Study Abroad

If you've been accepted for the study abroad program, please find a more detailed information here. 

Study Abroad Prep & Training

Be who you are

Explore some of the resources we’ve compiled to help you plan an informed and authentic journey for yourself. Feel free to contact the MISTI managers with any specific questions or concerns you may have.

Identity Abroad

Your adventure doesn’t have to end once your plane lands back home. MISTI is here to help you continue the journey in lots of different ways

All MISTI alumni are encouraged to apply for another MISTI program — explore another country or research area that inspires you.

The MAIS is designed to help you integrate a practical, applied international experience into a coherent course of study. The minor is built around four key principles:

  • Local understanding with a global perspective
  • Theory combined with in-the-field experience
  • Applied cross-cultural communication skills
  • Independent research skills
  • The result is a comprehensive plan of study that allows students to gain the skills necessary for a productive, sustainable career in the global economy.

Learn more about the Minor in Applied International Studies.

Do you love talking about everything you learned and did during your MISTI experience? Become a MISTI Ambassador!

MISTI Ambassadors play a vital role in helping us spread the word about MISTI to students, faculty and potential donors. Ambassadors serve a one-year term and typically attend one or two MISTI events per semester.

Let your program manager know if you're interested in becoming a MISTI Ambassador.

Even after you graduate from MIT, you can stay connected to MISTI and your global community.

  • MISTI and CAPD can help you apply for grad school abroad or consider your international career options.
  • If you are interested in building your network within a specific country, explore the Institute's alumni network to learn about MIT alumni living in that region.

Would you like to help us grow and strengthen MISTI? Learn how you can get involved after you leave MIT, such as by hosting an MIT student intern at your organization or providing support to create more global experiences for students.